Prerelease:The Sims: Bustin' Out (GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox)
This page details pre-release information and/or media for The Sims: Bustin' Out (GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox).
 | To do: Grab the Beta images from IGN. |
After the semi-revolutionary success of the The Sims for consoles, Edge of Reality was given another chance by EA to further experiment with the formula by offering a lot of new content. It was also known for being impressively developed in a span of six months.
It was well-received by critics, praising the amount of content to be found in the game.
Contents
Development Timeline
2003
- January - The Sims for consoles is released for the PlayStation 2.
- March - The Sims for consoles is released for the GameCube & Xbox.
- April - The Sims console sequel starts development.
- May - Gameplay of The Sims: Bustin' Out was shown for the first time at E3 2003.
- July - The game was shown at Camp EA.
- September - The game is confirmed to have Online Play in the PlayStation 2 version.
- December 5 - The Sims Bustin' Out goes gold.[1]
- December 15 - The Sims: Bustin' Out is released in North America.
2003
circa. March
A sequel for The Sims console port was pitched after the PlayStation 2 version of it was released in March. Because of the positive reception from the console port, Electronic Arts wanted to further experiment with Edge of Reality's engine. Thus, development for the sequel started after the other console versions of the game came out.
May
E3 2003
The Sims: Bustin' Out was officially announced by EA at E3 2003, slated for an early 2004 release. The press release and many other prerelease coverages mention a few notable differences from the final game;
- It explicitly states that there would be "over 40 new characters", but there are only 31 characters to be found, not counting NPCs and combining Bust Out and Free Play modes.
- The Gangster Career was originally called "Mobster", and Jock was originally called "Athlete". The latter renaming was likely done to avoid being associated with the career from the mainline games.
- Casa Caliente was originally called "Love Shack" and Studio 8 was originally called "Art Gallery".
- It was mentioned that there would be 10 careers, but it was raised to 12 in the final if both Bust Out and Free Play Careers are counted. The mention of the game having "ten times replay value" implies that Bust Out mode had 10 careers in total.
- The IGN coverage article explicitly mentions a "Family Diner" location, but no "diner-like" places appear in the final game.
Press releases also mention stuff confirmed to be in the game;
- The Limo Ultimo is confirmed to appear.
- The game would get a new musical score and menu sounds.
- 2-Player Mode is confirmed.
Screenshots
Mockup Image
The first screenshot to be posted, though it looks pre-rendered.
In-Game Screenshots
- All of the Sim characters are recycled from The Sims console.
- Club Rubb had a completely different layout.
Video
This footage was posted later at Camp EA, but the footage matches up with the E3 2003 build.
- Create-A-Sim looked very, very different, and resembled the one from The Sims for consoles.
- The button sounds were different, and were likely used as placeholder.
- The travelling music has a slightly different loop, with a different set of drums.
- Two Sims could originally ride the same vehicle, much like in the intro video.
- The Plumbob originally changed color depending on the mood.
- The road textures were different.
- The Super Scooter swivelled around the road more.
- Several Sims in the video had their appearance from the prequel.
- The mood HUD had pointier buttons, highlighted red and green mood meters and a rounder background.
- Toane's Gym had no kitchen, and the ring machine isn't present in the final version.
- The pool had an earlier water texture, which is the same one used in The Sims for consoles.
- The dance floor had less detail.
- The lightshow object was different in color.
- Club Rubb was different in most ways, and resembles the one found in the dream sequence.
- If one looks closely outside of Club Rubb, several car objects (that were used as carpools in The Sims for consoles) can be seen. They were likely objects placed via debug and made for decoration.
July
Camp EA
Camp EA press event was held on July 9, 2003, where gaming journalists were invited to try out the game.
Screenshots
In-Game Screenshots
Later Screenshot? This image appears to show the finalized version of Dudley's Trailer, in comparion to the previous image.
Unknown
Worst Week Beta Footage
| To do: Document differences for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. |
According to the following videos, it seems to be based on a slightly later build.
Monday
- Mom's House appeared exactly as it was from The Sims (Console) in Get A Life Mode.
- The Skill Meter looks different.
- You could control Mom, like you used to be able to do in The Sims {Console).
- The fire animation is exactly as it was from The Sims {Console).
Tuesday
- The HUD at the bottom left corner looks different.
- You could control Dudley, like you used to be able to do in The Sims {Console).
