Electronic Arts announced today the FreeTime Expansion Pack for the mega-hit video game franchise, The Sims.

“Players of The Sims love to bring stories to life by exploring new and wonderful areas of their Sims’ existence,” said Rod Humble, Head of The Sims Studio. “Now with The Sims 2 FreeTime, your Sims can explore a range of interests to discover new fun and appealing life options and diversions. Realizing these all-new talents adds depth, humor and appreciation for the moments that make life entertaining.”

New features:

• New Gameplay Elements Tied to Hobbies. Your Sims can discover the activities that they’re most passionate about! Sims can now participate in contests to win prizes and Simoleons, or they can master interests, practice and improve their skills, and get in “the zone!” Your Sims can enrich their lives by creating items to use or sell, like pottery or cars. These new hobbies can strengthen friendships and uncover secret lots.
• New Lifetime Aspiration Meter. Your Sims can measure the progress of their aspirations over a lifetime and unlock special rewards and interactions!
• Five New Career Tracks and their Reward Objects. Oceanographers can earn a koi pond, entertainers can get their own star of fame, architects can use their own drafting table, dancers can receive a ballet barre and intelligence agents can use an audio augmenter earpiece.
• All New Objects and Outfits. The Sims 2 FreeTime introduces brand new items, including a basketball hoop, pottery wheel, toddler activity table, modular synthesizer, hobby train table and much more. Your Sims can also have new outfits to match their hobbies and activities, including a special outfit that was designed and created by a player of The Sims 2 that will be produced by H&M.

The expansion pack requires an original copy of The Sims 2 to play and ships February 26 in the U.S. (February 22 in Europe).