These two suits, reported today by GamePolitics, seek class action status and join a third filed in September over the use of DRM in Spore.

The first suit, lodged by a Pennsylvania man who installed the Spore trial, says that the installation of DRM on a freely distributed program "constitutes a major violation of computer owners' absolute right to control what does and what does not get loaded onto their computers, and how their computers shall be used." The suit says the EULA for the trial made "utterly no mention of any Technical Protection Measures, DRM technology, or SecuROM whatsoever."

The second, filed by a Missouri woman, says that after installing DRM-protected The Sims 2: Bon Voyage, she began experiencing problems with her PC. Backup CDs with Sims 2 game content were no longer recognized by her competer; neither were files saved on her USB flash drive or iPod. She rid herself of the DRM and the problems only by reformatting her PC. She accuses EA of engaging in "unfair business practices" as well as conduct that is "immoral, unethical, oppressive [and] unscrupulous ..."

No, we have not contacted EA for comment. I'm sure they'd either say they haven't read the suit and can't comment on it, or they have and don't comment on pending litigation. Either way, it's out there. Someone's accusing EA of bad business practices in more than just a Reddit thread.

New Class-Action Suits Target EA, SecuROM, The Sims & Spore Creature Creator [Gamepolitics]

... Will Wright continued to think about what else he could do now that he had discovered this new scale. If people messed around with ants and kept ant farms because, on a certain level, it was easy to see ourselves in them, why not make a digital "people farm"? This, of course, led to the ant-farm-by-way-of-doll-house know as The Sims, the best-selling PC game of all time.

Through these games, Wright struck upon something essential in humanity. Messing with ants is the original "god game." Software simulations are both an extension and a refinement of this behavior. They let us focus our frustrations and desires onto something smaller than ourselves, something over which we can feel supremely powerful. We can single out a few digital people and decide if we want to make their day heaven or hell. Or we can simply watch them go about their tasks, gently nudging them along, content in the knowledge that we have the power to tear it all down at any moment. For beings that often feel powerless in the face of a vast, harsh universe, this is extremely cathartic.

The whole issue is a fun read, with essays on a variety of god game-related subjects.

A God Among Insects [The Escapist]

Clearly, there is very little probative value to this post, I just wanted to write the word DIKTAD (the name of a toy chest they sell). Three years ago my friend Ryan (Flying Squirrel, to those in the know), who now writes for the Sacramento Bee, went to IKEA with me to help me trick out my former shithole (rented for $1095 a month. Housing bubble? What is this you speak of? Rent is a rock solid investment that only appreciates.) We came around the corner and saw DIKTAD and that instantly became our new term of abuse for each other, like "Heat Stick" and "Grandma's Tongue." And now I bequeath it to you. Please call each other that in the comments.

The Sims 2 IKEA Home Stuff Trailer [Simprograms]

To celebrate the beta launch, EA is launching the SimCarnival.com Galactic Game Challenge, with $1,000 cash prize on the line. Judging from the quality generated so far I'd say there's a good chance of anyone who reads Kotaku winning. Hell, there's a good chance my mother could win this.

THE SIMS LABEL ANNOUNCES GAMES DESTINATIONS WEBSITE SIMSCARNIVAL.COM NOW IN OPEN BETA

Play, Create and Share Games Of All Kinds!

REDWOOD CITY, CA - June 17, 2008 - The Sims™, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) http://www.SimsCarnival.com with added content, features and new game creation options. This games destination website has hundreds of games of all kinds and creators are adding more every day. There is bound to be a game that you love — and if not, you can make it! Since its inception in February 2008, SimsCarnival.com has built an active online community where nearly 1 in 4 visitors during Closed Beta have created and published their own games. The tools provided at the site empower players to become game creators at any programming skill level, from novice to Flash developers.

Play
With hundreds of unique and cool games to play, there is a game for everybody — you won't find this selection of games anywhere else. Making games is so easy at SimsCarnival.com, so you will see new and unique games and experiences to enjoy every day. Come and check them out!

