If you class yourself as any serious kind of strategy game fan then you should make yourself familiar with the official Sims 2 website. It’s not just a way to keep up with the latest developments and news about the game but also a way to get official custom content released by Maxis, and to register your game online using the unique registration code to get cheats and hints.
At www.thesims2.ea.com visitors are greeted with the latest expansion packs, competitions that the community is running and how to join. Members receive free downloads, access to the forums and their own Sims 2 profile. The Sims 2 website is most easily navigated using the icons on the bar at the top of the screen. These include pages such as PC/console packs, pages upon pages of custom content downloads, how to buy and download games from Maxis online and how to purchase new items online using ‘simpoints’. Using the Sims 2 Website to get new content for your game is easier than manually downloading it from independent websites. This is because the official site uses the ‘content installer’ software that does all the tricky stuff for you. The ‘Cool Stuff’ section of the site does exactly what it says on the tin: this is Maxis and EA Games’ way of getting their fans involved in the game. Here you can download desktop wallpapers, music mp3s from the game, AIM buddy icons, official merchandise and even watch the Sims 2 soap opera ‘The Strangerhood’ which uses Sims 2 graphics.
Not only does the official Sims 2 Website keep fans up to date with developments in the game and expansion packs, but it provides a mass of extra content, ways to communicate with other players and competitions to show your game-playing skills in the real world.