In previous console editions of The Sims, the series trademarked “play with life” formula was watered down with story modes that no one really wanted to play. With the Sims 3, the console editions have finally caught up with the PC counterparts. Or should that be the other way around? After all, The Sims 3 features new desire system that plays out like a story line, much like the earlier console titles.

Regardless, The Sims 3 is simply a must buy for fans of the series without a decent enough PC. Featuring all of the original release’s amenities including a brilliant character creation mode and an addicting gameplay system, The Sims 3 console edition may not be perfect, but it is one hell of a good time.

In case you’ve been living under a rock – The Sims series can best be described as a “life simulator.” You design your characters, known as Sims (see how that works?), design their world and then play Deity and run – or destroy their lives. You’re tasks will range from the everyday mundane duties of taking out the trash and eating to major life accomplishments like getting married and of course – death. You’ll assist them in making friends, getting a job and even controlling their bladder – in short, living life.

What truly sets The Sims 3 apart from those that came before it is just how fluid the game is. In previous games you could move freely within your household and the immediate area surrounding it with little to no lag – but if you wanted to go anywhere like a business or a friend’s house that was a bit away you’d be greeted with a lengthy load screen that seriously took gamers out of the experience.  The world of The Sims 3 is one massive map – free of load screens and disruptions.

While this new mechanic may seem basic, it adds an incredible level of depth to the gameplay mechanics.  A major aspect of the franchise has always been creating relationships with other Sims. This used to be done by inviting other Sims over to your house or to do activities around your world. In the past, this involved making a call, inviting that sim and waiting. Sure, you can still do that in The Sims 3 but the beauty is that you don’t have to – you can just zoom out on your map, pick where you want to go (and occasionally invite someone) and you’re off.

The true brilliance of The Sims 3’s new open world is the added level of exploration it provides. Of course, the focus is still on your lot but for once – you don’t feel confined. You can walk around, check out the sights of the neighborhood, peruse a business or two or even introduce yourself to a new Sim or two (just don’t be surprised if they’re a little freaked out by a stranger approaching them).

These social interactions are made all the more entertaining by the incredible depth of the customization available in The Sims 3. As before, you’ll be able to choose your Sims appearance and personality traits, but in The Sims 3 there’s just so much more to do. You choose up to five personality traits for your sim that will greatly influence just how you play the game.  You can be everything from an easy-going, friendly free-spirit, to an excitable, neurotic and everything in between.  There’s a ton of different options here and they truly do have an effect on gameplay; for instance a more social sim will be happier interacting with others while a neurotic will be content making sure the dishes are clean over and over.

One key addition to The Sims franchise is the ability to set goals for specific characters. These goals can range from being successful to having a happy family life and anywhere in between. You’ll have to make choices (like going to the bookstore and reading up on hobbies and chosen careers) to work towards these goals. These goals are optional – but you’re going to want to obtain them if you want your sim to be happy. In a series that has taken some flak for having no real goals – these new goals add an entirely new level of gameplay to the franchise.

Your character’s appearance has also received an upgrade. Sliders are used to customize a sim’s height, weight and age and you’ll be able to customize your own clothing and accessories. To say the level of customization is deep would be an understatement – you can make 100 Sims and still not make any that look the same.  While this is impressive, it’s quite evident that the developers are holding some features for future expansion packs. If the game is so advanced, why do we lose the ability to live with Pets, take your Sims to College or to an island if we could do it in a previous game?

The Blast Factor: The Sims 3 is a fantastically deep yet incredibly accessible addition to an already accomplished series. From the robust creation engine to the customizable personality traits – there’s something for just about everyone here. While it won’t do much to change the minds of the series’ doubters, The Sims 3 is an incredible experience that combines its core gaming element with a strong sense of community to form an almost social networking medium.  Those looking for a game they can really dig in and devote some time to will need to look no further than The Sims 3.

The Sims 3 has been a runaway hit on PC and Mac. Millions have gobbled it up, two expansions have hit the market, and you’d think Electronic Arts would be content with simply dominating the PC market. But you’d be wrong.

The company today announced that it’s bringing the zany life-simulator to a slew of home consoles and portable. The Sims 3 will come to Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and DS this coming Fall.