Create
Three tools — The Wizard, The Swapper and The Game Creator — are your assistants in game design. The Wizard leads you through the process of creating a game step-by-step with intuitive and fun options designed to help you make the coolest game. The Swapper lets you customize existing games - or newly made games from The Wizard - with your own selection of images, so personalizing a game is at your fingertips. With The Game Creator, and its easy-to-use library of images, animations and sounds, everyone can create cool games. You can also upload games created in Adobe® Flash® that can be viewed, played and shared with SimsCarnival.com community. Flash developers interested in uploading their games to the site should create an account at www.SimsCarnival.com and click on the "Upload" tab from any page. Flash developers will be able to retain branding and links back to their developer site, providing another way to get exposure and traffic for their games.

Share
At SimsCarnival.com, create lists of your favorite games, send a game by email or embed a game on social networking sites or on your personal blog. Games are now truly a social experience and one that can be shared and enjoyed by others.

What's New
Based on listening to player feedback, new evolutions are now available in Open Beta, including a playlist function which allows you to stitch together all your favorite games into one experience. Also, new Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) will soon be ready to use. The first Flash API will be a high-score API which will allow Flash developers to use SimsCarnival.com's High Score system, which enables daily, weekly, and all-time high scores and player emails. Flash developers interested in learning more about our programs specifically targeted for Flash developers should send an email to SimLeaderAlpha@ea.com.

To celebrate the Open Beta, game creators are invited to participate in a game design challenge called SimsCarnival.com Galactic Game Challenge in which the winner will receive a cash prize*. This is the first of many contests designed to attract great game creators. Start making games today!

Visit SimsCarnival.com today to enjoy games more than ever before!

*Complete rules can be found at http://www.SimsCarnival.com/portal/promos/galacticgamechallenge

In light of "serious games" and "edutainment" discussions, I'm always interested to see what regular retail games are listed as good "educational" titles. College@Home has a pretty thorough list covering a variety of topics; some of the titles are expected (Civilization, Carmen Sandiego) to some slightly more interesting titles (Spore, Age of Mythology, a lot of regular retail sims). Makes me glad I just get to take the fun out of learning for undergraduates — I'm not sure I'd want to herd kids through Roller Coaster Tycoon.

Virtual Learning: 25 Best Sims and Games For the Classroom

[College@Home via Water Cooler Games]

In a somewhat bizarre interview with The Times Online, Nancy Smith (head of the Sims division at EA) said that " in light of the popularity of virtual worlds ... the Sims may soon become a multi-player game." The article fails to mention the failed experiment of The Sims Online, later rebranded to "EA-Land" and scheduled for closure in August. But Smith talks of potential new (and old) modes for online play:

Ms Smith was adamant, however, that The Sims would not break wholly with its past, and would continue to require players to buy and install software on their machines before being able to play. Some virtual worlds, such as Club Penguin and Habbo Hotel, can be played entirely within a web browser ....

The Sims franchise would also continue to explore new revenue models that have become associated with virtual worlds, she said, including sponsorship and the sale of 'virtual goods', as on the fashion-focused virtual world for teens, Stardoll.com.

It's a really odd interview in light of the online element that already fell flat on its face; maybe second time will be the charm for the Sims?

The Sims prepare for a sociable future [The Times via Worlds In Motion]

• As a toddler, gorging on a can of aerosol whipping cream and throwing up.
• As a young man, my girlfriend posing for "Genthouse" Magazine (for the record, I was cool with it. We married.)
• Playing in an old-timer's baseball game as a senior citizen, going back for a long fly ball, collapsing to the ground and dying peacefully as my friends gathered.

Well, here's a site where you can play Alter Ego online. It's been up since 2005, so probably some of you have stumbled onto this before. I scoured Kotaku to make sure we haven't featured it yet. It was truly a beautiful and well written game, created by Dr. Peter Favaro, and worth a look anyway. If you played it when you were younger, looking forward to life as an adult, now you can play it when you're older, to relive simpler days.

Alter Ego [theblackforge.net]

Indulge your Sims with an office that is sure to promote order and productivity with its elegant Vika Hyttan desk, inspiring Kila desk lamp, bold Helmer drawer unit, and Lack zigzag wallshelf.

—-

Dear Former Member of The Sims Online

I would like to introduce you to EA-Land, an online world that is free-to-play, and based on a re-engineered The Sims Online architecture.  Yes, FREE.

