Landgraab family

The Landgraab family is a brilliant and wealthy dynasty that, in The Sims 3, resides in Sunset Valley; and lives in Bluewater Village in The Sims 2. The family name is occasionally spelled "Landgrabb", mostly in The Sims. Which spelling is used depends on which game or expansion pack introduced the object or place or Sim that uses it. Landgraab Industries is featured prominently in both building names in SimCity 3000 and brand names for objects in The Sims. Most of the family's wealth appears to come from property and real estate (In SimCity 3000, they are associated more with residential property building, a role which resurfaced in The Sims: Bustin Out when most of the town seem to fail paying their rent.) In other Sims games, they are more associated with commercial property, giving the Landgraab name a literal meaning of "grabbing the land".

Origins
The Landgraab fortune, or at least a sizable part of it, presumably dates back to a historical figure named Gregory Landgraab, who does not appear in any known version of the Landgraab family tree. If The Sims 2: Seasons is installed, a chance card for the Adventurer career reads as follows:

"Around the turn of the century, Gregory Landgraab, a humble school teacher, suddenly came into a great deal of money and became one of the wealthiest landowners around. This was never explained, though many theories suggest foul play and the Ministry of Adventure has tasked (name) with solving the case, once and for all. After a great deal of research, (name) believes one of two people will have the answers he/she needs: Spencer Oswald, the Landgraab's accountant or the local fortune teller, the gypsy. Who should (name) bring in for questioning?"

Admiral Landgraab
In The Sims, The Sims: Hot Date and The Sims: On Vacation, Admiral Landgraab is mentioned as another historical figure with an extensive background. Wren's Fens National Park on Vacation Island is described as one of his first colonial acquisitions, an Admiral Landgraab nutcracker can be bought on Vacation Island, and some items refer to him. His portrait, which is available in buy mode includes a short bio. Admiral Landgraab's first name is not given, and his relationship to the Malcolm Landgraab IV of Bluewater Village and the Landgraabs of Sunset Valley is unknown. It is likely that he lived after Gregory, as that would give the family time to gain prestige, but that is not definitely known.

His exploits are much further elaborated on in The Sims 3: World Adventures.

The Sims 3
In The Sims 3, the Landgraab household contains Geoffrey, a modest doctor who took his wife's surname, Nancy, a snobbish businesswoman who comes from an evil father and snobbish mother, and Malcolm, a smart yet confused kid who just wants his family to be normal. It is unknown how he is related to the other Malcolms in The Sims: Bustin' Out and The Sims 2, but his parents do not fit into the family tree given in The Sims 2. So, while Malcolm III might have been a child during The Sims 3 time frame, he would not be this Malcolm. (However, it is possible that he could be the Malcolm in The Sims: Bustin' Out and/or The Sims (Console).) Regardless of their relationship to the rest of the family, they are very well off. They live in a large home and have §75,000 in household funds.

It is also mentioned several times in The Sims 3 that Nancy's family, the Landgraab family, helped start the town. It says in the family bio that "Nancy's family more or less founded the town", while the description of Sunset Valley states that "before Pleasantview, the town was founded by the Goths and built up by the Landgraabs". They have a business feud with the Altos, and are enemies with them, though young Malcolm and Holly Alto have no quarrel with each other.

The Landgraab family is "old money", so it is likely that they inherited their money from the earlier generation of Landgraabs that founded the town. However, it does not specify who exactly founded the town. It is possible that Admiral Landgraab, being the earliest mention of the Landgraab family from The Sims, is the town founder. However, he is not listed in the Landgraab family tree for The Sims 3, so Kermit Landgraab and/or Kitty Landgraab would be primally who bulit up the town since  The Goths founded Sunset Valley and Pleasantview.

The Sims (console) and The Sims: Bustin' Out
In console versions of The Sims, a Malcolm Landgraab is the richest man around who gives the main character real estate opportunities (fixing up each house he/she lives in to sell at a higher price), and later marries their mom.

His children are Dudley Landgraab and Mimi Landgraab, both slackers, party animals and heirs to his vast fortune (the player's mom is only a stepmother to Dudley/Mimi, not their biological mother). In the sequel, The Sims: Bustin' Out, they divorce and Malcolm goes into a rage of repossessing everyone's money and goods before the player stops him. Depending on the player's choices, a senator named Malcolm Landgraab can be killed as part of a government conspiracy. In the final stage, "mom" chases Malcolm Landgraab out of his own mansion. It is unknown how this Malcolm is related to the Malcolm in The Sims 3, though it's possible that they could be the same person.

