The Sims 3

The Sims 3
The first box art of The Sims 3
Developer(s)	The Sims Studio
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Composer(s)	Steve Jablonsky
Series	The Sims
Platform(s)	OS X, Windows, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Mobile
Release date(s)	NA June 2, 2009 AUS June 4, 2009 EU June 5, 2009
Genre(s)	Life simulation, Social simulation
Mode(s)	Single-player
Media/distribution	Optical disc, Download

The Sims 3 is a 2009 strategic life simulation computer game developed by The Sims Studio and published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to the best-selling computer game, The Sims 2. It was first released on June 2, 2009 simultaneously for OS X and Windows – both versions on the same disc. The Sims 3 was released to game consoles and smartphones on October 26, 2010, for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Android, iOS and Nintendo DS and later the Wii platform on November 15, 2010. The Windows Phone version was made available on the Windows Phone Store on the October 15, 2010 for $6.99. There is also a Nintendo 3DS version, released on March 27, 2011, as one of its launch titles. It has also been released for mobile phone platforms, and a simpler version for mobiles with Java.

The Sims 3 was an instant success, selling 1.4 million copies in its first week. Critics issued mostly positive reviews. The Sims 3 gained an 86/100 score from aggregator Metacritic. The game has sold over ten million copies worldwide since its 2009 release, making it one of the best-selling computer games of all time.

Gameplay

Two sims interacting with each other

The Sims 3 is built upon the same concept as its predecessors. Players control their own Sims' activities and relationships in a manner similar to real life. The gameplay is open-ended and indefinite. Sim houses and neighborhoods are placed on one continuous map. The developers stated that "What you do outside your home now matters as much as what you do within." One of the biggest changes to the franchise is the use of "rabbit-holes". Players aren't allowed to go inside the majority of city buildings; instead, the Sim will disappear inside for a certain amount of time—a feature known in video games as a "rabbit-hole"—while the player is given several choices on what happens inside using a text-based notification.

The Sims 2 used a reward system called Wants and Fears. This is replaced with a new system called Wishes in The Sims 3. Fulfilling a Sim's wish contributes to the Sim's Lifetime Happiness score and mood. Some wishes, such as "Go to the Park", may add little points to their lifetime happiness while "wish for happiness" may add thousands of points. In The Sims 2, Wants and Fears also contributed to a Sim's "Aspiration" meter, roughly analogous to current self-esteem. In The Sims 3, Aspiration is removed entirely, replaced with mood Moodlets", which contribute positive or negative values to the original Motivation meter. Moodlets can be inspired by physical events, such as having a good meal or comfort from sitting in a good chair, as well as emotional events like a first kiss or a break-up. Most moodlets last for a set duration, but some negative Moodlets can be cured and some positive ones rely on the Sim's surroundings and traits.

The game includes an optional feature called "Story Progression," which allows all Sims in the neighborhood to autonomously continue as if the player were controlling them, such as get married, get jobs and promotions, have children, move into their dream house or move out of the neighbourhood while the player isn't playing. Sims live for a set duration of time (adjustable by the player) and advance through several stages (baby, toddler, child, teen, young adult, adult, and elder). Sims can die of old age or they can die prematurely from causes such as fire, starvation, drowning, electrocution, (as of the World Adventures expansion pack) Mummy's curse, (as of the Ambitions expansion pack) a meteor, and (as of the Late Night expansion pack) by thirst (vampires only). One of the major new additions to gameplay is Opportunities, tasks that Sims can complete to earn rewards. These challenges occur randomly based on aspects of each Sim's lifestyle, such as relationships, skills and job. Career opportunities such as working overtime or completing special tasks can yield a pay raise, cash bonus, or relationship boost. Skill opportunities are requests by neighbors or community members for Sims to solve problems using their acquired skills for cash or relationship rewards. If the opportunity is connected to a Sim's school, the reward may be increased school performance.

Create a Sim

A player editing a Sim in Create a Sim.

Create a Sim (CAS) has more customizable options for Sims than the CAS in The Sims 2. The player has a larger selection of body types for Sims, and are able to create different hair styles for every Sim. The player is able to pick their Sim's shoes, a feature previously limited to console versions of The Sims and The Sims 2.

There are a total of 22 hairstyles for female Sims and 17 hairstyles for male Sims with more available through expansion packs, stuff packs, the Sims 3 store and third-party custom content. There are a variety of hats and hair accessories that the player can use, but they all come with set hairstyles. Each of the hats and accessories can also have their colors and textures altered. Hairstyles can be chosen separately for each outfit. Each hairstyle's color can be customized with one of eight basic colors. but players can customize the hair further by clicking the paintbrush icon. Individual colors for the base, roots, tips and highlights of the Sim's hair can be customised with a color palette and slider. The Sim's basic hair color can even be changed to unnatural colors, as can the color of the roots, tips, and highlights. User-made hair colours can be saved onto the bin and used later, and will be used by generated Sims. Hair colors can be shared to the exchange for other players to download and use.

