• There’s a 20 minute demo for The Sims 3 on Origin.
• Jupiter Moon Entertainment has been founded by Infinity Ward vet Christopher Cherubi and Sony/Disney vet David Chiapperino. It will focus on social and casual titles.
• Richard Garriott has said: “I, Richard Garriott, am an essential ingredient of at least the Ultimate Ultima.” He feels the game took a downturn after he left, and he is hyping his new game via a Facebook post, although he won’t say what it is yet. Christ.
• 51 screenshots for Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme VS are through here.
• Margaritaville launches in January on Facebook. Get into the beta here.
• Ian Livingstone is to lead a new UKIE developer group.
• Here are your Nintendo downloads for the week.
• Abobo’s Big Adventure, called the ultimate NES parody tribute game, has a trailer.
• Another trailer, this time for Firefall, is through here.
• A demo for Dead Rising 2 has landed on Gaikai.
• The final batch of shots and video for Dynasty Warriors: Xtreme Legends are through here.  One in particular is manboob-tastic.

The Sims 3: Pets is a new expansion pack for EA’s best-selling game about little people who live inside your computer. To put it simply – you’ll soon be able to put dogs, cats and horses in there too. And, of course, you can customise those dogs, cats and horses to your heart’s content, playing with just about every possible variable. There are more than 100 breeds of cats and dogs, a whole bunch of pre-designed horses, and a super-awesome editor to adjust things with.

In a statement, EA spells it out: “Players can change the length and width of the snout and ears, texture of the fur or even the color of the eyes. Using the new layer system, players can recreate their childhood pet by adding different layers of markings along the body or create a hybrid of their dreams.”

That is, if you want to create your childhood pet. If you’d prefer to create something that looks like it belongs in a horror movie, by all means – go ahead. There’s even skeleton markings included in the game to make it easy for you.

The demo version of The Sims 3: Pets is available now for PC, and you will need an Origin account to grab it. Still interested? Head to the Sims 3 official website and click the links!

• Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono and Tekken creator Katsihiro Harada had a spat over the latter possibly appearing in-game in Street Fighter x Tekken. The video embedded below shows how they resolved the matter. We had on off-screen version a while back, but this is the official thing.
• There’s a new games rental service in Europe. Europe! Want to rent some games? Excellent, that seems ideal.
• If you really want to know what’s coming in the Pets expansion for The Sims 3, the latest patch notes pretty much give it away.
• Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines is on sale this weekend. It’s awesome, but you’ll need to snaffle some community patches as a matter of urgency. Word to the wise.
• You can play Dino D-Day for free this weekend. Why wouldn’t you.
• The Dragon Age anime has been pushed back to 2012. Gutted.
• A new distribution service called IndieCity has been launched for – you guessed it – indie developers. Might be worth watching, that.
• US TimeWarner and Brighthouse subscribers can finally watch ESPN3 properly via their Xbox 360. Apparently, that’s a thing. Hooray? Hooray!
• There’s a trailer for Wesley Snipes’s iPhone game. Looks a bit dire.
• Hothead has a new iOS game in the works. It’s called Kickin’ Momma. This doesn’t seem to be a joke.
• The guys behind Pot Farm and virtual goods shill Super Rewards have combined forces to launch a new studio. And continue the lucrative Pot Farm, obviously.

Today’s unrelated street art.

• There’s so much information we don’t understand in this Final Fantasy Type-0 post, but apparently it’s about Alto Crystarium details, Phantoma credits and female governments.
• No More Heroes on Facebook will be bloody.
• Fat Princess is 2, and the full game plus the Fat Roles DLC along with avatars for your PSN ID and a new Dynamic Theme can be yours for $14.99.
• The Humble Indie Bundle is back. As usual, pay whatever the hell you want.
• CCP has cancelled EVE’s Quarterly Economic Newsletters.
• Phantasy Star Online 2 screenshots are here, and alpha testing starts in Japan next month.
• TimeGate Studios has announced the release of Skirmish mode for Section 8: Prejudice.
• A lauch trailer for The Sims 3: Town Life Stuff has been released.
• Gamefront got hands on time with War in the North. I think they should have taken me along. They would have appreciated it more.
• Farming in Free Realms has been updated and new places have been added.
• Risen 2: Dark Waters will make use of Steamworks.
• There’s the packshot for Dead Rising 2: Off the Record posted below.
• For every Games for Windows online purchase made between July 25 and August 1, MS will email you 400 Microsoft Points.

Marvel at it below, as we pass through infancy, childhood, adolescence, marriage, and mid-life crisis. Sounds like my household every day.

