The Sims 3 to get new online options

By Ellie Gibson Published 1 May, 2009

Game launcher! Profiles! Micro-transactions.

EA has revealed more about what we can expect from the online offerings in The Sims 3.

When you buy the game you'll get GBP 6 worth of SimPoints to spend in the Sims 3 Store. You can use them to purchase clothing, furniture and all sorts of other extra items for your Sims world. Extra points will be available in bundles of 500, 1000 and 2000.

Another new feature is the Game Launcher, a page designed to act as a hub for the Sims community. You can use it to get information about game updates and keep track of downloads, uploads and installs, plus your Sims videos and photos. The Game Launcher will also update you on new stuff in the store, special promotions and the best community-created content.

Head over to TheSims3.com now and you'll find a marketing website, but from 5th June this will be replaced with a full community and product site. It'll feature a second town, Riverview, which you can download.

The site will also highlight the best and most popular content available via the Exchange. It'll allow players to create and manage their profiles, view and share videos made with the Create a Movie tool, post news, make friends and gro- never mind.

The Sims 3 is being released for PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod Touch and mobiles on 5th June. Visit the gamepage for all the business.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (19) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • r4z0rbl4d3 #1 3 years ago

    Then again, not very surprising.

  • uglygamer #2 3 years ago

    I am not really interested in micro transactions. As long as the game delivers on PC and ipod touch, I will be happy.
    Edited by 1 at 01/05/09 @ 12:47

  • DoctorZoidberg #3 3 years ago

    Whats the problem with micro transactions?

    You don't want to buy the extra t-shirt design, then don't.

    end of. there is no argument to be had here, just people looking for any reason to kick off.

  • Pirotic #4 3 years ago

    micro transactions?

    pre-order canceled then. I can't let my wife loose on it knowing she'll buy all sorts of virtual tat with real money.

    And the problem with it is, before they allowed pretty much anything in terms of user created content. But now if they can sell content, whats the motivation to let users create the same sort of stuff? I suspect crippled/limited user content tools as a result.
    Edited by 1 at 01/05/09 @ 12:49

  • Spekingur #5 3 years ago

    It all depends on how much they decide to let the items cost in RL money. And if you'll actually bloody own the item after you buy it, that you are not just renting the item for a week or something.

    You know, I wouldn't be surprised to see EA jump out of an alley and shout:
    "Me love you long time, only five dollahs!"

  • DoctorZoidberg #6 3 years ago

    Stating the Bleeding Obvious.

    Sometimes it needs to be stated, or you get morons complaining about it. OR maybe it will be a good incentive for the creators to get rewarded for their work?

    Edit : by creators, i mean the fan based creators.
    Edited by 1 at 01/05/09 @ 12:58

  • Malek86 #7 3 years ago

    The older Sims had different content for free (no expansions, please). I expect that microtransaction will only be for premium content?

    If not, well...

  • Dark_Stranger #8 3 years ago

    The "Game Page" link doesnt work, its pointing to the Eurogamer home page.

  • the_dudefather #9 3 years ago

    'There was a time where you could add things for free on Sims'

    Will user mods and clothing NOT be available for the sims 3?

  • makeamazing #10 3 years ago

    There used to be a time where people purchased things that were real, now we all spend money on virtual items, its a crazy world. Credit to EA they will make a bucket load on it. Wonder if they will still push out millions of expansion packs.

  • Pirotic #11 3 years ago

    It will have user created content, but the problem I see is when that imposes on the paid for content. Let's say somebody makes some really cool coke styled vending machines. Then, EA decide to let you buy a real one for £1, what happens to the user created one? it'll probably get deleted. So they'll have to police all user created content so that anything which could be worth money gets nuked off so they can charge for the same thing.

    I wouldn't mind paying to download expansions, but micro-content suggests otherwise.

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #12 3 years ago

    iirc the user added content IS still part of the game (as thats what made Sims 2 such a big deal), the MTA is probly like the 'buy a body part' Spore has..

    TBH I'd perfer MTA to 'Stuff' packs, I found a lot of the 'stuff' was 'meh' and only a few items per pack were any good to me. It's better to pay 50p for one item then £20 for just a handful.

    To each his own I'm guessing

  • TurboBailey #13 3 years ago

    Rip off? Pay for a full game? then pay again for all the cool content.
    Bound to make a fortune for EA - but not a very consumer friendly idea

  • Whizzo #14 3 years ago

    I have to agree with Kremlik, the Stuff packs are terrible value for money but micro-transactions of individual items, if you want them, seems a much better way of doing things.

    Considering the huge amount of community based freebies that keeps the Sims fanbase ticking over I doubt EA would want to stop that from continuing either.
    Edited by 1 at 01/05/09 @ 14:39

  • TheDudesRug #15 3 years ago

    It must suck to be poor.

  • lucasmax #16 3 years ago

    Can I has ur monies then? If you're so rich and dont mind throwing money away on vitual tat?

    My prediction: EA are gonna be too greedy and its going to be too restrictive, driving away the best of the user contributers, turning a sure-fire cash cow into a one or two egg golden goose.

  • Rack #17 3 years ago

    Actually having the slightest clue about money means that you can be richer on a minimum wage job than someone without a clue about money is on 30 grand a year.

  • Nameless-001 #18 3 years ago

    "And the problem with it is, before they allowed pretty much anything in terms of user created content. But now if they can sell content, whats the motivation to let users create the same sort of stuff? I suspect crippled/limited user content tools as a result."

    This. And for this reason I'll "wait and see" before buying it.

  • foamy #19 3 years ago

    Actually, DoctorZoidberg, EA may avoid to put a lot of content that could go in the original non-updated game, just so it can sell the items later for money, when in fact they could very well fill up the DVD with content. But no, EA are very very innocent and pure and they will fill the DVD with as much as they can and they will only charge as much as it costs them to make the transaction from their server to your PC which will be less than 1 cent. Right? :)