Courtney's Computer Sim Games Blog

Remember e-cards? Virtual greeting cards you send to friends and hope the link doesn't land in their junk box? MashON "Spore" E-Cards launched today. Create your own e-cards by picking a background, creatures, and text. You determine the placement and size of both the creatures and text boxes. I haven't sent one in about 10 years. But for those of who you still do, this will be perfect to send to your fellow gamers buddies.

• MashON "Spore" E-Cards - Make and Send an E-Card
• "Spore"

Anyone up for a little soccer? "Football Superstars," an online (and free!) sports game will be launching later this year. Your job is to not function as the coach, instead work on one player's career. Games are played in matches of 3 to 11 on each side. Your team mate is another player online at the same time you are. No playing against computer players! Matches are setup based on your ability. New players won't be paired up with the experts - phew!

"Football Superstar" is entering a closed beta stage. You can be a part of the beta by coming to their web site and registering an account.

• "Football SuperStars" Web site

Need more furniture? Of course you do! "The Sims 2 IKEA Home Stuff" comes with objects for the living room, office, and bedroom. The stuff pack makes me wish I had an IKEA store closeby again - one of my favorite stuff packs by far. Anyone not buying "The Sims 2 IKEA Home Stuff?"

• "The Sims 2 IKEA Home Stuff" Review
• "The Sims 2 IKEA Home Stuff" Screenshots

Screenshot © Electronic Arts.

Maxis opened it's own pay site offering "The Sims 2" downloads. Some of the downloads are exclusive to the online store. The majority can be found in expansions or stuff packs. It's $5 for every 500 SimPoints. Most items are about 75 - 100 points. Roughly a dollar for each item. Not a bad deal if you only want a couple of items from a stuff pack. I'm not crazy about the exclusive objects posted now. Signing up for an account gets you 6 objects.

Is the online store something you think you'd use?

• "The Sims 2" Online Store"
• "The Sims 2" Downloads - Majority are Free!

Hewlet Packard and EA have partnered together! This is a great thing for gamers who don't want to buy the full version of the "Creature Creator." Hewlet Packard is offering a free version of "Spore Creature Creator" will more parts than comes with the trial version found on EA's web site. The HP version will be also be found on HP and Compaq Presario desktops and select notebooks starting September.

• HP "Spore Creator" Download

Halle lost her job as an interior designer. She'll have to start from the bottom by decorating homes on a small budget. Halle will need your help, of course! The customer has a list of requirements (some optional) the room must meet. You place select furniture and pictures for all types of rooms.

"Eye for Design" is not a difficult game to learn. The puzzles of the best furniture to buy and their placement are quick and entertaining. You won't find a complicated decorating game with "Eye for Design." I can easily see a sequel with the smaller details to step it up to the next level. The demo comes with a 60 minute time limit. Just enough time to get done the tutorial and to get sucked into the game.

• "Eye for Design" Demo
• More Puzzle Games
• Download Game Demos

Screenshot © Oberon Media.

"Spore" will be getting a special, limited edition! The "Spore Galactic Edition" will include a 'Making of Spore' DVD video, 'How to Build a Better Being' DVD video, by National Geographic Channel, 'The Art of Spore' hardback mini-book, a fold-out "Spore" poster, 100-page Galactic Handbook. The limited edition is now available for preorder at GameStop! Will you be ordering it?

• "Spore Galactic Edition" - Gamestop

(Thanks to John!)

The first official movie for "Cities XL" is out! See the video and check out the screenshots. Anyone else psyched for a new modern day city builder? We'll have to wait until 2009. Hopefully it comes out early in the year. Though I don't mind if Monte Cristo must push back the date to include any 'super cool' features.

• "Cities XL" Trailer"
• "Cities XL" Screenshots

In just a few days over 400,000 creatures have been uploaded to spore.com. 400,000!!! Incredible. It won't be much longer before the number of creatures hits 7 figures. You can do your part of adding to the number of creatures by downloading the free copy of "Spore Creature Creator." The free version doesn't come with all the content of the full version. It does have enough content to fully design creatures. The full (and final) version of "Spore Creature Creator" is $9.99 available at stores and as a download at the EA Store.

• "Spore Creature Creator"

Gamezebo and the Casual Games Association has opened the voting for the 2nd annual Zeebys award! You have until July 5 to vote for your favorite casual games. The winners will be announced in Seattle on July 24th. The event will be taped and available on myLifetime.com for viewing. People in the Seattle area can purchase tickets for $20 - all profits to go the Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation.

Nine awards will be given. In the strategy and simulation category the choices are: "Alice Greenfingers," "Build a Lot," "Chocolatier," "Defender of the Crown - Heroes Live Forever," Fairy Godmother Tycoon," and "Virtual Villagers - The Lost Children." Many good choices in the Time Management category too. There is an overall favorite award as well. Too bad they left out "Virtual Villagers." That is what my pick would have been.

• Vote for Your Favorite Games - The Zeebys
• "Fairy Godmother Tycoon"
• "Build a Lot"
• "Virtual Villagers 2"