Massive New Sims 3 FAQ

EA has published a huge new FAQ for The Sims 3, with 30 questions and answers. You can find the entire FAQ right below here:

"The Sims 3 Q&A
1. After all these years of creative thinking, Sims Fans have made many interesting Sims, houses and other objects. Will it be possible to transfer Sims from previous version to The Sims 3? And what about other objects like house and furniture designs?

There are so many innovations in The Sims 3 so it’s really not possible to transfer items or Sims from previous games. The level of detail in The Sims 3 is so high that any conversion from older games would not be satisfying for players.

2. Also many Sims fans have gathered a huge pile of CD’s with add ons for 2nd version of the game, which will turn into junk once 3rd version comes out. And what add ons will be included in The Sims 3? Can we expect pets, seasons and magic in the initial release? And what of additional extras for previous version we will have to re-purchase for new one?

At the moment, we’re only thinking about The Sims 3. We have a huge team devoted to making the best possible game and we’re not going to think about anything else until it’s perfect.

3. Also there are many questions about ‘living neighborhood’. Before Sims 3, player-made families just waited patiently until someone plays them, now it appears to be that they will live on their own. Let’s assume that player created two families: “Mary and Bob” and “John Smith”. Then he played with “Mary and Bob” for long time, almost forgetting about that other family. It’s quite possible that when the player returns to John Smith, he’ll find no one there, since he could live his entire life, get old and die, so there will be no opportunity to play with him. Is there any solution already?

There are lots of options in The Sims 3. In the example that you just presented, the families that you don’t control will develop along with the household that you are controlling. However, you can switch between families at any time. You can also move families between save files, so you can develop one family to a specific point and then merge them with another save file. Story tellers will do that a lot.

4. We’ve already heard that there will be ‘Hand of the God” in the game, that allows to pick up and move Sims and other objects. Also it will be possible to feed and clean Sims with one click of the mouse. Which other simplifications should we expect?

There isn’t a feature that works exactly like you describe. However, players can do something that we call “live dragging”. In simple terms, you can manipulate some objects directly with your mouse. In the past, The Sims had to clean up everything for themselves. Now you can grab trash and throw it away, or grab an item from the floor and put it in your Sim’s inventory.

5. And what about robots, Aliens, Vampires and others?

Will be they available in the initial release or we will have to wait for them to appear in outgoing expansions?We have some tricks up our sleeve…

6. Since there will be quite big virtual universe on player’s disposal, are there any plans for minigames like car driving?

And what about dance simulators, which are so popular on consoles?There are some really interesting collection games and skills have a lot of rich detail.

7. Are there any plans of extending Sims’ vocabulary, e.g. will their words really mean something? Or they will keep mumbling some meaningless Simmish like before Sims 3?

The Sims always speak simlish. We’ve tried to teach them the languages of the world but they don’t want to listen.

8. Some years ago The Sims Online was started. But we didn’t heard about this project for a while. Are there any plans to include some online components in Sims 3, like chats or minigames where players can use their Sims as avatars?

The Sims 3 players will have unprecedented freedom to customize the look of their game. A player with creative aspirations and no technical training or knowledge can make changes to the look of just about everything in their Sims life, right in the game. We call the technology Create-a-Style. In the past, fans made their creations outside of the game and then shared them on the exchange. We wanted to give the power that our artists have to the players. The process of getting creations online is easier than ever. The Sims 3 launcher helps you install and manage custom content so that you don’t have to hunt around for directories or anything like that.Finally, The Sims 3 community is completely new and there are some incredible tools, including a web-based video editing tool so that players can make movies from the videos they capture in the game.

9. What kind of player activity have you planned for The Sims 3?

Sims can do things that they couldn’t do before, like ride bikes, work out at the gym, go to the beach, grab a snack at the bistro and more!

10. What about the game has been upgraded and what is completely new? Also, can you explain a bit about how the new 'boundaries' work?

What kind of activity will be opened up for the Sims?The first thing that people will notice about The Sims 3 is the world around them. If you see it, you can go there. In the past, The Sims players were confined to playing on little levels that we called lots. Now there are now boundaries. The technology is incredible because we can show you the tiniest detail of your home, like the petals on a flower. A few seconds later you can look at the tiniest freckle on a Sim on the other side of town. This all happens in real time. We're in a great place as developers these days: Realism has been achieved...check. We can just focus on style and delivering seamless experiences so that the player can be completely immersed in their story.

11. How, if at all, has the customisability of The Sims evolved for The Sims 3? How will players be able to integrate this into their Sims experience?

We're going to give the player unprecedented control over the visuals in the game so that they have the same control that our artists have, right in the game. The new Create - A - Sim allows players to make just about any person they can imagine, and there are tools in the game that let you change the look of almost any surface on your Sim or in their home.

12. Can we expect to see our favourite Sims families return, having grown, as they did between The Sims and The Sims 2?

Yes! You will see many of your favourite things from past games in The Sims 3.

13. How has player feedback impacted changes you have implemented for The Sims 3?

We're all fans of The Sims, and a lot of our team worked on The Sims and The Sims 2, so player feedback is built into our team. We also spend a lot of time interacting with members of The Sims community around the world. I don't think the game would be what it is without The Sims community. Fans have always wanted more interaction with a community of Sims. If you think about it, The Sims is the most detailed depiction of contemporary life to be presented in a work of fiction, but half of life was missing. In The Sims 3, we’ll let you explore the other half of life that happens when you are not at home.

14. How do the 'new personalities' work?

There are over 70 personality traits that players can choose from. When you choose traits they are represented as a simple word that you might use to describe someone you know so it’s easy to understand what they will do in the game. What makes traits so powerful is that they can change the game in profound ways. You’ll see different behaviors, interactions, advantages and goals depending on the traits that your Sims display. Just to name a few examples of more extreme traits, you can let your Sims be Insane, Evil, Kleptomaniac, Paranoid, Brave, Hates Kids, Genius and more.

