It's the announcement that - if our very own Sarah's reaction is anything to go by - a lot of you have been waiting for for a very, very long time.
After selling more than 100 million copies on the PC (no, that's not a typo), for the first time ever, the Sims are moving in to a console near you, with versions of the Sims 3 being relased on the DS, Wii and Xbox 360.
The Sims 3 - coming to a console near you soon.
For those who don't know what the Sims is, it's probably easiest to describe as a virtual dollshouse - although that certainly doesn't do the series justice. A perfect example of a game that's easy to pick up and play, the Sims has a deceptive amount of depth, as you try to balance your Sims wants and desires, with their finances, and social situation. Creating your Sim at the start, if you're a nice person, you'll do your best to guide them on their life journey, by helping them to achieve their goals, meet the person of their dreams, and raise a family together in harmony. Or, you can do what we did, and wait for them to go to the toilet, before removing the door, and bricking the wall up instead.
But its that freedom that makes the Sims so popular, and the fact that you can do whatever you want, whenever you want is one of the franchise's greatest assets. You can be as hands on, or hands off as you want, and should you choose to do so, you can have full control over a character's life. Literally.
The lengths some people go to for a pretty girl.
Along with the three screenshots at the side of the page, EA have released the first few titbits of information about what the console games are going to be like. Sam Player, Executive Producer at EA commented:
"Building on the unique traits system, living open neighborhood, lifetime wishes, and endless customization options, we've tailored each platform of The Sims 3 with exclusive features to allow for even more control, creativity, and connectivity."
And he's not joking. For the Xbox 360, the Sims 3 will be a fully connected experience. Allowing you to share Sims, houses, designs, furniture, clothes, and just about everything else with your friends, and other people around the world over Xbox Live, the Sims 3 on Xbox 360 will even allow you to connect to Facebook, to share achievements, and trophies that you've earnt in the game.
On the DS, customisation seems to be king, as the Sims 3 takes full advantage of the handheld's touch screen, letting you personalise your Sims to your heart's content. Allowing you not only to build houses, and move your Sims around by simply using the touch screen, you'll also be able to design your own patterns for wallpaper, furniture, clothes and more, using a built in Paint style application. You'll even be able to use the touch screen as a virtual plastic surgeon, as you style your Sims hair and facial features with the stylus.
Nooo! Need... food. But.... food too far away.... Help!
But the exclusive features don't end there for the DS version, as the game will also be including a "story mode". Letting you take control of a (presumably pre-set) family of Sims, as you guide them on their path through life, enjoying "life's special moments", you'll be set a number of specific challenges to try and complete. While we're not sure where the story aspect comes into this (so long as it doesn't involve flipping Mortimer), the DS package is already sounding like a pretty solid prospect.
And last, but certainly not least, the Wii version of the Sims 3 comes with an all new beach town, who's residents will have unique personalities, careers, and lifetime wishes for you to play around with. With new "adventure quests" on offer, the Sims 3 on the Wii will challenge you to explore your (virtual) local area, discovering the secrets that lie within.
In a somewhat unprecedented move, the Sims 3 on the Wii will also include a multiplayer mode, which sees you going head to head with a friend in a mode called "Life Moments". Quite how this is going to work is anyone's guess, but we're putting our faith in EA to put it off.
No matter what your platform of choice, it seems like EA have got something special lined up for you. Building on the core Sims do-what-you-want, when-you-want freedom and appeal, and adding a number of console, and platform specific modes in to boot, the Sims 3 is already sounding like one of the biggest titles of 2010. Get ready to wave goodbye to your life this Autumn.
