The Sims: Makin' Magic

Last updated
The Sims: Makin' Magic
The Sims Makin Magic Cover.jpg
Developer(s) Maxis
Publisher(s) Electronic Arts (PC)
Aspyr Media (Mac)
Platform(s) Windows
Mac OS X
ReleaseWindows
Mac OS X
  • NA: 4 March 2004 [3]
  • EU: March 2004
Genre(s) Social simulation
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

The Sims: Makin' Magic is a 2003 expansion pack for The Sims developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The expansion introduces magic to the game, featuring items that allows Sims to create and use spells, charms, and potions. The pack also introduces the Magic Town neighborhood, as well as Magic Town lots, which house vendors of magical ingredients and items and a number of magic-related mini-games. The game was the last expansion released for The Sims prior to the 2004 release of The Sims 2 , with previews for the game included in the expansion. Upon release, Makin' Magic received generally favorable reviews from critics, with reviewers praising the novelty and depth of the magic mechanics and the Magic Town neighborhood, with some critiquing the expansion's difficulty and conceptual incompatibility compared to other aspects of the game. The expansion has received praise following its release, leading a pattern of magic-themed expansions in succeeding Sims titles including The Sims 2: Apartment Life , The Sims 3: Supernatural and The Sims 4: Realm of Magic .

Contents

Gameplay

Makin' Magic provides players with the ability to perform magic tricks in Magic Town for MagiCoins. Sims Makin Magic Screenshot.jpg
Makin' Magic provides players with the ability to perform magic tricks in Magic Town for MagiCoins.

Makin' Magic introduces a new neighborhood, Magic Town, and 175 new items with a supernatural theme, [4] [5] allowing Sims to create magic charms and cast spells. Ingredients are added to a Sim's inventory, from where they are used with the correct equipment to produce an item of food, or charge the Sim's magic wand with a spell, or produce a charm. These ingredients, which are many and varied, can be purchased in Magic Town or made at home with various machines and items that can be purchased. The ability to have a dragon as a pet was also introduced. Upon moving in a new family, the Mystery Man appears with a box which includes a wand, a spell book, the magic ingredients needed for the Toadification spell, a wand charger (which also dispenses wands), 35 MagiCoins, and a Hole In The Ground which provides easy access to Magic Town. Being caught casting spells outside of Magic Town by non-magical Sims is met with a fine by the Mystery Man. However this is not the case in Magic Town, although the spells may backfire as the vast majority of Magic Town residents are equipped with their own wands. [6]

Development and release

Makin' Magic was announced by Electronic Arts at the Camp EA press event in July 2003 as Making Magic, revealed as the last expansion for The Sims pending the release of The Sims 2 . [7] [8] [9] Shortly after announcement, the name of the expansion was shortened to Makin' Magic. [10] The expansion was shipped on 30 October 2003. [8] Makin' Magic contained a third disc that provided a preview of The Sims 2 , including footage of the game, video interviews and screenshots. [5]

Reception

Sales

Makin' Magic was a commercial success, becoming the fifth-highest selling computer game in 2003 in the United States, [11] and topping weekly sales charts for computer games in Europe in November 2003. [12]

Reviews

According to review aggregator Metacritic, Makin' Magic received "generally favorable" reviews from critics. The subject matter of the expansion was met with praise and confusion. Elizabeth McAdams of Computer Gaming World considered the concept to be a good platform to "create more fun, wickedness and truly bizarre scenarios" to the game stating it renewed her interest in the game. [4] Steve Butts of IGN commended the expansion for adding a "healthy dose of fantasy to the game, finding it "preserves the basic character of the game" and "enhances the core gameplay", although considered its theme "incompatible with the basic concept of the series". [18] Describing the expansion as an "oddball release", Carlos McElfish of GameZone considered the expansion offered opportunities for "fun" and "inventive additions" to the game, but questioned how well they fit into the rest of the game, stating that it had a "dark, circus-like atmosphere that seems to take away from the funny and lighthearted nature of the game". [17] Andrew Park of GameSpot found the theme less endearing, suggesting the "brighly colored amusement parks" and "sparkly magic spells" were of greater appeal to children. [16] Nebojsa Radakovic of Game Revolution found the concept to be "not the most inspired", noting irony in the tonal shift of the game from a "send-up of reality" to a surreal one. [15]