Compared to previous games in the series, a lot more things can be modified. It is possible to just change the nose of a sim, for example, and it is possible to use the Advanced Mode to go into more depth (such as to change nostril definition, nose tip scale and bridge height). There are more hairstyles than that in The Sims 2 and The Sims core games combined. The player cannot add layers when customizing clothing, but if the clothes already have layers then the colors and textures for each layer can be altered. The player can also click on any part of the Sim and the Create a Sim tool takes them directly to the right menu for editing whatever is selected. There is an eyelash length slider bar. Socks and shoes are also fully customizable. Muscle and body weight sliders have been introduced and can be fully adjusted to create much more varied and realistic looking Sims. The Sims 3: Late Night expansion pack added sliders for breast size and muscle definition.

The player can also choose the Sim's full name, age, gender, and skin tone. There are a variety of different skin tones, including green and blue. In The Sims 2, players could only choose between two basic body types: normal and fat. A third body type – Fit – could only be achieved in the game and not on the Create A Sim menu. In The Sims 3, however, body weight is determined by moving a slider left or right. Sims can be extremely skinny or extremely fat. However, toddlers do not have the option to have their weight customized. Weight can be decreased through gameplay if the Sim exercises or increased if the Sim continues eating after they have filled up their hunger meter.

In the clothing tab, players can choose what their Sims will wear. The five categories of outfits are everyday wear, formal wear, sleepwear, athletic wear, and swimwear. A sixth category, outerwear, was included with the Seasons expansion pack, which includes clothing for outdoor weather conditions such as winter coats. Each type of clothes found in each categories include tops, bottoms, full-body outfits, footwear (which players can choose, unlike in The Sims and The Sims 2), eye wear, earrings, gloves, bracelets, rings and socks. Players can create up to three outfits in all categories. Outfits can be customized during gameplay by clicking on a dresser. The hair, skin colour, face, freckles etc cannot be changed in the dresser, as real life is. Young Adults, Adults, and Elders can also have the ability to customize their "career outfits" for the added benefit to the player. The color and pattern of the clothes can be chosen by the player with the Create a Style tool. However toddlers do not have the option to have athletic wear, swimwear and accessories chosen and/or customized. Accessories can also be added and customized also with the Create a Style tool.

Players can choose any of the traits available in the menu. Players can also choose their Sim's favorite food, music and color. The Sim's voice is customizable as well. Toddlers have one voice slider, children have two voice sliders, and teenagers and older have three voice sliders. They can also pick the Sim's lifetime wish, which is a goal a Sim will be working for all of their lifetime until it is fulfilled. Zodiac signs are added in The Sims 3: Late Night and Patch 1.7, which make Sims more friendly with other Sims of compatible signs. Players can also write the biography of their Sims. Toddlers, children and teenagers don't have the option to have their lifetime wish chosen in CAS, but will be provided with lifetime wishes occasionally as they grow up and the player will be able to select one. Once a teenager, toddler, or child have chosen a lifetime wish, it can only be changed if they achieve enough Lifetime Happiness points to gain the Change Lifetime Wish experience reward.

Skills

There are several skill-dependent abilities, such as advanced social interactions available from high charisma, special songs for guitar players, and appliance upgrades (self-cleaning, more TV channels, etc.) for high handiness. Painting, writing and guitar are now different skills, instead of the all-encompassing "creativity" skill of The Sims. Paintings are now more particular to each Sim, based on their traits. Sims can increase their skills by practicing a skill (e.g. playing the guitar, working in the garden, writing a novel, etc.), reading a book about the skill, or taking a class in the skill at a civic building. Sims can begin building their skills as early as their toddler days. While skills do not show up in the meter right away, using skill building objects is rewarded once the toddler grows into a child. Logic can be used to teach children skills that will help them in later life. The skills include Logic, Cooking, Painting, Gardening, Writing, Guitar, Athletic, Handiness, Charisma and Fishing. New skills were later added in expansion packs. When Sims reach level 10 of a skill, they will get a certificate in the mail to display on a wall or sell for 1000 Simoleons.

Players do not see the skill in the Sim panel until the first point is unlocked, then they can view them in a skill journal. Each skill has a tab in the skill journal detailing the level of the skill, statistics, what the challenges are, and sometimes other special information. For example, the athletic skill journal shows the statistics: hours of cardio workout, hours of strength workout, distance jogged. The skill journal is viewed by pressing the 'J' key in-game or selecting the skills tab and clicking the small document that appears at the end of the skill bar after unlocking the first point. Various challenges are also available in the skill journal. For example, in the Painting skill journal, a challenge to paint thirty paintings is available. When completed, the Sim earns a reward of being able to paint significantly faster than normal Sims. There are multiple skill challenges for each and every skill, as well as collections. All of them earn some kind of benefit, such as quicker completion, better results, etc. With The Sims 3: Ambitions, the skill journal also shows hidden skills that a Sim has learned.

