Ikea Furniture to be Featured in The Sims
Ikea Furniture to be Featured in The Sims
May 19, 2008
Soon, when you condemn your Sims character to death by locking it in a doorless room with only a VR headset and an espresso machine, you'll at least be able to provide a nice Ikea chair for the unfortunate Sim to collapse upon.
That news comes by way of the International Herald Tribune, which reports that Electronic Arts, publisher of The Sims, has reached an agreement with Ikea to feature the Scandinavian houseware retailer's furniture as virtual items in The Sims. The IHT reports that players will be able to purchase an Ikea "stuff pack" for about twenty bucks and then import the virtual items into their game.
EA's Nancy Smith, president of The Sims franchise, credited fans of the series, who demanded more realistic virtual items, as a driving force in getting the Ikea deal done:
Because we have such a direct relationship with our players, the players help shape the product strategy.
A PUBLICATION OF THE ECA
SUBSCRIBE
LOGINGamePolitics ShoutBox
Posted 01/05/09 at 10:09pm
Neeneko: Heh. Trying to simplify the israely/palistinaint conflict into shout boxes.....
Neeneko: Heh. Trying to simplify the israely/palistinaint conflict into shout boxes.....
Posted 01/05/09 at 10:02pm
Derovius: How is Hamas a rebel faction? Its their government. The Israeli's laided claim to land thats not theirs, and shooting ensued. If Mexico marched its army across the border into the US, said "Nice land, I'll take it", how fast would the US start shooting?
Derovius: How is Hamas a rebel faction? Its their government. The Israeli's laided claim to land thats not theirs, and shooting ensued. If Mexico marched its army across the border into the US, said "Nice land, I'll take it", how fast would the US start shooting?
Posted 01/05/09 at 09:51pm
Austin_Lewis: Israel has been 'taking it' for 20 years, at least a rocket or mortar everyday.
Austin_Lewis: Israel has been 'taking it' for 20 years, at least a rocket or mortar everyday.
Posted 01/05/09 at 09:18pm
JustChris: Army of a sovereign nation versus smallish rebel groups, and people are complaining that the former is utterly destroying the latter? Don't bring it if you can't take it.
JustChris: Army of a sovereign nation versus smallish rebel groups, and people are complaining that the former is utterly destroying the latter? Don't bring it if you can't take it.
Posted 01/05/09 at 08:28pm
JDKJ: @SDD: Fair enough.
JDKJ: @SDD: Fair enough.
Posted 01/05/09 at 07:17pm
Austin_Lewis: @Zippy: 1) Way too many gundam shows. 2) I don't care about the rest, just Hamas in palestine.
Austin_Lewis: @Zippy: 1) Way too many gundam shows. 2) I don't care about the rest, just Hamas in palestine.
Posted 01/05/09 at 07:15pm
ZippyDSMlee: Austin_Lewis:You should enjoy Gundam00 themid east antions are getting wiped out one by one.
ZippyDSMlee: Austin_Lewis:You should enjoy Gundam00 themid east antions are getting wiped out one by one.
Posted 01/05/09 at 07:06pm
Shadow D. Darkman: @JDKJ: Sorry, but I'm not in this.
Shadow D. Darkman: @JDKJ: Sorry, but I'm not in this.
Posted 01/05/09 at 06:40pm
JDKJ: This is one of those weird cases where I'm actually hoping that Shadow will appear, face in palm.
JDKJ: This is one of those weird cases where I'm actually hoping that Shadow will appear, face in palm.
Posted 01/05/09 at 04:58pm
Austin_Lewis: Actually, I hate hamas. Mainly because, you know, they're dicks. Of course, if you want to hang out with terrorists, go for it
Austin_Lewis: Actually, I hate hamas. Mainly because, you know, they're dicks. Of course, if you want to hang out with terrorists, go for it
Posted 01/05/09 at 04:57pm
Derovius: Well, according to your response you only hate Muslims. So instead being an utter douchebag, you're only a complete douchebag.
Derovius: Well, according to your response you only hate Muslims. So instead being an utter douchebag, you're only a complete douchebag.
Posted 01/05/09 at 04:53pm
Austin_Lewis: Of course, I enjoy your suggestion that I hate Jews AND Muslims.
Austin_Lewis: Of course, I enjoy your suggestion that I hate Jews AND Muslims.
Posted 01/05/09 at 04:52pm
Austin_Lewis: Actually, I'm just glad to see the Palestinians getting a bit of pay back for 20 years of rockets into Israel everyday.
Austin_Lewis: Actually, I'm just glad to see the Palestinians getting a bit of pay back for 20 years of rockets into Israel everyday.
Posted 01/05/09 at 04:35pm
Derovius: You should be happy Lewis, the two groups of people you hate are killing each other.
Derovius: You should be happy Lewis, the two groups of people you hate are killing each other.
Posted 01/05/09 at 04:16pm
Austin_Lewis: Slow news day today, eh? Oh well, at least Palestine is getting pounded by Israel. Here's hoping for some real news tomorrow.
Austin_Lewis: Slow news day today, eh? Oh well, at least Palestine is getting pounded by Israel. Here's hoping for some real news tomorrow.
Posted 01/05/09 at 03:19pm
black manta: ...get on that one BTW. One of the characters is a naked blue man whose willy is very visible!
black manta: ...get on that one BTW. One of the characters is a naked blue man whose willy is very visible!