The Sims 2
In The Sims 2, the Landgraabs are mentioned in the first expansion pack, University. One of the dorms at Sim State University is named "Landgraab House", and the Secret Society there is known as the Landgraab Society. The connections, whether past or present, between the family and Sim State are not mentioned.

In the Open for Business expansion pack, Malcolm Landgraab IV is introduced as a bachelor in a very large mansion in Bluewater Village. His family tree reveals exactly who his parents and grandparents are, but only dates back to Malcolm II and not Malcolm I. Malcolm Landgraab IV owns Club Dante and the Electronics Supercenter in Bluewater Village. While he is rich, most of his money is tied up in the house and its furnishings. The neighborhood view shows that his initial net worth is around §197,000, but he starts out with around §28,000 in funds.

Landgraab-associated businesses
Throughout The Sims games, the name "Landgraab" is mentioned at many points, often in passing, and often along with a brief mention of some business or corporation that is (or was) affiliated with the Landgraab Dynasty in some way. Listed below are a few of the businesses that have been associated with the Landgraabs, along with several notable accomplishments:


 * Llama World (amusement park, closed)
 * Landgraab Mall (downtown lot in The Sims Hot Date)
 * Club Dante (business in Bluewater Village)
 * Electronics Supercenter (business in Bluewater Village)
 * A Landgraab Games is mentioned in a painting that comes with The Sims 2: Pets expansion pack.
 * Bluewater Real Estate Office (business in Bluewater Village, no longer in Landgraab possession).
 * Wrightway Toys (mentioned on on the chance card for the slacker career, as a golf caddy, for Sims 2 base game...the chance card states that he was golfing when he got a cell phone call that his purchase of this business had been confirmed, making him the wealthiest man in SimCity. As a celebration, he gave out $50 to his employees, including the player who received said chance card.)
 * Possibly Founded/Owns Vacation Island (unconfirmed, but possibly built up by Admiral Landgraab)
 * Founded/Built up Sunset Valley in The Sims 3
 * Shiny Things Inc. (ex: The Shiny Things Inc. fridge from the original The Sims) is described as "The Brainchild of Malcolm Landgraab". Shiny Things also created a stove, a barbeque, the original Servo robot, a modern fireplace, a dishwasher, and many other appliances and electronics)
 * Landgraab Industries was mentioned in SimCity 3000, and first mentioned in The Sims in the description of a cheap wooden coffee table from a Sims expansion pack. Also, the science lab in Sunset Valley is connected with Landgraab Industries.
 * An Admiral Landgraab appears to have created nectar, the Sim equivalent of wine. However, in truth, it appears that he took the credit for someone else's work in this case.
 * In The Sims: Bustin' Out for console, a Malcolm Landgraab, possibly the same who was a kid in The Sims 3, terrorizes the neighborhood repossessing property as a sort of repo man. The player is given the task of conquering Malcolm and at the end of the game, takes his mansion.
 * At Sim State University, the secret society is known as the Landgraab Society, and there is also a dorm named Landgraab House. Both could have, in theory, been connected to or built up by a Landgraab at some point.
 * Magnus Landgraab is mentioned in an opportunity for the International Super Spy job as having attempted to take over a small nation.

The Sims 2
In The Sims 2, Malcolm Landgraab IV lives alone in a huge mansion overlooking the town. The house is large by Sims-standards, and features a large office and balcony, a hot tub, and indoor swimming pool. Oddly, the house has no television, despite the fact that Malcolm owns an electronics store. There is also a strange, empty shed to the left of the house. Its size and placement are just right for it to be a garage, with the addition of a driveway, a garage door, and, of course, a car. Also worth noting is that there are several blank white walls on the upstairs portion of the house, and while they are painted an "off-white", the player might prefer to revamp the second floor to match the rest of the house's interior. The house has very expensive furniture, many of it new mission-style furnishings that debuted in Open For Business. It also has hedges and a few rosebushes to the left and right of the entrance, and some trees and bushes in the back. Malcolm would do well to hire a gardener, especially if Seasons is installed.

The Sims 3
In The Sims 3, the Landgraab family lives in a luxurious mansion on Summer Hill, in the town of Sunset Valley. Judging by the house and where they live, it is quite obvious that they are wealthy.

"An elegant home on the most exclusive circle in town, this stately manor resounds with grandeur. Four fireplaces, a massive kitchen, formal and informal living areas, a large custom pool, two car garage, and elegant neoclassical landscaping round out its elegant features."

House Funds: §117,578

Lot: 60 x 60 3br 4ba