The first details for The Sims 3 surfaced today, with Electronic Arts saying the game is currently in development and will ship in 2009.
The Sims 3 will feature a brand new game engine that has been in development for nearly three years. In terms of gameplay, The Sims 3 will allow gamers to immerse their unique Sims in a seamless, open neighborhood.
The Sims 3 will also include new Create A Sim feature, new realistic personalities and new unlimited customization.
The new seamless neighborhood architecture allows players’ Sims to roam freely around the neighborhood and visit their loved ones, friends or foes. Discovering other Sims homes and families, traveling around to new locations like City Hall or the local park will create a whole new way of life for gamers’ Sims.
Storytelling options will also multiply, as Sims stroll downtown to meet new acquaintances, head across town for lunch, spy on their neighbors and bump into the boss when they least expect it.
The Sims 3’s all-new Create-a-Sim interface will feature easy-to-use design tools that allow players to make detailed Sims with the freedom to customize just about any Sim gamers can imagine. In addition to determining each Sims’ body shape and size, players will also be able to fine-tune every feature on their faces, customize their hair style and select their skin tone.
With the proprietary Realistic Personality System in The Sims 3, gamers can attribute each character with five distinct personality traits, helping shape players’ Sims behavior and how they interact with others and their surroundings. This new system will empower players to create extremely complex and diverse in-game personalities for their Sims, who will go beyond the basic set of day-to-day needs and be distinct individuals with multifaceted personalities.
The Sims 3 will also include new creativity tools that let gamers create anything from floors to flowers, fashions to sofas, and wallpaper to window shades. The Sims 3 lets players be the architect of their dream house or explore their interior-design skills to outfit their ultimate home. Among the options available to The Sims 3 players will be an ultra-deluxe mansion, a cool bachelor pad, a family’s dream home or a charming cottage.
