The Sims: Livin' Large

Last updated
The Sims: Livin' Large
Sims Livin Large Cover.jpg
Developer(s) Maxis [lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s) Electronic Arts (PC)
Aspyr Media (Mac)
Platform(s) Windows
Mac OS
ReleaseWindows
  • NA: August 29, 2000 [2]
  • EU: September 8, 2000 [3]
Mac OS
  • NA: November 21, 2000 [1]
  • EU: August 2001
Genre(s) Social simulation
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

The Sims: Livin' Large (released in Europe as The Sims: Livin' It Up) a 2000 expansion to The Sims developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The first of several expansions to The Sims, Livin' Large introduces several new objects and architecture features, new characters and careers. The expansion was designed with a more humorous and unusual tone to broaden the creative direction and scenarios in the game. Upon release, Livin' Large received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise directed to the unique and unusual range of interactive objects, and criticism to the expansion's largely cosmetic approach. In 2002, Livin' Large was combined with the original game and packaged by Electronic Arts as The Sims Deluxe.

Contents

Gameplay

Livin' Large introduces a number of new decorative and interactive objects to The Sims. Sims Livin Large Screenshot.jpg
Livin' Large introduces a number of new decorative and interactive objects to The Sims.

Primarily a content-based expansion, Livin' Large adds 125 new items for sims to purchase in the 'Buy Mode' of the game. Some items are decorative, and others are interactive. [4] Some interactive items feature additional effects and new non-player characters, including a magic lamp that, when rubbed, spawns a genie that can grant the player wishes with random good or bad outcomes, [5] a chemistry lab that can create potions with positive and negative effects, including turning the drinker into a monster, [6] and a robotic servitor that can assist with housework. [7] Sims can contract a potentially fatal illness from a bite from the guinea pig included in this expansion. [8] The 'Vibromatic Heart Bed' items allows a pair of sims in love to 'Play in Bed' once the bed is occupied and vibrating, providing a chance that the female Sim will become pregnant with a baby. [9] Livin' Large also features five new career paths: Slacker, Hacker, Journalist, Paranormal and Musician. [5] The expansion expands the default number of lots in the game by increasing the number of neighborhoods. [10]

Livin' Large introduces complex interactions with two non-player characters: the Tragic Clown and Grim Reaper. The Tragic Clown is a character that spawns if the painting of the same name is placed on the lot and an occupant is on the lot. If the Tragic Clown appears, they will attempt to cheer the player by performing tricks and always fail, decreasing the sim's mood even further. Removing the Tragic Clown requires the player to raise the mood of all sims on the lot, or set the painting on fire. [9] The Grim Reaper is a character that appears when a Sim dies, interacting with the corpse to remove the Sim from the game. Other Sims can interact with the Grim Reaper and 'Plead' to save the life of the Sim before the Reaper has removed them. This prompts a game of Rock Paper Scissors, where if won, the dead Sim will be revived, or if lost, the dead Sim will either be removed or be turned into a zombie. [9]

Development and release

The design objective of Livin' Large was to introduce new elements to the game that created gameplay and stories that "further engaged the imagination of the player". [11] Lead designer Will Wright stated that the expansion focused on a "novel humour" and "wacky style" in contrast with the "neutral" tone of the original game in order to help "spark the creativity of players" and "take the game into weird, twisted directions". Wright took a reduced role in the design of the expansion to focus on The Sims Online , with codesigner Chris Trottier having a stronger responsibility for the implementation of the game, although the Tragic Clown was Wright's "pet object" for suggested inclusion in the expansion. [12] Electronic Arts engaged studio New Pencil Incorporated to create new assets for Livin' Large and future expansions. Development of the expansion was streamlined by using asset libraries to introduce sets of objects and architecture with a similar "look and feel", such as the set of castle-themed items. [13] Some assets, including skins, were created as user-made modifications and selected by designers for inclusion in the game. [12] Aspyr Media announced and released a Mac port for the game in November 2000. [14] [15] In 2002, EA released The Sims Deluxe, a combination of The Sims and Livin' Large, with additional clothing options and The Sims Creator tool. [16]

