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The Sims 3 and expansion packs on sale at Amazon
The current Amazon Deal of the Day is quite possibly the site's most cyclical discount yet: The Sims 3 and all of its expansions have had their prices temporarily slashed. That means you can buy the game online, play it, and then buy more games online, but in a virtual world.
The Sims 3 hits the 'Fast Lane' this fall
Even though The Sims 3 is gearing up to give console gamers the chance to live vicariously through its virtual, incoherent inhabitants in October, it doesn't mean EA has ceased support for the PC version of the game. In fact, there's a new expansion coming this fall, titled "The Sims 3 Fast Lane Stuff" pack. This new content pack gives players the choice between four different lifestyle options: racing; intrigue; rockabilly; and classic luxury. Each option provides your Sim with custom furniture, outfits, and vehicles suited to the respective lifestyle choice -- there's even a garage for storing and/or pimping your rides. Suddenly, Xzibit's services don't seem so valuable. If you want to pre-order the $20 add-on, head on over to the EA Store and have at it. In the meanwhile, feel free to swerve into our gallery below for some new screens. %Gallery-96573%
Sims 3 moves to consoles October 26
The first news from EA's E3 presentation is out -- without anyone having to say a thing. The console version of The Sims 3 will launch on Xbox 360, Wii, PS3, and DS on October 26, according to ... this banner! We'd like to imagine that our Sims are learning the news of several new vacation spots in their own virtual, all-Simlish E3. [Thanks, Ryan]
Sims 3 console trailer exposes the dark nature of humanity
"I did it with 312 girls in two months." That unsavory proclamation is the first in a long series of deep, dark confessions made in the debut trailer, currently hosted on MTV, for the console versions of The Sims 3. Watch as ordinary people -- by which, of course, we mean paid, professional actors -- air out their dirty, in-game laundry. We find the whole ordeal more than a little surprising. We've always conducted ourselves in the world of The Sims just as we do in real life -- that is to say, as fine, upstanding citizens. Not as murderers, thieves and unashamed hussies.
The Sims 3 coming to PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and DS this fall
As promised, last year's best-selling PC franchise is finally coming to consoles, and just in time for the holiday season. EA has announced that The Sims 3 is in development for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and DS, with all versions planned for fall release. The console versions promise "all-new" features, like "Karma Powers" that determine whether your Sim can "get lucky" or, on the other end of the spectrum, experience an "epic fail." In addition, the PS3 and Xbox 360 editions will include Facebook connectivity, so you can share Trophy and Achievement updates with friends. The Wii version will feature an exclusive beach town, complete with its own residents, careers and "lifetime wishes"; and the DS version will introduce a new "Story Mode," a first for a handheld Sims game, allowing players to go through a "complete life simulation." "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. And there's good reason for the publisher to be excited, too -- considering the franchise has already generated over $2.5 billion in revenue for EA. We can already hear EA's coffers quivering in anticipation. %Gallery-91900%
Renault saves the fake Sims 3 world with downloadable electric cars
Are you rife with guilt over the damage your Sims' extravagant lifestyles have done to their nonexistent environment? Now you'll be able to reduce your simulated carbon footprint and decrease your dependence on the imaginary world's dwindling supply of e-fossil fuels by driving an electric Renault Twizy Z.E Concept in-game. The tie-up with Renault is part of the "Electric Vehicle Pack," a free Sims 3 download to be offered in EMEA countries, comprising the car and other environmentally conscious items like solar panels and windmills. Despite the fact that all cars are electric in the game (because they're inside your computer, which is electric), driving the tiny Renault and using the other items will noticeably improve your Sims' lives -- by reducing their weekly bills. %Gallery-91140%
Sims 3 expansion beats Star Trek Online in February's PC top 20
NPD has released its monthly list of the top 20 PC games, and while Star Trek Online made a valiant showing in the month of its debut, landing at number two for the main game and number four for the collector's edition, it was beaten in the end by the Sims 3: High End Loft Stuff (yes, "Stuff") content pack. The Sims juggernaut of a brand continued to rock the top 20, claiming six spots total, and perennial favorite World of Warcraft continued to place almost all of its current editions on the list in three different spots. Other big titles in February were Bioshock 2, the Everquest II: Sentinel's Fate expansion, and Mass Effect 2. Aliens vs. Predator appeared at a miserable number 19, below something called the Mumbo Jumbo Assortment. Full list after the break. We'll say this about PC game players: They know what they like, and they stick with it. [via Big Download]
The Sims explore their 'Ambitions' in latest expansion pack
It's time for EA to announce the latest Sims 3 expansion: Ambitions. Arriving in June, the pack gives players the opportunity to pull the strings of the helpless electronic dolls throughout their careers. No longer safe from Little Susie's megalomania on the job, the Sims will now do their work as a conduit for an ethically ambiguous puppeteer. Although, we doubt it'll ever get to the visceral level of Five Minutes to Kill Yourself. Ambitions will apparently include a huge variety of jobs, including solving cases as a detective, hunting ghosts as a (wait for it) "ghost hunter," and "leveraging Build and Buy mode" as an architect. The expansion also includes a tattoo system -- so, go ahead and give your teenage Sim that tribal or barbed wire ink they'll regret every time they take a blurred-out shower as an adult.
