The Sims 3 PC Games and Downloads

Released on 05/06/2009

• The Sims 3 Review

  Sim when you're winning

  The Sims is one of those rare franchises that attracts both male and female gamers in vast numbers. The appeal of controlling the day-to-day life of your own little person is well established, with the series achieving record-breaking sales. So what can The Sims 3 bring to the party to keep the flag flying? How about if you could not only explore your neighbourhood seamlessly, but you could interact with the whole town and everyone in it? Sounds good? Read on my friend.

  In the beginning...

  The Sims 3 starts off as you'd expect. You choose where you'd like to live and who you'd like to be. But what's new here is the mind-boggling level of customisation available to you. If you liked the wide choice of characters in The Sims, you'll love this.

  You can choose up to five complex traits from the dozens on offer, including insabe, evil, daredevil and kleptomaniac.

  You can select and tweak your character's age, gender, skin, body shape, make-up, clothes and accessories. Then move on to the really fun bit - personality. The Sims 3 lets you choose up to five complex traits from the dozens on offer, including insane, evil, daredevil and kleptomaniac, and add even further depth to your character with a lifetime goal. You might aim to become Emperor of Evil, if you're so inclined.

  Fans of the series won't be able to suppress an appreciative smile and maybe even a raised eyebrow when it comes to setting up your character's home. The choice of furniture and clutter in The Sims 3 is vast and it's all fully customisable so you can co-ordinate everything to match your car or even your shoes. And now you have the option of 360¡ object placement, as well as Wall Drag, which automatically repositions your objects should you decide to move a wall to give your character a little more space.

  Reality check

  Now you're all set up it's time to face the real world and choose a job from the wide selection on offer. But hold on, the world in The Sims 3 really is, well, real. You can seamlessly roam around the town (without waiting for new houses to load) and watch the townspeople getting on with their lives. Everyone's life story remains consistent throughout gameplay and the townspeople all act and react according to their psychological profile. Talk to anyone. Upset them if you like.

  Wet your pants in public and little Marvin won't be able to face seeing anyone for quite some time.

  In the Sims 3, your character's mood is no longer on a simplistic sliding scale. As the characters experience life events, big or small, they pick up 'Moodlets', which affect their mood and personality in a complex range of ways and for varying lengths of time. Fulfil a minor wish and your character will be elated. Wet your pants in public and little Marvin won't be able to face seeing anyone for quite some time.

  Home movies

  If you're one of the tens of thousands of gamers who've made movies using sequences from your Sim character's life and then posted it on YouTube, you'll be able to put the Movie Mashup feature in The Sims 3 to good use. Fancy recreating scenes from your favourite films using your character, or making a Sims movie of your own? The Sims 3 has it's own software built in to help you film and edit your movie and then add music and effects. Then share it with your mates.

  GAME's Verdict

  

  • Long-term gaming appeal.
  • A wacky sense of humour.
  • Hugely customisable.
  • Complex and deep characters and emotions.

  

  • Addictive.
  • The babble of Simlish - you either love it or you hate it.

  Review by: Simon 'Sim1' Kirrane
  Version Tested: PC
  Review Published: 29.05.09

  Published: 29/05/2009

• Sims 3 headed to consoles

  EA has announced that its best-selling Sims series will be returning to consoles this autumn as The Sims 3 heads to the DS, PS3, Wii and Xbox 360.

  It looks like the lifestyle simulator will be tailored for each specific platform, too. The DS version, for example, will recreate the core Sims experience, according to Eurogamer, allowing players to use the stylus to customise everything from house interiors to the Sims themselves.

  The Wii version, however, will be set in a new beach town filled with new locations to explore and characters to meet, while the PS3 and Xbox 360 instalments include new Karma Powers that bestow Sims with special gifts and character attributes. Expect to be able to create and share things with other players over Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network, and EA has also suggested that there will be Facebook integration of some kind.

  When The Sims 3 appeared on PC last summer, it added seamless neighbourhoods and new levels of character detail and went on to become one of the best-selling PC games of the year.

  EA has yet to pin down a specific release date for the console versions, but we'll keep you posted.

• New Hidden Springs content released for The Sims 3

  Fans of The Sims 3 can expand their experience from this week with the launch of the new Hidden Springs downloadable content pack.

  The newest add-on for EA's phenomenally popular lifestyle simulation adds a luxurious new resort town area to the PC game, offering a place for Sims to relax while surrounded by scenic mountains and an expansive lake.

