Technology

EA Announces The Sims 4: Any Hope For Mac Users to Play Without the Doom of Crashes & Glitches?

Two days ago via Electronic Arts’ TheBeatblog, it was announced that The Sims 4, the next generation in the Sims series, would be coming to PC and Mac in 2014. Simmers throughout social media networks and forums expressed their excitement, shared open-ended questions we’ve all had for years, and most Mac users expressed concern with compatibility; will it actually work on Mac?

As a proud owner of a 2011 Macbook Pro 15″ and a longtime simmer whose been down with The Sims since it’s release in 2002, I too found myself warped with the concerns of whether it not I’d be able to fully enjoy everything that The Sims 4 will offer.

You see, prior to owning a Mac, I played The Sims strictly on Windows and even had a computer built/modified just to meet the specifications of the main game, as well as the expansion packs. I’ve owned almost all of the expansion packs over the years (a few of the stuff packs) and when I switched over to my Mac, I was excited about the gaming possibilities.

At first, nothing seemed wrong. I was able to play World Adventures, Ambitions, Late Night, and Generations without any cause for alarm, but ever since updating to the latest patches and installing Supernatural, I have become one of the thousands of Mac user plagued with random crashes. I can’t even play my game, let alone make it past ten minutes in Create-a-Sim. 

Troubleshooting sounds like it would be an easy fix to the problem, but after many failed attempts of fixing the crashing, I did a little research and found out that many Mac users face the same issues; I’m not alone. The Sims 3 proudly showcases a PC/Mac  logo on the box, but what that really means is that it will play better on PC and it can work on a Mac, but if you have Windows installed on your Mac…well, then you shouldn’t have any problems. Don’t have Windows on your Mac? Then, say hello to random crashes resulting in a base game and tons of expansion packs) that are virtually unplayable.

Electronic Arts/MAXIS, unless living under Patrick’s rock in Bikini Bottom, know that Mac users are frustrated, so will they make an attempt to fix this? Die-hard simmers (like myself) who have been committed to the franchise since inception might (they should be) be unhappy about the crashing. but sadly…we just have to pick up the slack of EA/MAXIS and tailor our Mac’s to the game. What does that mean? Mac users who are experience crashing while playing any of The Sims  games, even after uninstalling all custom content and cleaning out the cache files, will have to restort to installing Windows on their system via Bootcamp or Parallels. Once that is done, you shouldn’t have a problem playing the game; sim on for hours.

Installing Windows on your Mac isn’t the worst thing in the world, but if you don’t have Windows, then you’ll have to flush out the cash, buy it, and then install. Take it or leave it as an option, but considering all the highlights The Sims 3 has, it’s a pretty good option. But my hope is that The Sims 4 won’t have all this messy confusion of crashing, glitches, and random debug error codes.

Electronic Arts should listen to our years of complaining and finally release a Sims game that works for Mac. Details of the The Sims 4 and it’s entirety haven’t been released yet, but in these early development stages the developers will find a way to make it playable for Mac users on OS X Mountain Lion. 

WATCH Spock vs. Spock in New Audi Commercial

photo via zimbio.com

With Star Trek Into Darkness release date being moved up according to LA Times, it was only a matter of time before the pop culture references made their way into yet another car commercial. Considering that most sci-fi films often are cross-promoted in high-tech commercials for car brands, Audi’s latest commercial featuring Leonard Nimoy (the original Spock) and his next generation predecessor, Zachary Quinto is perfect for promoting the film in a subtle (but not so subtle) context.

There isn’t exactly any mentions of the new Star Trek film, but fans of the franchise will surely revel in the witty competition of oldschool Spock vs. newschool spock.

Watch the Audi Commercial below. Does it satifisy your nerdism? It’s got Nimoy cussing…yeah, that works for me.

Super Hyped | ‘Watch Dogs’ World Premiere Gameplay Trailer [North America]

Anyone who watches Scandal on ABC Thursdays most have seen (or hopefully watches) Person of Interest. One of my favorite shows on ABC, Person of Interest takes the entire concept of society being monitored to new heights, and the upcoming video game Watch Dogs has the similar concept. But of course, being that its not related to the show, the entire premise and character motivation is something of it’s own creation.

Watch Dogs takes the characters into an open-world and the role of Aiden Pearce. You could relate him to Reese from Person of Interest and the extremities he goes to help people, but it seems that Mr. Pearce has a more vengeful motivation; making for great gameplay!

From hacking into people’s phones to steal bank information and causing the traffic lights to malfunction, Mr. Pearce does anything and everything he can to accomplish his missions. And with every piece of technology in the city at his control (he’s a brilliant hacker,) there is truly no stopping him. Thus, the open-world concept is perfect for hours of wreaking havoc.

You’ll have to watch till November 19, 2013 to get your hands on this title, but the new gameplay trailer “Out of Control” surely does have me super hyped. From the graphics of the environment to the character detail and motions, I’m stoked to play Watch Dogs and experience it’s awesomeness in it’s entirety.

Watch the new trailer below. Hyped? You should be.

WATCH The Awesome New Trailers for Grand Theft Auto V [Michael.Franklin.Trevor]

I’ve got a huge list of games I can’t wait to get my hands on, but as of late I’ve been going in on GTA:San Andreas. I haven’t had the chance to play my PS3 since I’ve been on the move (life of a nomad right now,) so whenever I have the chance I play San Andreas using my PS3 controller and my Macbook Pro. It’s one of the best games in the franchise, but after watching the new trailers for Grand Theft Auto V, I think this new title might be the best one to date.

In the new trailers, Rockstar gives us a glimpse at the three different worlds of the characters Michael, Franklin, and Trevor. Each one has their own vibe that makes each character seem like they come from their own game, but there is a sense of cohesion in the story line that will make switching characters and missions a blast!

Enjoy the 80s music of Michael’s trailer, get gangsta with Franklin’s hustle, and go redneck with the country bumpkin antics of Trevor.

GTA: V WILL BE OFFICIALLY RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2013!