Sims 3: World Adventures, Skate It announced for iPhone
Click image to flip through some screens EA's going iPhone crazy -- well, OK, maybe not crazy, but it's revealed today in a press release that entries in two of its ongoing series are destined for the touchy-feely handheld. The first item is The Sims 3: World Adventures, an expansion to the surprisingly addictive The Sims 3. It'll feature 52 new goals, four new mini-games and new "personas, careers and quests." You'll also be able to use your Sims between the two games, in case you've grown awkwardly attached to your virtual pals like we have. Then there's Skate It, a port of the skateboarding series that sounds like it keeps most of the features of its console brethren. There's a career mode and customization options for both characters and skate decks, a film feature that lets you capture footage and there's even support for custom soundtracks -- because hitting that spot you found on skafari is so much better when you've got "Caribbean Queen" bumping in your ears. Sadly, EA doesn't provide a price point for each, though Skate It is revealed for "May 2010." In the meanwhile, allow us to help you pass the time with some screens in the galleries below. %Gallery-87213% %Gallery-87212%
The Sims franchise celebrates 10th anniversary today
It's hard to believe it's been 10 years since we discovered how hilarious it was to lock a Sim in a doorless room with nothing but ovens to keep him company, but there it is: The Sims franchise has turned 10 years old today. The press release announcing the series' first decade also reveals that the franchise has sold 125 million units lifetime-to-date, which is an impressive figure -- especially when you consider EA is only reporting the PC franchise numbers. That figure doesn't include console ports. The Sims franchise has managed to generate $2.5 billion in revenue for EA. The latest iteration in the series, The Sims 3, was 2009's top-selling PC game and has sold 4.5 million copies so far worldwide. While one could argue the latest game's success is in large part due to the series' ability to appeal to just about every type of gamer, we'd argue that the inclusion of Ludwig Kietzmann really helped push it over the top.
EA: Sims 3 is top selling PC game in 2009 worldwide
It seems virtual voyeurism never goes out of style. A recent Electronic Arts press release has informed us that The Sims 3 was last year's best-selling PC game across the globe, according to Chart-track UK, NPD Group, GfK and the publisher's own internal estimates. We imagine a bit of number crunching went into the aforementioned estimates -- we don't think they'd leave that kind of thing to water cooler talk. "So, what do you think, Mark? Best game ever? Yes, great. It's official." The EA presser also boasts the company's optimistic outlook on 2010, as the Sims 3 community continues to tinker around with the Create A World tools. Check out this neat, Robinson Crusoe-esque Machinima to see what these tools are capable of!
Dr Pepper giving away free EA DLC with every purchase
We can only imagine the planning meeting at Dr Pepper HQ, during which someone shouts "We must garner that critical gaming demographic! How will we ever best something as inimitable as Game Fuel?! It's got 'game' right there in the title!" Instead of copycatting the naming idea, though, Dr Pepper recently detailed an already announced partnership with EA to give away codes for downloadable content. The promotion details lists a handful of games -- Mass Effect 2, Battlefield Heroes, The Sims 3, Spore, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 -- which have "unique DLC" tied to them. Rather than forcing an unknown amount of soda purchases out of its customers, we were told this afternoon by a customer service rep that "Every bottle wins." More specifically, each bottle contains a code that can then be redeemed on the Dr Pepper website, thus allowing participants to choose their system and DLC from an available list. We flatfooted to the local AM/PM and didn't spot the prize-bearing bottles, but we'll update this post with more information as we get it.