(To see an HTML version of the information in this letter please go to http://www.ea-land.ea.com)

I wanted you to know that at the beginning of last year, I assembled a team to improve The Sims Online. After months of ongoing hard work, we can proudly say that we have been successful and we have made this game fun again! I am writing to you because I would like to invite you to rejoin us in the game. You can come back for free right now by REACTIVATING your old account at this page http://ea-land.ea.com/register/free.php and then by downloading the game from the same link. Most likely, your Sim is no more, but if you come back to the game this month, you will get your earned privileges back (gifts, skill locks etc... in EA-Land) when we run our amnesty program at the end of the month.

The Sims Online was made of 12 different cities (AlphaVille, Blazing Falls, etc..), which now all exist EA-Land (this is called 'the merge' by the users!). We have a huge new map: it is 100 times bigger than the previous size of any city. We had to add a whole new zoom level to let users see it. The internet is faster now, so we have been able to let each house have more simultaneous visitors.  A lot of new users are constantly joining us and we expect more. As you have played TSO before, I think that you ought to own your lot in this new land, and I want you to have the ability to grab the best location before we open the gates. As an EA-Land subscriber, you will be able to have several Sims in the same "city" unlike in TSO where you were limited to one Sim per city. Also, if you refer others to become subscribers we will give you extra money in-game each week per person referred. Read more about this at http://www.ea-land.ea.com/blog/?p=826


RE-designed with Smart Users

On our blog ( http://www.ea-land.ea.com/blog ) we explain all the things we are working on and the events we are running in the game. We also have a very active wiki web site (http://www.game-blueprints.com ) managed by the community where you can work with others to design the game. We have already implemented many features designed by the users! The stratics forum community continues to be very active. We have made some big changes to the game, and many more are coming over the next few months. It is difficult to say which of the recent changes are the most important as users have different reasons to play the game, but let me tell you about the changes that I particularly like:


Custom Content

Users now have the ability to upload custom content. Like in the original Sims game, the goal is to let you customize the game completely, but in EA-Land you can see and buy the customizations of the other players! Players have already uploaded several thousands pieces of custom content. I suspect that by some time this year, all of the content of the game will have been replaced many times over by custom content. We started with the ability to upload bitmaps (easiest for the new creative users), then moved on to chairs and sculptures. You can now make your own portraits in the game and "skin" objects like in Sims2 by using your own images. Because we are approving all of the content, this user content is safe to be viewed by everyone! We are working with the main user web sites that have been providing custom content to the Sims users for years (e.g. http://www.TheSimsResource.com) to make sure that their content will be made available in the game.


New Economy

We heard from the community that the economy was broken in TSO. That was true, too many users were billionaires, and the goal of the game was mostly about extracting money from Maxis. I can now say with satisfaction that we have fixed the economy on EA-Land. This took many features, from establishing a real estate market, where users can easily buy or sell lots to one another, and a dynamic object pricing market where the prices of objects purchased from Maxis is based on supply and demand, enabling stores and entrepreneurs to earn a living. We also enabled users to buy the in-game currency directly using secure PayPal transactions. While there is no need for users to do so in the game (we give subscribers money in-game every week), it can help new users build their dream house faster.


Web Services and Social Networks

The internet has changed so much since the launch of The Sims Online in December 2002, we had to change the way we think about online games. We have opened the access to most of the in game information to the internet through web services. For example this enables you to add Google or Yahoo widgets to your computer (or iPhone! ) and see if your favorite lots or friends are online. We are providing you with privacy settings so you can decide if or which of your avatars will broadcast what information to the internet. Sims User web sites are already using this feature to create some amazing community sites. We also built avatarbook, to show how that information can be seen and connected to social web sites like Facebook © (login to the "avatar book" application at http://apps.facebook.com/avatarbook where you can search for MaxisLuc's profile page)


And there's more to come! We are looking forward to seeing you back in the game and having fun with us again!

Sincerely

Luc Barthelet,
"MaxisLuc".

The biggest change to The Sims 3 is that it takes place in a wide-open, constantly changing neighborhood — a much bigger sandbox, if you will, and a much more complex simulation. The town and park you see on the cover image to the right (click to enlarge) exist in the same seamless space as your Sims' household, and what you do outside your home now matters as much as what you do within.

