The Sims 2 gets holiday makeover with new expansion

Redwod City (CA) - Further expanding on the popular PC game franchise, Electronic Arts today announced the availability of The Sims 2 : Happy Holiday Stuff expansion pack, marking the release of the first standalone expansion for the series with a specific holiday theme.

According to EA, the new expansion pack adds to the world of The Sims 2 with 60 "global holiday-themed items", including new outfits, decorations, and other miscellaneous objects. Among the new items are mistletoe, Christmas-themed lawn ornaments, Christmas trees, and a handful of objects sporting the likeness of Santa Claus.

Since the release of the original The Sims game in January 2000, there have been 13 expansion packs between the two generations of the game, with six of them released for The Sims 2. The holiday pack will mark the seventh expansion for the game since its debut on September 14, 2004, averaging a new expansion every four months for over two years.

Last year, a special holiday edition of The Sims 2 was released, which was only available as a bundle package with The Sims 2 game, and featured items from multiple holidays. The new Holiday Stuff expanision is available by itself for $20, and specifically adds winter holiday items only, including many that were not avilable in last year’s special edition.