Reception

Sales

Domestically, Livin' Large sold 263,076 units and earned $6.99 million by the end of October 2000, according to PC Data. [17] By the end of the year, its sales totaled 595,410 units ($16.1 million) in the United States alone. This made it the country's sixth-best-selling computer game of 2000. [18] Livin' Large remained the United States' sixth-highest computer game seller in 2001, [19] with domestic sales of 818,600 units and revenues of $22.9 million that year alone. [20]

Reviews

The Sims: Livin' Large received "generally favorable" reviews from critics according to review aggregator Metacritic. [21] Critics generally praised the distinctive gameplay and object additions. [4] Many reviews noted the additions reinforced a stranger and more light-hearted tone, with Andrew Park of GameSpot highlighting the "exciting" and "absurd" side effects of many new objects, [6] and Brian Wright of GamePro noting the "crazy settings" of the gothic and space-age desing themes. [23] Vincent Lopez of IGN commended the "weirder aspects" of the expansion, stating they made the game "a little more surreal than in the original title" and helped the player create "weirder" families, scenarios and storylines. [25] Carl Salminen of Ars Technica acknowle additions added a "new dimension to the game", but noted whilst some players would enjoy the "randomness and element of chaos" to gameplay, others would find them frustrating. [26]

Many reviewers noted the additions of Livin' Large were mostly cosmetic aspects of the expansion and did not fundamentally alter the core mechanics of gameplay, [7] [4] [5] with Vincent Lopez of IGN proverbially describing the game as a "new wallpaper on the same walls" of The Sims. [25] Cam Shea of Hyper critiqued the expansion for not fixing technical issues with the game, including pathfinding bugs. [24] Some critics also noted that many of the expansion's additions were similar to user-created downloadable objects, undermining their need. [24] [4] However, Andrew Park of GameSpot noted that the expansion did not aim to "make drastic improvements on the core game" and succeeded in its purpose of adding new content, furnishing and options to the game for players. [6]

Notes

  1. ↑ Mac OS port developed by Westlake Interactive. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Sims</i> (video game) 2000 video game

The Sims is a social simulation video game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts in 2000. The game allows players to create and control virtual people, called "Sims", and manage their daily lives in a suburban setting. The game features an open-ended gameplay, where players can choose their own goals and objectives, and customize their Sims' appearance, personality, skills, relationships, and environment. A series of expansion packs were also released that add new content and features to the game, such as new careers, items, locations, and scenarios.

<i>SimCity 4</i> 2003 video game

SimCity 4 is a city-building simulation computer game developed by Maxis, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts. The game was released in January 2003 for Microsoft Windows and in June 2003 for Mac OS X. It is the fourth major installment in the SimCity series. SimCity 4 has a single expansion pack called Rush Hour which adds features to the game. SimCity 4: Deluxe Edition contained the original game and Rush Hour combined as a single product.

<i>The Sims Online</i> 2002 massively multiplayer online game

The Sims Online was a 2002 massively multiplayer online game (MMO) developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts (EA) for Microsoft Windows. The game was a subscription-based online multiplayer version of the 2000 Maxis game The Sims, in which players could interact with others on virtual user-made lots, buy and customise properties, and make money by taking on jobs the game's virtual economy. The Sims Online was the project of Maxis founder and Sims creator Will Wright, who sought to create an open-ended online game based on social interaction, with ambitions for the game to be a platform for emergent gameplay and the creation of virtual societies and politics. In line with these ambitions and the prior commercial success of The Sims, The Sims Online received considerable pre-release coverage, with expectations that it would be successful and break new ground for online multiplayer games.