Other changes come in the Sims' reporting of their moods - the maddening individual meters are gone, replaced by "discrete moods", which is supposed to stop the more obsessive-compulsive players from constantly worrying about pissing and eating and instead let them focus on the more enjoyable stuff.
The Sims 3 Revealed [1UP]

It was as always, a treat to watch. It was also, as always, something that leaves you perhaps with less of an idea of what he's on about than before he started talking.

Check out the clip which shows the talk in all of it's more than 30-minutes glory and stay, at least, until you get to his now infamous Russian Space Minute.

Pre-Order the Sims 2 H&M Fashion Stuff Pack [Sims Gamer]

The cuteness...it is like a fine wine. The game will come out and we'll all take it home, intoxicated by its bubbly personality and charm. By the next morning we'll all be eight year old girls. I've already caught myself drawing unicorns on my notebooks. We must stop MySims before it's too late! Michael Fahey

MySims looks to transform the traditional personal management gameplay of The Sims into a candy colored, town-building, character-customizing affair perfect for the Wii market. Or the assumed Wii market.

Interested parties can check out the official MySims site for more screens or continue on for the adorable, blockheaded press release featuring the first use of "delightful but disorganized" that we've seen on the internet. Michael McWhertor

EA Announces MySims Created Especially for the Wii and Nintendo DS Platforms

Popular Video Game Series Embraces Player Creativity, Customization and Personal Expression Through a New, Delightful Cast of Characters

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced today that the company is developing MySims , the first game in a revolutionary new line from the developers of the blockbuster franchise The Sims, designed especially for the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms.

MySims introduces a charming cast of whimsical characters while delivering the creativity, customization and classic open-ended gameplay that has enchanted Sims players worldwide. Players begin by creating their own toy-like Sim that reflects their personal style and attitudes. From pig-tails and baseball caps to dreadlocks and Mohawks, the options are endless and the style is unlike any Sims game to date. By unlocking cool new clothing, hairstyles and accessories, players explore the game's incredible depth of customization and expression... and the characters are just the beginning!

Transforming the traditional Sims gameplay for the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms, MySims moves the player to a delightful but disorganized town where - thanks to the easy and unique controls - they can re-shape everything and make it their own. The town is rundown, but the player can make it much more dynamic. Using a selection of building blocks, unique patterns and engaging creativity tools, players can design furniture and appliances, architect new homes and businesses, and re-define the entire MySims landscape!

As players explore and build up the town, they will get to know dedicated, long-time residents like the always-busy Mayor Rosalyn P. Marshall and Buddy - the mostly-lazy hotel Bellhop. Once things start to look up, they'll meet and choose from a variety of colorful, would-be residents. Will they build a restaurant for Gino Delicioso the Italian Chef, or will they help Ocean Breeze set up his Yoga studio instead?

Design is everyone's domain in MySims. From building a new Pizza Oven for Gino to putting the finishing touches on a new roof for Buddy's busy hotel, each completed task will help the town grow. As it expands to new areas, players will receive special building blocks, decorations and patterns which help customize their unique creations. From furniture and buildings to the town as a whole, every choice informs how residents and visitors feel and behave.

"We want MySims to provide a creative play experience like never before on a video game system," said Executive Producer Tim LeTourneau. "By giving players the tools to create literally any kind of world they want in MySims, we're reinforcing the idea that the players create the magic. Will the town support a plethora of spooky, mysterious townsfolk - or buzz with the laughter and smiles of fun-loving Sims? It's your call! In MySims, what players make... makes all the difference!"

MySims will be available for the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms in fall 2007.

Product Specifications
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts
Ship Date: Late 2007
Category: Simulation

About MySims

MySims is the first game in a revolutionary new line from the developers of the blockbuster franchise The Sims , designed exclusively for the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms. Explore a whole new world that's yours to transform with MySims. Socialize with the locals and uncover all sorts of useful and surprising treasures hidden throughout the town. Accessible and intuitive controls make it enjoyable to create Sims, build their homes, and interact with other Sims and their world. For more information check out www.Mysims.com.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for videogame systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA SPORTS BIGTM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2006, EA posted revenue of $2.95 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

The only thing sadder than Britney Spears shaving her head in some misguided attempt at regaining, I don't know, something, are the hundreds of Sims created to gimmick the new, balder Britney.