15. What challenges did you face in the creation of The Sims 3?

Working to tune the AI so that the people who live in your town have lifelike behavior. Over time, all of The Sims in the town grow and develop, and it takes an impressive amount of tuning to make this work just right. I think that people are used to seeing lots of other characters in a game world, but they’ve never seen a game world where every character is being motivated by unique personality traits and motives like The Sims 3. Another thing we’re working on is a feature called Create A Style which allows players to customize just about everything, from clothing to furniture to cars. We want players to be able to change the game like our artists can. The interface is really powerful and we want to make it perfect.

16. We understand that the game features a continuous neighborhood and no loading times, but there won't be multiple neighborhoods as in The Sims 2. Tell us a bit about this decision. How will it change what different players do with the game once they get it in their hands?

There is one neighborhood, and it is pretty amazing. We’ve been working exclusively on this one neighborhood, Sunset Valley for the last few years. It’s bigger and richer than anything we’ve made before. We really just wanted to make something that would blow people away, and we wanted to do more with the town than we have in the past. No two towns will ever be the same after one generation in The Sims 3. As I mentioned, every Sim has complete AI throughout their life, so you’ll see people grow up, go to school, fall in love, get married, get jobs, move out, have families, grow old and pass away. It’s also possible to change all of the Sims in your town, so you can fill the town with whoever you like…yourself, your friends, characters from your favorite show, favorite band or sports team, anyone you can imagine…you get the point.

17. We understand that every Sim has a dream that can be fulfilled as part of a lifetime achievement goal. What are some examples of lifetime achievements, and what happens when you reach it? What if you fail?

Just like people, The Sims have wishes. Some of their wishes are really big and we call those Lifetime Wishes. A Lifetime Wish is a really big achievement like becoming a rock star, raising a huge family, getting rich or becoming an astronaut. Along the way to achieving your lifetime wish, you’ll fulfill smaller wishes. As you fulfill a Sim’s wishes, you earn points that can be used to purchase special Traits and reward objects that are generally hilarious and awesome. There really is no way to fail in the game, but you can make some really funny things happen if you want to cause trouble for your Sims.

18. How much dedication does it take to reach the pinnacle of your respective career ladder? Are there any shortcuts to the top?

If you play your cards right, you might be able to get to the top of more than one career in a lifetime, but it would take a lot of hard work and your Sim would need the right traits. Workaholic Sims will be happy if they live at the office, so that might be a good way to go. There are definitely some shortcuts, and your Sims will get Opportunities from time to time that give them a boost.

19. Plenty of open-ended moral choices will pop up in The Sims 3, like giving you the choice to skim off the top of campaign contributions in the political career. Give us some more examples of these moral choices depending on your career. What are the consequences of such decisions?

The game is full of moral choices. Some of them are presented to the player as career Opportunities. I don’t want to give too much away on this subject. A lot of the moral choices in the game come from the social simulator, and this is where the game becomes so compelling. A lot of players use the game to explore moral questions in their own lives. It’s sort of a “what if” simulator. For example, your Sim can choose to Whoohoo at work, but if they get caught then both Sims run out of the office naked. Now, that could be a lesson you don’t want to learn in the real world!

20. What can you tell us about the community features and sharing options players can use to build and share with their friends and with the larger Sims fanbase?

The Sims 3 players will have unprecedented freedom to customize the look of their game. A player with creative aspirations and no technical training or knowledge can make changes to the look of just about everything in their Sims life, right in the game. We call the technology Create A Style. In the past, fans made their creations outside of the game and then shared them on the exchange. We wanted to give the power that our artists have to the players. The process of getting creations online is easier than ever. The Sims 3 launcher helps you install and manage custom content so that you don’t have to hunt around for directories or anything like that.Finally, The Sims 3 community is completely new and there are some incredible tools, including a web-based video editing tool so that players can make movies from the videos they capture in the game.

21. As in The Sims 2, throwing parties is all the rage in The Sims 3. What are the different party types available depending on your career?

There are new party types in The Sims 3, but there are also some pretty cool locations to party with your friends. If you want to call your friends down to the beach and set up an afternoon BBQ, you can do that. Break out your guitar, turn on the radio, call up some friends and chill out. If you’re a rising politician, you can throw campaign fundraisers to build up your campaign fund as well.

22. Please give us an update on the game. What aspects is the team working on at the moment?

A lot of our time is spent playing and perfecting the open, living neighborhood and all of the gameplay that takes place there. In The Sims 3, we’re opening up the other half of life that players have always wanted to explore. What happens when you’re not stuck at home? It’s been a huge undertaking for us, but we’re very happy with the way it’s working out.One example of the work we’re doing is the AI behind the people who live in your town. You control a household of Sims, but all of the other Sims in your town live and develop as you play. It takes an impressive amount of tuning to make this work just right. I think that people are used to seeing lots of other characters in a game world, but they’ve never seen a game world where every character is being motivated by unique personality traits and motives like The Sims 3. Another thing we’re working on is a feature called Create A Style which allows players to customize just about everything, from clothing to furniture to cars. We want players to be able to change the game like our artists can. The interface is really powerful and we want to make it perfect.

23. We're sure The Sims 2 community was very vocal about what it wanted from a sequel. What were the most popular requests that fans made for The Sims 3?

We're all fans of The Sims, and a lot of our team worked on The Sims and The Sims 2, so player feedback is built into our team. We also spend a lot of time interacting with members of The Sims community around the world. I don't think the game would be what it is without The Sims community. Fans have always wanted more interaction with a community of Sims. If you think about it, The Sims is the most detailed depiction of contemporary life to be presented in a work of fiction, but half of life was missing. In The Sims 3, we’ll let you explore the other half of life that happens when you are not at home.

24. As players create their Sims, they will now be able to select five personality traits that will help define their dispositions. How will this new system let players create characters with more-defined personalities...and more importantly, how will it do a better job of letting players re-create the personalities of themselves, their friends, or their favorite celebrities? What are some extreme personalities we'll see in The Sims 3?

