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Get The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection (Win/Mac) for free!

No strings attached, other than the need for an Origin account. This bundle includes the game and a whopping 17 add-ons.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read

Let's start the week off right -- with a freebie.

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EA

For a limited time, you can get The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection (Win/Mac) for $0. Update: Several readers have reported that this giveaway is for the Windows version only.

The bundle provides not only the game, but also a ginormous collection of add-ons, including -- I kid you not -- The Sims 2 Pets, The Sims 2 H&M Fashion Stuff, and The Sims 2 IKEA Stuff.

Why on earth would Origin give away such a generous collection? Oh, I don't know, could have something to do with the imminent release of The Sims 4 (September 2).

So, wait, if The Sims 4 is coming out soon, and The Sims 3 has been around since 2009, that must make The Sims 2... yeah, old. The game was first introduced way back in 2004. Happy 10th!

Don't let that stop you. Visually, it still holds up, and the gameplay is as addicting now as it was then. Plus, you get all the stuff!

In case you're not familiar with the series, check out GameSpot's Sims 2 review. Verdict: "a great sequel and a great game in its own right, and...recommendable to just about anyone."

As noted on Origin's help page (read the instructions!), the giveaway requires you to have (or install) the Origin desktop client and sign up for (or into) an Origin account. Beyond that, no strings attached -- the game is yours to keep forever. What's not to like?

Bonus deal: I can't imagine these will last long, but if you have an OfficeMax near you, run, don't walk, and grab a Lexar S50 32GB flash drive for $7.99 plus tax. (Be sure to click Check Store Availability before you get in the car, just to make sure your local 'Max has stock left. Then opt for in-store pickup.) That's an insanely low price for such a capacious drive. Alas, if you don't have an OfficeMax near you, don't bother, because shipping adds nearly $10. Update: The drive appears to be sold out at this price, or was a pricing error to begin with.

Bonus deal No. 2: Like contests? Of course you do! So enter CNET's Find Your Tech Type Sweepstakes and you could win a pair of "high-tech specs" valued at $1,500. (Hmmm, wonder what they could be!) Just complete a short (and amusing) "tech personality" quiz and, boom, you're entered. And remember: people who live in Glass houses...