Posted 01/05/09 at 03:18pm
black manta: I said in one of my comments that Jack's lates filing has even less merit than Fox's dispute over The Watchmen. Jack should
black manta: I said in one of my comments that Jack's lates filing has even less merit than Fox's dispute over The Watchmen. Jack should
Posted 01/05/09 at 03:17pm
JDKJ: But at least it ain't like copyrighted material. It's 1000 times easier to rip off a copyright than it is a patent.
JDKJ: But at least it ain't like copyrighted material. It's 1000 times easier to rip off a copyright than it is a patent.
Posted 01/05/09 at 03:13pm
JDKJ: And the paper-pushers over at the USPO?
JDKJ: And the paper-pushers over at the USPO?
Posted 01/05/09 at 03:10pm
JDKJ: Because it keeps all the patent attorneys well-fed?
JDKJ: Because it keeps all the patent attorneys well-fed?
Copyright © 2007 ECA. All rights reserved.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
I'm going to assume you wanted us to point out the irony of EA talking about a "direct relationship" with people they assume are criminals. Other than that, why is this on here?
$20 for furnature DLC?
This must be EA's way of fundraising dough for the 33 million additional shares it'll need to acquire a majority stake in Take Two.
Andrew Eisen
While the "Stuff" pack is available as DLC, each stuff pack (of which there has been an HMV edition, as well as numerous, non "sponsored" iterations) is also available in the brick and mortars.
I think The Sims fanbase, whom will sometimes spending monthly fees on fan made creations and websites, have definitely opened the door for EA to make these incremental, item only releases another way to score a little extra cash.
So What level of mechanical skill will it take for the Sims to assemble this furniture?
E. Zachary Knight
www.editorialgames.com
That's what I was wondering. I'm really hoping that the building (and potential of failed assembly) will be part of the Stuff Pack. But considering the protection of the brand, IKEA has probably vetoed the possibility for a sim to get frustrated and trash their home assembly furniture.
Actually, since a lot of Sims furniture looks like it came from Ikea anyway, I'm quite surprised they did not do this sooner.
--
I am the master of low expectations
http://mallvillestory.blogspot.com
Because we have such a direct relationship with our advertising deparment, the ingame advertisments help shape the product strategy
fixed
-- mostly harmless
I flipped through catalogs and wondered: What kind of dining set defines me as a person?
It's just, when you buy furniture, you tell yourself, that's it. That's the last sofa I'm gonna need. Whatever else happens, I've got that sofa problem handled.
Home was a condo on the fifteenth floor of a filing cabinet for widows and young professionals. The walls were solid concrete. A foot of concrete is important when your next-door neighbor lets their hearing aid go and have to watch game-shows at full volume. Or when a volcanic blast of debris that used to be your furniture and personal effects blows out of your floor-to-ceiling windows and sails flaming into the night. I suppose these things happen.
Wow, that's obscure. But totally funny.
E. Zachary Knight
www.editorialgames.com
You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake. You are the same decaying strings of computer code as everyone else. :D
So does this mean you can have your Sim now trap themselves inside a room by building too much IKEA furniture? Not to mention, will your Sim have to contact the IKEA consumer help line when they're missing a screw in the box?
-Loudspeaker
"Volume helps to get a point across but sharp teeth are better."
So, wait, you pay $20 of real money to import advertisements to your game?
Hold your breath on that one.
The only idiots excited about these stuff packs are the knuckleheads that pay some mouthbreather to download their poorly modeled and textured garbage. Hopefully these people will soon learn that they shouldn't be paying for this stuff. Either that or just boycott The Sims 3. The game is going to be garbage anyway.
Paying for advertisements?
Sounds like a great idea!
"Because we have such a direct relationship with our players, the players help shape the product strategy."
That's why you shut down every goodgame development studio and rape their franchises?
Anyway, I guess the funny advertisements for the made up items are now a thing of the past.
-kurisu7885
I don't mind advertising when it doesn't feel intrusive, but to pay for an advertisement is rediculous. This just goes to show that EA (as a company, I have a friend who works for them, and is a relatively nice guy) is just one of those companies that are content on churning out mediocre things instead of really pushing the artistic envelope.
---- There is a limit for both politicians against video games, and video games against politicians.
It is ridiculas how EA is making all these pointless expanison packs and making money. I think their should have been only 6 expanison packs has a lot of the packs look like they could have been combined together. That is why i don't by EA products anymore just because I'm sick of this crap. EA used to be good back in the 90's and up to 2003, Now they have been dishing out crap with the occasional gem like My Sims which was ironically made by the now closed EA Japan. We need to fight this crap and stop it otherwise it will ruin the industry
Well that's an interesting union, let's give them credit for that, Ikea is a notorious furniture brand although I find it difficult to understand it's strategy. We are talking here about virtual packs, not real pieces of furniture. Either how, I am refurnishing my house anyways so this new feature could give me few good ideas as I am about to replace my vessel sinks, I am really curious about those virtual items.
Office Furniture has always been one of my primary interests in the furniture business and I'm really curiuous what are they going to send to the market this time.
I remember staying up late at my friends house playing Sims when if first came out. I would never sleep if I played it again now that IKEA furniture is available. What a great idea!
----------------------
Muthu
house for sale by owner