It’s been a long time coming, but finally Sims 3 has been released today (unless of course you live in the US, in which case you have been enjoying the game for a couple of days now).
So what do you think? What are your favourite new features?
Please post your comments below.
We are getting very close to the Sims 3 release date. Make sure you pre-order your copy soon to ensure you are able to play when it releases on February 20th.
There is a great interview on gamespy with Rod Humble, the man in charge of the Sims franchise. The most pleasing part of the interview for me was him acknowledging how frustrating load times can be:
The biggest thing that annoyed us, frankly, were the loading times.
The only disappointment is there is still no word on a release date beyond ‘some time next year’. My guess is it will be later in the year rather than earlier.
EA teased it, and now Games for Windows: The Official Magazine is giving you all the full blown coverage. The April/May issue of GFW will sport a world exclusive cover story of the newest entry in the second best selling franchise in all gaming.
Some of the details from the 12-page preview:
The biggest change to The Sims 3 is that it takes place in a wide-open, constantly changing neighborhood — a much bigger sandbox, if you will, and a much more complex simulation. The town and park you see on the cover image to the right (click to enlarge) exist in the same seamless space as your Sims’ household, and what you do outside your home now matters as much as what you do within. (Yes, previous expansion packs added out-and-about activities, but they were always separate sub-games. Here, everything’s completely integrated.) The game also sees a major shift in how Sims’ motives are handled: Individual meters indicating bladder and sleep-deprivation levels are replaced by a new system of discrete moods, the aim being to get players off the treadmill of fulfilling primal eat-sleep-pee-repeat requirements so they can focus more on, well, going out on the brand new town.
1UP will be home to all sorts of coverage of the game in the coming weeks. From a community Q&A to a podcast with Sims Studio head Rod Humble, you’ll find out everything you want to know.
And don’t forget to keep checking back here for the latest news as we approach the release day later in the year