The Sims 2: FreeTime
The Sims 2: FreeTime is an expansion pack for the 2004 life simulation video game The Sims 2, developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The seventh expansion pack for the game, it was released 26 February 2008. The expansion pack introduces hobbies as a new feature for sims to pursue; sims can pursue ten possible hobbies and gain enthusiasm and benefits as they advance in them. The expansion pack also revamps the aspiration system, a system introduced in the base game that influences sims' long- and short-term goals. FreeTime received mixed reviews from critics, who disagreed on the expansion’s impact on the game. Some praised its new hobbies and revamped aspiration system as adding complexity and depth to The Sims 2, while others felt they were underdeveloped and not well-integrated with existing gameplay goals. Reviewers also criticised the game’s graphics and interface as aging and outdated compared to contemporary releases. The expansion pack was commercially successful, ranking amongst the top-selling PC games in the United States in 2008. In the years following its release, FreeTime has been favourably compared to releases for later games. Background and development The Sims is a franchise of life simulation games developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It has sold over 200 million copies amongst all platforms and installments, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time. The Sims 2, sequel to the original, was released on 14 September 2004. It expanded upon the original game's features, introducing elements such as an aspiration system based around short-term and long-term goals; expanded character and neighbourhood customization; and the ability for sims to raise families, age, and progress through generations. All main entries in the series have had multiple expansion packs, which add further gameplay options. Rather than being relatively simple downloadable content, expansion packs for the first three games in the Sims series substantially expanded upon the base game's life simulation; Kieron Gillen, writing for Eurogamer in 2005, stated the first game's expansions "could have been expanded [...] into games of their own" and argued their complexity was a component in why The Sims had few competitors in its genre. Eight expansion packs were released for The Sims 2 between 2005 and 2008. The Sims 2: FreeTime, the game's seventh expansion pack, was announced on 16 January 2008. It was designed alongside The Sims 3, the next main entry in the series. At the time, there were no more Sims 2 releases planned for 2008, though the game's final expansion pack The Sims 2: Apartment Life was ultimately released that August. According to an interview with the expansion's developers, FreeTime was intended to synthesize with the base game in its gameplay, unlike the more independent stand-alone features introduced by expansions such as The Sims 2: University and The Sims 2: Open for Business. FreeTime was released for PC on 26 February 2008 and was the first expansion pack for The Sims 2 not to be released for macOS.