The Sims 3: Generations is due on PC and Mac on June 3.

Thanks, Girl Gamers UK.

• Golden Axe 2 and Streets of Rage 2 are both now available on the App Store.
• Two Worlds II has a spin-off game called Castle Defense coming on May 17. BigDownload has a Mac and PC demo for it.
• Crytek has revealed details on its Crysis 2 Editor and Software Development Kit which is slated for August.
• A new heavy weapons-based archetype is coming to Champions Online, and Cryptic has released a trailer for it.
• The standalone ArmA II expansion Reinforcements is out and has a trailer.
• The Sims 3 is making fun of William and Kate’s impeding nuptials in a new trailer.
• GameFly has prevailed in its two-year dispute with the United States Postal Service over preferential treatment given to by-mail movie services like Netflix and Blockbuster.
• Electronic Arts has raised more than $1 million for Japan earthquake and tsunami aid thanks to gamer’s donations.
• The US PS Blog has a write up on how the music and soundtrack for Deus Ex: Human Revolution was conceived as well as something about Trent Reznor.

“The Sims 3: Generations is all about creating more interesting life stories,” Vaughn told Gamespot.

“The Sims 3 base game allowed us to take a Sim from their birth to their death, but The Sims 3 Generations adds tons of new age-specific content and features that make each life phase a unique and fun experience.”

Ageing isn’t a new mechanic, but having greater than minimal differentiation between your variously aged sims is. Each age tier – Children, Teens, Young Adult and Adult – features specific content inaccessible to older or younger sims.

According to the producer, this allows for “bigger, richer, and deeper stories”.

“We wanted to let people truly live their Sims lives to the fullest,” he explained. “… With this expansion, we wanted to bring the most fulfilling and rich life experiences to your Sims.”

The Sims 3: Generations is due on PC and Mac on June 3. Like previous expansions and recently releases The Sims: Medieval, the new content drives the series in a more goal-oriented direction, as opposed to the anarchic sandboxes of early games.

Have you ever wanted to look back on your life and do things all over again? That seems to be the theme for this particular expansion pack. You can have your sims start as kids playing in tree houses, then move to the teenage years as they go to school dances with their significant other. As adults you can even have your Sims cope with middle age by dealing with rumors about your marital status.

The Sims 3 Generations will add new activities to the game such as taking in-game picture with cameras. You will be able to make an online scrapbook of those pictures and post them on the official Sims 3 web site or on your Facebook web page. The expansion pack is due out sometime this spring.

• Japanese Street Fighter fans are getting Evil Ryu in Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition. Look at him through the link.
• Fight Night Champion is getting DLC next week. There will be three packs: Heavyweight Legends, Bare Knuckles Boxing pack and the Alternate Weight Class pack.
• Namco has instructed Japanese retailers to destroy One Piece Unlimited Cruise SP DVDs containing a promotional video for the game due to a special ability used by Shirohigewho can cause earthquakes, and a tsunami.
• A update allows folks to register with Hulu Plus within the app itself.
• Capcom Unity has posted new Super Street Fighter IV 3D screens in time for the 3DS launch.
• League of Legends is getting a new champion named Lee Sin.
• Cryptic has the original series of Star Trek Online in bundle form for $17.50 or 1400 Atari points in the C-Store. Wonder if the sale is to celebrate Spock turning 80. Shatner turned 80 last week too.
• Dungeon Blitz, the web-based, side-scrolling action MMOG from Blue Mammoth Games, is now in open beta.
• The launch trailer for The Sims 3 can be watched through here.
• Gemini Wars has a new gameplay trailer here.
• Kalypso has announced that RTS Elements of War has gone gold and hits North American on April 12.
• Jewel Quest Mysteries: The Seventh Gate for PC has shipped.
• Iceberg Interactive has released Starpoint Gemini in the UK, Scandinavian and Benelux. A playable demo for the space-based tactical RPG also available.
• Eurogamer has posted a comparison video between 3DS and iPad 2.
• Turbine has posted a leveling guide for folks between 1 and 30 in Lotro.
• There’s a preview of the upcoming WoW patch 4.1, Rise of the Zandalari through here.
• Blue’s News has a massive list of game sales posted on the site.

The bug occurs on auto or manual save, and completely freezes the player’s PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360. A hard reset is required to get the game back up and running, and any progress since the last, pre-crash save will be lost.

In a minority of cases the game allegedly become entirely unplayable after an instance of crashing, although whether this issue can be addressed by deleting saves and wiping the console’s cache is unverified.

Reports suggest the bug is slightly more likely to occur after longer playing sessions. The sudden surge of examples may indicate the problem was introduced in a recent title update.

