Read this week's 'Level Up' for HelloGiggles.com!
Everyone knows The Sims. My parents know The Sims. My parents may not ever figure out how to play The Sims since they can't even seem to send a simple text message… but that doesn't matter. What does matter is that I've watchedThe Sims franchise grow since its inception in 1989 with Real-Time Strategy / Simulation game, SimCity. I lovedSimCity and played it for hours as a kid.
In just over a decade, we've seen SimCity spawn The Sims, with several sequels to manifest one of the most successful video game franchises of all time. The Sims' titles have sold over 150 MILLION units. That makes it the fourth most prominent series ever, right behind Pokémon, Wii Games and Mario Bros.
Playing The Sims always reminded me of The Game Of Life, video game style. Although the original game was open-ended and indefinite, Sims 2 and Sims 3 took it to another level. Suddenly our Sims had "Wants & Fears" or "Wishes" and "Aging". Sims got jobs, relationships, kids and houses. At one point, I'm pretty sure I felt jealous that my Sim was starting to outshine me. Well, maybe I'll just leave the oven on… #SimsGodComplex
Many celebrities have appeared in this franchise. The Sims: House Party allowed Sims to throw awesome house parties, and if your party was really awesome, freaking Drew Carey would stop by! Yeaaa! Not much can be better than virtually partying with Drew Carey, but The Sims: Superstar expansion pack tried to trump it by creating a path of stardom for your Sim to mingle with Andy Warhol, Marilyn Monroe, Bon Jovi, Christina Aguilera, Richie Sambora and Avril Lavigne. The Urbz: Sims in the City (possibly my favorite Sim game name) features The Black Eyed Peas as NPCs.
But speaking of creating a path to stardom… the newest expansion pack is called Sims 3: Showtime, with a Katy Perry Collector's Edition upgrade.
PINK!!!! GLITTER!!!! But… I must confess, I secretly love this one. And here's why: It's not the typical "Girl Gamer" crap that frustrates me. I'm a fan of Katy Perry because she's kind of like The Honey Badger that eats whipped cream instead of cobras. This girl knows how to make money, stay successful and reinvent herself even through a tough public breakup. Hate on her all you want, but at the end of the day, this girl is having a good time with life. If you haven't seen Interview magazine's March 2012 issue… behold:
But I digress…
So, what's new for Sims players?
- Rise to Stardom: New Sims career paths for you to choose: Singer, Acrobat, DJ and Magician
- Collector's Edition: Ultimate Stage bonus venue plus special Katy Perry themed iconic content including fashions, a guitar, a hairstyle and various stage props.
- Create New Sims: New traits and Lifetime Wishes give you more tools to tell stories the way you want to.
- A Whole New World: The brand new world of Starlight Shores features new venues and new objects to hone your Sims' talents.
- Make Your Rise to Fame: Build your own custom stages and see your Sims perform in sold-out arenas and in front of packed crowds.
- Book or Host Gigs: Using the innovative SimPort feature, players can send their Sims to a friend's game or book friend's Sims for a gig in their game.
- Be Connected (Optional): Using in-game messaging, players can post on their friends wall in real-time to talk about what their Sims are doing
The Sims 3 Showtime provides fun stuff like fog machines, giant fruit, spotlights and confetti… just to name a few of the stage props available for players to enhance their Sims' performance stages.
But you gotta pay your dues, something Katy Perry was passionate about before signing onto the project:
"I love that you don't have any shortcuts with your journey. … It's great, because you actually have to pay your dues in the game, and I think it kind of, in some ways, teaches whoever's playing it a valuable life lesson that it's all about hard work and nothing comes to you on a silver platter."
But don't think this is just another celebrity with some half-ass endorsement. Katy is a big Sims fan. She even recorded her 2008 hit song "Hot n Cold" in SIMLISH (seriously… for those of you that are unaware, The Sims actually have their own gibberish language):
If you like Sims 3, you'll have fun with Showtime. It reminds me of a lot like Sims 3: Late Night, except it's focused more on the journey of being a performer. Katy Perry was very influential with developers in allowing the Sim to decorate the stage according to their personality – something Katy has always done. From Christian singer to pop sensation, Katy Perry has fought through the ranks to reach her own personal brand of stardom.
Katy Perry is rad and she's in a video game. Geddit, girl!
Not to mention, she looks an awful lot like someone else we happen to adore:
=mm=
Additional images via: EA & The Sims, Interview / Fashiontography, Gus Ruelas / Reuters & Soshable.
Category: Blog