  Sim characters can unwind at the Fairyfolk Park, investigate ancient mysteries at the Museum of Magic and the Supernatural or track down exclusive new items such as the Fountain of Youth.

  Gamers can also improve their Sims' social standing by visiting locales like the Crystal Solarium Pool and the Redwood Heights Luxury Lodge, where they can get to know the elite Vanderburg family.

  Since debuting in 2009, The Sims 3 has proven to be one of the most popular PC titles of recent years, selling more than five million copies.

  A major new expansion, the animal-centric The Sims 3: Pets, will be released on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 later this year.

  Published: 26/08/2011

• The Sims 3: Master Suite Stuff add-on pack coming in January 2012

  A new add-on pack is being launched for The Sims 3 that will give players greater choice when it comes to creating their dream property.

  The Sims 3: Master Suite Stuff will add a host of new items for players to customise their homes and characters, with new bathroom and master bedroom furnishing plus an array of romantic intimate wear for Sims.

  Players will have the chance to pick up a new four-post canopied bed, a contemporary vanity and set and a new lavish hot tub.

  Set to hit the shelves in January 2012, the add-on will add further depth to the already bulging title.

  The Sims franchise celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2010, with more than 15 million units of the game's many titles sold over the decade.

  One of the most popular games of the last two years, The Sims 3 alone has sold more than five million copies since its launch in 2009.

  Published: 11/11/2011

• Construction underway on Sim City 5

  Sim City, Will Wright's classic city building game will be getting a long overdue new edition in 2013 according to German games mag, GameStar.

  The magazine quotes Maxis developer Lucy Bradshaw as saying that the fifth game in the series is already in development, but that work on other Maxis titles such as Spore and The Sims has kept it under the radar.

  The game will reportedly use a new graphics engine known as GlassBox. This would explain why EA and Maxis are holding a special seminar at the Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco next week, entitled Inside the Glassbox, to debut a system �uilt from the ground up to power the next entry in one of [EA's] most beloved franchises.�/p>

  Sim City 5 will apparently feature multiplayer modes, buildings that can be updated and non-linear roads.

  It's been almost ten years since Sim City 4 came out in 2003, but the series has been kept alive through a handheld DS version, spin-off title Sim City Societies and, of course, The Sims 3.

• SimCity returns for brand new instalment in 2013

  EA has announced that the iconic SimCity franchise is to receive a major new instalment on PC in 2013.

  Billed as a "true rebirth" for Maxis' legendary city-building series, the new game will feature a more in-depth simulation of a living, breathing metropolis than ever thanks to the developer's new GlassBox Engine technology.

  Players will be able to create unique and visually distinct cities, the residents of which will have their own jobs, purchase homes and contribute to the economy.

  Cities can be transformed into anything from financial capitals to industrial complexes, though gamers will need to be aware of wider societal issues like climate change and natural disasters.

  The new SimCity will also include full multiplayer options, allowing gamers to create their ideal city of the future together.

  Lucy Bradshaw, senior vice president of Maxis, said: "This is a franchise that means the world to us at Maxis and we're happy to be bringing it back home where we are reimagining it for an entirely new generation of players."

  SimCity has been going strong since making its debut on PC way back in 1989 and is the brainchild of Will Wright, creator of The Sims and Spore.
  

  Published: 07/03/2012

• The Sims 4 confirmed

  A fourth entry in EA's top-selling Sims saga will release in 2014, it has been confirmed. The game will release in 2014 for PC and Mac. No console versions have been announced, but The Sims 3 soon found its way to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

  The game follows hot on the heels of the rebooted and always-online multiplayer Sim City, but while hinting at social sharing features, EA notably refers to The Sims 4 as a "single-player offline experience". The Sims 3 introduced connected suburbs and a shared online world where you and your friends could overlap your Sim towns. What else could be added for a fourth game? For now, EA isn't telling.

  "The Sims 4 celebrates the heart and soul of the Sims themselves, giving players a deeper connection with the most expressive, surprising and charming Sims ever," reads EA's announcement. "The Sims 4 encourages players to personalise their world with new and intuitive tools while offering them the ability to effortlessly share their creativity with friends and fans."

  Present for the announcement were specially selected Sims fans, drawn from the game's community. Not only did these Sims ambassadors get to hear the news first, but they'll be given "special access" to the development team over the next year.
  

  Published: 08/05/2013

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