the rep grows bigger. and yes, video game life is starting to get just like real life. "players will have to control their urban sims through a series of trials in order to impress various other characters." doesn't this sound like what people have to do on a regular basis? i am of course, talking about yet another video game. this one is the newest sims game. a few years ago, the creators of the classic city building game sim city unleashed a game into the world that was supposed to simulate human life and human interactions. this game exploded and became extremely popular. and now the creators of sims have decided that in order to get more realistic, they have to make a game that is essentially about influencing people through the way you dress and speak. introducing, urbz: sims in the city.

"the urban sims in this game aren't going to be so worried about personal hygiene and other mundane things like their suburban counterparts are. instead, this game will be all about reputation--doing what it takes to fit in with and then being influential within various (nine, exactly) urban youth cultures, ranging from the celebrity to the slacker/skater. by doing the sorts of things that these cultures find agreeable, you'll be able to endear yourself to them and eventually become a leader among them."

while i contest that worrying about personal hygiene is precisely what it takes to gain influence and garner accolades (which might be why i am the recipient of neither), a game that makes you properly flush a toilet after going to the bathroom might not be so exciting. so instead, the urbz will be about cultivating cool and maintaining rep. "man what'd you want me to do? he called me a bitch! i kept our rep bro."

"each of (the) areas (in the game) has its own theme, such as gangsta or punk, so it is up to the player to decide what it takes to “fit in”. fitting in with the other characters is essential to progress upwards in the urbz ranks. in order to gain popularity and recognition, players must act and dress a certain way. so speaking and interacting with other characters on the street is a great way to learn the lay of the land. this will provide crucial information, such as what to wear and the best ways to earn simoleans (aka money).



in past sim experiences, players were required to take care of their virtual buddy right down to the most minute detail. in the urbz, these tasks are still required, such as eating, sleeping, and general hygiene, but they take a back seat to the goal of being cool.



this time around, instead of focusing on moving up in a career, it is much more important to be cool in the eyes of the other characters. this is where talking to the right people and wearing the right clothes comes into play. earning a reputation on the streets will gain the players urbz access to trendy social gatherings and the potential to influence others."

wait, you mean wearing the right clothes and speaking the right lingo will get me into trendy social gatherings? ones that don't involve four guys crowded around a television in various states of repose? could it be, a little change of lingo and a new wardrobe will get me into cool places? speakeasy son, speakeasy. yes it be. this is exactly how it bees. to enter any environment and become accepted, you must make the talk and work the walk.



does it bother anyone else that you can use one engine to design a game focusing on suburban working life and then turn around and use that exact same engine to create a game about being cool? essentially what the sims is doing is re-creating social situations for us to enable our character to reach a pre-determined goal. in the original sims, the goal was to get a job, make money, get a family. in urbz, the goal is to get friends, make money, get cool.



is the meta-message of the game then that being cool is a career? what does this say about society? i thought choosing the alternative path of not focusing on a career/family would be drastically different from choosing a "traditional" life path. but according to the designers of the sims (who obviously did their research), going after a 2.4 kids household requires the same skill sets, the same motivations and the same button mashings as being being in a constant state of career/life flux. what the hell? what kind of bullshit alternative lifestyle have i signed myself up for? if it's just as much work to become an urbz as it is to become a suburbz, why not just go for the one that pays more and provides genetic proof that your time on earth was not wasted? i may have to re-evaluate my life goals.



i think these sims games might be a good way of finding out all the answers to those nagging questions we 20-somethings face nowadays. what do i want to do with my life? will i be happy at a 9to5? do i want kids? do i want to go out drinking every night? what is the best way to get people to like me? should i try to hit on the hot neighbor? what should i wear tonight? all these questions (and more) can be definitively answered just by picking up a copy of the sims or the urbz.



me personally, i can't wait until "sims: adminstrative assistant" or "sims: prostitute" comes out so that people can just cut the crap and figure out what their true life calling is. imagine the possibilities and the utility of having a game that simulates any profession. this would enable you to really experience and judge a lifestyle for yourself before you try it. "sims: homeless," "sims: social worker," coming soon to a store near you.



these games might also serve as a training tool for those who are socially impaired. this is the greatest research tool ever assembled if you are in doubt of how to act around people. it not only teaches you how to behave but also provides you with a danger room to practice your "moves" -- while remaining free from the threat of committing actual social suicide.

ladies flock to your jock like it's golden

curious, to test the weight you be holdin

but you ain't got no time, to be chasin felines

if she's the chick that you pick then she gets chosen

people treat you like you're ghetto royalty

and all your staff shows you utmost loyalty

you paid your dues, refuse to lose in this scenario

the rep grows bigga, you're a legend and a hero

-gangstarr, the rep grows bigga-