It's begun...

[Qwiggles]

The Sims2 Holiday Giveaway is now open...    Get the first object...the Christmas wreath.  http://thesims2.ea.com
Bleh!

[Ancient Sim]

WOW, I'm totally underwhelmed.  How I've lived without this for so long I have absolutely no idea.  I could go into a decline just thinking about it.  I wonder, has my entire life been geared towards this moment? 

[JadeEliott]

WOW, I'm totally underwhelmed.  How I've lived without this for so long I have absolutely no idea.  I could go into a decline just thinking about it.  I wonder, has my entire life been geared towards this moment? 

According to Maxis, "Yes. Now go download it."

[Qwiggles]

Can't you just feel the ironic tinkle of excitement in the air...

[SaraMK]

a joy for you, a profit for us

That's pretty much how I feel about the Holiday Piack. Minus the joy.

[skandelouslala]

Gee...

That's looks strangely similar to a Christmas wreath I downloaded somewhere. 
And then deleted soon after b/c I realized I would not have my sims celebrating holidays.

[syberspunk]

Hrm... can someone tell me if all those downloads in this "giveaway" are going to be the "new objects" that are supposed to be part of the Holiday mini EP, or whatever it is.

This holiday package is not a full expansion, obviously, but what will it include? I've read that it is supposed to have new content, as well as all those old previous holiday downloads, which are also from the official TS2 site. It will also let you dress up as Santa, and throw Christmas/Holiday, and New Year's Day parties?

Is that all? Can anyone clarify what will be included, and what is exclusive to the package? I mean, if they are just going to give away that stuff for free online, then what is the incentive to get the package? Aside from us sheep just buying all the expansions to just to have 'em. Which I would probably do anyways, even if it the new, exclusive content is minimal.

Also, can anyone tell me if this will be the kind of package that just adds stuff and won't require the new CD for the game to run, like a full EP would? In other words, is it a simple installation add-on, that I could theoretically use on more than one computer... Of course, you know, since I have my game installed on more than one computer in my house... 0;)

Ste

[Emma]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I only put christmas trees and suchlike in my sim's houses when it is actually christmas! So for 11 months of the year the rest of this holiday pack will be sitting on my hard-drive totally obsolete (and taking up much needed space )
I will download the wreath though, cos I can just delete it when christmas is over

[Renatus]

From the screenshots they offer, I'm getting the impression that any interactions the objects have are completely based on existing interactions and animations, if they didn't just set up the screens using new objects and existing interactions. Of the shots that looked rendered in-game, I was able to think of just how to set a similar shot up, minus the new objects and clothes.

[Motoki]

syberspunk: Yes what you said is pretty much correct. All those calendar items will be in the holiday pack. Here's the site about the Holiday Pack:

http://thesims2.ea.com/about/holidaypp_index.php

It claims that 40 items will be included in the pack, which includes the 12 giveaways plus 28 others. It also includes previous released holiday stuff like the tree, menorra, kinara, halloween stuff etc. It doesn't explicitly state those are also part of their 40 item count, but that's the impression I am getting.

There are holiday cookies you can bake and you're supposed to be able to "serve a holiday feast!" so I am assuming it has at least one new dinner food. Maybe ham or goose? There  will be some Christmas paintings too. And I have a feeling them male and female Santa clothes are counted towards the 40 items.

The "fireworks" seem to be sparklers and roman candles rather than the kind that go up in the sky and there is an emaciated Santa npc.

Some people got all excited about a toddler in Santa's lap in the one picture, but those ones with the white backgrounds are pre-rendered specially posed shots. Don't count on it.

[Qwiggles]

I saw in one of the movies that a Santa came down the chimney.  Maybe we'll get a Santa npc.     That's kinda cool.  Of course, it can get old pretty quick.

[Motoki]

There is one. He's in the movies and the screenshots but as I said, I found him to be rather emaciated for a santa.

[noname]

Also, can anyone tell me if this will be the kind of package that just adds stuff and won't require the new CD for the game to run, like a full EP would? In other words, is it a simple installation add-on, that I could theoretically use on more than one computer... Of course, you know, since I have my game installed on more than one computer in my house... 0;)

Ste

I doubt it needs a CD to run, because they are also offering a direct download for sale, which, in my opinion should be cheaper than the CD.

[syberspunk]

I doubt it needs a CD to run, because they are also offering a direct download for sale, which, in my opinion should be cheaper than the CD.

Wait... so you can just buy a direct download installable/executeable from the website? Which will just basically add the new objects, and either new "modules" for these added items and interactions (or possibly overwrite/update the main executable?!?!?)

In other words, they are offering a way to buy this Holiday mini-EP (for lack of a better word) without requiring a CD at all?

Hrm... interesting...


@Motoki: Yeah, I briefly read/scanned the main website stuff a whiles ago, when it was first announced/posted about. I just wanted to confirm or see if anyone else knew any more/better details. The biggest draw for me would be newer animations/interactions (parties, food serving, holiday npcs). The new objects/clothes aren't that big of a deal to me, unless they are like way better than the crap that already exists. I would only really care if there were, say other user/community made custom content that I really want, but is based on these objects, which would "force" me to need them. But again, I doubt that will be a big issue.

