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GameSpy has posted an interesting interview with Will Wright, creator of The Sims. The Q&A asks Wright specifically about his work on The Sims 2.0 and The Sims Online. While neither title will likely make it out this year (and neither has been promised for the Mac OS), it is interesting to see where they want to go with the series in the future. Here's an excerpt:

In a recent interview with GameSpy, you mentioned two upcoming projects: The Sims Online and Sims 2.0. Are these being worked on simultaneously?

Will: The Sims 2.0 is the stand-alone next version of The Sims. It's more like the sequel to The Sims. It's in the early stages of development. We're looking at how to make the sims more expressive; make them smarter.

With The Sims Online were trying to focus the thing so you can be very expressive through the sim. You will set them up with your personality as the player. They will display your current emotional state to other sims. We're giving the control back to the players. Basically I want the sims to be as transparent as possible with the player. I want to the players to be more interactive with others.

In related news, the expansion pack House Party for the original The Sims has gone gold for the PC, according to Avault. This add-on will provide many party-oriented activities for your Sims, with up to eight interacting at once. No Mac version has yet been announced by Aspyr Media, though with the huge popularity of The Sims, we're very hopeful.

Avault Report on PC House Party

Will Wright Interview at GameSpy

Aspyr Media (add to watch list)

Maxis (add to watch list)

Westlake Interactive (add to watch list)

The Sims: Livin' Large (add to watch list)

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