Searching the Sims 2 returns more than 200 Sims created to look like Ms. Baldy, including this one. So, very, sad. And don't get me started on the Anna Nicole Sims.Brian Crecente

All thirty-two of my previously pristine teeth just underwent flash cavitation while watching this sickeningly sweet teaser trailer. Still, this is potentially the first Sims to appeal to me graphically. What can I say, I like that hydrocephalic pastel thing. Michael McWhertor

Specificall, the report says that both Army of Two for the PS3 and Xbox 360 and Crisis for the PC will be hitting by March 31, 2007. They also say that there is a Sims 3 in development (my socks were just blown off with that news, who would have thunk it?) and that the uber-popular franchise would also be coming to the PS3 and Wii. PS3 Sims = meh. Wii Sims = Holy Remote-Playing Goodness. Of course the DS version was absolute crap.

Finally, the company announced that they are working on a new Lord of the Rings game (shocker), a new SimCity (shocker) and a new Black (shocker).

So to summarize: Two new IPs and 50,000 sequels. Brian Crecente

Sims 3, Wii/PS3 Sims, next-gen Black, new SimCity & LOTR coming [Gamespot]

Then he goes on to claim that a game no one has played yet — designed by a man who makes games that both Eliza and I find excruciatingly dull and published by the most evil gaming conglomerate on Earth — is going to be our generation's most defining work, and Will Wright? Our Da Vinci. EA? The Medicis. And that's when I wanted to cosh Steven Johnson over the head with my big rubbery one.

Otherwise, though, it's a well-written, in-depth look at the same Spore shit we've been hearing about for ages, aimed more at the New York Times' sophisticate of pretentious snobs than down-to-earth gamers without airs and graces like toi and moi. Florian Eckhardt

The Long Zoom [NY Times]

The project is called Teaching With Games and has the support of Take Two, EA, Microsoft, and the ISFE.

"I can definitely see the potential of using games in the classroom. It proved to be a great tool for motivating students and engaging their interest. I would like to use games for teaching in the future if the technical problems could be addressed," commented Claire Gemmell, a teacher at St John's School & Community College in Marlborough. The technical problems she's referring to involved licensing and copy protection issues that prevented some teachers from easily installing the software or running the games on school networks.

Games in the study included RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, Sims 2, and Knights of Honor.

I personally have been a proponent of regular old gaming (as opposed to educational games, which usually suck) as learning tool since I realized how savagely I fought to acquire the reading skills necessary to play adventure games when I was wee.

Games are set up to reward learning just as a basic tenet of play, so they're already ideal forms of teaching. What did you learn from gaming, my wee apelings, and how did it help you? Eliza Gauger

Study: Games Can Aid Learning at School [Gamedaily BIZ]

Attention, people who have not read Lolita: little girls are messed up in the head. Usually they grow out of it, and learn to subvert these manipulative little sadisms into the irritating head games lampooned on endless sitcoms and greeting cards.

Some of them don't ever really turn into "women", preferring to remain in the far more entertaining Play stage, but my thesis on nymphetry can wait until grad school. Or at least until Rule of Rose comes out. Here's what the Telegraph has to say about how little girls are playing the Sims:

Caroline Pelletier, a project manager at London University's Centre for the Study of Children, Youth and Media, says: 'The Sims inspires quite a patronising attitude - that it's OK for girls to play with computers so long as it's in a domestic space, controlling characters in a maternal way, caring for them and attending to their needs.'

Yet when Pelletier's team observed girl players, they discovered a different reality. 'Girls usually use The Sims to explore subversive behaviour. They get rich and try out a wealthy lifestyle, then see who can lose the most money. They drown their babies and call in social services - they deliberately play against the game's conventions.'

Indeed, most little girls do not treat their characters nearly as maternally as their parents might hope. 'We like to put characters in the swimming-pool and then take the ladder away and see how long it takes before they drown,' explains Ellie Priest. 'Or you keep giving them drinks and won't let them go to the loo until they wee on the floor.'

I saw this back when I did the last Weekly Geek, but a reader just sent it to Tips@, marveling at how creepy it was, and wondering how legit it could possibly be. I was amused.

I forget that most of you have never seen into the brain of a wee lass, and even those that have (I know we have some female readership) may have either forgotten it, repressed it, or lived one of those bizarre, "innocent" childhoods. But rest assured, when given a safe place to practice cruelty free of consequence, most children will take the opportunity with stunning eagerness.

