ROCHESTER, N.Y. — By now, we’re more than used to videogames getting a bad rap in the media and scientific studies, but occasionally one shows the benefits. Researchers at the University of Rochester have discovered that people who play action videogames often make crucial decisions faster, and that those decisions are no less accurate than those who don’t game.

“It’s not the case that the action game players are trigger-happy and less accurate: They are just as accurate and also faster,” said Daphne Bavelier, one of the authors of the study. “Action game players make more correct decisions per unit time. If you are a surgeon or you are in the middle of a battlefield, that can make all the difference.”

For the study, researchers tested 18-25 year olds who don’t normally game. Half of the subjects played 50 hours of fast paced shooters like Call of Duty and Unreal while the other played slow strategy games like The Sims. After the subjects played the games, they were asked to perform simple tasks (both auditory and visually) and make decisions as quickly as possible. Those who played action games were roughly 25% quicker at making these decisions, while still being correct the exact same percentage of the time as those who played the slower strategy games.

Bavelier explains that Action video game players’ brains are more efficient collectors of visual and auditory information, and therefore arrive at the necessary threshold of information they need to make a decision much faster than non gamers, the researchers found. “Decisions are never black and white,” she said. “The brain is always computing probabilities. As you drive, for instance, you may see a movement on your right, estimate whether you are on a collision course, and based on that probability make a binary decision: brake or don’t brake.”

The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. announced today that The Sims 3 Ambitions Expansion Pack, the second expansion pack for The Sims 3, is now available in stores and for digital download for the PC and Mac.

The Sims 3 Ambitions allows players to pursue a variety of exciting careers in their Sims’ lives that in turn affect their overall gameplay experience and neighborhood. Players can choose to hunt down vengeful spirits as the ghost hunter, invent brilliant and potentially destructive gadgets as an inventor, craft glorious masterpieces as a sculptor, dole out experimental medicine as a doctor, save lives as a firefighter, and solve riveting cases by any means necessary as an investigator with dozens of cases to solve and numerous clues to find. For the first time, players will be in charge of how their Sims’ career progresses and decide if they will work for good or evil, pursue creative endeavors or technical affairs, change the town for the better or wreak havoc on everyone’s homes. Choices made while playing the new careers and activities such as stylist, architecture designer and tattoo artist directly impact the look and feel of the town and other Sims. For example, as a player you get to determine what a Sims’ new appearance will look like, whether that be a hip makeover or a new tattoo fit for a rockstar. Additionally, players will be able to explore Twinbrook, an entirely new playable town in The Sims 3 Ambitions, where they will be able to meet new locals, explore their surroundings and find new employment opportunities.

"The Sims community has long wanted to control their Sims actions at work and now with the seamless open neighborhood those actions have a direct impact on the town and other Sims," said Scott Evans, General Manager of The Sims at EA. "Offering a variety of new and exciting careers, players can choose to complete their work tasks in a heroic manner or take the deviant route."

The Sims 3 Ambitions will also be available for feature phones, iPhone and iPod touch in late 2010 from EA Mobileâ„¢. These versions will have customized mobile gameplay features, which will be revealed in the coming months and will not require a base game to play. For information on carrier availability and pricing for all EA Mobile games, please visit www.eamobile.com.

On Thursday, EA’s world-wide gaming sensation, The Sims celebrates its ten-year anniversary. Many of us can look back fondly on our memories of the social simulation game which has evolved from a simple concept to one of the most complex simulation games in history. The Sims focuses on placing the player in control of a virtual world and allows them to control almost all aspects of the lives of their sims. My own personal favorite experience was the moment I discovered my character could go insane if I didn’t take care of his social stats, which quickly escalated into the introduction of "the social bunny," a man in a pink bunny costume that I could talk to instead, making my character less crazy. The Sims have revolutionized the way games simulate real-life interactions, and has continued to impress gamers with updated graphics, more in-depth character creation, and the continued flow of more in-game things to play with.