<i>The Sims 2</i> 2004 video game

The Sims 2 is a 2004 strategic life simulation video game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It is the second major title in The Sims series, and is the sequel to The Sims. The game was released for Microsoft Windows on September 14, 2004, and a port for MacOS by Aspyr was released on June 17, 2005. Eight expansion packs and nine "stuff packs" were subsequently released between 2005 and 2008. In addition, versions of The Sims 2 were released on various video game consoles, including the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo DS, and GameCube, and mobile platforms, including the Nokia Ovi Store. The three handheld versions of the game are completely different among themselves, unlike the home console versions of the game, which are virtually identical to each other. All three handheld versions take on more of a linear storyline. A sequel, The Sims 3, was released in June 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sims: Unleashed</span> 2002 video game

The Sims: Unleashed is a 2002 expansion pack developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts for The Sims. The fifth expansion pack for The Sims, Unleashed expands the game's neighborhood to include a community area named Old Town which allows players to purchase pets, including cats and dogs, and farm their own produce. Unleashed was announced by Electronic Arts in June 2002 and released in September, with a Macintosh port of the game published by Aspyr Media in December. Upon release, Unleashed received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise directed to the scope and variety of the gameplay additions in the new neighborhood and pet mechanics, although expressing disappointment at the limited degree of control and gameplay mechanics involving pets. The concept of owning pets would be later re-introduced in The Sims 2: Pets, The Sims 3: Pets and The Sims 4: Cats & Dogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sims: Superstar</span> 2003 video game

The Sims: Superstar is a 2003 expansion pack for The Sims developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The expansion allows Sims to become entertainment figures in a new area, 'Studio Town', featuring additional work and leisure items. Upon release, Superstar was a commercial success, leading sales charts and becoming the highest selling computer game in the United States in 2003. Critical reception of the expansion was generally favorable, with critics praising the addition of a new and challenging game mechanic through the star power system, and others critiquing the repetition and tedium of the system in balance with other gameplay mechanics. The addition of celebrity gameplay mechanics in Superstar would be re-introduced in future Sims expansions including The Sims 3: Late Night and The Sims 4: Get Famous.

<i>The Sims Bustin Out</i> 2003 video game

The Sims Bustin' Out is a video game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts in 2003 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and in 2004 for the N-Gage. It is the second title in The Sims console series and the first title not concurrently released on Windows PC.

<i>SimsVille</i> Cancelled video game developed by Maxis

SimsVille is a cancelled simulation video game game developed by Maxis. The game was conceived as a hybrid between the gameplay of The Sims and SimCity. Development of SimsVille was undertaken over two years by the Maxis development team for SimCity as an opportunity for expansion of The Sims franchise. Following delays to the game's release window, Maxis discontinued development of SimsVille in September 2001, citing the studio's concerns with the quality of the gameplay experience. Despite its cancellation, design elements of SimsVille would influence later Maxis products, particularly the community features of The Sims: Hot Date and the integration of Sims into SimCity 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sims: House Party</span> 2001 video game

The Sims: House Party is a 2001 expansion pack for The Sims developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The expansion introduces the gameplay features and facilities for players to hold parties and gatherings in their Sims' homes. Upon release, House Party met an average reception from reviewers, with praise directed at the new objects and mechanics that aided social interaction and variety of visual styles, and criticism at the limited scope and lack of changes to core gameplay. Many of the objects and gameplay mechanics in House Party would be reintroduced in The Sims 2: Nightlife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sims: Hot Date</span> 2001 video game

The Sims: Hot Date is a 2001 expansion pack for The Sims developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The expansion adds a new community area to the game, Downtown, and provides players with more opportunities for their Sims to interact and romance one another. Upon release, Hot Date received generally favorable reviews, with praise directed to the game's expansion of game mechanics and locations in contrast to earlier expansions, although with some criticism of the limited options for customisation and the level of challenge with relationship management. Following release, Hot Date was a commercial success, becoming one of the top ten highest-selling computer games of 2001 and 2002 in the United States.