Careers

Many of the careers from The Sims 2, and The Sims such as the Law Enforcement and Athletic tracks, are in The Sims 3. Of course, there are also some new ones. Sims can look for these jobs in the newspaper, the computer, or apply right at the building where they’d like to work. (Every career has a building in the neighborhood.) Sims are also able to make a living at home selling paintings, writing novels, playing guitar for tips or growing fruit and vegetables. Jobs such as nectar making can become a profession with the Sims 3 World Adventures. To get some extra cash on the side if the Sim also has some cash to spare, they can buy out businesses and receive a percentage of the profits they earn. If Sims are less inclined towards pursuing a full-time career or if they need more time during the day, they can get part-time jobs at certain career locations within the town. Part-time jobs have a lower pay than full-time jobs and do not give career opportunities. Part-time jobs are also available for teen and elderly Sims.

Advancing in a career still depends on mood and skills, but also relationships with colleagues/boss and even certain goals that have to be fulfilled. The player can decide how hard they work while on the job. The option to work hard will increase the Sim's performance faster at the expense of their mood. Taking work home, schmoozing the boss, reading medical journals, or completing opportunities also have an impact on a Sim's job performance. Chance cards and at-work events can still cause the Sim to lose their job, but may actually help them get a better job in another career track. Reaching the top of a career doesn't mean they're done, either. If a Sim keeps excelling at their duties, they can rake in extra Simoleons through additional raises.

A new feature The Sims 3 offers is branching careers, which allows Sims to choose a certain path in their career (such as a Sim in the Music career can eventually choose to specialize in Symphonic music or Rock).

The Ambitions expansion pack introduces professions, careers that allow the player direct control over their Sims’ work and how they spend their days, and the ability for Sims to register at City Hall as self-employed in a skill career.

The careers in the core game are Business, Culinary, Criminal, Journalism, Law Enforcement, Medical, Military, Music, Political, Science, and Professional Sports. Professions in the Ambitions expansion pack include Firefighter, Ghost Hunter, Investigator, Architectural Designer, and Stylist. The part-time jobs available include such positions as a Bookstore Clerk, Grocery Store Clerk, Spa Receptionist, Spa Specialist and a Mausoleum Gravedigger. If the Sim is a Rockstar, other Sims recognize this and react. The same if he/she is at the top of other careers, like the Military career: Sims use their military greeting and their children can then also use the military greeting. There are some banners that can be found depicting them. Careers and part-time jobs pay hourly, not daily. Sims in a professions from Ambitions, will get money for performing each job, while receiving a weekly stipend. NPCs such as the maid and repairman, when asked about their career by a Sim, will state Maid and Repairman, but if they move into a household they will be listed as unemployed. So far most service NPC jobs are off limits to the player.

Worlds

Neighborhoods are now being officially referred to as 'worlds', possibly due to Electronic Arts' use of the Create a World tool and the neighborhoods scale. Worlds are now 'seamless', open to exploration between lots and are affected by a new game mechanic called story progression. The primary world in the game is Sunset Valley, while an additional world called Riverview can be obtained for free. All expansion packs to date (except Generations and Seasons ) have included a world, and additional worlds can be bought at the Sims 3 store.

The Create a World tool allows players to make their own neighborhoods with custom terrains similar to SimCity 4. A game patch, released in conjunction with the release of Ambitions, also allows players to manipulate pre-made neighborhoods to a limited degree, such as adding or removing lots and scenery. As of Late Night, worlds are divided into "Sims 3 Towns and "Late Night Towns". There seem to be important differences between the two, like the sims they can spawn, etc. Up to now, Bridgeport is the only pre-made world to be catalogued as a city. The rest, including the exotic destinations from World Adventures, are considered suburbs.

On March 19, 2008, EA revealed open world, a new feature, for The Sims 3. Players can explore the world outside their Sims' homes without having to face strenuous loading times. Every house lot is now synchronized with the main neighborhood time. In previous Sims games, the time of day was separate and different for each house lot. Players can interact with every building and amenity in a city. Although players are unable to see inside of certain commercial buildings often called rabbitholes (grocery, bookstore, theater, police station, school, etc.), they are able to enter and retain limited control over their Sims' actions while in these locations. The player has complete control in some other commercial buildings – such as the gym, library and the beach house. All occupied residential buildings can be entered in the same manner as a Sims' home, provided that the buildings are not empty or it is not too late at night.

Build/Buy modes

A player placing the floor in their Sim's house in Build mode.

The build and buy modes have received their own makeover. The square tile outlines that appeared on the ground in previous Sims games' build and buy modes are now a quarter of their original size to give the player more liberty to place objects where they want. Alternatively, it is possible to place objects freely without square tiles, an option that was missing in previous Sims games. Players can re-color and re-pattern the furniture and other items to specific shades and patterns with the new Create-a-Style and make houses with five levels (basements of up to four floors deep).

