Late Builds

This is a sub-page of Prerelease:The Sims 2 (Windows).

The finishing touches just before going gold! Just some miniscule differences left.

July#

To do: July trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wXw8GH9uqc https://www.thesimszone.co.uk/news/archive.php?ID=1614 Magazines

Around July 2, 2004, the game was in its polishing and tuning phase.¹

Welcome to The Sims 2! Part 34#

Posted on July 3, 2004². Also the last appearance of the near-final HUD with the early Live Mode icon.

Near-final neighborhood view. The icon at the top left was a signpost as opposed to houses in a previous prerelease image. It would be accordingly changed back.

Early July Build#

Screenshots dated July 8, 2004, from a press kit. The image next to the sixth image is dated much later despite being taken in the exact same timeframe.

• The Simoleon icon was brighter.

Lucy's Mail: Ghost Stories#

Posted on July 10, 2004.

EA's Hot Summer Nights Build (v0.14.0.851?)#

Held on July 14-15, 2004. https://worthplaying.com/article/2004/7/15/news/18077-eas-hot-summer-night-screens-part-2/ http://archive.videogamesdaily.com/news/200407/043.asp

Videos#

To do: replace them with download versions please...

IGN Posted eight videos of the build, all from the same Lot and gameplay. One of them is excerpted from the Welcome to Strangetown trailer.

• This build is the last appearance of the early Live Mode icon.
• The staircase at the Smith house has the red flashing problem. Whether it is a memory bug is unknown.

Screenshot#

It's likely to be on the build as it's at the same date.³

• The Neighborhood selection screen was a bit different, but the flythroughs are present.
• The renders of the Sims on the screen were also different.

Mid-Late July Blooper Image#

A blooper image of a mismapped texture, likely from that point due to the finalized Live Mode icon and removal of the side parts of the Wants and Fears.

Late July Builds#

Images that date July 22, 2004 for the first image, July 28 for the next three images and July 30 and 31 for the last images, respectively.

Summer#

Unsorted#

Below are images from The Sims 2 Bloopers, but have no definitive timeframes, with the exception of sharing the visual style of the final.

• The third image shows a debug version of v0.14.0.797.
• The fourth image originally had "branding" on the exercise machine with the Sims logo, which was removed, leaving only the "5000".

August#

Early August Build#

The first image is dated August 4, 2004 while the second is dated August 6 and the third August 9.

Mid August Build#

First three images are dated August 13, while the last is August 18.

v1.0.0.909 Build#

Likely the build sent for review. The same version number can be found in the Press Kit as Reviewer's Guide/The Sims 2.doc.

Dated August 15, 2004, posted on Terra.es.

08/19/04 Chat#

Held on August 19, 2004, with The Sims 2 Tuning Team.⁴ Much of what was described in the chat mirrors the final game.

• Bunk Beds were planned for an expansion idea but it was never implemented.
• It is confirmed that Sims cannot have Funeral-themed parties, which would be available in The Sims 3.
• Portable cellphones were planned for an expansion pack, which would come to fruition in University.

Gamescom 2004 Build#

From August 19 to 22, 2004, The Sims 2 was one of the titles shown off at Gamescom 2004⁵. Though the game also went gold a few days later, there's still miniscule differences to be spotted.

Video#

Late August Build#

Two images are dated August 31.

References#