The PC version. No screens of the others yet.

PS3 and Xbox 360 versions will feature Facebook inter-connectivity and the Wii and DS versions will have their own exclusive goodies as well.

“We’re bringing players the best console and handheld game for The Sims franchise to date and are excited to offer a unique experience for all types of gamers on their platform of choice,” said executive producer Sam Player in EA’s announcement.

Check out the announcement for more details and keep reading here for more, as EA reveals in the coming months.

If the wildly expansive and seemingly limitless possibilities of The Sims 3 wern’t enough for you, Electronic Arts today announced “The Ambitions Expansion,” the second expansion to the world of The Sims 3.

As the name so very clearly implies, the expansion brings about a host of new career paths for your little guy or girl to embark upon.

A few of the careers can affect your entire town. If you choose to be an architect, your designs will shape your environment. And if you’re a stylist or tattoo artist, your wacky hairstyles and ink designs, performed on friends and neighbors, will stay with them as long as you allow it.

Other ambitions include Ghost Hunter, Sculptor and Private Investigator.

Ghost Hunter!

Maybe best of all, with the new jobs, you can follow your Sim to work and actively participate in what he or she does or doesn’t do while there. Make a house call and try an experimental medicine on a patient, travel to a raging inferno as a firefighter and save the day, it’s up to you.

“The variety of careers to choose from is unmatched and we’ve never given players the opportunity to follow their Sims to work and affect their actions on the job,” said Scott Evans, General Manager of The Sims Studio at EA. “The Sims 3 Ambitions changes that. Players’ actions at work now directly affect their lives, community and neighbors and become an extremely important part of how the game is played.”

The Ambitions Expansion Pack comes to PC and Mac in June with iPhone and iPod Touch versions slated for later in the year.

Stuck in the middle-class in The Sims 3? Want to ramp things up a bit, move up in the world?

If that’s you, Electronic Arts today announced, in eloquent fashion, the High-End Loft Stuff pack for the world’s best-selling PC game for 2009.

It’s due out February 2, and, according to EA, will allow you to deck your space out with “fashionable sofas, sleek coffee tables, and eclectic art. It adds the ultimate in modern loft living for your Sim and their digs.”

Would you live here?

Additionally, classy new clothing comes with the pack including tailored suits, forward-looking apparel and “sophisticated” outerwear as well as high-end tech including gaming systems, flat-screen TVs and lots more.

The pack will set you back $19.95 and is available for pre-order, at the EA Store, right here, right now.

EA released a trailer for the upcoming content pack today too. This is it. Happy Simming!

Numbers released today by the NPD group, a statistic-tracking organization, revealed The Sims 3 to be the best-selling PC title of 2009, beating out the likes of World of Warcraft and Modern Warfare 2.

The below list is a top-ten gathering of 2009′s best-selling PC titles. Note the statistics count boxed retail copies sold and not digital ones.

1. The Sims 3
2. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Expansion Pack
3. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe
4. World of Warcraft: Battle Chest
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
6. World of Warcraft Blizzard Entertainment
7. The Sims 3: World Adventures Expansion Pack
8. Spore
9. Dragon Age: Origins
10. Empire: Total War

Overall, NPD stated that PC game sales were down 23-percent from the same aggregate sales of 2008.

The list is dominated by Electronic Arts and Activision-published titles, making up 9 of the 10, with SEGA’s Empire: Total War the lone exception, at number 10.

Making out with Death, sex with your friends mom, girl-0n-girl tongue-locking, and grandmas peeping on old men in banana hammocks through a telescope. These are all ways EA and The Sims 3 say “Happy Holidays.”

In the video EA provides 10 reasons to buy The Sims 3 this Holiday season and my oh my did the marketing team hit the nail on the head with this one! Best of all “Jingle Bells” plays in the background…in Simlish!

Take a look

The Sims 3 is set to receive its first expansion next month, “World Adventures.” The add-on will take you and your Sim to Egypt, France, and todays topic of discussion China. Simla, China, to be exact.

Here in Simla you can, for the first time ever,‚  Sims can master the Marital Arts, and Electronic Arts today released a guide for doing so.

