We can hardly believe it ourselves. Electronic Arts are going to be releasing expansion packs for the Sims 3. No, really. The first is a pack where the expansions include expansion content. LIKE! visiting destinations like France, Egypt and China (CHINA! – RPS In-Gag No-One Else Gets Ed). In other words, it’s about traveling to famous real world locations. Which, at a stretch, makes this the Sims answer to Deus Ex. While a free 1000 points for the store sounds nice, the fact that there’s exclusive online content available at launch does sound like this is an expansion pack for which you need to buy other online content. Which, if true, is – er – impressive, even for EA. You’ll find the full press release beneath the cut, plus two more screenshots. Click through on ‘em for the full-size versions. Sims 3: World Adventures will be available in November.
And… actually, while we’re talking, what expansion content would you like to see for the Sims 3?
EA REVEALS THE SIMS 3 WORLD ADVENTURES
First Expansion Pack to Global Phenomenon – The Sims 3REDWOOD CITY, Calif., August 3, 2009 – The Sims are off on an adventure to famous destinations around the world! The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that The Sims™ 3 World Adventures, the first expansion pack* to the #1 best-selling PC and MAC game in June 2009**, The Sims 3, is in development and will ship to retailers worldwide the week of November 16, 2009.
“We’re thrilled with the global success of The Sims 3 over these last few months and are looking forward to expanding on the gameplay experience with one of the most robust expansion packs to The Sims yet,” said Scott Evans, General Manager of The Sims at EA. “Players will be able to take their Sims on the adventure of a lifetime and explore lands outside of Sunset Valley and Riverview, pursue thrilling new life destinies in locations around the world inspired by famous destinations, and immerse themselves in the open-ended gameplay where they’ll discover new cities in China, France and Egypt and share new stories.”
Players can take their Sims on new journeys to famous real-world inspired destinations around the globe for the first time ever and seek out new adventures. While exploring the landmarks of an exotic city, there is no telling what the Sims will find. From mastering martial arts in Shang Simla, China, discovering rich culture and famous landmarks on a romantic getaway to Champs Les Sims, France or exploring the depths of ancient tombs in Al Simhara, Egypt, players can take their Sims on a journey that will change their Sims’ lives. Players can accept challenges to search for secret treasures, learn new skills and chase down new personal opportunities, meet new Sims with unique personalities, share their culture and bring them home, discover new styles on their travels, and share everything they encounter on their adventures with the world through personal photographs, movies, and stories. Additionally, players will receive 1,000 SimPoints to be used online in The Sims 3 Store*** for the PC/MAC versions of the game. Exclusive online content, available only for the expansion pack at launch, will be revealed soon.
The Sims 3 World Adventures will also be available for feature phones, the iPhone™ and iPod touch® in early 2010 from EA Mobile™. These versions will have customized mobile gameplay features which will be revealed in the coming months. For information on carrier availability and pricing for all EA Mobile games, please visit www.eamobile.com.
For more information about The Sims 3 World Adventures or The Sims 3, please visit www.TheSims3.com. Developed by The Sims Studio, The Sims 3 World Adventures has not yet been rated by PEGi. To download artwork, please visit www.electronicarts.co.uk/press
*Requires The Sims 3 for PC/MAC to play.
**According to NPD data.
**INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED, see product pack or digital distribution rules for details
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@Vinraith: I’m still waiting too. I guess I don’t mind the concept of an expansion, but I just can’t see paying as much for one as I would a full game on sale. The problem is that the expansions never really go on sale.
Sims haters vs Sims lovers is a classic pointless debate. The two sides are always arguing about completely different things.
It is very odd. There is so much potential for the hometown to be expanded and filled in, so they go… all over the world? As others have said, the seamless neighbourhood is one of the best improvements in Sims 3, so it’s a shame that they take us away from it so quickly.
Personally I’d like to see more general gameplay paths – a greater variety of lifetime goals, more careers or career paths, more musical instruments (how can your sim be a member of a symphony orchestra when they only play the guitar?), oh and the UI for painting and photographing needs fixing.
Basically just more stuff and things to do!
More furniture and neighbourhoods damn it!
@Clovus
go crazy?
Don’t mind if I do!
Something that ties in The Sims with Spore. Like, say, your Sim watching the stars obsessively and being kidnapped by your creations into a planet where he needs to perform a series of jobs to return home.
Or something like War of the Roses. The divorcing couple who just goes bonkers and set up traps and perimeters around the house. Bonus points for urinating in the fish!
Reminds me of Yatzee’s take on the Sims … bang on. EVIL EVIL EVIL.
Wow, I’m totally not that jazzed about this. All of the expansion packs for the previous two games that just add completely separate, special activities like this seem completely overwhelming to me. I hated taking my Sims on vacation because it was always a race against the clock with too much to do before time ran out.
I like the expansion packs that add more depth to the gameplay by adding mechanics that you’ll regularly use. I’d rather it was more fun to live day-to-day than to add neat things that you can only do once and a while with your sims.
I agree with pilouuuu, this expansions seems to go against the open neighborhood mechanic that is the trademark of TS3. Weird move on EA’s part.
Considering that people generally seem to understand that not every film is going to be aimed at them and is fine with this, I find it extremely odd that people cannot accept that this might be the case with a computer game.
Odd, and very irritating some times. Grr.