Critics largely praised the introduction of the magic career path, but noted its difficulty. Several reviews noted that the game's magic abilities allowed players to focus on the features of the expansion rather than spend time meeting Sim needs. [20] Glenn Rubenstein of X-Play found the use of magic to be "entertaining" and "practical", noting the element of chance for success or failure added a "potential for chaos and unpredictability" that kept the game interesting. [19] Steve Butts of IGN commended the "variety of effects", but found the co-ordinating game's magic gameplay and searching for ingredients could be "tedious" and a "real struggle", particularly when combined with gameplay from other expansions. [18] Similarly, Nebojsa Radakovic of Game Revolution considered the mechanics to be "demanding" and requiring "full-time" commitment, stating that managing Sim needs can "drastically slow down any forward momentum" and makes it "almost impossible to maintain a career". [15] Carlos McElfish of GameZone acknowledged the "challenging" nature of the magic gameplay mechanics, but considered that they added to the "freeform and dynamically difficult" appeal of the game. [17]

Similarly to other expansions, reviewers lamented that the final expansion for the game did not introduce changes to core gameplay or graphics, and did not resolve persistent bugs. [19] [18] Andrew Park of GameSpot commented that the game added "no real technical improvements" to the game, stating that it "doesn't bother to fix the sluggish camera or the occasionally deficient artificial intelligence used for Sims". [16] Similarly, Carla Harker of GameSpy considered the graphics of the expansion to "show their age", and had enduring issues with Sim pathfinding. [5]

Legacy

The inclusion of supernatural features in Makin' Magic was re-introduced in later Sims expansions, including The Sims 2: Apartment Life , The Sims 3: Supernatural and The Sims 4: Realm of Magic . [21] Magic features in The Sims have been described as an enduring "dark horse mechanic" for the series, [22] receiving a positive retrospective reception. Game Rant praised the expansion for its scope and "absurdity", [23] with Shyana Josi stating that later iterations of the concept in future Sims games failed to capture the same "otherworldly wonder" of Makin' Magic due to its "depth of gameplay" and "vibrant and alive" setting of Magic Town. [24] TheGamer considered Makin' Magic to feature content that was not included in later versions, including its vendors, amusement parks, and performances. [25] [26]

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>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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sims: Livin' Large</span> 2000 video game

The Sims: Livin' Large 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.

<i>Lineage II</i> 2003 video game

Lineage II is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Microsoft Windows and the second game in the Lineage series. It is a prequel to Lineage and is set 150 years before the first game. It has become popular since its October 1, 2003 launch in South Korea, reporting 1,000,918 unique users during the month of March 2007. To date, the game has been played by more than 14 million users, most of whom are based in Asia.

<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>Heroes of Might and Magic III</i> 1999 video game

Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia is a turn-based strategy game developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing originally released for Microsoft Windows by The 3DO Company in 1999. Its ports to several computer and console systems followed in 1999–2000. It is the third installment of the Heroes of Might and Magic series.

<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>Neopets: Petpet Adventures: The Wand of Wishing</i> 2006 video game

Neopets: Petpet Adventures: The Wand of Wishing is a single-player action video game, released on March 14, 2006. It is a PlayStation Portable game based on the Neopets franchise.

<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>The Sims 2: Apartment Life</i> 2008 video game expansion pack

The Sims 2: Apartment Life is an expansion pack for the 2004 life simulation video game The Sims 2, developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The eighth and final expansion pack for the game, it was released 27 August 2008. Apartment Life is a broad-concept expansion pack introducing various features, including the option for sims to live in apartments, a system of social class and personal reputation, a new pre-made neighbourhood, and a magic system in which sims can become witches and learn spells.

<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.

Twelve downloadable content "game packs" have been released for the 2014 life simulation video game The Sims 4, the fourth major title in The Sims series. All game packs are developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts, for the Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4 and Xbox platforms. Game packs are intended to be smaller than full expansion packs. The first game pack, Outdoor Retreat, was released on January 13, 2015. The most recent game pack, Werewolves, was released on June 16, 2022.