Boys have a well-documented and wholesome love of destruction, but when girls display similar sadism, people become hilariously unsettled. Eliza Gauger

Living Dolls [Telegraph]

Pudding pop loving Scrubs co-star Zach Braff (that totally has to be a fake name), is a die-hard Sims fan. A co-worker pointed me to his self-named blog. Skimming through posts about Mel Gibson hating jews and Fletch making his nipples hurt I came across a this item about Braff's sim, Arnold.

As you can see, my Sim Arnold has his mind on one thing and one thing only: a paramedic named Randy. Randy ended up crashing the party I chose not to invite him to. Made everyone stop dancing and then started a chess tournament. This guy Randy is the WORST!

I would envy Braff and his amusing repartee if I wasn't convinced that he has an intern chained in the basement of his mansion pumping out the witticisms for him. I mean, come on, "Braff" says he doesn't have air conditioning. How believable is that? I know he's comfortably ensconced in the smog-induced perfect weather of LA and all, but he's rich and we all know that rich people have air conditioning. It's just a fact.

And this has nothing to do with my jealousy of his hair. Braff might have the cool name and the best situation comedy on air right now, but does he have his own little sim skin? I think not. Brian Crecente

Zach Braff

We got a tip from some joker calling himself Skylab about this here indie game, KUDOS, which touts itself as a "turn-based life simulator".

Gaming is all about simulating life, really. But it's all about simulating a life you want to lead, if only for the short time that you're in the game. When I'm headshotting filthy Russian mobsters as Gabe Logan, international man of mystery, that's a life I can get into! Complicated algorithms about when I need to feed the cat, or what TV channel I should be watching, or how that date went with the whitecollar guy who lives in the next suburb... these things are infuriating.

Cliff's notes: Saving the world? Fuck yeah. Feeding the cat? Fuck you.

Even in the Sims, the level of fantasy was fairly high. High enough that once every few years I can stand to play it for a week or so, make some skins for some truly disfunctional homunculi, try and summon that horrible Social Bunny and get some hilarious screenshots.

But Kudos just seems to make you work, and work, and work, with no reward but your hideous and poorly-dressed denizen of the Uncanny Valley staring straight back at you from behind your myriad mundane menus, boring into your soul. And I do mean boring.

There's a free demo on the site, so go ahead and give it a try and report back. I'm on my Mac today so I wasn't able to run it. Eliza Gauger

From here [BunchofNerds]

The father of generative music meets the father of generative gameplay, sounds like you'll need to bring your thinking caps.

The talk is part of the Long Now Foundation's Seminars About Long Term Thinking. The foundation was founded in 1996 by Evo and others to promote long, long-term thinking about culture, the economy and some other crap dealing with short attention spans. I didn't have the time to read the whole thing, but I'm sure it was very interesting.

The seminar will be held at the Herbst Theater on Van Ness. You can reserve tickets for $8, or if you can't make or don't want to trek there, you can hit the site after the talk to download an MP3 of Wright's conversation with Eno. Brian Crecente

Will Wright & Brian Eno [Long Now]

In Hell Tycoon, your job is "to keep their Abyss stocked with Tortured Souls. Reform all 9 planes of Hell with Fire and Brimstone!" In other words, this is a simulator of an average day of work for Gawker demi-overlord Joel Johnson. Florian Eckhardt

Hell Tycoon [Official Site]

Once upon a time, when 3D-rendered graphics in entertainment were limited to about thirty second of Tron footage, the only TV shows to be made into video games were cartoons, kid's shows, and the odd action spectacular. The circle of licensed games has widened considerably since then, and apparently the licensing event horizon just hit Desperate Housewives.

This adaption of the dirt-dishing drama puts you in the stylish shoes of a newcomer to the block, with an appearance and a home of your own design. Once you're settled in you're free to start snooping, nosing around, making catty small talk, and otherwise uncovering the dirty secrets of your extremely, extremely desperate neighbors. While the story takes place seperately from the events of the television show, some of the show's writers were brought in to help with the plot.

