So it states in the booklet that comes with Sims Stories that "Each game in the Sims Stories product line is a standalone product and does not support expansion packs or stuff packs from The Sims or The Sims 2 game collections." (emphasis added)

Okay, so I understand that it doesn't work with the other Sims games that have come before it, but do you mean to tell me that this game and each one in its series coming after (Sims Pet Stories and Sims Castaway Stories) are each going to be completely separate games and not interconnect with each other or load upon one another? To me that just does not make sense - why would I want to buy a whole entire game each time just to get the story? I went ahead and got this one and I would like to possibly get the other storylines, but really, must we have 3 separate sets of the game on our computers? (4 if you include the original Sims 2 with its expansions.) This seems a bit extravagant to me!

Am I misinterpreting what I quoted from the booklet above? Anyone know for sure?

No, you're not misinterpreting. They are designed to be separate stand-alone games, just like the console games are. These are basically console games designed for the PC and laptop. They use almost the same elements.

It may not make sense, but it's not a matter of making the most sense. Rather, it's a matter of making the most money.

Although I have a feeling that we all might be looking at the term "Seperate Game(s)." Because what I might think will happen is that Maxis is doing like what the game Obivion is doing. Obivion has an expansion pack for the game, but you do not need the base game to play it. I believe it was the latest title.

So I have a feeling that The Sims Pet Stories which is the next in line for the game series is an expansion pack for The Sims Life Stories in surten point of view. But you do not need to have Life Stories to play the game. Now I understand how The Sims Castaway Stories could be a seperate game as it is really really different from anyother game.

I'm sure each one of them is going to be a seperate standalone game that does not need any other game in the series for it to be played.

My problem with this is the idea of having so many darned copies of the game on my computer at one time. Does that not defeat the purpose of making them usable for laptops anyway? Why clutter your laptop up like that?

Surely they don't mean for us to have to have full and complete separate sets of these Sim Life Stories in order to play each different one? If that is the case, then they should not be charging so much for them, so that they will be more "disposable" (so that you can remove them and not feel you've wasted $40.00).

It just doesn't seem right - of course I'd like to try the other two out when they come out, but that doesn't mean I'll be ready to give up the ones I already have to do so. Therefore, I am really hoping that while you can play them as standalones without ever having any of the others before them, that they at least make it to where people who already have one of the games can just "add" them to what they already have, instead of trying to maintain so many separate games.

After all, do they really think there won't be people who will want all of them? lol!

Oh... so I get to decide which lifeStory I want? If I want love, pets or casaway.. hmm.. that'll just make it more difficult to decide...

Look at you all, you call yourself Sim Players? Try to get every single game of the Sims that is out. Because who knows. Tommorow might be the day that everything is changed forever. Tommorow might be the day that all we know and love (being The Sims) is thrown down the river, never to be bought by another soul on Earth and the community is forced to shut down by the order of Maxis and EA.

Buy all of the games and don't be the one(s) that missed out on this awesome product. Because you never know when EA might go bankrupted and stop making games all together. Buy the Games. All of them. I have been working on my heroic speeches, how did I do? :D

lol - I'll probably end up buying them all.. I always do.

I haven't made up my mind on Pets yet. But Castaway sounds quite interesting.

Well there's really no question about whether to buy them all or not, I know I'll want them all, however, I really think it is totally ridiculous to have to have 3-4 separate copies of Sims games on my computer at one time. The original one is big enough with all its expansions and stuff! Is it really too much to ask that the Sims Life Stories be able to stack themselves together like the original Sims 2 and expansions do? I have nothing against them wanting to make them to where all you need is just the particular one you want in order to play,that's just fine - but for those of us who want all of them, then why can't they be loaded on top of each other as one collective game with a bunch of neighborhoods (which of course, each neighborhood is a separate story).

Which leads back to my original opening question - is it true that they are stand-alone, meaning that they will not be connected to the other story lines when we install them, or will they load on top of one another and really just be one game with several stories in it? I understand they are stand-alone and can each work singly, but can they stack together as one big game if you buy each one in the line?

I'm not sure we've heard 100 percent if their true stand alone games or if their the kind that yes they can be played without owning any of the other Stories or stackable as you suggest.

I'm under the impression though that they are true stand alone. So once done most of us will have about 4 copies of Sims 2.

it is kind of a no sense thing because if the sims stories were all stand alone games people would just buy the latest one out instead of 1 by 1

The logical way to do it: There is a core system which is available in each game for people who only want that particular one. But if you have more than one of the games, it won't install the redundant stuff again, just check to see if you have it and go on to the next part if the redundant stuff is all there. Or install over it.

But anyone who says EA is logical is invited to explain why they climb out of a perfectly good bed they were relaxing on to go sleep on the couch downstairs, or why they are willing to leave a tv or stereo running non-stop until you get tired of it and delete the silly thing, but will SWARM to turn off the computer as soon as someone else starts using it!

LOL! Sidney, I guess they are definitely not Vulcans, huh?