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Sims 2 Hacks Spread Like Viruses

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the we-control-the-horizontal-and-the-vertical dept.

jowens writes "SecurityFocus reports that players sharing house designs through Electronic Arts' Sims 2 Exchange are finding their game behaving oddly: espresso machines mysteriously satisfy all the Sims needs, Sims are suddenly comfortable with open relationships, and the social worker no longer cares how they treat their children. It turns out hacks were spreading invisibly with Sims 2 lots, infecting thousands of downloadable homes, and catching Electronic Arts by surprise. The hackers, who never intended their hacks to be viruses, have even written their own AV scanner to find and control the outbreak."

44 of 311 comments (clear)

  1. Some of those hacks sound kind of cool! by ZipR · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe now I'll check the game out.

    1. Re:Some of those hacks sound kind of cool! by GweiLeong · · Score: 3, Funny

      I played it for awhile, and frankly now I'm tempted to start it up again... Most popular at the moment seem to be the teen woohoo mod (no pregnancy) and teen woohoo mod (pregnancy possible). Someone made a mod where you can invite anyone (regardless of age/gender) to move in with you. They should have called it the Michael Jackson mod. ;)

    2. Re:Some of those hacks sound kind of cool! by VivianC · · Score: 5, Funny

      ...espresso machines mysteriously satisfy all the Sims needs, Sims are suddenly comfortable with open relationships, and the social worker no longer cares how they treat their children.

      Oh my God! They are all becoming Democrats! Can't somebody stop the madness?

      --
      Viv

      Gmail invites for ip
  2. I wonder. by Blapto · · Score: 5, Funny

    Where can I buy me one of these magic espresso machines?

    1. Re:I wonder. by grahamsz · · Score: 4, Funny

      I thing you need the 'special' columbian beans for that.

    2. Re:I wonder. by Mr.+No+Skills · · Score: 4, Funny

      All espresso machines have magic in them. :)

      --
      Sleep is for the Weak
  3. Sims 2 is the least of my problems... by Skyshadow · · Score: 5, Funny
    Great! All we need now is a patch for the real-life analog of this. You know what I'm talking about here, that one where you go over to a friend's house for dinner and afterwords have this conversation:

    Wife: Wow, I love what they did with their place.
    Me: What?
    Wife: Didn't you notice they redid their kitchen?!?
    Me: I noticed the beer was in a different place...
    Wife: (ignoring me) I loved their new countertop, and the wine cooler, and...
    Me: This is bad, isn't it?
    Wife: We need to do something like that.
    Me: Yup, it's bad all right.
    Wife: I'm sure we can put something together for under $25k...
    Me: PWn3d.
    wife: Goddamn right.

    --
    Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
    1. Re:Sims 2 is the least of my problems... by andalay · · Score: 2, Funny

      Only 50% of the slashdotters with id 1000 are still married.

    2. Re:Sims 2 is the least of my problems... by Tony+Hoyle · · Score: 5, Funny

      Only 50% of the slashdotters with id 1000 are still married.

      Surely there's only one slashdotter with id 1000...

      Is he half married?

    3. Re:Sims 2 is the least of my problems... by Skim123 · · Score: 4, Funny

      This is why you need to make sure, regardless of your age, your friends are poor college students. Then what is she going to say? "I really like what they did with those cinderblocks?", and, "That couch they found on the side of the road sure does add a nice touch to their place."

      --

      I could not justify my existence if I were a turkey farmer. Would I terminate myself? Undoubtably, yes.

    4. Re:Sims 2 is the least of my problems... by YU+Nicks+NE+Way · · Score: 2, Funny
      Is he half married?
      Isn't that awfully sexist of you? I mean, how do you know /.-er 1000 is a...oh...wait. This is slashdot we're talking about, isn't it.

      Never mind.
    5. Re:Sims 2 is the least of my problems... by SoSueMe · · Score: 2, Funny

      The ring goes on the finger, not through the nose.
      The marriage certificate is not a deed to the soul.
      I ask how you are and you say "fine", I know you're lying but I'm going to run with that.

      I told my wife all these things before we got married. She is still cool with that.
      Mind you, her "pet name" for me is still "asshole".
      80% of the time, I'm pretty sure she is joking.

    6. Re:Sims 2 is the least of my problems... by ForestGrump · · Score: 2, Funny

      married and divorced.

      --
      Is it true that more people vote for the winner of American Idol, than vote for the president? -Ali G.
    7. Re:Sims 2 is the least of my problems... by FurryFeet · · Score: 2, Funny

      Maybe he's Schroedinger's wife?

    8. Re:Sims 2 is the least of my problems... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Yeah, having a girlfriend is so gay!

  4. It may fulfill all the sims needs... by Heftklammerdosierer! · · Score: 3, Funny

    But can the coffee maker shoot Bobs?

  5. Relax. by grub · · Score: 5, Funny


    Don't worry, a fix is coming. EA has a few employees working overtime this weekend.

    --
    Trolling is a art,
    1. Re:Relax. by Ubergrendle · · Score: 2, Funny

      Great, stressed out, virtually canatonic coders patching an online game. You'll see people dining out of Stanley Cups, Gordon Freeman lounging on the couch too lazy to change the channel, and Paul Tagliabue running around taping up Sim's breasts in case of wardrobe malfunctions.