PETA chooses The Sims 3 as its GOTY 2009
Usually when we post something about PETA here on our gamez blawg, it's about the company protesting this or complaining about that. Not so today, as PETA's awarded EA Maxis' The Sims 3 with a Proggy Award for being the 'Most Animal-Friendly Game' of 2009. You may remember PETA gave the same award to Fable 2 last year. The award this year is in recognition of The Sims 3's ability to put your virtual pal on a vegetarian diet. PETA also adds that "vegetarian Sims, like their real-life counterparts, live longer, age more slowly, and feast on cruelty-free delights -- from tofu dogs to ratatouille." Sounds well and good, but we're not sure we'd totally attribute any supposed increased life span to a diet, because we all know from the great Xena: Warrior Princess that if anything happens, it's because a wizard did it. [Via Gamasutra]
The Sims 3 gets Create a World tool
We can get on board with The Sims 3's people creation, but we have to admit to being a touch unnerved by the game's Create A World feature, which went into open beta today. We like watching an e-puppet that kind of but not really looks like our nosy next-door neighbor poop himself to death as much as the next blog, but entire worlds of human creation suitable for sharing with other Sims 3 players? Well, it sounds like witchcraft, pure and simple. If you don't mind indulging in the Dark Arts, EA's got a full walkthrough of the new mode here. It's the quickest way to condemn your immortal soul to eternal torment for dabbling in forces you could not understand.
And the best-selling, top-rated iPhone games of 2009 are ...
Apple's iTunes store has listed the best-selling and top-rated apps for this third-to-last year of humanity's existence. It appears the big boys of game publishing are doing quite well on the App Store, with the ten top grossing games making room for only one independent studio. Gamasutra states Firemint's Flight Control, with its 99 cent price tag, sold 1.5 million copies and grabbed the number seven spot. The top-rated titles have much more indie spirit, as Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor, Real Racing and Zenonia wrap up the top three spots. Check out the lists for both categories after the break. [Via Gamasutra]
The Sims 3 World Adventures downloadable now, hitting retail this week
Is your Sim sick and tired of its usual routine of skipping work, improving its skills, making well-timed bathroom trips and attempting to WooHoo every single person in the neighborhood? Good news: The Sims 3's first (but certainly not last) expansion, World Adventures, is downloadable now for $39.99. If you're an oddly selective Luddite who plays video games but shuns the practice of downloading them, you can pick up a copy of the expansion in retail outlets when it arrives at some unspecified time this week. The expansion allows your virtual representation (be honest, you modeled him/her after yourself, right?) to collect treasures, learn new skills and travel to France, China and Egypt, where we assume they'll attempt to WooHoo everyone there as well. You should really talk to your Sim about getting that under control, okay? %Gallery-70339%
Video: Nelly Furtado sings in Simlish, raids tombs, knows kung fu
The latest of the previously announced Simlish music videos promoting the expansion Sims 3: World Adventures has been released. This time, it's Nelly Furtado's turn to try her hand at the nonsensical language, adapting her song "Manos al Aire." We've watched the video and, sure enough, we can't understand a word of it. Of course, the original song is in Spanish, so we couldn't understand it in the first place anyway. But that's really all beside the point. What you should be focusing on is watching Nelly Furtado's Sim explore Egyptian tombs, doling out some kung-fu kicks and taking part in the longstanding tradition of obscure French film making.
The Sims transformed into a horror movie
"They won't let me pee, they won't let me sleep, they won't let me eat." – doomed Sim citizen Ah yes, the life of a Sim. Not so funny when one sees what life would be like if our actions were controlled by the unholy Plumbob (which is itself controlled by little Damian Van Horne of 999 Wisteria Lane). We understand that CollegeHumor was trying to be funny in its The Sims movie clip, but it actually encapsulates the pain and suffering of every Sim murdered by sadistic teenage girls around the world. Watch the full clip after the break. Save a Sim.
Sims 3 price dropped to $30 for one day only
The streak of brief yet impossibly frugal discounts continues! Until the end of the day, EA is selling The Sims 3 for the price of $29.99 -- a full twenty bucks off the standard cost of the game. Maxis' life simulators tend to retain their launch price long after hitting store shelves, so if you want to grab the title on the cheap, today might be your only chance for quite some time. Act quickly, though! We're losing daylight.
NCsoft's Aion perches atop the US PC charts for Sept.
If the packed queues didn't hint that this was coming, NPD stated that NCsoft's Aion was the top-selling game in the US during September. The MMO overthrew the virtual souls of The Sims 3 -- not that it matters to those ever-present dolls of the PC charts, as the franchise occupies two other spots on the "top 20" with Sims 2 bundles.Champions Online showed up to the party in third place, with World of Warcraft taking three separate spots on the chart. Check out the full list after the break.