Since when is it out of bounds to criticise something just because the marketing department of the company who made it haven’t decided you’re in their target demographic?
I’m just growing a bit tired of the amount of it thats been happening lately.
how does the marketing department have anything to do with the type of game being made or who is going to like it.
Fair enough. I liked the sims 2 a lot, and will consider buying the third when it comes down a lot in price (good luck with that, I know). But I am deeply cynical of EA’s attitude to the expansions, and don’t doubt for a second that they left out a bunch of functional things precisely because they knew they could sell them separately. Not that I want to have that discussion again – just pointing out that sims haters aren’t the only people who dislike the way EA handle the series. Indeed, its most devoted fans are often its harshest critics.
“the Sims answer to Deus Ex”
This please. Have your sims join either UNATCO or the NSF. Get shipped off to Hong Kong for no clear reason. Killswitches activated at random, you have 24 hours to save your sim from their neighbourly overlords. Get past doors in many possible different ways. Watch your sims get into deep philosphical and political conversations with complete strangers, when all you sent them out for was to buy a candy bar.
My guess for the origin of the CHINA thing is Jon LaJoie – Show Me Your Genitals 2: E=MC Vagina. You’ll know it when you hear it.
I don’t feel that the Sims 2 with all its expansions actually added much to the game, givien that much of the new mechanics were pretty flawed and poorly thought-out.
With each major expansion, it only takes an hour or two to exhaust all the new content and possibilities. That’s a horrible deal at 30$, and they’ve only now been reduced in price to 20$ each. It’s still a terrible value, but there’s always kids and other ignorant consumers who don’t know what their entertainment dollar’s worth. They put out their dough, install the expansion, are sick of it a few hours later, and the cycle continues.
It’s really a microcosm of how big game publishers work. They make massively hyped games that barely satisfy, so people have to keep buying. The Suits don’t want to make a great game with any sort of longevity. They want something that’s pretty good for a couple hours or so (long enough to fool the average reviewer amirite?), and never gets booted up again.
Yeah, I’m sick of these gaming rockists harshing my Sims buzz with their wrong opinions. Oh, it’s not a REEEEEAL game! For REEEEAL gamers! Oh, noooo, I thought I was having fun but now I see I wasn’t! Thanks, haters! You’ve taught me the error of my casual gaming ways! Can I join your super special secret treetop clubhouse where only REEEEEEEEEAL gamers are allowed, oh pretty pretty please?
(Having said that, this expansion pack looks a bit rubbish tbh.)
I consider myself a hardcore gamer and I enjoyed The Sims 2 much longer than most other games.
What I think is the biggest problem with expansion packs is the fact that they should be focused in including more interactions and gameplay enhancements than boring objects like tables and chairs. I hope that new EPs in TS3 will be more like gameplay enhancements and have a minimum of objects which already were in the base game, considering we can use Create a Style to make new colours and designs for objects reducing the need for more of the same and if you really want new stuff for your kitchen you can buy the from the Store. I consider that to be the best model for EA and for us purchasers.
But please, EA, stop making remakes and think of original stuff like a colony on the moon, or sims with superpowers for once!
The expansion seems even better after reading this interview:
http://pc.ign.com/articles/100/1009985p1.html
:( I just want a new Deus Ex or similar title (hold the regenerating health please).
Al Ewing: A treehouse? You insult us! We hang out in an irradiated time traveling Soviet submarine, with psychic penguins.
Er, that is to say, I believe that many people trashing the Sims just want more escapism and fireworks from their gaming. I know I do. The Sims basically simulates exactly what I should be doing instead of sitting at my computer.
And there’s nothing more insulting than millions of people loving something I think is boring. Or something.
The Sims – Guns & Monsters
It’s an expansion which adds a 1st person control scheme, and many extra items, like pistols, rocket launcher, AK-47…
then it gives you two new cities, Nazicastle and The Doomfortress-Suburbs. You have to make a living there, while the other inhabitants want to make a Sim-Sandwich out of you. New professions like Spec-Ops Marine and Monster Hunter are available. Also, new clothing.
What say you?
Yikes! I just bought my copy of Sims 3 does this expansion comes in a new CD along with Sims3? I hope I didn’t waste any money for Sims. I’m planning to play Sims 3 for now before Aion Online launches by then the next thing I’d be worrying is saving
aion kinah. Oh well, sentiments of a gamer.
I heard the Austrian expansion pack allows you to decorate a basement for your kids, complete with bolted door.
In the sims 2 (and I presume 3), you can make a crazy old man who likes to breaks into your house late at night to shout at you impregnate a barmaid and marry her brother. How anyone can genuinely fail to see the appeal of the game on this alone is beyond me.
Sim Fortress.
While I mention it, in terms of hours of my life spent watching fake computer people go about fake computer lives with a certain degree of guidance from my all seeing hand of fate, Sims 3 and DF are about on par with one another for me. Fact is, I’m never gonna be good at shooting fast moving objects in an FPS, but it’s pretty easy to be good at watching a guy take out the trash and clean the kitchen. You get to a zen balance state with the Sims where you accept that you’re not so much playing as watching and poking. And that’s when you realise it’s 2am.
Fuck you, Sims. I should hate you but your meaningless digital lives are so much more compelling than my own meaningless analogue one.
Erm…
Okay, how about this?
A sim version of Adam Sandler is introduced into the neighbourhood, dressed as a meatball, or something.