I’ve gotten into a manageable habit with my Sims obsession - it used to be that I could sit down of an evening and start playing, and then suddenly the hours have gone by and I’ve got nothing else done other than topped the career path of a specific character. Nowadays, I dip in regularly but only for a short period of time, and it’s a nice way to play - a quick visit, a few directions here or there, see you again this time tomorrow.

There’s a lot of noise about The Sims around at the moment, as the lifestyle management game is turning 25 this year. Have I really been playing The Sims since 1999? I can’t remember being an early adopter but I definitely remember the first game very vividly, so maybe I have. The recent announcements are some sizabale updates to the base game, and a new Behind the Sims video stream, where more goodies may be forthcoming.

In a further effort to reach out and communicate with fans and players of The Sims 4, the team behind the game started the first of a series of streams called Behind the Sims where they shared lots of sneak peaks and updates about what’s happening and what’s coming soon. I didn’t watch the video myself but have seen plenty of the news that’s been reported on since, and some of it is very exciting.

Last time I wrote about The Sims, I had just discovered my purchase of The Sims 4 and dived into the game, a little late to the party as always. I finished off that post saying ‘The trick now is to not let it take over my life while I see what it’s all about.’ I think I finally managed to get a good Sim balance in my life - it’s not an addiction that sucks up too many hours, but I do check in on the game regularly and get a quick fix of micro-managing those little idiots.

As is tradition now, I have come to the latest Sims game very, very late. When I talked about The Sims 3, it was about four years after the game had been released. I love a good late review, honestly. Well, The Sims 4 is slightly different. I did download it slightly nearer its release date - 2017, I think. But it didn’t work on my Mac, because it’s an old and rickety machine that desperately needs updating. The game didn’t play at all well and I participated for less than an hour.

Normally, I would call this kind of post my “early thoughts” on something. Kindles, phones, games, they all get the same kind of treatment. The Sims 3, however, was first released in 2009 and I have just managed to get my hands on it now… the year 2013. Part of it was reluctance. I loved The Sims 2 and had no particular desire to replace it. Part of it was time. I barely have time to play games as it is, if I was going to play anything, it would be the aforementioned second edition of the game. And, I suppose, part of it was that thing where, when everyone else loves something, you sort of don’t want to.

A while back, I discussed the new Sims Social game - a Facebook only game that was clearly developed to generate cash whilst fostering relationships at the same time. I wasn’t sure about it at all back then, but was willing to give it a few more days. I have played it quite a lot since then, for a week or so I was checking in every day. It is fun seeing what you can do and interacting with other people, but I think the charm has worn off now. I’m not sure I’ve played it at all this week, and I think I’m probably over it.

So, who has tried out The Sims Social? I’m just starting to use Facebook more as their battle with Google+ heats up, so that I can see who is winning and who is losing. Then they went and introduced my favourite ever game as a Facebook game. It’s not really the same Sims at all, nothing like it, really, and it’s very, very… social. That might sound crazy, given that it’s called The Sims Social - but I’m finding that you can’t do very much without interacting with neighbours - neighbours that I don’t really have yet and don’t know the etiquette for getting.

I haven’t had a proper cold for a long time, well over a year. The occasional sore throat descends upon me, and I always prepare for the worst, but then it just goes away. I don’t know whether that means I have a better constitution than I used to, or if I am just lucky enough to have already had all the germs that have been circulating recently, and therefore gained some useful antibodies.

Apparently, the Sims 3 is breaking all kinds of records, and I don’t own it yet. Grr. According to this CNET story, EA are reporting that the game sold 1.4 million copies in the first week, is topping the PC gaming chart, and the iPhone app chart, plus it has been EA’s best game launch ever. Now, CNET suggest that whilst this is something of a surprise, it does fly in the face of criticism levelled at EA that they rely too much on long-term game franchises. So what if the Sims has been around for almost a decade? If the fans still want it, then EA would be foolish not to keep producing it.

I’m not really a big gamer. I’m obsessed with The Sims franchise, but have no time to play. I steer clear of driving games because I am beyond useless. Occasionally, we play games over on Sidepodcast and they are fun little flash games on the web. I am even worse at those. However, I recently found a game I both love and am pretty good at. It’s called Skywire. You may have heard of it, I know it’s quite popular on Miniclip. I played it relentlessly for a couple of days. I’ve completed all but the last level on the original game and the sequel.

WordPress and Del.icio.us 101 (link retired) A great place to start, wouldn’t you say? Bienvenidos al nuevo canal de Tecnología En Espanol, por favor. The Sims 3 If only there were 72 hours in a day…

Official details of The Sims 3 have been released. Whilst I’m flipping out with excitement, I’m also desperately sad, because I just don’t have time to play anymore. Maybe I will by the time 2009 rolls round… ha.

We have purchased a laptop, something Mr C has been talking about and thinking about for way too long now. We looked at one, we walked around a bit, looked at some more, and then went back to the one we first thought of. But either way, I was pretty excited about the new and shininess of it. So, because he would be playing on his new toy for the rest of the weekend, I was granted permission to purchase some new games for the Playstation. First on the list: The Sims 2. Although I have been bored of the game on the computer, this would mean a complete new wave of interest, and what I’ve seen so far is pretty impressive. My one concern is that I created a Sim and was just testing the waters, and somehow, within about three hours of knowing each other, she had married another Sim called Ossie. Hmmm.

Firstly, the Sims Nightlife is not as good as I thought it was going to be. It’s alright, adds a little bit of colour to the game, and it’s always nice to get new wallpapers and clothes etc, but it’s a half-hearted attempt at an expansion pack. The only thing that makes it worth the money is that the Sims now get to own cars, the rest of it I could live without.

I’m often told that if I’m going to watch television so much, I should take the time to watch educational programmes instead of Emmerdale and ER and such. I’m all for learning about stuff. I thought Journey Of Life was excellent, although some might think that a TV vet should probably stick to what he knows best and not try to be a presenter. I also started to really enjoy Adam Hart Davis and his What The [insert particular era here, ie, Romans] Taught Us, but that finished a few weeks ago. Given all this good education I’ve been getting, I thought I would give the BBC’s tale of Genghis Khan a go. Did not approve.

I’ve had a much better day today, although I’m still annoyed at the lack of anything decent to watch on TV. However, in the meantime, there are only 18 days left until The Sims 2 comes out and I can hardly wait. And I’d just like to say, even though I don’t watch Eastenders anymore, having Martin cheat on Sonia just weeks after they’ve got married is not on and not believable.

I’ve never wanted a day to go so fast in my whole life. And did it? Nope. But now I’ll push the never-ending day from my mind and concentrate on the good stuff. For my birthday (a rather belated present, but TOTALLY worth the wait), I got a new computer. A brand spanking new computer with a marvellous graphics card and a super duper silver screen. It’s just the best thing ever.