There are over 70 personality traits that players can choose from. When you choose traits they are represented as a simple word that you might use to describe someone you know, so it’s easy to understand what they will do in the game. What makes traits so powerful is that they can change the game in profound ways. You’ll see different behaviors, interactions, advantages and goals depending on the traits that your Sims have. Just to name a few examples of more extreme traits, you can let your Sims be Insane, Evil, Kleptomaniac, Paranoid, Brave, Hates Kids, Genius and more..."

Let me know if you spot any repeats

The Sims 3 is in Stores Now!

I picked it up a few days ago at best buy. Have you been able to pick it up?

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Let There Be Sims™! The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS - News) today announced that The Sims™ 3, the next generation of the global cultural phenomenon and best-selling PC franchise of all time, is at retail nationwide and available for digital download today for the PC and Mac, and will be in stores worldwide in 60 countries and in 22 languages this week. The Sims 3 is also available today for download from the Apple App Store for iPhone™ and iPod® touch.

“The day is here and we can’t wait to see what kind of stories the players will tell, movies they’ll make, homes they’ll build and everything they’ll share using The Sims 3,” said Ben Bell, Executive Producer of The Sims 3 at EA. “Now you can create any Sim you can imagine. For the first time ever, you can explore a seamless, open neighborhood and give your Sims real personality traits. Sims fans and new gamers alike will have something to love in The Sims 3.”

In The Sims 3 you can create lifelike Sims with a unique personality and take them anywhere in the neighborhood. The powerful Create-a-Sim tool allows you to create Sims that are more realistic than ever. Select from dozens of personality traits such as brave, artistic, kleptomaniac, clumsy, paranoid and romantic. With Create-a-Sim, you can create a limitless number of truly unique Sims. The Sims 3 allows for infinite possibilities to design the interior and exterior of your Sims’ surroundings using the Create-a-Style feature. Additionally, you can enjoy the challenge of short-term and long-term goals and then reap the rewards! Based on personality traits, skills and career choices, your Sims have short and long term Wishes that provide constant, fun challenges and so many things to do and achieve. You have the ultimate freedom to choose whether to fulfill their destiny, giving them lifetime happiness and rewards or not!

Register your copy of The Sims 3 for PC and Mac at www.TheSims3.com to enjoy the robust online and community features unique to your game including an all-new town called Riverview that you can download for no additional charge once you register.* You will also gain access to 1,000 SimPoints to purchase items from The Sims 3 Store including exclusive outfits, hairstyles, furniture, home décor, and architectural items to customize your Sims appearance and houses in all-new ways. Visit the Store each month for new, never-seen-before themed items. Additionally, be the director of your Sims’ movies by capturing clips during your gameplay, visiting the official site, and editing the soundtrack, story, and transitions, then share it with the world! These easily accessible tools inspire creativity and allow you to share your masterpieces with your friends and other players on The Sims 3 official website, personal blogs, or any social media network. See what you can create with The Sims 3.

The Sims 3 is the first The Sims game experience for iPhone and iPod touch. Full 3D Sims environments that take unique advantage of the innovative Multi-Touch user interface and accelerometer in the devices give players the opportunity to experience The Sims in a whole new way, anywhere, anytime. The Sims 3 is available globally from Apple’s App Store on iPhone and iPod touch, or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

The game also is available for purchase, globally, from wireless carriers for feature phones. For information on carrier availability and pricing for all EA Mobile games, please visit www.eamobile.com.

For more information about The Sims 3, please visit www.TheSims3.com. Developed by The Sims Studio, The Sims 3 is rated T for Teen by the ESRB, PEGI 12+, and USK 0. The game is available now for purchase at retail and online through digital distribution at http://eastore.ea.com/store/ea/ContentTheme/pbPage.the_sims3/ThemeID.718200. To download artwork, please visit www.info.ea.com.

* INTERNET CONNECTION required. See product pack or digital distribution rules for details.

About The Sims

The Sims franchise celebrates an impressive over 100 million units sold since its launch in February 2000. Now translated into 22 different languages and available in 60 different countries, The Sims quickly has become a universal gaming and cultural phenomenon. For the latest information about The Sims and to check out the new The Sims 3 official website to see what the players are creating, visit www.TheSims3.com.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EATM, EA SPORTSTM, EA Mobile TM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile, POGO, and The Sims are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Mac, iPhone, and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

The Sims 3 Review: Revolutionizing a Virtual Dollhouse

To fans of The Sims, The Sims 3 has been a long time coming. Announced in back in 2005 we finally have our hands on the third true game of the series.
The Sims series has always been known as a jewel of the game industry. Originally created by legendary game designer Will Wright, The Sims took off selling over one million copies in less than ten years. Smashing records the game moves into its third evolution.

The Sims 2 expanded upon the original Sims by introducing a brand new 3D engine. The Sims 3 adds greatly to the 3D engine rendering an entire town all seamlessly. The visuals for The Sims 3 look fantastic. You will see many breathtaking vistas upon your tour of sunset valley. Many visual areas from The Sims 2 have been improved as well. The foliage has had an incredible amount of detail put into it, and it shows beautifully. The Sims themselves have also gotten a facelift making them more realistic looking then their Sims 2 counterparts.

The biggest new addition to The Sims 3, that sets it apart from previous entries in the series, is the new seamless neighborhood. Your Sims can walk around and talk to other Sims in the neighborhood, which was previously never possible. There are no loading screens to split up the action. If you want to go shopping all you have to do is click on the location, and the Sim will immediately go. No loading screen, no slowdown. The town works incredibly well and is a great addition to the franchise. It refreshes the way you play and feels like a living, breathing town.

