The Sims: Livin' Large

Primarily a content-based expansion, Livin' Large adds 125 new items for Sims to purchase in the 'Buy Mode' of the game. Some items are decorative, and others are interactive.^[4] Some interactive items feature additional effects and new non-player characters, including a magic lamp that, when rubbed, spawns a genie that can grant the player wishes with random good or bad outcomes,^[5] a chemistry lab that can create potions with positive and negative effects, including turning the drinker into a monster,^[6] and a robotic servitor that can assist with housework.^[7] Sims can contract a potentially fatal illness from a bite from the guinea pig included in this expansion.^[8] The "Vibromatic Heart Bed" allows players to engage their Sims in intimate relationships for the first time in the series,^[9] with a male and female Sim in love able to "Vibrate" the bed and then "Play" in it.^[10] Doing so will provide a chance that the female Sim will become pregnant with a baby.^[11] Livin' Large also features five new career paths: Slacker, Hacker, Journalist, Paranormal and Musician.^[5] The expansion expands the default number of lots in the game by increasing the number of neighborhoods.^[12]

Livin' Large introduces complex interactions with two non-player characters: the Tragic Clown and Grim Reaper. The Tragic Clown is a character that spawns if the painting of the same name is placed on the lot and an occupant is on the lot. If the Tragic Clown appears, they will attempt to cheer the player by performing tricks and always fail, decreasing the Sim's mood even further. Removing the Tragic Clown requires the player to raise the mood of all Sims on the lot, or set the painting on fire.^[11] The Grim Reaper is a character that appears when a Sim dies, interacting with the corpse to remove the Sim from the game. Other Sims can interact with the Grim Reaper and "Plead" to save the life of the Sim before the Reaper has removed them. This prompts a game of Rock Paper Scissors, where if won, the dead Sim will be revived, or if lost, the dead Sim will either be removed or be turned into a zombie.^[11]

The design objective of Livin' Large was to introduce new elements to the game that created gameplay and stories that "further engaged the imagination of the player".^[13] Lead designer Will Wright stated that the expansion focused on a "novel humour" and "wacky style" in contrast with the "neutral" tone of the original game in order to help "spark the creativity of players" and "take the game into weird, twisted directions". Wright took a reduced role in the design of the expansion to focus on The Sims Online, with codesigner Chris Trottier having a stronger responsibility for the implementation of the game, although the Tragic Clown was Wright's "pet object" for suggested inclusion in the expansion.^[14] Electronic Arts engaged studio New Pencil Incorporated to create new assets for Livin' Large and future expansions. Development of the expansion was streamlined by using asset libraries to introduce sets of objects and architecture with a similar "look and feel", such as the set of castle-themed items.^[15] Some skins were created as user-made modifications and selected by designers for inclusion in the game.^[14]

Livin' Large was published by EA on August 29 in North America and September 8 in Europe.^[2][3] Aspyr Media announced and released a Mac port for the game in November 2000.^[16][17] In 2002, EA released The Sims Deluxe, a combination of The Sims and Livin' Large, with additional clothing options and The Sims Creator tool.^[18]