Other Sites

Genre: Sim

Format: DVD

Developer: Maxis

Developer: EA Games

Mac Publisher: Aspyr Media

Minimum System Requirements: Mac OS X v10.3.9, 1.2GHz G4/G5 or Intel chipset, 256MB RAM, 2GB free disk space, ATI Radeon 9000 or NVidia GeForce FX5200 with 32MB VRAM, DVD drive, full version of The Sims 2

Review Computer: 800MHz iMac, 256MB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce2 MX video card; and 1.5GHz 17" PowerBook, 512MB RAM, ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (AGP 4X) graphics processor with 64MB of DDR SDRAM

Network Feature: No

Processor Compatibility: Universal

Price: $24.99

ESRB Rating: T (crude humor, sexual themes, violence)

Availability: Now

Official Website: thesims2.ea.com/about/sp2_index.php

Glamour Life Stuff. Sort of says it all, doesn't it? I'm guessing that they couldn't tie up "Hoity-Toity" for legal reasons, because here is a Sims 2 expansion for people who want other people to know how much money they have to throw away.

As the Sims series continues to quietly build itself into a gaming dynasty (you can now play the game on computers, consoles, handhelds, and even cell phones), its makers continue to build onto the game with expansions that allow you run a business, go to college, date, take your dog for a walk, and party into the wee hours of the morning in hip, downtown clubs.

These expansions are interesting because, by and large, they are truly add-ons. They expand the game into areas previously unexplored. In the original Sims, characters who went to work just disappeared for eight hours a day. Romance was limited to what you could manage in your backyard. And, like most modern games, The Sims opened itself to player customization. People (real people) could manufacture new clothes, furniture, home accessories, or even body parts if they had the skill and patience to do so.

Glamour Life Stuff, then, is something of a less exciting add-on to the Sims canon; it doesn't allow your characters to go on jet-set trips to Rome or Monte Carlo, but allows them to dress up as if they did. An expansion of expensive items for your well-to-do Sims, it allows you to drench your characters and/or their house with modern art, expensive clothes, and other "finery," most of which is kind of garish: pop art and fur coats. It's sort of a middle class idea of what a rich person would have. But then, the Sims has always been about conspicuous consumption. The stuff all looks nice—and by that I mean well-designed from a computer standpoint, right down to the Lichtenstein print with the Sims dialogue box (choice of six different styles, no less) printed on it. Even the fur coat, which I suppose I should be upset about, but will wait until they come out with Sims 2: Fur Trapper and Seal Clubber expansion before I let it get my ire up.

The only question is, should you pay for this particular expansion when there's so much free content out on the web? Tough call. With the previous expansions, you were given new areas of the game to explore, new actions to take, and new ways to interact with other characters. With GLS, you're getting...a new chair.

So, should you decide that your own personal Sims soap opera desperately needs to look more like Falcon Crest than it already does, and you don't want to take the time weeding through Mod sites to find the perfect dress, take a look at the inventory list of GL. Just be aware that when you buy off the rack, everybody knows.

Spending $25 on an expansion that doesn't really add to gameplay seems excessive to me, but then, this is the Sims, where stuff = happiness. Also, since all the items install themselves, you don't have to hassle with getting downloadable content to appear in the game, which, to my shame, I must admit is something with which I've always had a problem.

Strengths: Well designed. Well integrated with core game.
Weaknesses: Comparable stuff available online. Adds nothing new to gameplay.

Bill's been using Macs since the late 80s. When he's not making smartass remarks to amuse Kirk Hiner, he enjoys fighting for the user.