Build mode is one of three modes in The Sims 3. It is used mainly for construction and architectonic work. Some items that would be considered to be in build mode, such as counters and lights, are actually in the buy mode section. Build mode can be used to do many things including adding walls, paint/cover walls, add doors and windows, lay down flooring, create foundations and raised decks, create basements by using either foundations or the Basement tool, add columns and supports, create pools, raise and lower land, create ponds, build gardens and landscape a lot, add fireplaces, add additional floors/stories to a building, add stairs, and add a roof. Some expansion packs released after The Sims 3 add extra build mode features such as ceiling construction and designing the terrain, Players cannot build or place objects outside the limits of the lot. Walls and foundations cannot be placed within one tile of the outer limit of the lot. Fences can be placed all the way up to the edge of the lot and all structures built by the players are limited to five above-ground stories as well as four basement levels. Buildings can be modified to appear to be taller than five stories, either using shells (introduced in Late Night) or by use of the constrainfloorelevation false cheat, which disables the requirement for above-ground floors to be uniform in height and level. There will, however, still be only a maximum of five usable above-ground floors. The height of a section of wall is equal to the length of 3-floor squares. This is most noticeable while placing a 45° roof. It is possible that the length of a game tile is 1 meter, and that the height of a section of wall would then be 3 meters. In some situations, Build mode, as well as Buy mode, may become disabled, such as during a fire, burglary, or other major event. This is done to prevent modifications to the lot that may impact or prevent a game event from occurring. After the event has ended, Build and Buy modes will be re-activated. This feature has been an annoyance to many player and is disabled in many mods. Depreciation of objects is visible in The Sims 3. All objects depreciate 10% as soon as the player exits build mode. This adds realism to the game and gives the player limited tries at building before the costs of building use up too much of the funds intended for furnishing and living expenses. When in build mode, players can return items for full value by using the undo tool.

In Buy mode, the player may purchase items from the catalog, sell objects that are on the current lot, and arrange objects on the current lot. Construction-related elements such as doors, windows, fences, and stairs are not associated with buy mode, but are in build mode. Buy mode largely focuses on furniture and appliances. The descriptions of many of the objects available for purchase in the game (namely the least expensive ones) involve humor, sarcasm, insults towards the player, and wit, and serves as comic relief in the game. For example, one of the cheapest cars available in The Sims 3, the "Big Lemon", notes that although the car's doors are jammed and its ignition is faulty, it is still worth buying. Another example is the outdoor entertainment item "Foot-and-Hand Ball" used to train the athletic skill, which references and pokes fun at American football, which, despite its name, rarely involves contact with the ball via the feet. A feature that was introduced in The Sims 2 and stays present currently is the eyedropper tool. When the eyedropper tool is pointed at a wall covering, floor covering, or most objects, will show the name of what it's pointed at. Clicking on a wall or floor covering will switch to the appropriate area of build mode and select that covering so it can be applied. Clicking on an object will make an exact duplicate of it, and will focus the catalog on that object. The family inventory is a space where objects that are too large to be held in a Sim's personal inventory are kept. Certain opportunities may make an object available in the Family Inventory. When a Sim family moves, if "pack furniture" is selected, all objects in the household will be placed in the Family inventory, to be moved and rearranged in the new house.

Create a World

On October 29, 2009, Electronic Arts announced "Create a World (CAW)", which is a game world editor that allows players to create their own custom cities from scratch for use within the game. Players can customize lots, choose terrain patterns and add roads, vegetation and neighborhood accents (such as water towers and lighthouses). CAW also allows players to import designs from PNG files for use in their worlds. Users can upload their worlds to The Sims 3 Exchange for download by other players. The editor tool is offered to players as a separate download (156MB), and was released on December 16, 2009 as a beta version. EA will offer technical support and updates. Players are able to share their neighborhoods as with other content. The Create A World tool is currently only available for Windows based PCs.

Development

System requirements

Requirements Windows Operating system Windows XP Service Pack 2 or Windows Vista Service Pack 1 or Windows 7 CPU Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent 2.0 GHz (XP) 2.4 GHz (Vista or 7) [If built-in graphics chipsets then 2.6 GHz Pentium D CPU, or 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo, or equivalent.] Memory 1 GB (XP) 1.5GB (Vista or 7) [If built-in graphics then add 0.5 GB additional RAM] Hard drive space 6.1GB or more for extra content Graphics hardware DirectX 9.0c compatible card with 128 MB RAM (NVIDIA FX 5900/ATI 9500 or better) and support for Pixel Shader 2.0 Sound hardware 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible card Macintosh Operating system Mac OS X 10.5.7 Leopard CPU Intel Core Duo Processor Memory 2 GB Hard drive space 6.1GB of free space and 1GB for additional content Graphics hardware ATI X1600 or NVIDIA 7300 GT with 128 MB RAM or Intel Integrated GMA X3100

Electronic Arts first announced Sims 3 on March 19, 2008. The game was developed at The Sims Studio located in Redwood Shores, California. On January 15, 2009, EA invited "some of the best" custom content creators to their campus at Redwood Shores where they were hosting a Creator's Camp. Creators have been invited to spend the week exploring and creating content like Sims, houses and customized content. The Creators' work is used to pre-populate The Sims 3 Exchange. In the seventh expansion pack for The Sims 2, The Sims 2: FreeTime, an event occurs in which a Sim-version of Rod Humble, the head of The Sims franchise, gives the player's Sim family an unopened gift box. When opened, the family gets a computer with The Sims 3 on it. The Sims 3 game cannot be bought in the catalog. Sims can then play The Sims 3 on their computers or console systems. Like all the other games that Sims can play in The Sims 2, The Sims 3 is a looping gameplay video shown on the player's Sim's computer screens when played by a Sim. On July 15, 2008 the first video preview of The Sims 3 appeared on the official website as did seven new screenshots and five Create-A-Sim screens. Four screenshots that appeared on the website and were then taken down soon after, leaked onto the Internet by a member of the community.