Another big addition to the Sims 3 is a new way to characterize your Sim’s personalities. EA has gotten rid of the old personality points system in favor of traits. You no longer have an outgoing rating of 6. Instead you can pick the “Flirty” trait. The new traits feel much more personable and realistic. There are a lot of neat personality traits to explore ranging from things like “Good” or “Neat Freak” to straight up bizarre like “Kleptomaniac” or “Never Nude”. Some traits effect your Sim’s physical interactions with the world and are pretty obvious. “Athletic” or “Natural Cook” are good examples of traits that are pretty easy to figure out. Other traits require more playing to see how they affect your Sim’s behavior such as “Daredevil” or “Family Oriented”. You can mix and match any 5 traits to make your Sim different than any other Sim. The traits feel much less robotic then the personality points in previous games.

One of the big differences between The Sims and The Sims 2 was the introduction of aging. In the Sims 2 your family would age and move on as the game progressed. The Sims 3 expands on this premise by aging the entire town as you play. As your Sim’s life progresses so does the entire town. While playing your Sim’s boss may pass away, thus your job performance may suffer or improve depending on how well you know your co-workers. It’s this new take on an old trick that makes The Sims 3 a more dynamic game then its predecessors.

The Sims has always been about creating a community, and this continues with The Sims 3. The new “Create-a-style” feature lets users “recolor” in game objects however they like. This new tool allows you to create very consistent homes. This tool is also used on clothing. If there is any object in the game you don’t like the color of you can change it in just a few clicks. The create-a-style tool is very simple to use yet at the same time can be very deep.

The Sims 3 is much more impressive on the web then The Sims 2 ever was. The new website provides tools such as a movie mashup maker that allow for casual players to experience a whole new area of gameplay without requiring expensive tools and tutorials. Obviously the tools aren’t very expansive but they’re not there for experienced movie makers, but rather for aspiring new directors looking to get started.

The sound design is as always a subtle mix of ambient noises such as birds and crickets mixed with a peaceful soundtrack composed by Steve Jablonsky. It’s a very nice and upbeat soundtrack that nicely compliments the gameplay and never gets in your face. It’s just there to back up the atmosphere.

Overall The Sims 3 is a definite pickup for any Sims fan out there. All the basics have been covered and improved upon. You won’t find much from previous expansions to the game in The Sims 3 but I’m sure they’re not far behind. If you enjoyed playing with dollhouses before you’re sure to enjoy playing with an entire town. The Sims 3 is a game that appeals to everyone whether a casual player or a hardcore gamer. There is always something to do in The Sims 3. Now stop reading this review and go buy the game.

EA Unveils The Sims 3 Web Features

So it seems as Drea has an ever growing position in The Sims Division. The Sims 3 site seems to be making quite a leap from the Sims 2 site. The main feature at launc (to me anyway) is the addition of a 2nd town which is downloadable, named Riverview. The new hood is something i'm surprised to see EA doing. Does this mean EPs will expand on the main town, or add their own towns? If so how will the 2nd town integrate into the main experience?

Also on the site you can find the mashup-maker, an exchange (Similar to that of the TS2 Exchange), and the My Sim pages make a return (is that good?). The store also makes a re-appearance (which we had confirmed earlier).

Press Release:

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 30, 2009 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced the robust online and community offerings to The Sims™ 3 game, the highly-anticipated flagship game from the best-selling PC franchise The Sims. In addition to the town included in the game, a second town, Riverview will be available for download from The Sims 3 product website at launch. TheSims3.com also will allow players to create and share their own movies, manage their online content and purchase additional in-game content. The game is set to launch worldwide on the PC, Mac, iPhone™, iPod® touch and mobile devices starting June 2, 2009.

“With such a vibrant and active community as The Sims has, we wanted to build even further on the already immense offline experience, by offering players additional functionality, content and tools available online through the game,” said Ben Bell, Executive Producer of The Sims 3. “One example of the many online tools we’ve added to the game is the Create a Movie tool. Within the game, players can easily set up the camera angle they want, capture in-game footage, play director and producer and then post their movies online to show off to the world.”

Key Online Elements Include:

The Sims 3 Store: Included with purchase of the game is $10 worth of SimPoints, which players receive when they first register their game online at TheSims3.com. They can use their SimPoints towards downloading exclusive in-game items from The Sims 3 Store, to customize their game. For additional items, players can purchase bundles of 500, 1000 and 2000 SimPoints in $USD, EUR, GBP and other major international currencies using a variety of payment methods including international and national credit cards, PayPal, and EA cash cards (in North America only). Whether it’s the must-have new outfit or the latest style of plaid furniture, players have the opportunity to further customize and populate their Sims world with additional items.

Game Launcher: The Game Launcher is the key entry point for players into TheSims3.com community. This hub page connects players to both the Store and the Exchange, and provides them with news and information about game updates. Players can keep track of their downloads, uploads, installs, game updates and their media portfolio that includes the videos and photos they can capture while playing the game. The Game Launcher also alerts players to new content in the store, localized game and store promotions along with relevant updates to the Store and cool new content from the community.

TheSims3.Com Site: With the launch of the game on June 2, the marketing website at TheSims3.com will be replaced with the full community and product site for the game. The site will not only connect players, encourage new ways to be creative in the game, and offer personally relevant information for each use, it also will serve as the hub site where players can share their content with other members, and embed them on social networking sites and blogs.

Key Site Features

The Exchange: Building off of The Sims 2 Exchange’s success of more than 100M downloads, The Sims 3 Exchange highlights featured items, most popular downloads, powerful search and browser capabilities, along with giving players the ability to see what other players are recommending.

Create a Movie and Create a Story: New easily accessible tools inspire creativity and allow players to create movies and stories and then show them off or share them with friends. Players can show off their Movies with the Create a Movie Tool by embedding them on external sites or with an email link back to their Movie on TheSims3.com.

My Page and My Studio: The Sims 3 product site will allow players to maintain their profile pages on their My Page section as well as offering them the new My Studio section to manage all their creations – Movies, stories, Exchange objects. My Page is also a blog space where players can post news, customize it with a personal avatar, track favorites and more. Users can make friends with other The Sims 3 players and share their content across a number of social network sites.

