Yet another set of high quality scrapbooking textures! You may use these for scrapbooking (or other personal things, like a website). The 10 textures are all 256×256, high quality JPG files. If you want smaller textures, you can contact me.

I released the textures under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

So I recently visited London/Chertsey to play Spore. I had already played with the creature editor on E3 in 2006 and on the Games Convention (Leipzig) in 2006. However, this time, I got to play the game itself.

If you are curious, please do click the image below to read the whole preview. But I’m warning you, there are no screenshots or photos. I was not allowed to take them. Therefore it is not my fault!

The main reason I’m posting something about the article on my personal blog, is because people are “reviewing” my preview here and there. And some of those people just can’t seem to appreciate the article for several reasons.
1. My article was in some ways short (although it is one of the bigger fansite written articles).
2. I didn’t add a whole lot of new information.
3. There were no screenshots or photos.

My answers (or should I just call this defending myself?) are very simple:
1. I was invited as a fansite. Press sites get to bring more than one person to an event like this. I was alone, because I was not allowed to bring someone along. Therefore, I had to take notes myself, play PC, DS and mobile version myself, ask questions, basically everything I had to do myself. Which is fine. But we didn’t get the whole day to play. Last but certainly not least, the game kept crashing. It was an older built we played with and that had its consequences. That are things I could not have changed. So it’s unfair to say I didn’t do my best because the article is too short.
2. The above applies to this as well. Too little time, too much to do in the game. Besides, the most important information and facts from the game have already been reviewed by press sites. Also, most people who go and read a preview of Spore, have read every existing article on the net or on paper. This is normal for fans. You want to stay informed of your favorite game. But you can’t blame a fansite for lacking new information in a preview they write for your pleasure.
3. The fact that my preview didn’t contain any photos or screenshots, was also not my fault. We were not allowed to take any pictures of the game. Afterwards, we were promised to get some exclusive footage. But even before we were allowed to post our articles, these ‘exclusive’ items were already posted by press websites. So much for the exclusiveness of these screens.

I had a great time during the event. I am very grateful to have been there. I mentioned in my preview I would have liked the idea of having additional screenshots. But we were not allowed to have any. That’s how it is and I can’t change that. Now it seems people are dragging my preview down on the net, just because of the reasons mentioned above. None of that was my fault. And reading those negative reactions, makes me doubt whether -in the future- I should write a preview at all. The thing that bothers me most is that I tried my very best. But it seems I did my best for nothing, because most readers don’t appreciate it. That just sucks.

Last week (Tuesday) I went to London, because I was invited at EA to get a sneak peek of Spore. I will be writing 3 articles about this event. And you will be able to read those on SporeNetwork (English), SporeNetwerk (Dutch) and Junior’s (Dutch).

I didn’t get much of a chance to go downtown. But we did travel there and I got a few pics. I will upload these pics soon on this site.

I should write something in here. I should blog, since the last time was in April? The problem is, that I don’t know where to start and I’ve got so many things to do. Half the time I don’t feel like blogging because I’m either too busy or just too bored.

Until now, this isn’t going anywhere, is it?

There have been so many things to write about. Let’s just try to sum them all up. In May this year, I went to Los Angeles, to go to E3. This has been such an experience. I didn’t get to write anything until now about E3. I am still planning to write an article on Spore for SporeNetwork though, with screenshots of course.

I have been given the chance to play Spore myself. In July this year, I was invited by Maxis in Redwood City (near San Francisco), to review Pets for PC, consoles and handhelds. This was so awesome! My reviews will be online soon on SimsNetwork.

And in August this year, I went to Leipzig in Germany, to play Spore (again) on the Games Convention and I also had my picture taken with Will Wright.

Let’s see. That’s three awesome trips in just four months. That’s not healthy… :p Or maybe it is. And considering that E3 2006 was probably the last E3 like we know it, it was well worth going. I can imagine that some of my acquaintances and friends are jealous, I know I would be.

Our members on SimsNetwerk have been given the chance to meet Junior, our little mascot. He’s so cute, it makes some people sick to their stomach.