The guide’s broken into 5 sections; Train, Practice, Center, Master, and Teach.

Train- At this stage your Sim can train at the Phoenix Academy of Martial Arts, but if you’d like to practice at home,‚  a training dummy, board breaker, and books, are available for purchase to return home with. And to truly master the art, you’ll have to compete in the Grand Tournament of China and defeat several formidable opponents. Have fun!

Practice- By sparring with other Sims, your Sim will earn new outfits and colorful belts to denote their skill and aptitude in the craft. Oh, Sims, you’ve taught me if don’t have something to show for my efforts, I haven’ accomplished anything.

Center- Your Sim must obtain a focused mind become one with the universe. If you’re successful, your “Centered” Sim will earn the Teleport ability. And we’re pretty sure we know what that does.

Master- Your Sim is now so powerful he or she can summon magical elements in nature to aid in battle. Or something like that.

Teach- Who are you if you don’t spread your knowledge? A selfish Sim, that’s who! Additionally, the more Sims you train, the stronger you become.

There you have it, everything you need to know to be a Martial Arts master. The Journey begins November 16!

Electronic Arts, makers of The Sims 3, today revealed the ability to build underground locales in The Sims 3: World Adventures.

Adding to the game’s Build and Buy Mode, “Basement Building” allows players to create deadly catacombs, beautiful burial mounds, and wondrous caves filled with treasures up to 4 levels deep, and if designed correctly, can become quite a horrifying environment with winding halls and dark descents.

The Sims 3 World Adventures, the first expansion to this summer’s “The Sims 3″ is set to debut November 17, but EA released a lengthy “Tomb Building 101″ helper for those giddy with excitement. Have a look at the detailed and lengthy description of just what’s possible. As long as no one pulls a Silence of the Lambs and traps their Sim at the bottom of a basement well, we should be just fine.

Some of the dozens of Tomb Objects and Object Updates:

‚· Tomb Object (Fogger): The tomb object is the cornerstone of tomb building and will often be placed in every room of the tomb. The Tomb Object is what creates the “fog” that hides non-explored rooms from the player. This lets you create a sense of discovery and suspense as your Sims explore new tombs. The “fog” will recede from a room when a player enters the room through a door, descends stairs into the room, enters a room that is connected to a fogged room with an arch, or if a Sim “Looks Through” a window that looks into a fogged room. Adding or Removing fog is also a potential Activated Behavior.

‚· Floor Switch: The floor switch is a classic adventure game object. It is a small, 1 tile floor object on which Sims can stand or push statues. Stepping On and Off the switch are both Triggers that can connect to Activated behaviors. Floor Switches can also be set to Appear or Disappear.

‚· Wall and Floor Trap: The traps are two different objects that can be placed on the wall or floor. These can be set to shoot fire, darts, steam, or electricity on unsuspecting Sims. They can have a variety of states, including hidden and dormant, armed and visible, hidden and armed, or hidden and firing. Each of these states can be activated by Sims walking over them or as an Activated Behavior. Traps can light Sims on fire or knock them out. However, there are multiple ways to handle traps. Sims can disarm them by tinkering with them, or push statues upon them to disarm. Water will disarm a fire trap, which makes a great puzzle element when paired with the steam trap”¦which creates water! Sims can walk with immunity through a fire trap when soaked. Experiment and come up with your own puzzles!

‚· Dive Well: Dive Wells are one of the most exciting Tomb Objects. Sims can use them to become Soaked, which makes them immune to fire, or to put themselves out when already on fire.‚  A Hidden Switch can be set at the bottom of dive wells as a Trigger. You can always place treasures at the bottom. Another fun element is that you can set the color of the water in the dive well, so fire tombs can have blood red water, whereas a tomb with a poison theme can have murky green water. Dive Wells are most fun when they are set up as portals. Dive Wells set as Portals will connect to each other. Sims will go to the bottom, and then emerge from the closest dive well on the same floor.‚  It’s also possible to designate a Dive Well as an Uber Dive Well. Here, you designate a name so that you can define the precise point of origin and exit “" even across multiple lots in the world. This lets you create one-of-a-kind entrances to island tombs and other inaccessible areas.