For more information about The Sims 3, go to www.TheSims3.com. The Sims 3, developed by The Sims Studio, is also in development for Mac, iPhone, iPod touch and mobile devices. To download artwork, visit www.info.ea.com. The Sims 3 will be available for purchase at retail and online through digital distribution starting June 2 at http://eastore.ea.com/store/ea/ContentTheme/pbPage.the_sims3/ThemeID.718200.

* INTERNET CONNECTION required. See product pack or digital distribution rules for details.

About The Sims 3

Get inspired by the endless creative possibilities and unexpected moments of surprise and mischief in The Sims 3! Customize your Sims’ appearances and choose up to five traits to create individual personalities. From the “romantic” trait or “kleptomaniac” trait to “evil” trait, create millions of unique Sims from the vast amount of personalities. New goal-oriented game play enables you to choose which short or long-term objectives you want your Sims to pursue and even determine your Sims’ destinies in life. Create and edit your own movies by capturing your gameplay moments or select from a library of clips. Then join The Sims 3 online community where you can show off all of your creations, receive additional content, hear the latest news, and more! Download exclusive content and hear the latest news of The Sims 3 at www.TheSims3.com.

About The Sims

The Sims franchise celebrates an impressive over 100 million units sold since its launch in February 2000. Now translated into 22 different languages and available in 60 different countries, The Sims quickly has become a universal gaming and cultural phenomenon. For the latest information about The Sims and to check out the hottest creations for The Sims 2 made by our community members, please visit www.TheSims2.com.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS^TM, EA^TM, EA SPORTS Freestyle^TM and POGO^TM. In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle, POGO and The Sims are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Mac, iPhone, and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Launcher Screenshot:

IGN Interview with Ben Bell

Along with the trailer IGN has also posted a brief interview with Ben Bell, which you can read right below!

"The sequel to the PC's most successful franchise of all time ships in a little more than two months, but it doesn't feel like it. We're so used to games getting gigantic marketing pushes months before they release, which is something that EA hasn't started quite yet for The Sims 3. Still, with company is looking to start the fanfare. Below is an exclusive trailer showing off the "devious" aspect of the game; you can create sims that literally steal candy from babies.

The trailer is interesting because it gives us a glimpse at how the larger world in this game works. Since the game models at entire town rather than a single household, there are more possibilities than before. In this case, it appears that the central character in the trailer is surveilling a house remotely, then drives across town, sneaks in, and does the nefarious deed. Some things never change, though, such as the hot French Maid uniforms.


Trailer - Watch or download the video here (HD available).

To learn more, we tried to get some answers out of executive producer Ben Bill.

IGN: It almost seems unreal that The Sims 3 ships early next year. The game itself was only revealed earlier this year, and it hasn't been shown that widely. What's the reasoning for this stealthy development?

Ben Bell: We didn't want to hype the game before we had something to show. If you look at our past appearances, we've almost always shown some form of gameplay, whether it's a video focused on gameplay or an actual producer or designer demo. We wanted to provide something really new and exciting for our players. We were also still making new and cool expansion packs for The Sims 2 and didn't want to detract from their spotlight.

IGN: We know that The Sims 3 is a bigger game than its predecessors. You simulate an entire town rather than a single house. But how big a town are you talking about? How many households and businesses and sims can the game manage?

Ben Bell: It's quite a big town that we think is the perfect fit for a Sims game. There are dozens of families to meet and visit as well as dozens of destinations that feature cool game and storytelling moments. A big focus of our design is approachability, so we wanted to make a town that was big enough to be interesting, but not so big that it scares away our fans.

There's a December-May relationship.

IGN: What's performance like? What sort of systems are you looking to support? Will a PC that ran The Sims 2 run The Sims 3?

Ben Bell: Performance is coming along really well. This is always at the top of our minds as we know that our player base owns a wide range of computers, from the awesome to the old and slightly sluggish. We're doing our best to give everyone a chance to play our game! We want laptop users as well as supercomputers to have a fun and engaging experience.

IGN: The new personality system is pretty interesting as you can create almost any type of behavior. I'm supposed to ask you about deviousness, so what exactly does this mean in The Sims 3?

Ben Bell: It means that players have a game that changes every time they play if they want it to. There are so many combinations, advantages to certain traits, disadvantages to others, that players can tell almost any story and play that game for months and months. We've iterated the traits so many times--we think players will really smile when they play with them.

You can create anyone you can imagine from an evil kleptomaniac that hates kids to a lazy egomaniac that is a great kisser. Each of these traits are displayed throughout the game, giving your sims one-of-a-kind personalities. If you choose to make your sims evil, they will steal candy from babies, as you saw in the video. Kleptomaniacs will steal from their neighbors.

IGN: Will the game ship with a single town, or will it be like The Sims 2 and ship with several pre-made neighborhoods? Will you be able to create your own town, as well?

Ben Bell: We are shipping with a single town that players can modify and tweak. We're not quite ready to discuss our future plans for additional towns and player editing but as always with the Sims you can expect a few surprises!

You can tell she's devious cause she's sneaky.

IGN: What's the online integration looking like? Do you plan to support direct-to-YouTube movie sharing, like Spore does? Do you imagine some kind of social networking functionality, such as MySpace or Facebook?

Ben Bell: We're very proud of our online community. No other game possesses the fan base of The Sims and we're doing everything we can to give them an incredible online community hub. We have supported strong community integration with The Sims and The Sims 2 and players can expect continued support for the Sims 3. As mentioned before, we're always trying to make the game more approachable and useable so we've tried to make some of the elements of sharing or downloading easier. For example, all of your content can easily be managed from your game launcher; a much more seamless experience than ever before.

IGN: What's a cool story of something that happens in The Sims 3 that could never happen in The Sims 2?

Ben Bell: Going on a date to the beach. A picnic with your family in the graveyard, followed by a quick tour of the catacombs! Finding a rare asteroid on the way home from the science lab only to see your husband arrested. There are so many things that can happen in The Sims 3 that players have never seen before."

