iSims3

 March 28th

Well, not much happened over there at the main site.  In fact, nothing happened at all.  It doesn't really surprise me though.  We probably won't find out a whole lot more for at least a month at the rate we're going.

Our What We Already Know page has been updated with information from Gamestar, courtesty of InfiniteSims.

March 26th

There really haven't been any Sims 3 updates in the past week.  Hopefully EAxis will update the main Sims 3 site on Thursday, like they do to the Sims 2 site every Thursday.  Tomorrow may bring new information, or it could just be yet another disappointment from EAxis.

Who knows?

March 21st

A new wallpaper has been found on the BBS.  Click here for the link.

March 20th

CapitalSims has released 2 wallpapers for our enjoyment.

Amazon has released a pre-order for The Sims 3.  It is set for January 1st, 2009, but that date is quite unlikely, as it is hard to know so far in advance what the release date actually will be.  There is no price included.

Source: InfiniteSims (for both)

March 19th

"The Sims franchise has long been recognized for its appeal to a universal audience, both male and female, and at any age. Its broad appeal and loyal The Sims community has vaulted the franchise to an impressive 98 million games sold around the world and translated into 22 different languages. Celebrated for its creativity, humor, and community, The Sims franchise has become a global and cultural phenomenon since its inception in 2000." (continued here)

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"On a warm spring afternoon in EA's sprawling San Francisco Bay campus, the Sims is described as many things. It's a commercial phenomenon; it's the PC's most successful game; it's second only to Mario as the world's top-selling game series. It's a business unit; it's a business model. It's a creative tool; it's a canvas for the player's imagination. It's a private form of self-expression. It's a community. As you may remember, The Sims is also a game - one of the most popular, successful and, yes, innovative games in history."  (continued at eurogamer.net)

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"Let's just get this out of the way right now: Will Wright's not working on The Sims 3. So Sims studio head Rod Humble and his crew obviously have their work cut out for them crafting a new sequel -- and something to prove not just to gamers looking for something positively Wrightian but also to the millions of fans worldwide for whom The Sims isn't a game so much as a lifestyle.

If you've read the April/May issue of Games for Windows: The Official Magazine, you've probably seen our story on the game -- the mag is on newsstands now, and you'll find tons of more details and in-depth commentary from the developers. Here, we'll recap the big changes and offer our take on whether we think these are good moves -- and what possible pitfalls we foresee."  (continued at 1up.com)

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The main site has finally opened!  Hooray!  It doesn't have much on it, and when I was on it last the photo galleries weren't working for me.  Hopefully that'll be fixed soon.  You can find the site here: TheSims3.com

I'll continue keeping you updated here, since the site is kind of lame and you can find more information here right now...

March 18th

"The desires of the fans were heard and concretized. The Sims 3 is going to allow us to personalize our Sims and their universe in some clicks. The limits of the game were pushed away for more game's pleasure and comfort. The C.A.S (Create a Sim) is turn into true laboratory of genetics. The Sims that you will create will be unique as much by their outward aspect as by their character. The faces will be more realistic and better animated : in particular the eyes, which will not be fixed any more. Numerous cursors will offer themselves to us to parametrize all the elements of the face..." Continued here. 

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TheSimsUnlimited has created 2 MORE wallpapers for us to enjoy, making a total of 4 wallpapers!  Click on each photo below to open up the respective wallpaper.

March 17th

TheSimsUnlimited has created 2 wallpapers for us to enjoy!  Click on each photo below to open up the respective wallpaper.

March 16th

SnootySims has added a Comparison page to the Sims 3 section.  It compares Sims 3 screenshots to the Sims 2.  They also included a page with links to interesting Sims 3 fansites.  You can find that here.

Early March

"Calling the Sims a phenomenon doesn't quite do it justice. This is the series that's sold close to 100 million copies since it first appeared in 2000. This is the game so central to EA's bottom line that an entire section of the corporation has been dubbed the 'Sims division.' A Sims-related title has been a top-20 seller every month since its debut." (continued at 1up.com)

"The biggest change to The Sims 3 is that it takes place in a wide-open, constantly changing neighborhood -- a much bigger sandbox, if you will, and a much more complex simulation." (continued at 1up.com)

Earlier News

"By popular demand (well, one request), I’m writing up my notes on Richard Evans’ talk from AIIDE. Richard Evans is currently working at EA/Maxis on the Sims 3. He talked about how the work they’re doing to make each Sim unique and distinct. They’re goal is to make them more individual and more social at the same time." (continued here)