‚· Treasure Chest: The biggest reason to explore anything is to find treasure at the end. Treasure Chests let you fill your tomb creations with various treasures, keys, garbage, or whatever you can imagine.‚  Opening and Inserting a Keystone a treasure chest are also Triggers that can set Activated Behaviors.

‚· Sarcophagus: The Sarcophagus can act as a large, ornate treasure chest, a place to hide, a place to sleep, and even a place to WooHoo. Most exciting, however, is its ability to spawn mummies. Mummies will patrol tombs in search of unsuspecting Sims to pummel and *gasp* curse! Mummies provide an element of danger and the unexpected to any tomb.

‚· Torch Lever: The torch lever, like the Floor Switch, is an object for Sims to pull on to trigger Activated Behaviors. Some can be set to active, whereas others can be dummies, forcing players to carefully examine their surroundings. It’s possible to define the colors of the torch light, which allows Tomb Designers to provide hints and clues on how to complete puzzles. Or, to simply set the ambience of a tomb!

‚· Pushable Statues: Pushable Statues are another classic adventure game element. They can be pushed on top of traps to disarm them, or cleverly pushed through a maze to unveil a formerly blocked path. Their most common use is to be paired with a floor switch. Floor Switch triggers can be set so that they activate something when a Sim is on them, but deactivate as soon as a Sim steps off of them. This means a Sim must push a statue on top of them in order to keep the floor switch depressed. Pushable Statues can be set to be secretly pushable (they require inspection), visibly pushable (no inspection needed), or not pushable at all.

‚· Hidden Stairways: Stairways from The Sims 3 can be set to Hidden now. This is an Activated Behavior, so that a Trigger can now Hide or Unhide the stairs. Hidden Stairways are a great way to surprise players. Just when it seems there’s no way out, pulling a switch reveals a stairway!

Electronic Arts today nailed down solid details regarding The Sims 3′s first expansion “World Adventures,” and among the juicy bits, are some freaky factoids.

In the expansion you can take your Sim to Egypt where it’ll be attacked by a Mummy and unless you’ve mastered martial arts (in the game), the beast will either knock you out or vex you with a curse. If cursed all isn’t lost though. A quick run to the Sphinx and lots of pleading before it, and you should be saved. Otherwise? You’re a gonner!

Now for the fun part. When you spend a night in a dark and ominous cursed sarcophagus your Sim will take on a Mummy’s capabilities. What does that mean? You’ll live longer, your energy won’t wane, and most interestingly, you’ll never have to relieve yourself! The only detraction is that you’ll move slower and will be more prone to catching fire, but hey, that’s a risk I’d be willing to take!

The Sims 3 World Adventures hits retail November 17 for PC and MAC

Tired of the same old Riverview city in The Sims 3? Want to trek to the ends of the earth and back with your Sim in tow? Perfect, because in The Sims 3′s first (likely of many) expansion, that’s exactly what you’ll do.

Publisher Electronic Arts teased us with the announcement last month, but finally, today we have the official boxart for the soon to be shelf evaporator alongside screenshots depicting ancient tombs in Egypt, one of the three global hotspots available when the expansion releases November 17. Enjoy!

Mega-publisher Electronic Arts today announced the first expansion pack headed to the crazy-popular Sims 3 universe. Dubbed “World Adventures” and dropping this November 16, this debut pack is the fruit of great labor, as EA puts it, and aims to entertain you and your Sims outside of the confines of Sunset Valley and Riverview.

World Adventures invites you and your faux-family on a globe-trotting whirlwind adventure hitting such popular real-world locales as China, France, and Egypt. Furthermore, while you’re there you’ll be able to accept “challenges to search for secret treasures, learn new skills and chase down new personal opportunities, meet new Sims with unique personalities.” Not too shabby, at least you’ll have great stories to tell when you return home!

The expansion, available at retail, will cost an unnamed price at the moment, but will also yield 1,000 SimPoints good for “exclusive content” that EA says will be named at a later date.

World Adventures will also hit iPhone/iPod Touch sometime after the November 16 PC release date. Stay tuned.