Steve Jablonsky To Make The Sims 3 Theme

It seems EA has moved on from Mark Motherbau, the creator of The Sims 2 theme, to Steve Jablonsky to create The Sims 3 Theme.    Previously Jablonsky did the soundtrack for Transformers.  In the Press Release Jablonsky states;

"“It is extremely exciting to be involved in a blockbuster project like The Sims 3, where the music sets the tone for the entire user experience,” said Jablonsky. “Working on one of the most anticipated games in the world, not to mention the best selling PC franchise of all time, is quite an honor and I’ve had a blast getting to know The Sims 3 team of talented individuals.”

The Full Press Release can be read below, but first why not take a listen to the theme, in this quick video slideshow i whipped up.

Steve Jablonsky To Make The Sims 3 Score [Thesims3.ea.com]

The Sims 3 Coming to the DS

In a recent interview wit Gamasutra, Robi Kauker talked about transitition PC sound effects to other consoles, and talked mainly about The Sims 3 and the DS.

I just finished a DS game where I had 512K for audio and I had to get music in that too. The same ambience system that I was doing in The Sims 3 title, the same concept of the ambience system, was done on the DS level.

And in The Sims 3 world, it might be a two-second, three-second, four-second bird call or bird song to build the ambience. In the DS, it's a tenth of a second and I have to create the birdcall through programmatic, data-driven stuff, not just preset samples. In the certain way, the DS titles are probably going to have more interesting ambience -- at least for the geeky.

This pretty much confirms that The Sims 3 will be on Nintendo's portable system, adding to our current consoles of the iPhone, and PC. No news yet on the long rumored PS3 version, but we will keep you up to date!

View the full interview here

SimSocial Impressions

The SimSocial feature on Thesims3.com is a very interesting online based version of The Sims. The Sims is all about creating everything in the world, and then watching it grow, prosper, and mature. SimSocial takes that philosophy and streamlines it to a turn-based system.

SimSocial has many features you would expect from a Sims product such as the ability to create your own sim. The options, while limited, allow the user to personalize his sim to make it 1 of a kind. There are enough options so you can make a completely different sims, although a few more clothing and hair options would have been welcome.

A big aspect of SimSocial is the ability to socialize with your Sim’s friends. The socialization sector of the game seems to be a game more so of chance then actual decision making and chemistry. Granted there is a panel where it displays your friend’s interests and dislikes, but some of this is hard to match up with things you might actually do. While the actual socialization mechanic is a bit of a letdown the robust options more than make up for it. There are a lot of things to do, people to meet, and places to go in SimSocial. Things ranging from “Go to the movies” to “Stare at the walls”. Even the TV has channels to watch, giving you different mood or skill benefits. The interactions are divided into 2 sections, one you can do with friends, and the other you can only do alone. Each section has a bevy of places to go, and some you can obviously only do when you have the money, whereas others might be free.

One of my major gripes with SimSocial is the career system. When you exit the “Create A Sim” feature you are prompted to choose your lifetime goal and career path, which you can change at any time. This works fine for a while, but then you begin wondering “Why do I have the same job?” or “Am I ever going to see a different line of dialog?”. The career progression is never really explained, and feels like it was tacked-on. With the exception of the career panel there isn’t much to telling you what you are supposed to, and the information on the panel is lacking at best. There is an option to take evening classes in addition to your day job. I really wish this feature will be implemented in The Sims 3 when it ships this June, as it is a fantastic idea, even if in SimSocial it lacks grace. The idea of being able to take classes in various skills is a really nice alternative to using the bookcase to study skills every day. IT breaks up the reputation of collecting skill points. The problem with this feature it gives you very little in terms of details as to what you are doing. “How many classes do I have to take until I unlock the next class?” As you ask yourself that question the game never answers it. The career features were really good in feature, but felt more like an afterthought.

Another issue I have with SimSocial is the needs and skills system that is implemented. None of the needs are never explained, and seem to just be there. There is no real way of seeing what is affected because of needs. The job performance is about the only thing I can see that is affected, and that is because they tell you that in the career panel. Other then that the needs section of SimSocial just seems not needed, and pointless. The same can be said for the skill section, “Why am I going to classes again?” I often wonder to myself while I play, the game gives you no reason to actually gain skills. My other issue with the needs and skill sections is that there are too many of them. Since when do we have a “Loneliness” need? Or an “Excitement” need? The skills are the same way, dividing skills up into different levels such as “Basic Cooking” or “Food Safety”. It just seems to be too much micro-managing for a small web game that could have been simplified and streamlined.

The last issue I have with SimSocial is the timer. After a certain number of days your sim will “Fall Asleep” or at least that is what the game tells you. Once your sim falls asleep you cannot play for another 4 hours. This is obviously a means of getting you to come back often to continue your game, it is just an interesting way of implementing it. It reminds me a lot of the strategy used for Nintendogs where you could only do 3 competitions a day, and then you would have to come back the next day. While this feature isn’t disappointing it breaks up the gameplay quite a bit.

Overall I enjoyed SimSocial. It is a neat little web application which for the most part works really well. If it is any indication of what The Sims 3 will be like then we probably will not have much spare time for a few months. The social aspect of the game is the best part of SimSocial, even if it is flawed in some of the gameplay. The user interface is the most problematic part of SimSocial. It pollutes the screen with unnecessary information which is not needed to play the game, and hides the more important features under a layer of junk. I recommend SimSocial, just expect to be taking frequent breaks, and don’t plan on getting anywhere quickly, it will take time.

First Sims 3 Expansion News?

The Game isn't out, yet we have our first possible hint at the first Sims 3 Expansion. SimBr. attended the Sims 3 Brazilian event, and spoke with an EA rep who told them that the first expansion will likely focus on Jobs and Occupations.

We have just received from our representatives in The Sims 3 Tour event in Sao Paulo information about the first expansion of The Sims 3. Representatives Weslley, Eduardo and Victor spoke to the manager of marketing for EA Games, Ian Freitas, and revealed that the first expansion of The Sims 3 exists, and that probably has something do with occupations and work. Great news! Keep an eye on O Sim BR.net for more news in real time about events in Brazil!

