The Sims Stories

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The official logo for The Sims Stories

Not to be confused with The Sims.

The Sims Stories (originally known as The Sims 2 Stories) is a product line of the laptop-friendly versions of the The Sims 2.

There were 3 titles prepared for The Sims Stories product line, they are The Sims Life Stories, The Sims Pet Stories and The Sims Castaway Stories. It is (along with The Sims 2) the last game to support Mac OS X 10.3/10.4 and PowerPC (But not PowerPC G3 Macs as The Sims 2 and The Sims Stories do not support them) Macs as The Sims 3 and The Sims Medieval only runs on Intel-based Macs.

The Windows version can be run on Windows 7 (Not officially supported however) and on an Intel-based Mac, it is possible to use Bootcamp to run the game.

Like other games on Windows and Mac OS X, the games are not region locked and can be played on any computer regardless of what country the game, Windows/Mac OS X copies or computer came from.

History

The Sims 2: Get a Life or The Sims 2: Get a Life Edition was a rumored expansion pack, console game or stuff pack for The Sims 2. The rumor first appeared in August, 2006, posted on GameHead. On the page was stated that the release date was September 28, 2006 , and that it would be priced at $67.40 Australian Dollars. It was confirmed to be fake then, until Take 2 listed the product. It was stated that it would be out on 6 Sep, 2007, and not as a console game.

It is now highly accepted that 'Get a Life' was a codename for The Sims: Life Stories.

It appeared on the registration website of TheSims2.com on November 1, 2006, and was mentioned by Snooty Sims as "gets an unusual high price of $39.99. The release date has been set to January 22, 2007." It also provided a link for pre-ordering, but it would redirect to the page for pre-ordering The Sims 2 Seasons.

Another game website appeared with a German description of the game here on Nov 3. (English translation)

Features

• Stay connected by using your own IM and email while playing.
• In open-ended Classic mode, you create Sims and then choose how they'll fulfill their dreams through life's biggest moments.
• In the new and engaging directed Story mode, you take your Sims through a unique and entertaining storyline full of romance, conflict and dramatic twists.
• The game doesn't require a video card and the controls have been designed specifically for the laptop with an auto-pause function where you can start and stop the action by opening and closing the lid.
• The Sims Stories games are standalone games and do not support expansion packs or stuff packs from The Sims or The Sims 2 collections.

Differences between The Sims 2 and The Sims Stories

• The Sims Stories does not support Windows 98, Windows 2000 or Windows Me while The Sims 2 did.
  • However, the Mac OS X version retains 10.3 support and PowerPC (G4/G5)
• The Sims Stories does not support The Sims 2 expansion packs or stuff packs (although some custom content made for The Sims 2 will work)
• Although based on The Sims 2, The Sims Stories does not have a "2" after "The Sims". This is shared with The Sims Medieval
• The Sims Stories official content isn't in Sims2Pack form, it is in SimsLSPack for The Sims Life Stories, SimsPSPack for The Sims Pet Stories and SimsCSPack for The Sims Castaway Stories.

Differences between The Sims console versions and The Sims Stories

• Unlike the console versions of The Sims 2 and The Sims 2 Pets, The Sims Stories (with the exception of The Sims Castaway Stories) does not feature rain.
• Unlike in the console versions of The Sims, you cannot enter build mode during story mode. (you can enter Buy Mode however)
• You do not need to unlock basic objects in The Sims Stories.
• You do not have object restrictions like that in the console versions. (such as limiting a number of objects that you can place)
• The Sims Stories features a "Free Play" mode similar that of the console versions.

Trivia

• It is interesting to note that the releases of The Sims Stories are simlar to the console releases of The Sims 2 with The Sims 2, The Sims 2 Pets and The Sims 2 Castway being released. On Windows, The Sims Life Stories, The Sims Pet Stories and The Sims Castaway Stories are released in that same order.
• It is possible that The Sims Life Stories, The Sims Pet Stories and The Sims Castaway Stories are Windows re-releases of the console games, The Sims 2, The Sims Pets and The Sims 2 Castaway, respectively.
• It has a Story Mode (Known as Get a Life and Bust Out Modes in The Sims and The Sims Bustin' Out respectively) like the console games which have a story in the game except The Urbz: Sims in the City, The Sims 2 Pets and The Sims 3 which do not have a Story Mode.
• It is the last games (Along with The Sims 2 games) to support PowerPC Macs. As The Sims 2 and The Sims Stories do not require a G5 Mac, it can be run on G4-only Macs (Which never had a G5 processor) such as the iBook, PowerBook and the pre-2006 Mac Mini.
• Although laptop-friendly, it will not run of G3 Laptops such as the iBook G3 and PowerBook G3.
• It is the only game series designed for Laptops as The Sims 3 and The Sims Medieval may have problems with Laptop Graphics (as the readme states). However, The Sims 3 and The Sims Medieval can be ran on Laptops.
• It is the last game series (Along with The Sims 2) to be released by EA on Windows and The Sims 3 and The Sims Medieval can be ran on Mac OS X using the DVD copy. However, The Sims 2 and The Sims Stories can be ran on a Mac if Windows is installed via Bootcamp.
• Like The Sims 2, The Sims Stories have problems with resolutions over 1600x1200 which it is not possible to run. The Sims 3 and The Sims Medieval allows resolutions greater than 1600x1200. The game may also have problems supporting Interlace displays.