For now, enjoy these screens of all the places you’ll go!

Honestly, if I say anything about this trailer, it will ruin it. And you don’t want that. Just watch and learn about the frightening truth.

The Sims 3 has been a long awaited release this summer, promising a ton of new features since the franchise’s previous release. One thing is for certain, whether or not you are a huge fan of The Sims, the available features are definitely entertaining to play around with!

The game starts off with the new Create-A-Sim program, where you are able to completely alter almost every aspect of your Sims. The standard facial changes are allowed along with the ability to adjust all preset models to your liking, and many new haircut styles are introduced, as well as the ability to literally create your own wardrobe for the Sims. Another very cool feature is being able to choose a voice for your Sim, then adjusting the pitch to your liking.

This new feature is the Create a Style tool, which allows you to create a new style of clothing or add your own flavor to existing patterns. This also lets you copy styles from one type of clothing and carry it over to anything else so they can match! Another bonus is that this isn’t limited to your Sim’s clothing “" the Create a Style tool can also be used on anything you can buy for your Sim, so you can add your own touch to almost every design element of the game.

Depending on what age you make your Sim, you are able to choose a different number of personality traits. There are 63 personality traits to choose from, from being absent-minded to hating being naked to being evil! This gives you an endless variety of combinations to completely shape how your Sim acts and views the world. On top of personality traits, you can also choose a few of your Sims favorite things and their life goals!

When I was able to play The Sims 3 it was the first time I had played The Sims in at least two years, so the creation phase alone took me a solid hour to explore the different features and be happy with my Sim. Not being an avid Sims player, I am happy to say that the character creation part of the game is very simple to learn even with all of the given options. So how better to begin playing the game than with an evil computer genius with a good sense of humor?

When it comes to The Sims 3 world, it allows much more freedom than previous The Sims titles and it is now seamless. This is always a very nice touch to a game, providing a much more sandbox-style feel to game that already lets you do whatever you wish.

Whether you decide to buy a house for your Sim and decorate accordingly, or build a new house from scratch, you will spending a lot of time in Buy Mode. This is standard in The Sims games, but from what I remember from the other titles The Sims 3 offers a much simpler UI and it’s much easier to cycle through tools and items. The only thing I found that was a pain was the way to move your camera view around, as it was extremely awkward.

During my play time I created my own house for my Sim, with fully outfitted rooms with custom styles thanks to the Create a Style tool. After a while it becomes a bit captivating as you take the time to carefully design each room while building houses, then having so much freedom to decorate and outfit them with many types of appliances and furniture.

Another new feature is the Create a Movie tool, which lets you record up to 1 GB of gameplay at a time. After uploading the recording, you are presented with many tools for video editing to give your movie a polished look. I was unable to get the chance to play around with this feature as of yet, but it is something I look forward to experimenting with.

This game expands on the previous style of gameplay in other Sims games, providing new jobs and choices for your Sims as well as more items to purchase for them.

The Sims 3 was overall a fun a game to play, with many new features and tons of new items to improve gameplay. The game is even more sandbox than ever, allowing limitless amounts of customization and the choice to do whatever you please, making your experience more unique than ever.

The Sims 3 is available on Windows and Mac OS X, retails for $49.99, and comes with $10 worth of Sims Store points upon registration.

Big surprise here, The Sims 3 sold over 1.4 million copies since its launch a week ago today on June 2 for PC and Mac which translates into the best-selling PC launch in Electronic Art’s storied history.

What’s more is that the iPhone/iPod Touch version of the game rocketed to the number 1 paid App spot in Apple’s App Store and, at $9.99 is still there ( I just checked to confirm).

You number savvy folks can also enjoy this figure: 7 million.‚  That’s the number of times players have downloaded user created content in the game and with such rampant success what will EA do next with the wad of cash they’re currently bathing in?

The video game industry is running at full-steam this week as the E3 2009 Expo is going down in Los Angeles and a delicate few, first rate titles also release this week, making these next seven days one hell of a ride for enthusiasts like us.

The open-world racing title, recently dubbed the world’s largest video game, FUEL, drops this Tuesday alongside the Mars-based Red Faction Guerrilla, and, wait for it, hold your breath, The Sims 3 !!