<i>The Sims: Vacation</i> 2002 video game

The Sims: Vacation is a 2002 expansion pack for The Sims developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The expansion introduces the ability for the player's sims to take vacations, as well as new social features including interests, daily and lifetime relationships, and new interactions. Vacation was announced by EA in January 2002, following speculation about a vacation-themed fourth expansion to the game, and was shipped in March 2002.

<i>Tomb Raider III</i> 1998 video game

Tomb Raider III is an action-adventure video game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. It was released for the PlayStation and Microsoft Windows platforms in 1998. Tomb Raider III is the third title in the Tomb Raider series and a sequel to Tomb Raider II. The story of the game follows archaeologist-adventurer Lara Croft as she embarks upon a quest to recover four pieces of a meteorite that are scattered across the world. To progress through the game, the player must complete a series of levels that involve solving puzzles, traversing dangerous locations, and defeating enemies.

<i>The Sims 3</i> 2009 video game

The Sims 3 is a 2009 life simulation video game developed by the Redwood Shores studio of Maxis, and published by Electronic Arts. Part of The Sims series, it is the sequel to The Sims 2. It was released on June 2, 2009, for Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, and smartphone versions. Console versions were released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo DS in October 2010 and a month later for Wii. The Windows Phone version was released on October 15, 2010. A Nintendo 3DS version, released on March 27, 2011, was one of the platform's launch titles.

The Sims Stories is a series of video games from The Sims series released between 2007 and 2008, based on a modified version of The Sims 2 game engine. The modified game engine is optimized for play on systems with weaker specifications, such as laptops. As such, its system requirements are lower than that of The Sims 2, but it can still be played on desktops. The series was aimed to cater to three groups of players: players who wish to play The Sims 2 on their laptops ; players who wish to engage in other activities such as instant messaging while playing the game; and players who are new to the franchise. Titles in this series are categorized as "laptop-friendly" since they do not require a dedicated graphic card.

<i>SimCity Societies</i> 2007 video game

SimCity Societies is a city-building simulation video game developed by Tilted Mill Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts, and is part of the SimCity series. The gameplay is significantly different from previous SimCity titles, with a greater focus on social development. SimCity Societies was released in 2007, and received mixed reviews, with praise for the game's improved accessibility and visuals, but criticism for being oversimplified and having poor performance.

<i>The Sims</i> Series of video games

The Sims is a series of life simulation video games developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The franchise has sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide, and is one of the best-selling video game series of all time. It is also part of the larger Sim series, started by SimCity in 1989.

<i>Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force</i> 2000 first-person shooter video game based on the Star Trek series

Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force is a first-person shooter video game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was originally released on September 15, 2000 for Windows and Mac OS. A port for Mac OS developed by Westlake Interactive and published by Aspyr Media was released on November 20, 2002. Elite Force was ported to the PlayStation 2 by Pipe Dream Interactive and published by Majesco Entertainment on December 11, 2001.

<i>The Sims 4</i> 2014 video game

The Sims 4 is a free-to-play social simulation game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It is the fourth major title in The Sims series, following The Sims 3 (2009). The game was released in North America on September 2, 2014, for Windows, an OS X version was released in February 2015, and PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions were released in November 2017. The game was moved to a free-to-play model on October 18, 2022, monetized by the purchase of various paid downloadable content packs that have been developed since its release.

Eleven expansion packs were released for the 2009 life simulation video game The Sims 3, the third major title in The Sims series. Of the eleven expansion packs, seven were developed by Maxis Redwood Shores, while the other four were developed by EA Salt Lake. All expansion packs were published by Electronic Arts. Expansion packs tend to focus on major new features, with the addition of many new objects, worlds, and game features geared towards the pack's major theme. The first expansion pack, World Adventures, was released on November 18, 2009. The last expansion pack, Into the Future, was released on October 22, 2013.