The other reason that I might get it, is just that I tend to be a packrat/collector, and I just "have to have" everything and "collect 'em all" so to speak, even if I don't really care that much about em. I have all the original Sims EPs, even though I barely played House Party, Vacation, Unleashed, and Makin' Magic. I'm like this with my DVD collection as well. As much as I hate seasons 5 and 6 of Dawson's Creek, I will still buy them just to have a "complete" collection. The same thing with Star Trek: TNG and the X-Files; even though seasons 1 and 2 of TNG kinda suck, and the later seasons (somewhat 7, 8, and 9) of X-Files were "bleh" I'll still probably buy them eventually when I get enough money.

But... in this case, I suppose I'll try and be patient and wait and see if anyone who gets this will be kind enough to post about it and describe exactly what new content it includes and see if it is worth paying for. Otherwise... I guess I'll wait for bangelnuts lot upload. 0;)

Ste

[Emma]

Wait... so you can just buy a direct download installable/executeable from the website? Which will just basically add the new objects, and either new "modules" for these added items and interactions (or possibly overwrite/update the main executable?!?!?)

In other words, they are offering a way to buy this Holiday mini-EP (for lack of a better word) without requiring a CD at all?

Hrm... interesting...

I find this pretty interesting too-I can't help thinking this is a test-run for future expansion packs. I bet you'd pay to download, and that'd be it. Too bad if you have dial-up! Sitting there for 3-4 hours just to update your game! I would still prefer a disc cos I uninstall/reinstall on a pretty regular basis...

[veilchen]

I wonder if it lets you save the holiday pack onto a disc once you buy a download. I've never tried it myself, but I heard from others who routinely save their games on back-up discs in case the store bought disc goes bad that the sims disc or whatever has hissy fits when they tried to do that.

If you can safely burn the download to a disc, then re-installing should not be a problem, no? But then again, I've never tried to do things like that myself. When I download a game or game extensions, I usually put that on my external hard drive, just in case, ya know.

But in any case, unless there are some new AND exiting animations that come with the holiday pack, I'll stay away from it. I might put it on my christmas list, depending on what I read about it from people who went and got it (hi, Steve).

[Hairfish]

I've pre-ordered the Holiday Pack because I'm a certified junkie. But if it turns out that most of what's on it is GIVEN AWAY FOR FREE, I will feel very deceived by the pre-order advertising. That shit's illegal, for one thing. Get me to pay for something that you're giving away free...not a good idea, EA.

[witch]

There is one. He's in the movies and the screenshots but as I said, I found him to be rather emaciated for a santa.

Apparently santa has been losing weight for years. He was much fatter when I was a child. A michelin santa. It's the health buzz. Just like KFC used to mean Kentucky FRIED chicken and now they'd like us to forget.

Not me, elephant memory, can't con me you advertising bastards, I actually remember.

[J. M. Pescado]

I *STILL* like fried chicken, in all of its nice, artery-clogging goodness.

Besides, I refuse to truly believe that this stuff is bad for you. It's tasty. Millions of years of evolution have told us to eat tasty things. This cannot be wrong.

[Zandi]

I saw in one of the movies that a Santa came down the chimney.  Maybe we'll get a Santa npc.     That's kinda cool.  Of course, it can get old pretty quick.

to me that looked like a sim in a santa suit looking in to the fire place.
But yes there will be a santa and Mrs Clause NPC set.

I just wouldn't count on them coming out of fire places.

[virgali]

I doubt the Santa will be doing all those things shown in the clip, actaully, I very much doubt there will be a Santa npc. I mean hwo would that work? You'd have to call Santa to your house? Rather I think that a sim could dress up as Santa or something.

Me loves the fireworks tho...

[vector]

I doubt the Santa will be doing all those things shown in the clip, actaully, I very much doubt there will be a Santa npc. I mean hwo would that work? You'd have to call Santa to your house? Rather I think that a sim could dress up as Santa or something.

Me loves the fireworks tho...

There was a santa in TS1, though - you'd light a fire, stick a tree next to it, leave some cookies on a table nearby and go to bed - santa would come in the night and leave random stuff.

[witch]

I *STILL* like fried chicken, in all of its nice, artery-clogging goodness.

Besides, I refuse to truly believe that this stuff is bad for you. It's tasty. Millions of years of evolution have told us to eat tasty things. This cannot be wrong.

Hey that's what I reckon too, why else would sugar and fat taste so good and salad taste so bad. 

[J. M. Pescado]

That's because salad is essentially undigestable cellulose. There's really no compelling reason for a human to eat it at all: It's undigestable. The tomatoes, on the other hand, are tasty.

[Motoki]

Well I think this Santa is thin because Maxis got lazy. I'd be willing to be yet it's just some random sim that they threw the same wearable santa outfit that your sims can wear on. It looks like the didn't even bother to make him a one piece npc mesh like the social bunny or grim reaper or a special body outfit mesh like the ultra skinny Mrs. Crumplebottom.

Perhaps when they put this wearable santa outfit on him they made him "fat", but we all know Maxis fat is a total joke.