Aspyr Media Inc. announced that THE SIMS 2, Electronic Arts' sequel to the hugely popular Sims, will work with several of the new features in Mac OS X version 10.4 "Tiger" to create a much improved gaming experience. THE SIMS 2, set for release in June, makes extensive use of the OpenGL technology to bring the most vivid, lifelike animations ever to the SIMS franchise. The title also benefits from the new .Mac services, which allow the player to share their own SIMS families with friends via their .Mac iDisk.
"Mac OS X Tiger continues to enhance Aspyr's ability to bring the best games to the Mac, and we're very excited about being able to take advantage of the new Tiger technologies in THE SIMS 2 to make the Mac gamer's experience the best possible," said Glenda Adams, Aspyr's director of development.
"Apple's commitment to gaming and innovative technologies like OpenGL and our Xcode development tools make Tiger a great platform for developing eye-popping entertainment," said Ron Okamoto, Apple's vp of worldwide developer relations. "We're thrilled that Aspyr is supporting the best OS of all time with the best-selling computer game franchise of all time."
OpenGL, one of many features in Tiger, enables high-end 3D graphics. This technology, also used in Aspyr's recent release of id Software's revolutionary DOOM 3, has been improved in Tiger to offer the best graphics for Mac users to date. Programming in THE SIMS 2 makes full use of the updated graphics library to create a virtual SIMS universe that is more lifelike than ever before. The 3D character animations and environments immerse the player into the SIMS' world.
Tiger also offers more connectivity than before through .Mac Sync, giving users the ability to access files from anywhere. This allows SIMS 2 players to share their SIMS families with their friends through a .Mac iDisk. Apple's iDisk allows .Mac members to store, share and transfer files using Apple's servers and access them online from any Internet-connected computer.
THE SIMS 2 is licensed from Electronic Arts and is scheduled to ship in June 2005. The game is rated "T" for "Teen" by the ESRB and is available for preorder at www.aspyr.com for $49.99. For more information, visit www.aspyr.com/games.php/mac/10880, or the official SIMS 2 website, thesim2.ea.com/about.
Aspyr Media, Inc. is a leading entertainment publisher that delivers fun in the form of games, music and DVDs. Founded in 1996, Austin-based Aspyr specializes in delivering to consumers the diverse media content they seek. The company identifies quality entertainment opportunities and leverages them across multiple platforms by tailoring its services to suit the product and consumers interest. Visit Aspyr Media on the Web at www.aspyr.com.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
