Nachtleven Q&A met Tim en Shannon op GameSpy

"The expansion promises to open the game up and really beef up the community lots, making them not just shopping destinations but places where Sims could blow whole evenings partying away."

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Sims 2 Nightlife Expansion

By Dave 'Fargo' Kosak

The Sims are taking to the streets: the just-announced expansion pack will feature nightclubs, dancing, dating, and a new life's goal...

Sims 2 has only been around seven months or so, but it's already become the fastest-selling PC game of all time, selling over 4.5 million copies. And naturally, expansion packs -- so popular with the first game -- are rolling out at a steady pace. We gave high marks to Sims 2 University, so we were pretty excited here at GameSpy HQ to learn of the latest expansion in development: Sims 2 Nightlife.

The expansion promises to open the game up and really beef up the community lots, making them not just shopping destinations but places where Sims could blow whole evenings partying away. Aside from nightclubs and heavy partying, a whole dating mini-game is being introduced. Sims can wine and dine each other, either hitting it off or embarrassing themselves based on how compatible they are.

The new DJ turntables should get any party started. Check out the lights, as well.

To go along with these sweaty nights of heathen debauchery, the game adds a whole new lifetime aspiration: "Pleasure Seeker" Sims, digital hedonists out looking for a good time. Nightlife also adds 125 new objects, some of which are pictured here.

We grabbed Senior Producer Tim LeTourneau and Producer Shannon Copur and asked them to spill some more details about the expansion. They tag-teamed the answers:

GameSpy: Night Life! For fans of the original Sims, this expansion pack sounds pretty similar to "Hot Date." Can you talk a little about the differences? What's new here that fans of The Sims haven't gotten before?

Tim LeTourneau and Shannon Copur: Well, first of all, Hot Date was one of the best-selling expansions for the original game, so we don't mind drawing comparisons. The reality is that we covered a lot of domestic territory with the original expansions, so it's natural that there will be similarities in our The Sims 2 expansions. However, we have a whole new world to play with when you add lifetime play and aspirations, so even familiar concepts will feel brand new.

In addition to new locations, we added a strategic dating game with scoring and rewards. Most importantly, and this where The Sims 2 gives us opportunities we didn't have before; we have added a new aspiration: "Pleasure Seeker." This new aspiration traverses the entire Sims experience, so it ties to the base game and The Sims 2 University as well.

We also recognized that one of the things we could really improve on is the community experience in the base game. They are currently shopping locations, and we wanted them to be social hangouts where the Sims could easily meet everyone in the neighborhood. The Sims 2 Nightlife is focused on making them cool and fun places to be.

GameSpy: A new life's aspiration in Nightlife is to be a "Pleasure Seeker." What kind of wants and fears does a Pleasure Seeker have?

LeTourneau & Copur: Pleasure Seekers are all about having fun, experiencing all that life has to offer. They want to play games, have good dates, spending time in the hot tub, throwing rockin' parties, and avoiding boredom.

GameSpy: Talk more about the dating gameplay mentioned in the press release. How will this work for the players?

LeTourneau & Copur: When your Sims go out on a date, they will get scored on how well the date went. If they had a fabulous date, they may receive reward like a bouquet of flowers. But, if it goes horribly wrong, they may get a unpleasant reminder of the experience.

Dating will be almost like a mini-game, with rewards if you do well. Like this stud.

GameSpy: We're all dying to play around with this just for the poker table alone. What other new items can players expect?

LeTourneau & Copur: Well, there are a few we're keeping under our hats right now, but another favorite of mine is the bowling lane.

GameSpy: Will Nightlife feature whole new town maps, in the same way that University offers multiple college campuses?

LeTourneau & Copur: Yes, we are in the process of designing these as we speak. In addition we are adding new locations for your Sims to go out on dates like restaurants and nightclubs, and, of course, a bowling alley.

GameSpy: Any new career options? How about mini-jobs, similar to what you could do in University?

LeTourneau & Copur: No new careers, but you can work the DJ booth at the nightclub. Better have high creativity.

GameSpy: And finally, what do you think is the single biggest selling point of this expansion? What's the killer feature that every Sims fan should know about?

LeTourneau & Copur: Well, there is never just one thing. The game is different for every player. I will say that I have seen some stuff in the game that will blow players away. I gotta say the poker table is pretty darn cool, if I had to pick one. But like I said, that's only one of many.