The Sims 3

teaser site (to be updated on March 19th, supposedly)

“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. The town and park you see on the cover image to the right (click to enlarge) exist in the same seamless space as your Sims’ household, and what you do outside your home now matters as much as what you do within…the game also sees a major shift in how Sims’ motives are handled: Individual meters indicating bladder and sleep-deprivation levels are replaced by a new system of discrete moods, the aim being to get players off the treadmill of fulfilling primal eat-sleep-pee-repeat requirements so they can focus more on, well, going out on the brand new town.

There are tons more changes, too, some big, some small, all detailed in the exclusive 12-page preview in the April/May issue of Games for Windows: The Official Magazine, showing up in subscribers’ mailboxes today and on newsstands shortly after. Inside, you’ll find an exploration the Sims’ new, open hometown; a full explanation of the new gameplay mechanics, including the radically revamped character-creation system; in-depth interviews with Sims Studio head Rod Humble, design director Matt Brown, and executive producer Ben Bell on the other big changes; and lots more.”
-1UP.com article

A “radically revamped character-creation system” intrigues me in that I’d like to see what that means, and if they addressed my biggest pet peeve with the game (the inability to change body type/height). But I just don’t know if I have the energy (not to mention the money) to get excited about another Sims installment, no matter how mind-bendingly cool it is. Consider:

Sims 1: $50                         Sims 2: $50
Livin’ Large: $30                University: $30
House Party: $30               Nightlife: $30
Hot Date: $30                     Open For Business: $30
Vacation: $30                      Pets: $30
Unleashed: $30                   Seasons: $30
Superstar: $30                   Bon Voyage: $30
Makin’ Magic: $30             Freetime: $30

= $260                             = $260

TOTAL:                         $520

Altogether, I’ve already spent $520 on Sims games (admittedly over the course of at least 8-10 years). Will The Sims 3 have expansion packs? Do they expect me to plunk down another $260?

Of course, this is all a moot point, since my computer barely runs The Sims 2, will most certainly be unable to run the Sims 3, and I don’t expect to be in a position to buy a new one by the fiscal year of 2009. But it will be interesting to see what the game turns out to be…