EA has announced yet another game in the cash-cow Sims universe… this time it’s a set of standalone “Stories” built around characters in the Sims universe. Unlike previous Sims games, which seemed designed to suck every moment of your real life away so that you could give it to your virtual character, The Sims Stories are self-contained (i.e., they don’t require any previous games or expansion packs) and designed for short, casual play on PC laptops with modest specs. The first in a series, The Sims: Life Stories will be a comedy/romance which you play from the perspective of two different generically-named Sims, “Riley” and “Vince”. The initial story will be followed by The Sims: Pet Stories and The Sims: Castaway Stories.

Maybe it’s just that I never really got into the Sims universe, but this sounds like it has “flop” written all over it. How is EA going to convince gamers to spend their money on generic adventure games about everyday characters? It’s a lot like trying to convince somebody to play Sam and Max, but without any artistic style or wacky characters. I suppose you could make the argument that Sims Stories is to reality TV as Sam and Max is to cartoons (and boy is that there reality TV popular these days), but somehow I don’t see this working in the gaming sphere.

Regardless of its success, these games look like they were rather cheap for EA to produce, and will probably net them a bit of a profit. The game was only announced today, but will be debuting in stores on February 7, 2007, a scant 3 weeks away.

Click the jump for EA’s full press release…

EA BRINGS LAPTOPS TO LIFE WITH THE SIMS STORIES

The Sims Life Stories is First Installment in a New Line of Unique Story-Driven Games

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - January 16, 2007 - Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that The Sims™ is launching a new line of games - The Sims Stories. These laptop-friendly games will feature engaging characters and easy-to-play storylines that are sure to entertain both the novice and experienced player.

The Sims Stories games are the latest offering from the popular Sims franchise, which has been translated into 22 languages and sold more than 70M games around the world—that’s more than enough to give a game to every single person in the UK! It’s popularity is due in part to The Sims appeal beyond a traditional gaming audience; more than half of The Sims players are female.

The first of these games, The Sims Life Stories, introduces an all-new Story Mode with two stories that follow the lives of Riley Harlow and Vincent Moore, two very different characters who have reached similar crossroads in their love lives. A comic romantic plot centered around engaging characters guides players through twelve chapters of this one-of-a-kind entertainment experience. Players can take their Sims through unique and entertaining storylines filled with romance, intrigue and dramatic twists. Will female lead character Riley ditch beau number one to marry and have kids with beau number two? Will successful entrepreneur Vince ever find love, or the culprit who’s been foiling his heart-earned efforts to find it? Players can discover these answers and more, or enjoy classic open-ended Sims gameplay.

“Everyone loves a good story. The Sims Life Stories gives players two wonderful romantic comedies to enjoy,” declared Rod Humble, VP Head of Studio for The Sims Division. “For those who are interested in The Sims, The Sims Stories are accessible and fun for everyone.” According to Humble, the world of The Sims provides the perfect place for these romantic comedies to unfold. Built around virtual people called Sims, daily activities-from sleeping and eating, choosing outfits and decorating the house, even cooking and getting a job?are controlled by the player. The Sims celebrates the choices that we make in life. What’s more familiar than being confused by life and love?

Designed to be laptop-friendly, The Sims Stories are accessible and fun for everyone. The Sims Stories are standalone entertainment experiences that do not require companion products from The Sims library - just pick up your laptop and play!

Product Specifications
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts Redwood Shores
Ship Date: US: February 6, 2007
Europe: February 2, 2007

  * PC

  * Category: Simulation/Strategy

  * ESRB Rating: “T” (Teen)

  * PEGI Rating: 12+

The Sims Pet Stories and The Sims Castaway Stories are scheduled to ship in Summer 2007 and Winter 2008, respectively. These standalone products will not require expansion packs or stuff packs from previous The Sims or The Sims 2 collections.

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About The Sims™ Life Stories
The Sims™ Life Stories is the first release in an all-new product line called The Sims Stories. Play through all the great moments of your Sim’s life in this easy-to-play, laptop-friendly version of The Sims. Also Coming Soon to The Sims Stories Line: The Sims Pet Stories invites your Sims to care for and train loveable but unpredictable pets, and in The Sims Castaway Stories you help your Sims make a new life in an unexplored deserted island paradise. All releases in The Sims Stories line offer two fun ways to play, directed Story mode and open-ended Classic mode, and are designed with laptop-friendly controls that let you play even when you?re on the go! For more information check out www.TheSimsStories.com.

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world’s leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for videogame systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA SPORTS BIGTM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2006, EA posted revenue of $2.95 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

Electronic Arts, EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS BIG, POGO and The Sims are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.