Electronic Arts Inc. today announced that The Sims 2 FreeTime, the newest expansion pack from The Sims, is available on store shelves across North America and Europe. A wide range of all-new activities, hobbies and cool careers are now available to your Sims with this expansion pack. New life pursuits based on your Sims personal interests mean that even more creativity and unique stories are now at your fingertips. Sports, music & dance, arts & crafts, science, and film & literature are just some of the new storytelling options connected to your Sims discovery and pursuit of their individual hobbies.

"The Sims 2 FreeTime empowers your Sims with the tools to explore hobbies that are entertaining and that go beyond the every day," said Rod Humble, Head of The Sims Studio. "Now your Sims have the freedom to discover talents that add stimulating career options, expressive and artistic outlets, and fun leisure time activities. The Sims 2 FreeTime adds depth and humor to your Sims stories, and also appreciation for the experiences that make life enjoyable."

Sims can follow their dreams and rediscover the joys of leisure time! Awaken your Sims’ true passions in life as they discover and excel at all-new activities. Whether they’re tossing a football with the family, practicing ballet, restoring cars with friends, or building train sets, your Sims now have more ways to build skills, enhance friendships, and make their lives more successful. Craft new, unique items for your Sims that they can use in their daily lives including clothing, pottery, and more. Your Sims will even unlock secret rewards by mastering their hobbies and advancing in all-new careers. Explore a wide variety of new hobbies that will change your Sims’ lives!

Talented mechanics can remodel and then drive their newly-renovated sports cars. Sims can rake in oodles of Simoelons with skillfully crafted pottery or by writing a mesmerizing novel. A variety of individual artistic interests can be developed, including playing the violin, playing the piano and creating beauty on a painting easel. For Sims that love games, chess, darts, billiards, kicking soccer goals and basketball lay-ups all await in The Sims 2 FreeTime. Even a model train set can be personalized by your Sims!

Explore cool careers that bring happiness and fulfillment to your Sims in The Sims 2 FreeTime. New cool career options are available, including oceanography, architecture, and entertainment. As they hit milestones, your Sims can unlock a secondary aspiration making them even more unique.

International pop star Natasha Bedingfield is featured on The Sims 2 FreeTime soundtrack with her new hit song "Pocketful of Sunshine" sung in Simlish, the universal language of The Sims. Also on the soundtrack is an international line-up of bands and artists from Scandinavia, Europe and the US.

KEY FEATURES

-- New Gameplay Elements Tied to Hobbies. Your Sims can discover the activities that they’re most passionate about! Addition of a wide range of new activities, including sports, music & dance, arts & crafts, science, film & literature and more, all add new storytelling options tied to your Sims discovery and pursuit of specific hobbies. Sims can now participate in contests to win prizes and Simoleons, or they can master interests, practice and improve their skills, and get in "the zone!" Your Sims can enrich their lives by creating items to use or sell, like pottery or cars. These new hobbies can strengthen friendships and uncover secret lots.

-- New Lifetime Aspiration Meter. Your Sims can measure the progress of their aspirations over a lifetime and unlock special rewards and interactions!

-- Five New Career Tracks and their Reward Objects. Oceanographers can earn a koi pond, entertainers can get their own star of fame, architects can use their own drafting table, dancers can receive a ballet barre and intelligence agents can use a listening devise.

-- All New Objects and Outfits. The Sims 2 FreeTime introduces brand new items, including a basketball hoop, pottery wheel, toddler activity table, modular synthesizer, hobby train table and much more.

(1) Requires The Sims 2, The Sims 2 Special DVD Edition , The Sims 2 Holiday Edition or The Sims 2 Deluxe for PC to play.