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| From: Electronic Arts
Category: Video Games
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $14.99
You Save: $5.00 (25%)
New (12) Used (15) from $12.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  41 reviews
Sales Rank: 502
Format: Cd
Platforms: Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Xp
ESRB: Teen
Media: Video Game
Edition: Standard
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Age: 12 - 20 years
Operating System: Windows 2000
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 0.1 x 0.1 x 0
MPN: 15371
UPC: 014633153712
EAN: 0014633153712
ASIN: B000VSEF52
Release Date: February 26, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: new new new
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| Customer Reviews:
 FreeTime Takes Up All My Free Time! March 4, 2008
17 out of 17 found this review helpful
I picked up Sims2 FreeTime last Thursday, and if I hadn't created a Sim that looked like my wife, I probably would have forgotten what she looked like. There is something postmodern about being up at 1:30 AM on a Thursday night with your wife saying, "Come on, put the game away", while a Sim that looks like your wife makes hand gestures at a Sim that looks like you who is playing The Sims 3 on HIS computer.
FreeTime allows you to have enjoyable hobbies, often with things you were doing already, such as cooking, working out, watching movies, etc. Now, those tasks translate into cuisine, fitness, or film and literature. All your sims will enjoy at least one of these activities more than the others, which will allow them to have more fun and do more activities. If your sim is really into cuisine, he'll enjoy cooking and watching the cooking channel, but he'll be able to do other things such as read cooking magazines, blog about cooking, talk to other Sims about cooking, get a membership in a cooking club, enter a cooking competition, and more.
Your sims may also enjoy sewing, pottery, etc. They can work on old broke down cars. And the expansion pack adds some items that will be familiar to those who enjoyed the first Sims game, including a basketball hoop, the hobby train, and the genie in the bottle (who grants three wishes!)
Novel writing is better than before as well. Your Sim can sit down to write his novel, and select plot points, the cover, etc. When the novel arrives and Sims read the novel, the plot points of the novel will appear over their heads in thought bubbles.
There are cool new career paths, as well. There is Oceanographer, with a Koi pond as the reward; an Intelligence Agent with a listening device reward; Entertainer with a Walk of Fame star; Architect with a drafting table reward; or dancer with a ballet bar reward.
Another great feature is the ability to take up to 3 friends with you as you age. That way, your Sim doesn't become an old man while the girl he shared his first kiss with remains a teenager in high school.
FreeTime may not be the absolute best expansion pack to date, but it will definitely take up YOUR free time.
Freetime is great! March 4, 2008
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Freetime allows your sims to have hobbies such as Tinkering, Science, Nature, Arts & Carfts, Film & Theatre, Nature, Sports, Gaming, Cuisine. Once your sim reaches the half way point of mastering these hobbies it opens up a secret lot where your sim can perfect these hobbies. If your sims is into to cuisine a secret lot will open up that allows them to enter a food contest. Also your sims can earn membership into a hobby club once they reach this half point in there hobby skill level. Once they master a hobby then your sims will be in the zone. When your sim is in the zone they glow and their motive meter decreases alot slower which allows them to participate in this hobby a lot longer.
Freetime also offers new interactions like birdwatching, bug hunting, sing nursery rhymes (which sounds funny), watching movies, blogging about your hobby on the computer, browsing the web about your hobby, reading about your hobby in the newspaper, etc. It also adds a new study skill called parenting which allows your sims once they have earned this skill pick up on your sim's baby needs lowest motives and try to fulfill it. Which takes the guess work of trying to do everything for a screaming baby when you can't see their needs meter.
Freetime also offers new furniture such as a new microwave, stove, toaster, dishwasher, trash compacter, etc. that are different colors. Other furniture options include new baby furniture. The is what I love because the new baby furniture is a lot nicer and elegant. Other furniture include sports or hobby related items such as basketball court, soccer, ballet barre, sports rugs, picture frames, desk supplies, painting supplies, pottery making machine, sewing machine, restorable car,etc. Some new lots which include Nerissa's clothing store, Freetime Recreation Center, and two other homes.