      --
      John Maynard Keynes: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?"
  6. Someone set up us the Sims by PornMaster · · Score: 5, Funny

    All your Sims are belong to us!

    --
    500GB of disk, 5TB of transfer, $5.95/mo
  7. So, a game which simulates live by Trigun · · Score: 4, Funny

    catches a virus? Oh the irony.

    A virus gets a life, and life gets a virus.

    1. Re:So, a game which simulates live by Rei · · Score: 2, Funny

      Now, we just need to make it so sims can get jobs as spammers, and we're all set... ;)

      --
      Seen on a Japanese food processor: "Not to be used for the other use."
  8. A brave new world. by Dr+Caleb · · Score: 4, Funny
    Life imitates art imitating life.

    My head hurts.

    --
    "History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme." Mark Twain
  9. It's The Sims! by devphaeton · · Score: 5, Funny

    How do we know the Sims themselves haven't created these hacks? I mean, all of us here fantasize about being able to program the physics around us for a happier existence, right? right?

    --


    do() || do_not(); // try();
  10. magic toaster by Fr05t · · Score: 2, Funny

    I want the magic toaster what eats lady sim shirts and skirts!

  11. Sounds like revenge by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    >

    sounds like liberal revenge against the conservatives for winning the election! My god, my Sims have abandoned family values!

  12. New Sims add-on? by weeboo0104 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sims are suddenly comfortable with open relationships, and the social worker no longer cares how they treat their children.

    Does this mean that EA will be releasing a Jerry Springer add-on for the Sims?

    --
    It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. -Frederick Douglass
  13. yes but, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Another hack allows teenagers in the Sims 2 to get pregnant.

    do.... do we see em do it?!?

    1. Re:yes but, by sTalking_Goat · · Score: 3, Funny
      Another hack allows teenagers in the Sims 2 to get pregnant.

      Dammit I told them that that Abstinence hack was a waste of time...

      --

      My days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle...

  14. wow by Jailbrekr · · Score: 5, Funny

    virtual world plagued by virtual virus. Should we be virtually worried? Will the virtual police come and arrest the virtual hackers as they spread their virtual malware? Will it become a virtual catastrophe, or a comedy of virtual proportions?

    --
    Feed the need: Digitaladdiction.net
  15. +4 Funny? by Run4yourlives · · Score: 2, Funny

    Good grief some of you need to get out more.

    1. Re:+4 Funny? by rackhamh · · Score: 4, Funny

      some of you need to get out more.

      Dude... it's an article about the Sims...

    2. Re:+4 Funny? by m50d · · Score: 4, Funny

      Says the guy posting on slashdot complaining about the moderation

      --
      I am trolling
  16. Sigh by Dante+Shamest · · Score: 2, Funny
    The "No Jealousy" patch lets them keep multiple lovers without getting slapped all the time.

    Guys really want something like this in real life.

    Another hack allows teenagers in the Sims 2 to get pregnant.

    Guys really want...no wait. Real life already has this.

  17. Re:but.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I'm surprised no one has created a virus that spreads from Sim to Sim slowly killing them all.

    Will save me spending hours slowly bricking up all the sims into cells in my house.

  18. Re:Sims 2 is a virus by Tony+Hoyle · · Score: 4, Funny

    it can take you several hours to just make coffee and walk to the front door in the morning.

    Hey, I didn't realise it was *that* realistic!

  19. What's strange about magic espresso? by gerardlt · · Score: 5, Funny
    ...some characters are finding all their needs fulfilled by a single shot of magic espresso.
    Isn't this normal?
    --
    /* This sig is disabled. Press CTRL-W to enable. Thankyou */
  20. Post the links please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Instead of teasing us about all these cool hacks, why don't people post the links to them please?

  21. Re:Sims 2 is a virus by necro2607 · · Score: 3, Funny

    No kidding, I started getting pissed off that it took 2-5 hours to microwave a TV dinner...

  22. Re:so what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Actually it's called "have a child"

  23. Re:57 Years Old? by glenebob · · Score: 2, Funny

    I think they saw where she was from and gave it a +5 funny. After that, it was an easy choice.

  24. Married/2 by Pseudonymus+Bosch · · Score: 2, Funny

    He is not. But his wife is.

    --
    __
    Men with no respect for life must never be allowed to control the ultimate instruments of death.
    GW Bu
  25. EA corporate culture in danger by Muhammar · · Score: 2, Funny

    EA management is run by Sims too.

    --
    I doubt that we will ever figure out - and I suspect that even if we did figure out we couldn't do much about it
  26. Magic amulet by Wassini · · Score: 1, Funny
    The hackers, who never intended their hacks to be viruses, have even written their own AV scanner to find and control the outbreak.

    This is not the Sim way! Why not create a new object for the game - like a Magic Amulet - that can detect these hacks?

    Or even an Exorcist to call? ;-)
    --
    Lars Bo Wassini
  27. my favourite line from the article: by mu22le · · Score: 3, Funny

    my favourite line from the article:

    "Another hack allows teenagers in the Sims 2 to get pregnant. As the game is sold, they can't even have sex."

    Oh my g0d yhis is SO...

    I dunno, normal?