<i>The Sims 2: University</i> Expansion pack for The Sims 2

The Sims 2: University is an expansion pack for the 2004 life simulation video game The Sims 2, developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The first expansion pack for the game, it was released 1 March 2005. University introduces a new "young adult" life stage who live in separate college towns and attend university; with its dormitories, the expansion pack marks the first time in the Sims series where player sims are able to live with non-player characters. Sims who attend university gain access to new careers and interactions. University also introduces new items, interactions, and gameplay elements, such as the ability to bring deceased sims back to life, the ability to play musical instruments and use mobile phones, and the ability to turn sims into zombies.

References

  1. 1 2 Walker, Trey (November 17, 2000). "Elite Force and Livin' Large Mac Versions Go Gold". GameSpot . Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  2. ↑ "The Sims: Livin' Large". IGN . Archived from the original on December 8, 2000. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  3. ↑ Writer, Gestalt (September 8, 2000). "Latest UK releases". Eurogamer . Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Buecheler, Christopher. "The Sims: Livin' Large". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 21 June 2001. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Lafferty, Michael (8 September 2000). "The Sims: Livin' Large". GameZone. Archived from the original on 19 November 2000. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Park, Andrew (17 May 2006). "The Sims: Livin' Large Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 Jones, Gareth (November 2000). "The Sims Livin' Large". PC PowerPlay. No. 54. p. 93.
  8. ↑ Markoff, John (April 27, 2000). "Something Is Killing the Sims, and It's No Accident". The New York Times . The New York Times Company.
  9. 1 2 3 Barba, Rick (2000). The Sims: Livin Large Expansion Pack: Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games.
  10. 1 2 Renniger, Lisa (November 2000). "The Sims Livin' Large". PC Gamer. No. 78. p. 137.
  11. ↑ Coffey, Robert (July 2000). "The Sims Expansion Pack". Computer Gaming World. No. 192. pp. 34–5.
  12. 1 2 "The Sims: Livin' Large Preview - Part 3: Will Wright Q&A". GameSpot. 28 July 2000. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  13. ↑ London, Charles (January 2002). "Keeping Up With The Sims". Game Developer Magazine. pp. 52–8.
  14. ↑ Dixon, Mike (6 November 2000). "Aspyr Hosts Event, Announces Blockbuster Titles for Mac". Game Week. p. 34.
  15. ↑ "Sims are living it large..." MacWorld. January 2001. p. 26.
  16. ↑ Walker, Trey (19 July 2002). "The Sims Deluxe coming soon". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 5 December 2014.
  17. ↑ Asher, Mark; Chick, Tom. "The Year's Ten Best-Selling Games". Quarter to Three. Archived from the original on February 2, 2001.
  18. ↑ Staff (April 2001). "Eyewitness; It's All in the Numbers". PC Gamer US . 8 (4): 40, 41.
  19. ↑ "NPD Reports Annual 2001 U.S. Interactive Entertainment Sales Shatter Industry Record" (Press release). Port Washington, New York: The NPD Group. February 7, 2002. Archived from the original on August 20, 2003.
  20. ↑ Bradshaw, Lucy (January 31, 2002). "Markle Forum on Children and Media" (PDF). New York University. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 19, 2004.
  21. 1 2 "The Sims: Livin' Large". Metacritic. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  22. ↑ Kincaid, R. (November 2000). "The Surreal World". Computer Gaming World. No. 196. pp. 138–9.
  23. 1 2 "The Sims Livin' Large Expansion". GamePro. 8 September 2000. Archived from the original on 7 March 2004. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  24. 1 2 3 Shea, Cam (November 2000). "The Sims: Livin' Large". Hyper. No. 85. p. 69.
  25. 1 2 3 Lopez, Vincent (30 August 2000). "The Sims: Livin' Large". IGN. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  26. ↑ Salminen, Carl (28 September 2000). "The Sims: Livin' Large". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.