Winners of the It's Showtime Screenshot Contest!

We would like to thank everyone who entered the It's Showtime screenshot contest! There were some incredible entries and our judges had a tough time picking just three winners. (With a huge thank you to our judges, Lulu, Margo and Freddie!)

And the winners are...

First place goes to Spladoum with "Dance the Night Away" by Van Halen -
http://www.thesimsresource.com/screenshots/140931

Second place goes to Yngven93 with "Make it Stop" by Rise Against -
http://www.thesimsresource.com/screenshots/141524

Third place goes to citymimm with "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak -
http://www.thesimsresource.com/screenshots/141085

Congratulations to you three!

As we said, our judges had a hard time choosing, so we'd like to share with you some Honorable Mentions:

http://www.thesimsresource.com/screenshots/141234 by WhamettNuht

http://www.thesimsresource.com/screenshots/140934 by Evox

http://www.thesimsresource.com/screenshots/141037 by penguinpop

http://www.thesimsresource.com/screenshots/141324 by Haziem

It's Showtime! Screenshot Contest

The Sims Showtime expansion pack is coming out in March, and that got us thinking about music. So, what's your favorite song? Share that song with us in our It's Showtime! Screenshot Contest and you could win subscriber downloads or simpoints to be spent at the EA Store!

Take a screenshot in one of your Sims games that helps describe your favorite song. Are you into techno? Then perhaps take a shot of your Sims on the dance floor. The shot can be anything that you think represents your song, but it must be PG-13.

Be sure to tell us what the song is either on the screenshot, or in the description. Then upload your screenshot to TSR, with the title 'It's Showtime!', at the following link - http://www.thesimsresource.com/mytsr/screenshots/add

You may enter as many times as you like.

Entries must be submitted by 10PM EST on Sunday, March 18, 2012. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, March 21, 2012.

First prize is winner's choice of either a free day from TSR or 500 simpoints to be spent at the EA Store.
Second prize is winner's choice of either 10 subscriber downloads (including hair, sets, lots, etc) from TSR or 300 simpoints.
Third prize is 7 subscriber downloads (including hair, sets, lots, etc).

(If the winner is already a subscriber, the prize can be transferred to a non-subscriber.)

Winners of the Love is in the Air Screenshot Contest!

We would like to thank everyone who entered the Love is in the Air screenshot contest this year. There were some incredible entries and our judges had a tough time picking just three winners. We actually had to hold two votes and have a last minute tie-breaker! (With a huge thank you to our judges, Angela, Minraed and AudreyMay!)

And the winners are...

First place goes to Spitzmagic with her charming entry - http://www.thesimsresource.com/screenshots/140115

Second place goes to Spladoum with her heartfelt entry -  http://www.thesimsresource.com/screenshots/140355

Third place goes to Courtney1996 with her romantic entry - http://www.thesimsresource.com/screenshots/140555

Congratulations to you three!

As we said, our judges had a hard time choosing, so we'd like to share with you some Honorable Mentions:

http://www.thesimsresource.com/screenshots/140148 by imanderz

http://www.thesimsresource.com/screenshots/140144 by Evox

http://www.thesimsresource.com/screenshots/140113 by orlov

http://www.thesimsresource.com/screenshots/140039 by martoele

http://www.thesimsresource.com/screenshots/140038 by spladoum

http://www.thesimsresource.com/screenshots/140331 by emo_311

http://www.thesimsresource.com/screenshots/140513 by Milii454

Love is in the Air Screenshot Contest!

What's the most romantic thing your sims have ever done? Share that moment with us in our Love is in the Air Screenshot Contest and you could win subscriber downloads or simpoints to be spent at the EA Store!

Take a screenshot in one of your Sims games showing a romantic setting or scene. Weddings, engagements, a first kiss, cuddling under the stars, a bedroom lit with candles, a heart-shaped house - anything is possible if it speaks the language of love! The shot can be anything that you think represents romance, but it must be PG-13.

