Sim Games

Are you ready for some Diesel? No, it's not a reference to the follicly challenged film actor or engine fuel, but rather the next Stuff Pack for The Sims 3. The official add-on features clothing items and furniture from upscale Italian designer Diesel's 2012 spring and summer collection.

More than 36 apparel options are included, from dresses and jackets to denim and underwear. Home décor options include a choice of coffee tables, a bed, and a sofa. Since this is an officially licensed collection, many of the in-game objects featured in the Stuff Pack can be purchased for "real" in Diesel stores. The game is available for pre-order directly through publisher Electronic Arts.

People seem to like to blast each other with tanks online and engage in aerial dogfights with planes online, so why not participate in submarine warfare online? That's the reasoning behind Silent Hunter Online, part of a grizzled simulation series that began pinging sonars in 1996.

The most surprising part is not that the game is going the free-to-play route (hopefully that won't mean charging by the torpedo), but that it's going to be playable through your browser. You can apply to become a beta tester on Silent Hunter Online's official website.

Electronic Arts is sitting on a library of franchises that have suffered from neglect over the years. While construction has finally started on the next SimCity, Wing Commander has been mothballed in some empty space hanger.

That is, until now. In development for an astonishing ten years, Wing Commander Saga: The Darkest Dawn is a fan-made, free-to-play space sim designed for those who miss the simple pleasures of blasting away cat-like Kilrathi.

So maybe you're a Boston fan who is not entirely pleased at the team's last-place standing for the end of April. You think to yourself, well with that team, I could have easily done a better job than manager Bobby Valentine has thus far in the young season.

You can test this theory out with Out of the Park Baseball 13, the next installment in the long-running baseball management series from Out of the Park Developments. Find out how both OOTP Baseball 13 and its handheld sibling, iOOTP Baseball 2012 Edition, fared in my reviews.

Think you could lead an effective campaign against President Obama? Could you handily defeat Mitt Romney if you were in charge of strategic planning? Which states would you focus on? What types of media would you use to convey your message?

These are but a few of the decisions you'll make with the next entry in The Political Machine series from Stardock Entertainment.

If you pre-order the game before its summer release, you'll be able to save 33% off the $9.95 price. You can read more about some of the game's key features on my Political Machine 2012 profile page.

I'm not sure what to make of Katy Perry's collaboration with The Sims 3. Is publisher Electronic Arts simply trying to drum up more interest in its aging life sim series? Is there such a high demand for kitschy items that we can expect similar collaborations from Lady Gaga or Rihanna?

Katy Perry's Sweet Treats, due out on June 5th, offers more Katy Perry-inspired items to decorate your neighborhoods and homes, but it also adds themed venues as well. You can read more about the game on its profile page.

Image © Electronic Arts