Copies of the video game Spore also came packaged with fliers advertising the game, with information stating whole-neighborhood accessibility and endless possibilities on character creation. On October 31, 2008, two teaser trailers were released by Electronic Arts featuring a comical view on the 2008 presidential election in the United States. Candidates John McCain and Barack Obama were included along with respective running mates Sarah Palin and Joe Biden. In the eighth expansion pack of The Sims 2, The Sims 2: Apartment Life, new objects were added including logo posters and framed screenshots. The game was shipped with a code and an Internet address, where the player could download clothing with The Sims 3 logo on it. Another developer walk through was released on November 6, 2008, featuring in-depth previews of the neighborhood and Create-A-Sim.

On May 8, 2009, EA announced that The Sims 3 had gone gold meaning that the game had finished beta testing stage and was off for manufacturing ahead of its June 2009 release. On May 15, 2009 EA released some online interactive teaser experiences on The Sims 3 Website, including 'SimFriend', which allows users to choose a virtual Sim Friend who would email them throughout the day. 'SimSocial', which allows users to create their own Sim online, and have an adventure with them. 'SimSidekick', which allows users to surf the web with a sim. Two weeks before the game was scheduled to be released, a pirated version of the digital distribution version of the game leaked onto the Internet. EA later commented the leak was a "buggy, pre-final" version. EA claims that more than half of the game is missing and is susceptible to crashes or worse. Reportedly, the title has seen higher piracy rates than that of the most pirated game of 2008, Spore.

Marketing

In April 2009, Electronic Arts began to post billboards in many areas in advertisement for the game. Many of the billboards covered skyscrapers in densely populated areas, most notably Times Square in New York City. The costs of these billboards was estimated to be $10 million a month. This marketing campaign proved successful, as The Sims 3 sold 1.4 million copies in its first week, breaking the record for all EA games.

On March 23, 2009, the look and feel of The Sims 3 was threaded throughout the storyline of an episode of The CW series One Tree Hill. On screen, the episode opens in an idealized Sims version of One Tree Hill and then transitions into the real Tree Hill. As this episode plays out, Sims versions of popular One Tree Hill characters are introduced and then morph into the real-life characters, including Dan (Paul Johansson), Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Peyton (Hilarie Burton).

The Sims 3 versions of the characters are available for download via CW's official website. On April 19, 2009, Target exclusively released a promotional disc of The Sims 3 that features a Ladytron band poster, The Sims 3 theme song music download, and a $5 off coupon. The main menu includes screensaver downloads, videos, Create-A-Sim, Create-A-House, and much more. There is no actual gameplay involved, but it describes what playing feels like.

On July 14, 2010, Ford Motor began a promotion at The Sims 3 Store by allowing players to download their newest car at the time, the Ford Fiesta Mark VI. The car also came with a collection of street signs. On October 27, 2010, the download was updated to include the Fiesta Hatchback. The 2012 Ford Focus was made available to download on June 8, 2011. The car included one male Ford t-shirt, one female Ford t-shirt, a stereo, and a set of neon lights, all for use in-game. The Focus pack was available to download on Mac, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms.

Audio

Music for The Sims 3 was composed by Steve Jablonsky. Scores were recorded with the Hollywood Studio Symphony at Newman Scoring Stage at 20th Century Fox. Music for the game's stereo and guitar objects was produced by others, including Darrell Brown, Rebeca Mauleon, and Peppino D'Agostino. Additional music was produced by APM Music. Two soundtracks have been released for The Sims 3 base game, The Sims 3 Soundtrack and The Sims 3 – Stereo Jams. The soundtrack includes theme music and the Stereo Jams album includes music from stereos in game. All songs on Stereo Jams are in Simlish.

The Sims 3 soundtrack
No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Sims Theme"	1:55
2.	"Simmering Mallets"	3:01
3.	"Consumerism Simplified"	2:58
4.	"Verisimilitude"	3:03
5.	"Simple Assembly"	2:57
6.	"Aisles of Miles of Smiles"	3:00
7.	"Identity Check"	2:51
8.	"Simple Directions"	2:55
9.	"Some Assimbly Required"	3:00
10.	"Let's Assimilate"	2:58
11.	"Don't Be Parsimonious"	3:01
12.	"Constructive Simicism"	2:57
13.	"Maps & Simbols"	2:57
14.	"Amazing Facsimile"	2:44
15.	"Striking Similarities"	3:03
16.	"Cartographer's Simphony"	3:03
17.	"Fortissimo Personality"	3:01

The Sims 3 – Stereo Jams
No.	Title	Artist	Length
1.	"Santa Rosa"	Vespa Sun	3:40
2.	"Arcadia"	Eric Pressley	4:32
3.	"Distressed"	Junkie XL	3:05
4.	"Ramooned"	Eric Pressley	3:48
5.	"Groove On"	Junkie XL	4:01
6.	"Podie Tie"	Eric Pressley	3:27
7.	"Sta Moogie"	Eric Pressley	3:51
8.	"Ever Seen This"	Aceyalone & RJD2	4:02
9.	"Cat & Mouse"	Darrell Brown	3:02

