Admittedly, I am amongst those millions who made The Sims, and its subsequent expansion packs and sequels, one of the biggest and best-selling game series' of all time. For some unexplainable reason, the ability to create characters whose lives you can run or ruin has some serious appeal.

Five years after the release of The Sims, and no less than six expansion packs later, Maxis (the company who originally made The Sims) released The Sims 2. This game completely overhauled the gameplay of its predecessor with a larger variety of objects, greater control over customisation and a massive development of Sims' artificial intelligence. Sims were able to live longer and actually progress from child to adult, adult to elder, elder to death. But was this enough? Apparently not.

Four years later, The Sims 3 is due to hit shelves on February 16 and it's due to be a biggie.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect promised in Sims 3 is the aspect of 'living neighbourhoods'. Any casual fan of the Sims series will know that, for the last nine years, our Sims have been living pretty lonely lives. We've been cooped up in our own splendidly designed and decorated homes with only a taxi to take us downtown, a phone to invite our friends round (if they feel like popping in) and a random stream of strangers walking past our house every now and again- not that socially desirable.

In The Sims 3, however, we'll be living in a whole new world. The creators have promised that our Sims' lives will no longer revolve around the home. We'll be able to open our door, step out, take a walk or a morning jog through a seamless neighbourhood where anything can happen.

The Create-A-Sim section has apparently experienced yet another make-over in The Sims 3, with hundreds more ways to customise the look and personality of your Sim characters. But has that much really changed? You could be forgiven for thinking that some of the screenshots are taken from The Sims 2 but it is in the finer, intricate details that only a true Sim fan will appreciate.

Look out the window of your Sims 2 house. What do you see? A patch of green grass, your garden- if you've made one; but what's that in the distance? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No. It's a patch of blue sky that our 'neighbourhood' slowly fades into.

Now, consider looking out of a window in your swanky, new Sims 3 house. What's that in the distance? The mail boy talking to the soccer mom accross the street while Bob and Betty Newbie (what's that? An original Sims reference?) go for a jog.

I've reached that time of my life where, living in a house of my own, the magic of the Sims is somewhat lost. Making a house, trying (and failing) to get a job to pay the bills and realising that getting that swimming pool in the back yard is just a pipe dream- I can do all that for real.

I do, however, on occasion, visit my dream, virtual neighbourhood to create the newest house on the block. Minimalist decor, expensive accessories, lavish fittings. The unconscious appeal of The Sims is never lost and, with this latest installment, things are only going to get better.

	Written by sacfa on 05-04-2010 12:55 - Guest
	asfasf http://safa

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