Full list below and stay tuned for our heavy-hitting E3 2009 coverage beginning tomorrow with Microsoft’s press conference at 1:30 PM Boston time.

Monday, June 1

Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned (PC)

Tuesday, June 2

Crazy Chicken: Pharaoh’s Treasure (DS)

Crazy Chicken: Atlantis Quest (DS)

Crazy Chicken: Star Karts (DS)

Johnny Bravo: Date-O-Rama (DS)

Go Play Circus Star (Wii)

Go Play Lumberjacks (Wii)

The Sims 3 (PC)

FUEL (Xbox 360, PS3)

Red Faction: Guerrilla (PS3, Xbox 360)

Knights in the Nightmare (DS)

Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Council 4 (DS)

Wednesday, June 3

Wolfenstein 3D (XBLA, PSN)

Thursday, June 4

Emergency Disaster Rescue Squad (DS)

Friday, June 5

Terminator Salvation (PC…the none broken version)

via GameStop

The Sims 3 is nearly upon us. In a mere 4 days, Simmers everywhere will be playing God as they create their mini-me’s and unleash them down the street and around town in the newest iteration.

We’ve got two trailers for you today, one detailing the Lifetime Wish component of the game, and the other showing off the free downloadable locale Riverview, available at launch in less than a week.

Hold tight, Sims fans, the wait is nearly, nearly over, for now enjoy these trailers.

Electronic Arts unleashed a brand spankin’ new Sims 3 commercial for television this week, and all I can say is, “prepare to memorize it word for word,” as you’re bound to hear it again, and again, and probably again.

We already knew about the insane marketing blitz EA has embarked upon for this newest Sim refresher, but now our TV screens aren’t safe from the little avatars.

Granted, the commercial is imaginative and alluring, truly showing off the capabilities of the game.

The Sims 3 launches June 2 for PC and Mac…prepare yourselves..

When the Sims 3 launches, gamers will be able to download an all-new town on day one from The Sims 3 website. This town, Riverview, is a countryside town that has its share of farms and small-town people for you to discover and befriend.

In addition, EA passed along word that those who log on to The Sims 3 website will earn 1,000 SimPoints that you can use to purchase new outfits, hairstyles, furniture, and the like. Looks like the homepage is going to be flooded on day one with those who have been waiting for the next full installment in the Sims universe.

Screens of Riverview are below, as well as additional shots from the game. To read more about The Sims 3, hit the jump to see the press release.

Ahoy me Pirates! The Sims 3, still two weeks from launch, has popped up on torrent sites across the web this week, questioning Electronic Arts’ choice to go DRM-free this time around.

The mega-publisher decided to eschew the painful Digital Rights Management system for The Sims 3 after a boisterous outcry from fans regarding Spore and its frustrating DRM policies.‚  Funny though, because Spore was‚  leaked and subsequently despised in reviews on Amazon.‚  Ouch.

As always, we at Blast, or any other respectable publication do NOT condone piracy, but to absolutely confirm this story we’d have to take part in the piracy, so for now classify this story as a believable rumor.

via ars technica

The Sims 3 is nearly upon us.‚  In just a few short weeks PC sales charts will absolutely explode with what will likely be record-shattering figures for the latest iteration in the absolutely massive Sim franchise.

The Sims 3 launches interestingly on June 2, also the first day of the hotly hyped E3 2009 convention in Los Angeles and will likely be the talk of the show, at least initially.

However, Electronic Arts, publisher of the hit series, announced a three-fold free teaser experience today, but really doesn’t amount to much other than fueling the ole hype machine.

SimSideKick, SimSocial, and SimFriend launched today and all offer a uniquely imaginative way to interact with websites, individuals, and even begin a character and take your Sim through a day in the life (of a Sim).

The best widget in my opinion is SimSideKick which allows you to select one of six Sims with varying personalities and wheel them around to every website you venture to.‚  What’s better is that your Sim will dance and react in different ways given the specific URL.‚  For instance on Twitter your Sim will be encircled by tweeting bluebirds.‚  Cute huh?

This is what your favorite website, BlastMagazine.com looks like with the SideKick widget applied.