The Sims is the most successful PC gaming franchise of all time, generating more than $2.5 billion in revenue. The first game in the series was released February 4, 2000. Since its initial release, EA has provided a plethora of new content, including seven expansion packs, and two sequels. The original Sims won numerous awards including Gamespot’s "Game of the Year" award for 2000. EA’s most recent addition, The Sims 3 launched in June of 2009 and sold more than 1.4 million copies within the first week, and 4.5 million since its release. Winning more than 100 game critic awards and achieving mass-media attention, The Sims continues to delight gamers around the world, even attracting popular musicians who re-record some of their songs into Simlish, the language the characters speak in game. Some artists include The Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry, Depeche Mode, and The Pussycat Dolls.

The newest expansion for The Sims 3, World Adventures, takes the player to new and exciting places, such as Paris, France and Egypt. Released in November of 2009, your sim can hunt for treasure, gain new skills and personality traits, and engage in different cultural activities, including snake-charming and martial arts. EA has also announced a new package for The Sims 3, the High-End Loft Stuff pack. This will allow the player to access the latest in electronics, sleek, cutting-edge furniture, and a few fan-favorites from previous Sims games, including the vibrating bed, electric guitar, and the aquarium.

The Sims has attracted a diverse global audience over the past decade, and continues to attract new generations of gamers. The game delights players young and old, and improves itself with each new game released. With a solid past and bright future, The Sims franchise has conquered the PC and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Electronic Arts today announced over a dozen artists who will lend their Simlish voice stylings to The Sims 3′s first expansion “World Adventures.”

When the expansion releases this November, LeAnn Rimes, Fefe Dobson, Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head, Katie Melua, Esme Denters, Evan Taubenfeld, Madina Lake, and more will lend the following songs to the game for your sonorous enjoyment.

• LeAnn Rimes “" “You’ve Ruined Me”
• Fefe Dobson “" “I Want You”
• Katie Melua “" “If the lights go out”
• Madina Lake “" “Lets Get Outta Here”
• Manchester Orchestra “" “I’ve Got Friends”
• Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head “" “Me + Yr Daughter”
• Esme Denters “" “Outta Here”
• Hot Chelle Rae “" “Say”
• Audrye Sessions “" “Turn Me Off”
• Metalkpretty “" “Wake Up, Wake Up”
• Evan Taubenfeld “" “Pumpkin Pie”
• Friday Night Boys “" “Can’t Take That Away”
• Cassie Steele “" “Summer Nights”
• Broken Hearts Club “" “Na Na Na”

Previously announced artists and songs featured in the game include:

• Nelly Furtado “" “Manos al Aire”
• Pixie Lott “" “Mama Do”
• Stefanie Heinzmann “" “No One (Can Ever Change My Mind)”
• Matt & Kim “" “Daylight”
• Young Punx “" “Juice and Sim”

“Once again, the musical world of The Sims comes to life with some of the world’s biggest stars of today and tomorrow performing their hits in Simlish” says Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music for EA. “In the future, look for exciting music videos to accompany some of these songs, which will further demonstrate that Simlish is truly a global language.”

“My friends have told me about The Sims for years, and I’ve also heard Natasha Bedingfield and Black Eyed Peas versions of their songs in Simlish, so I was thrilled to be in on the fun” said LeAnn Rimes. “It’s so cool to have my own music in such an iconic game.”

Oh Fefe Dobson, “Take Me Away” was such a guilty pleasure of mine, why couldn’t that song be in the game?

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.

Label this one in the “thank you for finally listening” pile, as Electronic Arts announced today at GDC that the Sims 3 will not contain the invasive Digital Rights Management system that has created great ire with gamers everywhere, stemming mainly from EA’s use of SecuRom with Spore and the fiasco that entailed.

Instead, the Sims 3 will require a specific serial number to warrant authenticity and will employ “disc-based” protection similar to the way in which the Sims 2 was shielded from piracy.

You will not have to log onto the internet and basically sell your soul to the devil to play the Sims 3, as long as you have the disk, the Sims 3 will be playable on any computer.

“We feel like this is a good, time-proven solution that makes it easy for you to play the game without DRM methods that feel overly invasive or leave you concerned about authorization server access in the distant future,” says Rod Humble, executive producer of Electronic Arts’ Sims division.

via GamaSutra

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).