The demo I saw was still in preliminary form, but the gameplay will apparently be a cross between the Sims and an exploration-adventure game. You chat with your neighbors and, as in the Sims, your relationships can go from friendly to frigid, sometimes in the same conversation. In addition, you can get "missions," helpful nudges in the direction of your neighbors' closets and the skeletons therein. I was shown a mission that required sneaking into a neighbor's house and trying not to make too much noise, much like any number of action stealth games. Rounding out the play are mini-games including cooking, gardening, and playing poker with your fellow hausfraus.

The game is bucking for an M rating, and one example of this was the scene of the main character seducing a fellow who had stopped by. A little underwear-clad kissing and the scene was over.

A little interior design, some stealth action, a bit of relationship building, and then some poker. A mishmash of game styles or a pretty good weekend? You'll find out later this year.

This New York Times fluff piece on The Sims (not The Sims 2) is a lot like that, only you're the elitist who gets to do the contemptuous sneering. It's always cute when the mass media jumps upon the threadbare coattails of a five year old game's popularity, especially when they go around asking psychologists to explain a cultural phenomenon that gamers have understood since the beginning: The Sims is a virtual doll house, except your tiny pixellated homunculii can eat, screw and crap themselves

It is worth a read, if only for brilliant quotes from clever cats who just don't get the faggery: "I've never quite understood what the pleasure is of constantly monitoring the characters' various emotional and financial thermometers to make sure they're getting enough food and happiness to keep your characters buzzing around."

Welcome to the New Dollhouse [New York Times]

We love Will, but we think he's muddied up his argument when he says this:

Games cultivate - and exploit - possibility space better than any other medium. In linear storytelling, we can only imagine the possibility space that surrounds the narrative: What if Luke had joined the Dark Side? What if Neo isn't the One? In interactive media, we can explore it.

No, you can't... you can only rigidly program in a limited number of different possibilities. Your options for exploration in a game are only trivially greater than your options in a novel. In linear story-telling, you are told a narrative in which one and only one outcome can happen. In games, you are often told linear stories in which more than one outcome occurs, depending on your actions. But really, this is no different a mechanism than choose-your-own-adventure novels. In other words, branching narrative paths don't make any form of art dynamic and it's silly to think that gaming, in its current state, is any different in this regard to drama or literature. The only real difference is that a game might have two or three equally rigid endings where a novel might only have one.

There are some games that are "dynamic," but this dynamicism comes in with the cost of an extremely vague or non-existent plot. What truly dynamic games would offer would be an infinitely branching plot depending on a player's action at any given point. But there's no reason to think that this technology will ever be available: the problem is well known in both computer sciences and philosophy. It's called combinatorial explosion. Consider the French aleatoric novelists of the 19th century. Every chapter would end asking the reader to flip a coin, which would determine which chapter the reader moved onto next: 2a or 2b. 3a, 3b, 3c or 3d? And it simply explodes from there. There's no reason to believe that computers will ever be able to process a nearly endless stream of possibilities, which is why meaningful choices in games are so limited.

More pretentious blather after the jump!

We get Will's point: games are both special and imaginative. We agree. But when Will says we can only imagine books, but we can explore games, he's making a ridiculous distinction. We're still talking about a finite number of possibilities — any outcome that deviates from the programmed paths will need to be imagined. Games may be superior to books in the number of plot possibilities they offer, but they are still largely trite clich s when it comes to important artistic elements other forms have already mastered: believable characters, emotional poignancy, intellectual sophistication, etc. Novels and films possess an artistic and even humanistic quality that games are sorely lacking.

At this point, playing a game is no more interactive than reading a book or watching to a film. That you fiddle with a controller during it doesn't make a game more more so — interaction is about your ability to change outcomes, to influence the course of events. You might as well say that turning a page in a book makes a novel more interactive than a film. In games, like in Choose-Your-Own-Adventure novels, this influence is an illusion. In other words, for us to imagine outcomes an artist did not intend in almost any medium, we have to imagine them.

We think what Will should be saying here is that games, giving players more branching paths, encourages them to imagine more possibilities. In fact, that's what we think gaming's true strength is as an art form. We're surprised to see one of gaming's premier designers so magnificently overstate the medium's strength.

Dream Machines [Wired]

We don't need to tell you, then, that Sid Meier's new upcoming game, Eponym's Railroads!, will be a hardcore sex simulator obfuscated through the metaphor of the nation's sprawling railroad system. Like us, we're sure you can't wait.