Check out their report here

Thanks to S2K from The Simmers Club for the tip!

MySims Racing Announced!

Well you can officially race MySims around circuits this summer with MySims Racing!







Press Release:

EA Announces Upcoming Titles From the MySims Franchise
Wednesday January 7, 9:00 am ET

MySims Party and MySims Racing for the Wii and Nintendo DS Set to Release in 2009

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS - News), today announced the next two titles to be released within the MySims™ Franchise. MySims™ Party and MySims™ Racing, available for the Wii™ and Nintendo DS™, will release in 2009.

“When we created the MySims world, we believed that the MySims characters could be part of a variety of different gaming experiences. We are thrilled to bring MySims Party and MySims Racing to fans and new players alike,” said Tim LeTourneau, Executive in Charge of Production for MySims. “We’ve had great success with MySims, with both the original game and this fall’s MySims Kingdom. Players have really connected with the characters and now we are giving them two completely new and exciting experiences. We believe that MySims Party and MySims Racing, are great ways to couple the creativity and humor players love about the franchise with great multi-player arcade gameplay.”

MySims Party for the Wii

MySims Party turns any gathering into an instant party with 50 mini games to choose from, each hosted by a different MySim. You and your friends have the chance to Stick the Trick in the extreme snowboarding mini game, outrun a robot in Robo Assault or shake your groove thing with DJ Candy during the Go Go Dancing challenge. Each MySim character brings a unique combination of skill to the mission, with differing levels of endurance, speed and luck giving you the option to choose the best MySim for the task. You can play mini games one right after the other, or you and your friends can compete in a themed festival such as food, music or sports that offers multiple mini games.

MySims Party for the Nintendo DS

Take the mini games with you! MySims Party for the Nintendo DS offers 40 mini games to choose from. These games, specific for the DS, offer hours of entertainment. You can dig up dinosaur fossils during Excavate-a-Saurus, join Goth Boy on a first person shooter mission during Haunted Hunted or rock out with Air-Guitar-Star!

MySims Racing for the Wii

Race to the finish line in MySims Racing! Face a variety of tricky MySim opponents on a huge variety of exotic tracks! Take on up to three friends in intense multiplayer racing. During your race, find awesome power-ups such as the heat-seeking jack-o-lantern pumpkin or a bubble dropper that can help you wreck the competition. There are nearly endless customization options so that your car reflects your high-gear personality. You can swap bodies, change paint jobs and add tons of accessories. Not only can you change the look of your car, you can also improve power, acceleration and handling by mixing and matching engines, suspension and tires.

MySims Racing for the Nintendo DS

Take the race with you! MySims Racing for the Nintendo DS allows you and up to three of your friends to race each other using local wireless or Nintendo Wi-Fi.

MySims Party and MySims Racing were developed at The Sims Studio. MySims Party is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB, 3+ by PEGI, and has an MSRP of $39.99 for the Wii version and $29.99 for the Nintendo DS. MySims Racing has not yet been rated. For more information please visit www.mysims.com. For assets, please visit www.info.ea.com.

About The Sims Franchise

The Sims franchise celebrates an impressive over 100 million units sold since its launch in February 2000. Now translated into 22 different languages in 60 different countries, The Sims has quickly become a universal gaming and cultural phenomenon. For the latest information about The Sims and to check out the hottest creations for The Sims 2 made by our community members, please visit www.thesims2.com. To stay up-to-date on The Sims 3 news and information, check out www.thesims3.com. For information about the MySims franchise, visit www.mysims.com.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS^TM, EA^TM, EA SPORTS Freestyle^TM and POGO^TM. In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle, POGO, The Sims and MySims are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Gamespot Hand's on Preview

Gamespot recently got their hands on The Sims 3, and have now put up a Hands-on preview of the game. They talk a lot about Custom Content and Build/Buys modes in the game.

Buy and Build modes have been tweaked in The Sims 3, and neighborhood lots will also work differently. Previously, furniture for your house was sorted by function and type; now they'll have a revamped room-specific sorting list as well. The larger part of the story of the Buy and Build modes will be the use of create-a-style to paint all of your furniture, as well as your house, with whichever patterns you want as freeform wallpaper and carpeting--such as with, let's say for the sake of example, leopard print. (We tried this, and you can absolutely have leopard-print sofas in a room with all leopard-print walls.) Swapping in custom-built items created by the fanatically loyal Sims community will also be made easier in The Sims 3 with a built-in application that runs out of the game's launcher (as opposed to having to quit the game, open up a Web browser, and pulling up the "Exchange" community site, which is being updated to include YouTube-like and Facebook-like functionality, such as blogs, friends lists, favorites lists, and user ratings). In addition to uploading and downloading furniture, customized sims characters, and housing to and from the community site, The Sims 3 will have an in-game movie-making tool that will let you upload and download videos to and from the Exchange. More details on that at a later date.

You can read the entire interview here [Gamespot.com]

My Sims 3 Pre-Order Box

Not sure exactly why i haven't posted this yet, but i scanned the box i got for pre-ordering the Sims 3. It looks like this: (Back is on the right, Front is on the left)



As you can hopefully see it comes with $10 worth of Simpoints for use in The Sims 3 Store, so therefore we now know there will be a Sims 3 Store. I only get the points when i pick up the game however which is a bit of a bummer. My Pre-Order box also came with a poster for the band Bang Camaro, which i get a free music download for when the game launches. The poster was too big to scan, not that it's all that appealing, just more marketing stuff. Finally in the box came some Sims 3 Stickers (shown below). They're actually neat looking stickers, granted i would have prefered Sim art over just Plumbobs, they do the job, and it's only $5. So, check out the images (click to enlarge). And just wait for it to launch this June!