Software copy restriction

Some of EA's other PC titles from the same time period, such as Spore and Dead Space, used a SecuROM copy restriction scheme that requires online and offline authentication and limits the number of times a user can install the game to five. While it was speculated that The Sims 3 would use the same system, on March 26, 2009, executive producer Rod Humble revealed that The Sims 3 uses traditional disk-based copy protection as Sims 2 did, and does not require online authentication to install. A product key is also required. However, SecuROM based restriction is still present within the "Digital Download" version of the title, limiting users to a total of 5 authorizations for 5 different machines via online activation, each of which can be de-authorized online at any time. A legitimate serial key is required to download custom objects and Sims from the official website. This includes custom designs created by other Sims 3 players as well as additional content from EA.

Delay

On February 3, 2009, it was announced that the release date of The Sims 3 would be delayed from February 20, 2009 to June 2, 2009 in the US, and June 5, 2009 in the UK. John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts, said "In the case of Sims 3, we’re moving this title to June 2 to give us additional time to build the worldwide marketing campaign a title like this deserves". Grant Rodiek, Associate Producer of The Sims 3 said:

The Sims 3 June launch gives more time for tuning and polish and the ability to launch the game on PC and Mac platforms simultaneously. This is a key EA franchise and title and it deserves a bigger bet on the best Sims game EA has made. These last few months will give us a little more time to tune, tweak, and polish the game. Our players have been waiting for something awesome and that's exactly what we intend to give them.

Release

EA Singapore launched The Sims 3 with a large launch party which was held on June 2, 2009 at the new shopping mall Iluma in Singapore. At the event, The Sims 3 T-shirts were available for purchase. In Sydney, Australia on June 4, 2009 a fashion event to show off the freedom and self-expression in The Sims 3 was held by Electronic Arts Australia, and included a performance by Jessica Mauboy.

The game was released as both a standard edition and a Collector's Edition. Both the collector's edition and the standard edition of the game comes with a coupon for 1000 Sim Points to spend at The Sims 3 Store. The standard edition contains the first release of the core game, while the Collector's Edition includes the Sims 3 core game, a 2GB The Sims Plumbob USB flash drive (preloaded with wallpapers and screensavers of the game, and the main theme as an MP3 file) with matching Green Carabiner, an exclusive European-styled Sports Car download, a Prima Tips and Hints Guide (not the actual Sims 3 Prima Guide), and Plumbob stickers. Those that pre-ordered the game also got a Vintage Sports Car download, The Sims 3 Neighborhood Poster, and a quick start reference guide. A preview CD with more information about The Sims 3, such as music samples, family descriptions, and career information, was also released.

Smartphone

Main article: The Sims 3 (smartphone video game)

A version of The Sims 3 was released on iOS, Android, Bada, BlackBerry OS and Windows Phone on June 2, 2009. The iPhone game works similar to that of the PC version. In Create-a-Sim, instead of Lifetime Wishes, there are personas. Personas decide which lifetime wishes your sim will have, as a persona is the largest factor in a sim's personality. Sims start out with a small house. The house can be expanded every five sim days if the player can afford it.

Console

See also: The Sims 3 (console video game)

The Sims 3 was released to game consoles on October 26, 2010, for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo DS and the Wii platform on November 15, 2010. The game was released for Nintendo 3DS on March 25, 2011.

The game allows you to take on up to three friends in the Life Moments Game on the Wii, upload and download content on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, including furnishings, houses, and player creations or experience a full life simulation on a handheld with Nintendo DS. Reviews for the game ranged from average to moderately positive.

Editions and add-ons

Editions

Name	Release date	Includes
The Sims 3	NA June 2, 2009 EU June 4, 2009	Core game on DVD
The Sims 3 Collector's Edition	NA June 2, 2009 EU June 4, 2009	Core game on DVD, a Sims 3 styled 2GB USB and exclusive download of in-game European styled sports car
The Sims 3 Holiday Collector's Edition	EU December 3, 2009	Core game on DVD, The Sims 3 Christmas theme song, 6 Christmas-themed in-game items, Sims 3 Christmas-themed wallpaper and exclusive download of in-game European styled sports car
The Sims 3 Commemorative Edition	EU June 4, 2010	Core game on DVD, 48-page hardback book, wall poster, sketch book of artwork and access to additional in-game items
The Sims 3 Deluxe	NA September 28, 2010	Core game, The Sims 3: Ambitions
The Sims 3 Plus Pets	NA October 18, 2011 EU October 20, 2011	Core game, The Sims 3: Pets
The Sims 3 Plus Showtime	NA March 6, 2012 EU March 8, 2012	Core game, The Sims 3: Showtime
The Sims 3 Plus Supernatural	NA September 4, 2012 EU September 6, 2012	Core game, The Sims 3: Supernatural
The Sims 3 Plus Seasons	NA November 13, 2012 EU November 15, 2012	Core game, The Sims 3: Seasons
The Sims 3 Plus University Life	NA March 5, 2013 EU March 7, 2013	Core game, The Sims 3: University Life
The Sims 3 Plus Island Paradise	NA June 25, 2013 EU June 27, 2013	Core game, The Sims 3: Island Paradise

Expansion packs

The Sims 3 expansion packs provide additional game features and items.