So far, EA has been unable to provide any explanation, work-around or fix but did tell Joystiq that staff are “continuing to look into” the bug.

In Gaming We Trust has created a hub for awareness of the crippling bug, with links to proper channels for reporting problems.

“I am not interested in playing virtual soap opera dollies,” you tell yourself. “And anyway, I only buy games through digital distribution on account of living in the future.”

But EA know the deep secrets of your Sim-torturing heart. The Sims 3 is now available on Steam.

The Sims 3 released half way through June 2009 and shifted 1.4 million units in its first week, dominating PC charts around the world for months afterwards. Apparently not content with this nearly unprecedented success in PC gaming, EA are chasing the digital dollar, too. Good on them.

Ripten reports that for the somewhat disconcertingly non-round sum of $104.97 you can purchase the Ultimate Bundle, which includes everything and then some more things, too, as detailed below.

– The Sims 3
– The Sims 3: Late Night
– The Sims 3: World Adventures
– The Sims 3: Ambitions
– The Sims 3: Fast Lane Stuff
– The Sims 3: High-End Loft Stuff

Following yesterday’s 3DS info-vomit for the US and Europe, EA’s bunged out some shots of The Sims 3 for the machine.

This is listed as one of the “launch period” titles, so you’ll be playing this before E3 in June.

Happy Monday. Here’s another compilation of fantastic deals on cheap games. This week it’s mostly excellent discounts on stuff you might have missed first time round, and one item I’m sure is going to be in demand this Christmas. For updates on what games are being discounted at all times, make sure to check Savygamer.co.uk.

This week’s deals are after the break.

Prince Of Persia Trilogy: HD Collection, PS3 – £21.54 delivered (using a coupon from here)

You can see 10 minutes of the HD version of Sands of Time here on Youtube. It looks like Sands of Time, but in HD. It’s a shame that these only run in 720p. I think I’d be tempted to just play the PC versions if I was going to revisit this classic trilogy. The main problems with the PC versions are that they don’t all have native widescreen support, and the controller support is a bit of a faff. Sands of time is probably my favourite of the three, and The Two Thrones is a worthy follow up, if a little patchy. I’ve never been able to complete Warrior Within: savegame bugs and apathy got in the way.

Skate 3, Xbox 360/PS3 – £9.48 delivered: apply coupon “i41″ to get this price

The first Skate was enough for me. I never really aimed for completion; I was happy enough to just skate around the really nice-looking city, and occasionally dip my toe in some of the challenges. The demo of Skate 3 had a worrying flashback to when THPS started to lose it’s way. It made me jump a 40ft drop, flail around in the air, and get more points for the more bone damage I caused my skater. Jackass isn’t cool: skating is cool. Metacritic page here.

The Sims 3, Wii – £19.48 delivered: apply coupon “i41″ to get this price

I can’t find a single review of this version of The Sims 3 anywhere, except for this French language one from gameblog.fr, which I sadly don’t understand. Can anyone provide any impressions?

Mirror’s Edge, PC – £4.99: apply coupon “i41″ to get this price

This is easily one of my favourite games of the last few years. Its faults are forgiveable because it’s so bold. Moving pictures are worth tens of thousands of words, so just look at this video. It’s got moments of frustration, and it can be very demanding of your gaming skills, but when it gets it right, Mirror’s Edge is unmatched in delivering an exhilarating immersive experience of something like freerunning. Metacritic page here.
You can also get the Super Mario Galaxy map pack for £2.49, which you really should: the levels ar beautiful, and deliciously challenging.

Deal of the week

Bioshock 2, Xbox 360/PS3 – £6.30 delivered

Ex-rental, but in near-perfect condition. I’ve only just got around to playing this. I’m maybe three hours in, and definitely enjoying myself, but not anywhere near as much as the first. So far, the only hugely meaningful improvement from the original is that the hacking is much faster. You get a slidey bar which you have to stop on the right colour, and it’s often done in a second or two. All the other changes I’ve noticed so far are just refinements, or changes for change’s sake. I’m not sure where the narrative is going yet, but I’m eager to find out.

Also of note:
F1 2010, PC – £14.96 (Apply coupon “savemore”)
CODBLOPS, PC – £29.96 (Apply coupon “savemore”)
Medal of Honor, PC – £14.99 (Apply coupon “i41″)
Mass Effect 2, PC – £9.99 (Apply coupon “i41″)
Final Fantasy XIII, PS3 – £10.44 delivered
The Saboteur, PS3 – £7.50 delivered

Remember to keep your eye’s on SavyGamer.co.uk for gaming discounts throughout the week, and you can hassle me on twitter if there’s ever a specific game you’re after for cheap.