Sims 3 Blog Update

Sorry for the lack of news posting over the past few days, ive been busy and Jaws has been aswell. Thursday thesims3.com updated with a new Blog update for Sims 3 VIP Members.

"How goes it Sim fans? When we develop our games, we’re constantly trying to balance our designs between the varied groups that play The Sims. These include the builders who create incredible homes, the gamers who strive to reach the top of the career or befriend everyone, and my personal favorite – the storytellers.



We’ve written about Traits, the town, and creating unique Sims, which are just tools that feed the storyteller’s appetite (Note: Link to previous blogs here). Shall we take a brief jaunt through one of my stories so I can prove I’m not just making this up?



I almost always create a character based loosely on myself, perhaps because I can empathize with him, or maybe I just have a fascination with seeing how my life could turn out differently. Grant Duders is typically a Workaholic who Loves the Outdoors, is a Green-Thumb and Bookworm.



Why these Traits? For starters, Grant works extra hard to make ends meet while trying to make it as a professional writer. Writing is difficult though, and writer’s block a common foe, so he frequently spends his time outdoors gardening in the sun. It’s a great stress reliever!



Every writer needs a muse and Grant is no exception. The town is full of attractive singles and few locations are better for mixing and mingling than the gym. It’s the perfect plan – the Sims there are in shape, outgoing, and exactly where Grant is!



Unfortunately, the conversations don’t go so well after Grant’s charming introduction. Grant frequently talks about work (yawn), relies too heavily on the fact that he’s an aspiring writer (who isn’t?), and frequently stinks (from working out).



Being single is hard!



Luckily, Grant’s an optimist. He’s convinced Ms. Right is somewhere in town. Plus, being single has its perks! With all of the time saved by not having to date, Grant can focus his energy on landscaping and arranging his home so that when he does have the perfect girlfriend, a sweet job, and friends, he can throw an awesome party.



Suddenly, I must become a gamer so Grant Duders can make enough money to furnish the home. Then I have to become a builder to make all the parts of Duders’ home and backyard look fantastic. Once all the pieces are in place, I return right back where I started – telling my, err, his story exactly how I want it to unfold.



We want every player to love their Sims, feel an attachment to them so that they are well taken care of, and most importantly, feel the satisfaction of seeing their often goofy Sims succeed at whatever they put their hearts to. I cannot wait to read your stories in just a few short months!



Thanks for reading!

Grant

P.S. The real one."

Gamespot Review The Sims 3

Gamespot reviewed The Sims 3 before heading off to E3.

For experienced Sims players, the laundry list of new features in The Sims 3 is extensive, but the one overhaul that has the biggest impact on the game is how seamlessly you can now move around your virtual town. In previous games, the presence of various neighborhoods led to a disjointed experience, so you rarely felt like you were in a living world. Now, your burb is freely explorable, so traveling to the gym, the art gallery, or your place of work means walking, biking, driving, or taxiing to the location in question without any loading times to break things up. Want your sim to head to the library and read up on the latest mystery? Just zoom out to the city map and select your destination, and your sim will travel there automatically, using the most efficient means of transportation. You might even get the option to invite someone along with you, so you won't have to head to the diner alone if you've got a friend or acquaintance nearby who's available to tag along.

Read the full review

The Sims 3 to Rule 2009 Says IGN

IGN PC today put out their preview piece for 2009 today, and in it they give The Sims 3 the Silver Top Game of 2009 award, 2nd to only Bioshock 2

The Sims as a series has sold 100 million games in less than a decade, and with The Sims 3 it's a brave new 3D world as the scope of the game expands from a single household to an entire town. With more realistic personalities and a whole lot more to do, it's hard to see how this game won't delight The Sims' large and loyal fan base.

You can read the article here

The Sims 3 Trial?

A NY Times article has debuted 3 ways that the Sims 3 will do marketing over the web. A Sims 3 Email Chain, where you can send emails to a Sim Pen-pal, and depending on your responces they might send back different things. The 2nd is a Sims Sidekick which will put a sim on your desktop and can browse the web at your side.

The third and most interesting is a free "trial". Now i'm not sure if this could be the full game (similar to Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box) or if it could be like Bodyshop which was released as a free demo for TS2. Exspect more info to come soon, as we are now 18 Days from Launch!

Read the NY Times Article Here

The Sims 3 Movie Mashup Tool Video

Gamespot has posted a new Sims 3 Walkthrough of sorts, which shows off the Mashup creator that is on The Sims 3 website when it launches. Personally i will stick to Sony Vegas to do my movies as the mashup creator looks rather shallow and seems slow and clunky. The new TS3 website on the other hand looks fairly sleek from what i can see. Check the video out here.

Gamespot has also posted some examples like a Human Chess Match

The 2nd video i'm not so sure as to what it is, but now we know that your Sims can play Burnout Paradise which is perhaps one of my favorite games of all time

The 3rd movie i also don't really understand...

Movie #1
Movie #2
Movie #3

New Sims 3 CAS Trailer

Game Trailers has posted a brand new Trailer for The Sims 3. This trailer emphasizes the creativity aspect of The Sims 3. Ranges from CAS to Customizing outfits, to building houses! You can get The Sims 3 on February 20th worldwide!

New Sims 3 Screenshots

In addition to the Sim Animals screenshot, EA has also released 2 new Sims 3 screenshots. I must say that where Sim Animals lacks in graphics, The Sims 3 certainly picks up the slack, the ghost looks stunning. The Sims 3 hits stores this February.

Poll Results

Sorry i'm a bit late in regards to the poll, will try to be on time better next week. Here are the results for the poll this week. The Questions was: "What are you most looking forward to?"

Your Responce was actually better then i had thought;

The Sims 2: Mansion & Garden Stuff
3 (50%)

The Sims 3
1 (16%)

A New Simcity Game
1 (16%)

None of These
1 (16%)

This weeks Poll question is: "What should we cover more of?"
Responces:

The Sims 3
The Sims 2
Simcity
MySims
Spore
Community Features
None of These

Poll will close on Monday as always