Sims can now have a secondary aspiration as well. They can also earn aspiration benefits which will allow them the benefit of for example to beg for there job back if they were fired or have there hunger & energy meter decay slower. Overall I feel like the sims 2 life is so complete right now. I could not imagine another expansion pack being added on to the ones I already have because there is sooo much to do as it is. Between walking the dog, having hobbies, working, and having a family there is much to keep up with. Some people reading this review might think their sims have no time for Freetime but this is not really the case. Your sims can earn skill point and hobby point at the same time. For example, studying cooking can earn your sims skill point and hobby point. This was a great idea and is definitely a great expansion pack to have.
Never thought I'd say this.... March 1, 2008
10 out of 12 found this review helpful
I never thought I'd say this but now the game is even harder to master! Not that that's a bad thing, but I was having enough trouble micromanaging families individual needs and wants, now have to micromanage their individual hobbies too? And keep track or their pets? And make sure they don't freeze in winter? I'm complaining yet I'm happy at the same time. Free Time offers a lot of new activities individuals and groups can work on, and the new objects are quite entertaining. And with lifetime bonuses, I can finally give romance sims something to aspire to, and not feel too bad about it. It's just I have all the expansion packs, and I would say this one is the hardest for me to get used to because you can't just not play it like university or OFB when you get tired of it; there's an extra meter for secondary aspirations and a whole new aspect of gameplay when it comes to hobbies. I'm just saying for me it's going to take a little getting used to. I had a system on how I played and now I have to change it. I guess that's the challenge :-)
 APPARENTLY THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH FREE TIME February 29, 2008
8 out of 10 found this review helpful
This is the...7th expansion of the SIMS 2, so one has to ask: was there ANYTHING not done yet? Well, apparently yes.
Our Sims are given a choice of 10 hobbies (ranging from dancing and sports to...video games - Sims playing the SIMS 3? Yeah...deliciously ironic) which not only improve their mood but also their job skills if compatible. Said leisure-time activities can also serve in making money, since most hobbies end up, first, creating something and, then, improving on it.
Yes, there is a new Hobby-meter...Keeping it high will ensure your Sim's admittance into hobby-specific exclusive clubs. There are music and dance, arts and crafts, sports, fitness, scientific, nature lovers, gaming, cuisine, tinkering, and, finally, film and literature clubs - each branching out into more specialized subcategories.
Besides new clothes and items, this expansion comes with 5 new careers: architect, dancer, entertainer, intelligence officer (no Sim-Jack Bower, no) and oceanographer. The controls are more or less the same - and so are the graphics and sounds (well, whatever sound the SIMS ever had). What I did not appreciate was...SecuROM (hence the second star withheld).
SIMS 2 always required a lot of micromanagement. FREETIME does add another level of complication, but I am sure it will appeal not only to hard-core Sims-fans. However, by taking care of your Sims' free time, make sure they do not take up all of yours...
Since this is supposed to be the last expansion, fans of the series will not resist. However, keep in mind that EA will probably release a SIM 2 bundle in a couple of months. If missing on more than a couple of expansions, I would advise to wait.
APPARENTLY THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH FREE TIME February 28, 2008
43 out of 48 found this review helpful
This is the...7th expansion of the SIMS 2, so one has to ask: was there ANYTHING not done yet? Well, apparently yes.
Our Sims are given a choice of 10 hobbies (ranging from dancing and sports to...video games - Sims playing the SIMS 3? Yeah...deliciously ironic) which not only improve their mood but also their job skills if compatible. Said leisure-time activities can also serve in making money, since most hobbies end up, first, creating something and, then, improving on it.
Yes, there is a new Hobby-meter...Keeping it high will ensure your Sim's admittance into hobby-specific exclusive clubs. There are music and dance, arts and crafts, sports, fitness, scientific, nature lovers, gaming, cuisine, tinkering, and, finally, film and literature clubs - each branching out into more specialized subcategories.
Besides new clothes and items, this expansion comes with 5 new careers: architect, dancer, entertainer, intelligence officer (no Sim-Jack Bauer, no) and oceanographer. The controls are more or less the same - and so are the graphics and sounds (well, whatever sound the SIMS ever had). What I did not appreciate was...SecuROM (hence the second star withheld).
SIMS 2 always required a lot of micromanagement. FREETIME does add another level of complication, but I am sure it will appeal not only to hard-core Sims-fans. However, by taking care of your Sims' free time, make sure they do not take up all of yours...
Since this is supposed to be the last expansion, fans of the series will not resist. However, keep in mind that EA will probably release a SIM 2 bundle in a couple of months. If missing on more than a couple of expansions, I would advise to wait.
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