The Golden Age of railroading is back with Sid Meier's Railroads! Combining the best of real-world and model railroads, Sid Meier's Railroads! puts you in charge of building your own railroad empire, running everything from steam-powered locomotives to more modern diesel and electric trains, managing cargo and your bottom line, all while engaging in corporate warfare against rival tycoons, slick entrepreneurs and robber barons.

It's Sid Meier, locomotives and sex, so we're sure it'll be great. Due out Fall 2006. Full press release after the jump.

2K Games Announces Sid Meier's Railroads! For PC.

— Legendary Designer Sid Meier Returns to Reinvent the Classic Railroad Tycoon Franchise That Revolutionized Strategy Gaming —

New York, NY - March 16, 2006 - 2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), and the Company's world-renowned development studio Firaxis Games, today announced the next edition of the award-winning Railroad Tycoon franchise, Sid Meier's Railroads! for the PC.

The Golden Age of railroading is back with Sid Meier's Railroads! Combining the best of real-world and model railroads, Sid Meier's Railroads! puts you in charge of building your own railroad empire, running everything from steam-powered locomotives to more modern diesel and electric trains, managing cargo and your bottom line, all while engaging in corporate warfare against rival tycoons, slick entrepreneurs and robber barons.

"In addition to winning countless awards, the Railroad Tycoon franchise pioneered the simulation and strategy genres by introducing limitless gameplay," said Christoph Hartmann, Managing Director of 2K Games. "Building on the franchise, Sid Meier's Railroads! will deliver a simulation experience that caters to both strategy gamers and locomotive fans alike."

"We're thrilled to have the opportunity to bring this game back home," said Sid Meier, Director of Creative Development for Firaxis Games. "Railroads is near and dear to our hearts and we're looking forward to delivering the endlessly fun gameplay experience fans of our games have come to expect."

Cities and industries grow up around you as Sid Meier's Railroads! enables players to lay track and route trains, haul raw materials to market and carry manufactured goods throughout the land. Sid Meier's Railroads! introduces a large number of different single-player game scenarios and a variety of play modes including the "sand-box" modeling mode, real-time LAN and Internet play.

Sid Meier's Railroads! will be released for the PC this fall. For more information please visit http://www.2kgames.com/.

About Firaxis Games

Firaxis Games is one of the world's premier game development studios, and home of legendary designer Sid Meier. Firaxis has developed some of the most successful and award-winning computer and video games on the market today including; 2005 PC Game of the Year - Sid Meier's Civilization IV , Sid Meier's Pirates! (PC and Xbox), the blockbuster Sid Meier's Civilization III series, and Sid Meier's SimGolf . Firaxis legacy titles include the Sid Meier's Civil War Series! (Gettysburg!, Antietam!, and South Mountain), and the Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri series. In 2005, Firaxis Games was acquired by Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., joining the 2K Games publishing label, a wholly owned subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.

About Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.

Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is an integrated global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games and accessories for the PC, PlayStation game console, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, Xbox and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft, Nintendo GameCube , Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance. The Company publishes and develops products through its wholly owned labels Rockstar Games, 2K Games, 2K Sports and Global Star Software; and distributes products in North America through its Jack of All Games subsidiary. Take-Two also manufactures and markets video game accessories in Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific region through its Joytech subsidiary. The Company maintains sales and marketing offices in Cincinnati, New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Munich, Madrid, Vienna, Milan, Sydney, Breda (Netherlands), Auckland, Shanghai and Tokyo. Take-Two's common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at www.take2games.com.

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking statements made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The statements contained herein which are not historical facts are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to them. The Company has no obligation to update such forward-looking statements. Actual results may vary significantly from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of factors. These important factors are described in the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended January 31, 2006 in the section entitled "Cautionary Statement and Risk Factors".

Someone's created a set of Sims modled after Jack Twist and Ennis del Mar from Brokeback Mountain. According to Towleroad, you can get them to wrestle in the grass, herd sheep and.. other stuff in a pup tent. Frustrated wives, the site points out, are not included.

Brokeback Mountain Sims [Sims Forums, via >Towleroad]

For a mere 2.65 , get yer own "Heros des Jeux Video" stamps. Featured characters include Mario, Donkey Kong, Lara Croft, Pac-Man and Les Sims. Tr s cool.

Buy Yer Stamps Here [Laposte] via Games Digest