Upload your screenshot to TSR, with the title 'Love is in the Air!', at the following link - http://www.thesimsresource.com/mytsr/screenshots/add

You may enter as many times as you like.

Entries must be submitted by 10PM EST on Sunday, February 12, 2012. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, February 14, 2012.

First prize is winner's choice of either 8 subscriber downloads from TSR (including hair, sets, lots, etc) or 300 simpoints to be spent at the EA Store.
Second prize is winner's choice of either 5 subscriber downloads from TSR or 150 simpoints.
Third prize is 3 subscriber downloads.

(If the winner is already a subscriber, the prize can be transferred to a non-subscriber.)

Facebook & Twitter

Some of you might be wondering why it is taking me so long to get my next house, or story chapter, uploaded.  Well, recently I was asked to join the TSR Staff and take over the Facebook and Twitter posts... things like the daily Featured Creations lottery, and the TSR Spotlight.  I'm really excited to be doing these things, but they do take some time.  I promise that I have a new house on the way and Chapter 6 is written I just need a couple more screenshots.  Thanks for being patient!  

More About Pets And Custom Content

The good news - The TSR fix works on almost everything that was broken, and is quick, and easy to use.

The bad news - The fix does NOT work on beds and bathtubs.

What does this mean?  Object creators are hard at work fixing these items as fast as they can.  If you download as much custom content as I do, you should already be seeing that warning at the top of the page when you sign in that reads "You have Updated Items Available for Download"  And the really bad news... not all object creators are still active and their beds/bathtubs may not get fixed right away, if at all.

But in the end, it's all going to be OK.  

If you are having problems with any of my houses, please let me know.

Pets and Custom Content

Many of you may have already heard, but in case you have not, the Pets expansion and patch made some changes to the game code that affect all of the custom objects (beds, tables, appliances, etc) that pets can interact with.  In other words, if you get the Pets expansion and/or the most recent patch, and you use custom content, you will find a number of broken items in your game.

While the developers at TSR are working on a possible script that will address this issue, we don't know at this point if that will work.  In the meantime, all of my lots will need to be tested and possibly re-built.  I will do this as quickly as I can so that you can re-download a working version of these lots.

Questions About Custom Content - Updated Aug 1, 2011

I keep seeing these questions so I'll answer here:

I use custom content from TSR _only_.

If you download one of my houses which has custom content, the content _WILL_ install to your game automatically. You DO NOT need to go hunting for the "other items used" or download them separately.   HOWEVER there is currently an issue with the way the game packages the files so that all of the CC used does not get listed here and/or some of the items that do get listed were not actually used in the creation of the lot.  This is a bug and the admin are aware of it.

If the item comes from the EA Store and you don't have it, the game will replace the item with a base game object.  It will also replace items that come from expansion packs that you do not have.  So while technically the house will show as "base game compatible", you might end up seeing base game items in weird places if you don't have a particular expansion or stuff pack.

If the lot does not show up or work correctly, then you need to _let me know_. You can send me a PM on the forums, sign my guestbook or leave a comment on the download itself.

I'm Back

You probably noticed that already since I've been posting downloads the last week or so, but I wanted to write something here to make it official.  I still think the game is too dark in most cases, but now my biggest complaint is that the stone countertops are way too reflective.  Add a white or cream colored counter in a kitchen, add ceiling lights, and you'll be blinded.  But I am looking forward to the next expansion, Pets, and have added a poll for it here on my minisite so be sure to vote!  And I've got plenty more houses to upload, so stay tuned :)

Finally got TS3!!!

I got it for my birthday a few days ago.  And as I've posted this in the forums already... I can't play it!  Well, I can, but it's too dark. Everything is too dark. I've shut off shadows completely, made sure auto-roofing is off, updated my video card drivers, and searched for an answer all over the net. But unless I leave a space in the wall of any house I'm building or decorating, it's so dark inside that I can't see a thing. And it's just as dark in live/play mode. It's heartbreaking. All my houses have holes in them.

But stay tuned... soon as I get this figured out, I'll be posting some new stuff.