OH MY GOD.
Today, I bring you something truly amazing. Something so mind-blowingly awesome, that I think it completely redoes the entire sims 2 experience.
Something so amazing... I just had to update NOW.
Ladies and Gentlemen...
I present to you....
The Sims 2 in 3-DIMENSIONS!!!!!
That's right! 3D Sims 2!!!!!
I am not joking. Now let me show you a taste of this mind-numbing, mind-warping, mind-exploding experience!
But first. I'll explain how I stumbled across this. Well let's start here. I was Chatting with Steph, trying to help her find a reason why her video card seems to hate the sims 2 and 3. So while thinking of possible causes, I decided to look through my video card settings.
I just got this card (nVidia 9800GT) a few months ago. It's a really nice card, but to be honest, my first thoughts of it, "$150 for a video card(plus the $100 for a new power supply to run it)? God, computer stuff is expensive."
I take it back. I take all my doubts about this card back. While looking through the settings, I come across this section called "Stereoscopic 3D" I didn't know what that meant. I thought it was just some fancy way of saying "Make your game look awesomer"
I start the setup wizard to see what's up.
It gives me these two options. A full blown super high-tech way of seeing 3d, and a pair that look like regular glasses. At this point, I'm pretty surprised. I exit the wizard, not wanting everything in 3d when I'm not ready. Back in options there's this section talking about the comparability lists. For kicks I wanted to look up the sims 2. I was thinking "Heh, the sims 2 is so old. I doubt it's in here."
BUT IT WAS.
At this point, I'm fangirl-ing worse than a 13-year-old twilight addict at the New Moon premiere.
I instantly pull up google and smash words that would give me more information of this little "way-to-good-to-be-true" thing about my graphics card.
I pull up the company website, and I rampage through, trying to find more info on this 3d thing.
I find out it's a $250 set for the full experience, not to mention you need a 3D-ready tv.
At this point I'm pretty disappointed. I can't afford $500+ just to play the sims 2 in 3D.
But WAIT. I look up a little more info and it turns out they also send out these little 3d glasses with some graphic cards to try out the 3d-awesome sauce.
I hurriedly dig through a mountain of cardboard boxes to find my graphics card box. As soon as I do, I open it up.
No dice. Turns out that while my card is compatible with the 3d, it didn't come with the "special" glasses I needed to try it out.
I looked on the site again, looking for a source. The glasses were $3 on ebay. So I instantly doubted how complicated they made the glasses sound on the website.
I say to myself "I can't wait. I NEED to do this now." I sprint out to my family's little dvd stash and eagerly look for "Spy Kids:3D" since I knew that the movie came with 3d glasses.
I quickly run through the set-up, the cheap paper glasses worked flawlessly.
At this point the 15 minutes it take me to get to a neighborhood-view felt endless. The menus and such were regular 2d, but I wasn't worried. You can surf around the menus. I wouldn't lose hope until I got to neighborhood-view.
It didn't let me down.
Pleasantview looked amazing. The little buildings looked like little legos I could touch and grab. It was awesome. I spent a good 10 minutes flying around the place. I forgot to take pictures.
Then I loaded up a lot. A small one, I didn't have the patience for a large lot to load.
I sincerely hope you have a pair of 3d glasses lying around. I honestly do! Here we go!
Here's the first shot. I crashed this lot last time I played, so they just moved in again.
The building looks amazing in 3d. It's even better when YOU can fly around in camera-mode.
Looking inside windows takes a whole new meaning.
And scenery?
Don't even get me started on that. (I'm not even on the lot, I just dragged the camera over.)
Sims feel like their walking right past you. I actually leaned to the left the first time.
Up close and personal, gets UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL.
Even this simple box caught my attention.
And then I thought "I'm going to look at the highest-poly object I could think of" Which I did.
Even the kid's toys become immensely more interesting.
Conversations had a whole new dimension. Look at her arm!
Faces took a whole new perspective.
Completely different.
Here's Nina, I didn't change anything about her face-sculpt, so she's a good sim to compare too.
Quite a different experience.
Here's Nadine again, those 3d lashes actually being 3d? Amazing. Flat-out.
Catch changes!
Regular boring things sims do become interesting!
Don't they?
Truly amazing. Everything is 3d.
I had a shot like this in 2d. (bird-watcher's apartment or what?) Takes a whole new level in 3d.
And flying shots become truly a new perspective.
Here's an uncompressed shot. I think I'll upload the entire set in full-res at imageshack.
I'll edit when that's done! I sincerely hope you find a pair of red and blue 3d glasses lying around! I really do!
Here's a link to the full-res album for those interested!