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.

Seven expansion packs were released for the 2000 life simulation video game The Sims, the first major title in The Sims series. All expansion packs were developed by Maxis for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Windows versions were published by Electronic Arts, and Mac OS X versions were published by Aspyr. Expansion packs tend to focus on major new features, with many objects, clothes, styles, worlds and life states are geared towards the pack's major theme. The first expansion pack, Livin' Large, was released on August 29, 2000. The last expansion pack, Makin' Magic, was released on October 29, 2003.

<i>Disney Dreamlight Valley</i> 2023 life simulation video game

Disney Dreamlight Valley is a 2023 life simulation adventure game developed by Gameloft Montreal and published by Gameloft. The game has players tend to a magical valley populated by various Disney and Pixar characters who previously underwent a curse that caused them to lose their memories of their lives in the valley.

References

  1. ↑ Adams, David (October 29, 2003). "The Sims Makin' Magic Ships". IGN . Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  2. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (July 29, 2003). "Sims Makin' Magic in October". Eurogamer . Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  3. ↑ Cohen, Peter (March 4, 2004). "The Sims Makin' Magic hits store shelves". Macworld . Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 McAdams, Elizabeth (January 2004). "The Sims: Makin' Magic". Computer Gaming World. No. 234. p. 110.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Harker, Carla (24 November 2003). "The Sims: Makin' Magic". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 23 February 2005. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  6. ↑ Cohen, Mark (2004). The Sims: Makin' Magic: Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games. ISBN   0-7615-4452-6.
  7. ↑ Parker, Sam. "The Sims: Makin' Magic announced". GameSpot. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  8. 1 2 Adams, David (30 October 2003). "The Sims Makin' Magic Ships". IGN.
  9. ↑ "Camp EA". IGN. 10 July 2003. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  10. ↑ Butts, Steve (31 July 2003). "The Sims Makin' Magic". IGN.
  11. ↑ Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry: 2004 Sales, Demographics and Usage Data. Entertainment Software Association. 2004.
  12. ↑ "PC Full Price Top 20: 1st November 2023". GamesIndustry.biz. 4 November 2003. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  13. ↑ "The Sims: Makin' Magic". Metacritic. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  14. ↑ "The Sims: Makin' Magic". GameInformer. Archived from the original on 8 February 2004. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  15. 1 2 3 Radakovic, Nebojska (1 November 2003). "The Sims: Makin' Magic Review". GameRevolution. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  16. 1 2 3 Park, Andrew (28 October 2003). "The Sims: Makin' Magic Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  17. 1 2 3 McElfish, Carlos (8 November 2003). "The Sims: Makin' Magic". GameZone. Archived from the original on 29 December 2004. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Butts, Steve (30 October 2003). "The Sims: Makin' Magic Review". IGN. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  19. 1 2 3 Rubenstein, Glenn. "The Sims: Makin' Magic (PC) Review". X-Play. TechTV. Archived from the original on 16 December 2003. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  20. 1 2 Tanner, Nicole (January 2004). "The Sims: Makin' Magic". GameNOW. No. 27. p. 66.
  21. ↑ Green, Holly (19 September 2019). "Realm of Magic Is Another Welcome, but Thin, Expansion for The Sims 4". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  22. ↑ Jones, Rebecca (19 August 2022). "The Sims 4 Spellcasters guide on how to become a Spellcaster in the Realm of Magic expansion". Eurogamer. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  23. ↑ McEvoy, Sophie (23 March 2023). "8 Best Expansions in the Overall Sims Franchise". Game Rant. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  24. ↑ Josi, Shayna (15 April 2023). "The Sims 4 hasn't Been Able to Recapture The Magic of This Old Expansion". Game Rant. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  25. ↑ Blye, Ericka (1 September 2019). "The Sims 4: 5 Things Realm Of Magic Does Better Than Makin' Magic (And 5 Things Makin' Magic Does Better)". TheGamer. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  26. ↑ Ashcroft, Helen (16 July 2019). "Sims 4 Realm of Magic: 10 Things They Should Bring Back From Makin' Magic". TheGamer. Retrieved 10 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.