Name	Release date	Includes	Life State	New Careers
World Adventures	NA November 17, 2009 EU November 19, 2009	Additions: New traits, items, clothing Features: quests, tomb exploration at three new destinations, photography, new build functions including the basement tool, nectar, fireworks, shops, vacation homes. New vacation worlds: Champs Les Sims (France), Al Simhara (Egypt), Shang Simla (China)	Mummy	None
Ambitions	NA June 1, 2010 EU June 3, 2010	Additions: New careers, skills, traits, and items Features: control within work (professions and selected careers), laundry, tattoo system, skill-based self-employment. New world: Twinbrook	Simbot (Robot)	Architectural Designer · Education · Firefighter · Ghost Hunter · Medical · Investigator · Stylist · Self-Employed
Late Night	NA October 26, 2010 EU October 28, 2010	Additions: New careers, skills, traits, clothes and accessories, furniture, and cars Features: bars, night clubs, penthouse suites, hot tubs, subway portholes, elevators, breast and muscle definition sliders, Group, Band, Butler, zodiac signs, new swimming pool design tools, height adjustment for wall objects, fountain tool, the ability to become a vampire. New world: Bridgeport	Vampire	Film · Band Member
Generations	NA May 31, 2011 EU June 2, 2011	Additions: New playground equipment, mid-life crisis, new interactions, new traits, and new profession Features: Pranks, body hair for males, new types of celebrations (i.e. birthday/teen/bachelor parties, weddings, slumber), memories, graduation ceremonies, prom, imaginative play, potions, spiral staircases, water slides, boarding schools, pillow fights, strollers, canes for elders.	Imaginary Friend	Daycare
Pets	NA October 18, 2011 EU October 20, 2011	Two editions: Regular and "Limited Edition" Additions: New pets, new animal and sim traits, Create-A-Pet, new lifetime wishes and rewards, new interactions, new items, new venues and community locations, new pet and sim skills Features: Controllable animals (cats, dogs, horses) and non-playable creatures (see NPC section), pet contests. New world: Appaloosa Plains	Unicorn	Equestrian
Showtime	NA March 6, 2012 EU March 8, 2012	Three editions: Regular, "Limited Edition" and "Katy Perry Collector's Edition." Additions: New stage performance careers (singer, acrobat, magician), new objects (pool table, golfing), new sim traits/lifetime wishes; Katy Perry only: downloadable stage venue, fruit-themed clothing, items, and stage props Features: Social features, stage decoration, singing, gigs, new 'Achievement System', Simport which allows importing and exporting of celebrity sims. New world: Starlight Shores.	Genie	Singer · Acrobat · Magician
Supernatural	NA September 4, 2012 EU September 6, 2012	Three editions: Regular, "Limited Edition" and "Origin Decor Edition" Additions: New items (alchemy station, rocking chair), new clothing options including wings, new traits. Features: Supernatural life states including witches, werewolves, fairies, vampires, and zombies; creation of supernatural sims directly in Create-A-Sim. New world: Moonlight Falls.	Witch, Werewolf, Zombie and Fairy	Fortune Teller
Seasons	NA November 13, 2012 EU November 15, 2012	Two editions: Regular and "Limited Edition" Additions: New skills (soccer/snowboard), new traits, seasonal celebrations Features: Weather, seasons, new outerwear clothing category.	Alien	Test Subject (Aliens Only)
University Life	NA March 5, 2013 EU March 7, 2013	Additions : New skills (Bowling, Social Networking & Street Arts), new traits, social groups, college sub-neighborhood, a smart phone and a new university world you enter when you enroll.	PlantSim	Art Appraiser · Sports Agent · Video Game Developer
Island Paradise	NA June 25, 2013 EU June 27, 2013	Two Editions; Regular and "Limited Edition" Additions (confirmed only): Houseboats, Running Resorts, Discovering Islands, Boating, Scuba Diving, Water Skiing (as of April 9–10, 2013). (LE Includes: The Island Survival pack equips your Sims with the necessities to scrape together an existence on a deserted island, fashion a makeshift home on a floating barge, build and escape to a minimalist retreat in the middle of the ocean—or enjoy these back-to-basic pieces in the comfort of civilization!) New World: Isla Paradiso	Mermaid	Lifeguard

Stuff packs

Main article: The Sims 3 Stuff packs

Stuff Packs only include new items e.g. furniture, clothing, hairstyles. They do not add any new functionality to the game. Stuff Packs are compatible with both Windows and OS X as with the main game and expansion packs.

