The Sims 3 Revealed

[Oddmaker]

Seems The Sims 3 has been Revealed, Gamma Ray (http://www.gammaraystudios.com/clients.php?sub=interactivegames) and Feng Zhu (http://www.fengzhudesign.com/clients.html ) has it as a project and many other games listed.
The Gamma Ray Clients Page and the Feng Zhu Design Clients Page each list The Sims 3 as one of the projects to which they are contributing (thanks Tiscali Games and Sims Zone), more-or-less confirming plans for a sequel to the people sim (not that there was much room for doubt in this area).Oh Noes!

[Kelegacy]

I hope the Sims fucking die. We've had enough, they are great games, but c'mon! EA always milks until the cow dies, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

[fitbabits]

Next they'll start calling it Sims 2007, Sims 2008 and so on.

[fitbabits]

I hope the Sims fucking die. We've had enough, they are great games, but c'mon! EA always milks until the cow dies, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
I look forward to the day The Sims grow their own conscience and we are all at their beck and call. It will happen, and you know it. First to perish will be those who locked their Sims in a room with no doors or windows and watched them die.

[markster3000]

A new game already??? But Sims 2 hasn't even had 8 expansion packs yet!

Next they'll start calling it Sims 2007, Sims 2008 and so on.
That could be the only possible reason.

[joruussuun]

I look forward to the day The Sims grow their own conscience and we are all at their beck and call. It will happen, and you know it. First to perish will be those who locked their Sims in a room with no doors or windows and watched them die.
Oh god... I'm gonna be one of the first to die! My friend too I guess, who had his sims go swimming and then removed all the ladders. They swam until they were too tired, then slipped under the water...

[dotbomb]

There are some funny things you can do with the sims but seriously another one? There are only so many ways to torture your sims.

[Derella]

Seems too early for a sequel, even if it's not scheduled for release in the next 2-3 years.

[bean19]

The interesting thing about Sims 3 is that I'm not sure where they can go with the franchise, but let's speculate:

1. Better loading between homes and lots. They have to remember how all that individualization is done and load it up each time, so I think this is mostly a hardware issue, but maybe they could "hardcode" community lots or make the community overhead take less refined "pictures" so that it "loading out" (pulling up the neighborhood information) doesn't take as long as loading into a home or community lot.

2. More goals and things to do. The new expansion is adding stores and jobs that are actually played out. . . which is cool, but they could put in stuff for all the main career lines. Maybe have hard-coded places that we work at so that they are less resource intensive and let you load in and out. Going to your job and working there and having a ladder to move up would add a lot of gameplay to the game. . . especially with all the different career paths.

3. An extension of the above. . . Kill the connection between social success and job success. . . make success dependent on relationships that are relevant. . . having a wife and kids who are friends with ten people in the neighborhood should not lead to becoming a movie star. They could keep in needing to have friends at the workplace, as well as good performance. "Staying green" is part of performance but also having the skills necessary for the job. They could make these goals resident to the workplace which makes more sense.

4. Add elements of strategy to schmoozing and seduction. Not so much fun clicking endlessly on the "productive" emotes to get someone liking you quickly (or taking the lazy route and throwing them in the hot-tub together).

5. De-emphasize "greening up" and add emphasis to aspirations. In a standard day, I may have to use the bathroom three times and need to shower once, but my Sims in a SQUISHED SUPER FAST DAY need to use the restroom just as often, or more often, and need to shower twice. It is really easy to spend your entire day just greening up and then only being able to find an hour or two for skilling up or for socializing. That needs to change. Only 25% of the game day should be used for eating and hygeine, etc. Also, being your own maid would be incredibly difficult. . . I find myself telling Sims who are not sloppy to leave their dishes so that I can get them to learn a skill point or whatever before they are too tired. . . just let the maid clean up dammit! Maybe for these animations to play and seem normal they should extend each day as well as lowering the amount that these attributes degrade.

6. Making "skilling up" more interesting. It would be fun if these were turned into mini-games. Maybe solve logic puzzles or actually play chess to earn Logic. Play a skill-based game to earn Strength more quickly. Let us choose to enter these to raise our efficiency or just let the animation play.

7. Mini-games at jobs that effect performance. Doing well would lead to less attribute degridation or even raising attributes so that less greening up is needed. . . someone who loves their job can leave it feeling refreshed and happy, but someone who performs poorly might get a boss that comes by and gripes them out, thus lowering their Social and Energy stats.

There are definitely places where this game could improve and become more fun. I've come up with seven ideas just off the top of my head.

[Kefkataran]

I look forward to the day The Sims grow their own conscience and we are all at their beck and call. It will happen, and you know it. First to perish will be those who locked their Sims in a room with no doors or windows and watched them die.

:( This is worse than 1984.

[kathode]

Feng is an unbelievable artist. Not sure if I'd immediately think he was a good fit for the Sims, but I'm sure they can find a way to put his considerably talents to good use.

[Lint of Death]

I presume it said something else at some time before, but now both sites say that they are working on an "Untitled Project in Development." Hmm.

[mister_slim]

:( This is worse than 1984.
Well, I guess now we know how Kefkataran treated his Sims.

[KamaItachi]

Well, I guess now we know how Kefkataran treated his Sims.

I would so buy The Sims: Room 101.

[Thenetcase]

Please eighty-six The SIms and bring back Sim City. Now there's a truly great game. :P

City Life looks interesting but doesn't have the polish a Maxis game has... or ... hopefully would have.

The Sims isn't a bad game... it just doesn't appeal to most people because it's so... well... life like. And personally, I have enough drama in my life already-- I don't need some simulated drama coming out of my computer screen in my face at night.

Oh well... I'd rather see some lonely woman playing that instead of watching Soap Operas. Ugh. *pukes*

-TNC-

[mister_slim]

Is anyone else looking forward to The Sims: Guantanamo Bay? New features include character stacking, new hood/leash outfits, and flushable Korans.

Also, I can't believe I spelled that right.

[Kefkataran]

I would so buy The Sims: Room 101.

Is anyone else looking forward to The Sims: Guantanamo Bay? New features include character stacking, new hood/leash outfits, and flushable Korans.

These are officially my favorite goddamn posts of the day.

[dead]

There are some funny things you can do with the sims but seriously another one? There are only so many ways to torture your sims.

You took the words right off my lips (or more correctly my fingers)