I moved into dorms in July, simply because I needed a place to stay and since I’m enrolled as a student at CMD (communication & multimedia design).

I guess a lot has happened. Feel free to comment, I’d love to read what you think.

I still have to recover from all the booze…

I lost my feet somewhere on the way…
It was so much fun! I’m afraid I was a little too excited though.

I hope the attending SNW team members didn’t find me too eccentric. Although I have a hunch they did :p

I hugged practically everybody. And I had pictures taken of me with pretty much everybody.. Me and pictures: completely derailed after those chocolates…

My report will follow once I had enough sleep. Otherwise I won’t think clearly, like, right now

Did you have fun at EA World? Definitely. Crowded, very crowded. At first I thought, who are all those people of the press? But then I remembered how they gave away tickets for EA World.

I got there too late in my opinion. On my way to Utrecht we hit traffic jams three times, of course due to 3 accidents. Great, but alright, I was ‘only’ half an hour late. Some press people got in even later. Also because of the traffic jams.

Titles that were very present: Sims 2 (console), James Bond, Fifa ‘06 and of course NFS Most Wanted. There was a lot more, but I’ll write about that later. Above things title just got my attention.

I met ChEeTaH (TheSimsZone) and JVtje (Simparool) and chatted with them for a while. That was fun too. And before that I chatted quite a while with Nita and Deborah. I also saw Bas. I took a nice picture of him haha

Today I met a few friends. It was a long time ago and sometimes you just have to do that. We decided to hold meetings more often, because 1 or 2 times a year is just not enough, don’t you think? It went from seeing each other every day to just a few times a year. Too bad.. But that’s how it goes.

And tomorrow it’s the day of The Sims Awards 2005. In Oostende (Belgium). What bothers me most is that people participate in the contest at SNW and then mail at the last moment: ‘I can’t come after all, but thank you anyway’. Thank you. I can make a new selection again. And again, and again! Luckily there are some people who participate because they know they can and want to come. We will see them tomorrow. And from our team? I of course, and my mother known under the name of Rollebietedotje/Guinevere will be there as well. Don’t forget Lord_Marino and Eva! I’m looking forward to it. As long as they don’t expect too much of me :p haha, I’m only just Rosana

I will definitely make pictures and report about the Awards. I will meet many people. There will be 1400 people! At least I won’t stand out

Sometimes you discover those crazy things, that you really didn’t expect. Like yesterday, I had a fun thing with Nightlife. I like to fiddle, in my game too. Changing the CAS scene (where you create Sims) is no exception. So I thought I’d change CAS. I wanted a CAS in Nightlife style. Change some walls, add a floor, disco lights and not to forget a DJ booth. After saving and replacing I got back in the game, and what did I see? CAS works like a community lot because as I said, I placed a DJ booth in it, and of course, my Sim was not alone. There was a DJ, a real DJ behind the booth. How funny! I made a picture of it immediately and sent it to EA

Simgek (Lia) created some really cool recolors a while ago, but due to all the stuff going on and around SNW I was unable to upload these items. They’re online now, available for download!

So I already told you yesterday that I am going to meet & greet Tim LeTourneau next Friday. Tonight there was a chat and I got no questions answered this time, but did get to know a few things. I am busy writing down all questions, so I can ask them next week. By the way, nobody knows, except EA, what that one surprise will be, but I have a hunch.

I completely forgot to mention but it does need its own piece of text… I am going to Tim LeTourneau (Senior Producer of The Sims 2) next week at EA Benelux. There I will ask all possible questions which are not yet known about the second expansion pack of The Sims 2: Nightlife. Nightlife will be out 15 September in the Netherlands, a year after The Sims 2 itself. It is the second expansion pack and according to EA it will have the same system requirements. I don’t really believe that last bit, but ok… What they want..

If you have any questions regarding the second expansion pack (Nightlife) then leave me a message here or talk to me on MSN. I will write down all (not yet known) questions and will ask Tim LeTourneau them one by one. The previous meeting (press conference) with Tim LeTourneau was a lot of fun and I think it will be fun again this time. Now let’s just hope we can take pictures.