Head on over to TheSims3.com for more info and to start using the three interactive applets, they’re at least something to hopefully hold you over until June.

Today in all things obvious and entirely expected, Electronic Arts announced that The Sims 3 has gone gold and is now ready to be burned to disc for an eerily close June 2 release.

Available in 60 countries on PC and Mac in the beginning of June, The Sims 3 aims to continue the storied success of its previous endeavors and stake a powerful claim for what creation and interaction in games truly means.

I’m not sure if I need or want more Sims in my life right now, that said however, when June rolls around I’ll most likely pick it up.

What about you?

Yes The Sims 3 is coming to an iPhone near you; what with the insane marketing blitz EA enacted how could it not?

Details on the mobile version have been scarce, but if a picture speaks a thousand words we’ve got four new images to stare at (and learn 4,000 words?).

The screens, which look on-par with Wii graphics, show us a few things-the first of which is character customization to a degree.‚  The next is the idea of open world movement, as we know the big brother has, and finally that character to character interaction happens between mohawked dudes and company on the side of the road.

According to TouchAracde the title will last 10 hours, support accelerometer controls, and feature four mini-games-Fishing, gardening, cooking, and house repairs.

Furthermore, revealed at the Apple 3.0 update event, The Sims 3 will allow for in-app paid downloads, and most interestingly the ability to play any tunes from your iPhone/iPod Touch library in game. Cool.

As both a Sims fan and a soldier in the Apple army I’ll most likely end up picking up both, what about you?

Character Customization

Nightlife

Interaction

Day Time

The Sims is a popular franchise.‚  No, The Sims is an incredibly popular franchise.‚  No, still not strong enough.‚  The Sims is so popular and hyped that Electronic Arts is invading urban areas and plastering buildings and billboards with the logo of the famed franchise, most notably and grandiosely in the mecca of all advertisement onslaught locales, Times Square.

Clearly Electronic Arts is excited about The Sims 3 and is making damn sure you are too well before the June 2^nd launch of the title.‚  Aiming to separate itself from pervious iterations, The Sims 3 offers new personalities, destinies, locations inviting you to leave the house, breathe in the fresh air and live your life.

Check out the screens in the gallery of The Sims 3 incredible advertising campaign going on right now.

via The Simmers Club Forums.

The Sims 3 is set to release in June and if you are exploding with enthusiasm from the awesomely awesome debut trailer and crave something new to dwell on about for the next three months we’ve got you covered with brand new screenshots detailing a brand new Lifetime Wish facet of gameplay to satiate that thirst of yours.

A Sims Lifetime Wish can take many forms given the personality traits assigned to them, and as these set of screens illustrate, that wish can range from the musically talented to the overly extravagant.

As always, your Sim is not just another nameless face in the crowd; its fate is determined by guiding and readying it for the ultimate Lifetime Wish, including Astronaut, Music composer, International Super Spy, Super Robot Cross Breeder, and Superstar Athlete.‚ ‚  Furthermore, completing a Lifetime Wish and amassing enough Lifetime Happiness will endow the Sim with a new set of opportunities.

Electronic Arts clarifies the idea with the following statement.

Lifetime Wishes are long-term goals for players to focus their Sims towards if they prefer a little more direction. Your Sims are able to choose a Lifetime Wish based on their traits. Completing a Lifetime Wish may require your Sims to master certain skills, reach the top of a career, become a local celebrity, or perhaps even a heartbreaker. By completing a Lifetime Wish, your Sims will earn enough Lifetime Happiness points to choose from a variety of whacky Sims objects and powerful traits like Steel Bladder, Legendary Host or the Teleportation Pad.

I have somehow avoided the Sims plague (meant in a good way) but I may not escape the flood with this iteration.‚  New combinations of personality traits, new environments to interact with and explore, total customization of everything, and various new gameplay elements all add up to a experience that even has me excited.

I can already picture my Sim, a clumsy, romantically stupid, black haired male perpetually dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt.‚  Oh and if he can love bacon pizza, I want that too!

5 new screens detailing the Lifetime Wishes in the gallery.

Much more information regarding all things Sims at the official site.