SIMS 2 : Open for Business

March 3rd was the day this SIMS 2 expansion pack would have supposedly been released. I didn't see it in the stores on Friday though.

Last afternoon, I was wondering what could make me kill time before I went to the cinema (watched Capote, maybe I'll do a little review on that one after the Oscars tonight), but also make me have a fun time. My sisters were in the living room playing The Sims on PS2, whining 'cause their Sim lost her job after skipping work for the second time in a row and how now they should start over from the beginning since they saved the game on the second day of skipping work. So it was Game Over, over and over again...

Then it struck me...

After formatting my PC some months ago, I hadn't thought of installing The Sims 2 on it again before summer. This game is so time-consuming and "alluring" that I need to be taken away in a straightjacket! What better way to spend 3 hours of my life! Well almost 1h was spent on installing the game from the 4 CDs, downloading and installing the patch for the original game, installing the University expansion pack and doing the same for its patch. Then I created my mother and sisters, or at least close counterparts of them, because only once have I strained myself enough to sit down and tweak every single detail to get the Sim to look almost identical to a person. Used the motherlode cheat, gathered Simoleons to move to a better house and quit after saving my progress.

This whole process got me so much involved in the "Sim creating" routine, I wanted to go out and buy the two expansion packs I'm missing. Nightlife and Open for Business. I was even thinking of spending my precious euro (instead of easily "earned" simoleons) on the Holiday Pack for holiday decorations and paraphernalia... Yes... I must admit it... I AM THAT crazy...

Oh well, to my disappointment, there was only the DVD version of the SIMS 2 original game on the shelves. No traces of any expansion. When I go shop crazy, I get furious if I don't find what I intended to buy in the first place. I'm now hoping to perform my "big-spender" move on Tuesday, since here in Greece, tomorrow's a holiday. This makes me wonder when a holiday expansion pack will come out like in the original SIMS game...

Open for business will let your slacker of a Sim (don't tell me you play this game without the money cheat!) create his own "thriving" (? you' re the boss!) business. It can be a lemonade stand (for the younger ones), a boutique, beauty salon, shops, delis and bakeries! Plus many more if you 've got the brains for business. Hire and train employees, promote or fire them. Help customers and make your name famous in the neighbourhood. Hone your skills and make a fortune while turning your "hobby" into a profit-geyser! There's a multitude of things one can do in each SIMS game PLUS with 125 new items it will never be the same again!

I know what I'm gonna do with it! Cheat my way into the industry and become the best. Plus create a new and improved adobe for my very own look-alike Sim! The days should start having 48 hours instead of 24! There's not enough time!