Name	Release date	Includes
High-End Loft Stuff	NA February 2, 2010 EU February 4, 2010	High-end furnishings, mainly technology such as televisions, video game consoles, and computers, as well as postmodern designs of bookshelves, tables, and chairs. Three items from The Sims and The Sims 2 were reintroduced to celebrate The Sims 10th Anniversary.
Fast Lane Stuff	NA September 7, 2010 EU September 9, 2010	Four all‐new styles of fashions, furnishings, and vehicles: Racing, Intrigue, Rockabilly, and Classic Luxury.
Outdoor Living Stuff	NA February 1, 2011 EU February 3, 2011	Clothing, furnishings, and items centered around patio activities in two new styles: “Garden Terrace” features elegant wrought-iron pieces, while “Sunset on the Veranda” embraces the warmth of outdoors.
Town Life Stuff	NA July 26, 2011 EU July 28, 2011	New casual outfits, hairstyles, and items. Features newly redesigned venues such as a school, cafe, and grocery store; as well as new community lots including a gym, park, laundromat, and library.
Master Suite Stuff	NA January 24, 2012 EU January 26, 2012	Luxurious bedroom and bathroom decor centered around romance and relaxation. New contemporary furnishings and intimate apparel themed for creating romantic master suites.
Katy Perry's Sweet Treats	NA June 5, 2012 EU June 7, 2012	New candy-themed decor, items, outfits, hairstyles, and community lots. Features a simlish version of Katy Perry's song "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)".
Diesel Stuff	NA July 10, 2012 EU July 12, 2012	New clothing and decor from Diesel.
70s, 80s, & 90s Stuff	NA January 22, 2013 EU January 24, 2013	Outfits, hairstyles and items modeled on that of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
Movie Stuff	NA September 2013	Clothing and décor inspired from iconic movie themes and settings.

The Sims 3 Store

The Sims 3 Store is an online store where players of The Sims 3 can purchase and download content for their game online for additional fees. To date, unlike its counterpart for The Sims 2, The Sims 3 Store only offers exclusive objects, clothing, skins, and hairstyles not found through any other medium. The Store also offers variants of special objects found in expansions (such as laundry and hot-tubs), which offer their features for players who haven't purchased those expansions. The store is updated with new items for purchase every month. Premium content, such as the foot massage chair and wind chimes, add new gameplay or animations.

The store uses a point system in which players can purchase additional SimPoints using a credit card or Points Card, which may be purchased at retail stores or via the Origin online store. It was launched on June 4, 2009 to coincide with the launch of the game. Players can download purchased items using the game launcher or the Store Mode interface found within the game itself. When a user purchases additional SimPoints, they obtain an object in the game for buying SimPoints.

Several worlds and towns for players to play in have been published on The Sims 3 Store:

• Riverview (June 2, 2009)
• Barnacle Bay (September 23, 2010)
• Hidden Springs (August 25, 2011)
• Lunar Lakes (February 16, 2012)
• Lucky Palms (June 28, 2012)
• Sunlit Tides (August 23, 2012)
• Monte Vista (December 6, 2012)
• Aurora Skies (February 21, 2013)
• Dragon Valley (May 30, 2013)

This is a noted departure from both the first and second generation of the franchise, in which new items were obtained primarily through expansion packs, stuff packs, and/or user-generation.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	86.65%
Metacritic	86/100
Review scores
Publication	Score
1UP.com	B+
Edge	8/10
Eurogamer	8/10
GamePro	4/5
GameSpot	9/10
GameSpy	4.5/5
GameTrailers	9/10
GameZone	9/10
IGN	8.9/10
PC Gamer (UK)	9/10
Telegraph	8/10
Total Video Games	8/10
Total PC Gaming	8/10
Boomtown	8/10
3D Juegos	8.3/10

EA reported that in its first week, The Sims 3 sold 1.4 million copies. According to EA, this was the most successful PC game launch the company had ever had to date. According to retail data trackers Gfk Australia The Sims 3 has been the top selling game in Australia from release until June 30, 2009. Response from critics and gamers alike were generally favorable, with Metacritic calculating a metascore of 86/100 based on 75 reviews. PC Gamer awarded The Sims 3 a 92% and an Editor's Choice badge, calling it "The best Sims game yet". IGN PC awarded The Sims 3 an 8.9/10, stating:

This is simply a better playing Sims experience, and once you experience the freedom to hit the town without hitting a load screen you’ll be hard-pressed to go back to any of the earlier games. Blowing up the size of the game was certainly a risk, but it was a sensible and overdue one, and kudos to EA for recognizing that the decade-old formula needed some growth. And while there's still plenty of room for more innovation, we’ll settle for The Sims 3 for now. It delivers a solid foundation for what should be many more years of Sims sales dominance.

—Jason Ocampo, IGN

GameSpot awarded The Sims 3 a score of 9.0/10, the review praised the game: "The latest Sims game is also the greatest, striking a terrific balance between the fresh and the familiar."

The game was ranked 91# in IGN's "Top 100 Modern Games". Currently over thirteen million people like the Sims 3 on Facebook. Worthplaying added the following:

The Sims 3 may be largely unchanged from the previous iterations of the game, but that doesn't mean it's bad at all. The expanded scope of the game and the streamlined experience make this the best Sims game to date. It looks good and it plays well, but it won't sway people who hate The Sims. For those who like the series, though, it doesn't get much better than The Sims 3.

—Jesse Littlefield, Worthplaying

Sequel

EA confirmed The Sims 4 for a 2014 release on May 6, 2013.

External links

• Official Website