Because nothing says “easy” like dancing on a bar in your skivvies.

EA has announced the shipment of its latest expansion pack to The Sims 3 for PC and Mac.

Late Night offers players “a reason to venture out into the dark and check out the hottest clubs, partake in nighttime activities and run from…or become…creatures of the night”.

Basically, you can now be in a band, live the life of a vampire, becomes a  celebrity, and frolic around in a hot tub.

Here’s a blurb that will surely get goths and Twilighters alike hot under the collar:

Players have the option to befriend a vampire and eventually ask their new friend to turn them into one of their kind. Once changed, players will find that their Sims, the characters unique to The Sims games, have thirst instead of hunger, can run faster, read minds and need to sleep during the daylight hours. Vampires have upscale late night hang outs where select few get in, but they aren’t the only ones that get perks and no line access into hot spots.

Check out shots of the expansion below.

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Update: As Destructoid points out, EA’s also register TheSims5.com, TheSims6.com and TheSims7.com. Guess there’s no need to call the Hardy Boys.

Original: EA has registered TheSims4.com, suggesting its currently working on yet another title in the series. Bet you never saw that coming.

The Sims 3 was released on PC back in June. EA will release console versions for 360 and PS3 later this year.

EA registered the new website at the start of July.

This could of course just be EA protecting its products, but with the company promising to reveal several games at its showcase in Tokyo next month, don’t bet against this being one of them.

Thanks, Systemlink.

EA has released a bunch of new screens for The Sims 3 on PS3 and Xbox 360.

Catch them after the break.

As you can see below,the screens show the Sims frolicking about in their usual manner, a manner which you will now be able to control while sitting on the couch instead of at a PC.

The Sims 3 for consoles will release on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and Nintendo DS later this year.

EA used its Summer Showcase to debut the next Alice title from American McGee, a first trailer for 38 Studios’ Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and more this evening, but fell short of a proper megaton.

Get all the news, press releases and media after the break.

Madden NFL 11

The next Madden was announced on iPad and 3DS. Amazing scenes. EA Sports Active: NFL Training Camp was shown, heart-rate monitor and all. Patrick Willis from the 49ers commented on the training. The monitor was attached to the dude’s leg.

Fight Night Champion

The next Fight Night was properly announced after being selectively previewed earlier today. EA Sports said it wants to make the franchise look more like the underground in boxing – gritty, like Fight Club. It’s out next year, and there are first images below.

MMA

MMA’s Career mode was shown for the first time. The devs talked authenticity, the global nature of the sport, putting your likeness as the head of your future champ and more.

The game will feature gyms from all over the world. Fighter Bas Rutten turned up and talked gibberish. It was amazing.

There was a date: it’s out on October 19.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

38 Studios boss and sports legend Curt Schilling showed Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning for the first time, although no one was allowed to film the trailer.

Todd McFarlane’s done the art for the fantasy title, so keep your eyes well open for this. Some in-game shots were seen, and it all looked pretty much like a fantasy game.

Shank

Shank’s releasing on August 24 on PSN and August 25 on XBLA.

Crysis 2

EA said Crysis 2′s multiplayer will be aired at gamescom in August.

Alice

American McGee is on stage now showing off Alice: Madness Returns. It’s for PC, 360 and PS3 in 2011. First shots and trailer below.

The original sold 1.5 million units, he said. Here’s the press release:

EA and Spicy Horse Games Send Gamers Down the Rabbit Hole in Alice: Madness Returns

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Jul 20, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Gaming visionary American McGee returns to Wonderland as Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) and Spicy Horse Games announce Alice: Madness Returns(TM), the dark and deranged sequel to the year 2000 PC hit, American McGee’s Alice(TM). Designed with the same dark style of the original, but now featuring entirely new visuals, story and game design, Alice: Madness Returns is a fun and addictive action adventure set to release on PC, the PlayStation(R)3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system. The game follows Alice on a journey through a wildly corrupted and shattered Wonderland to uncover the truth behind her haunted past and tortured psyche. In this journey, players will romp through highly-detailed elaborate worlds, encounter a cast of off-beat characters and engage in epic battles with deadly weapons and sinister villains.

“Alice is a classic fiction, infinitely rich with memorable characters, places and experiences. Our approach to Alice: Madness Returns takes this colorful world and reinvents it with psychotic personalities and pervasive insanity,” said American McGee, Spicy Horse Games Co-Founder and Senior Creative Director. “We can’t wait to share our vision with Alice in Wonderland fans and gamers around the world.”

Alice: Madness Returns takes place 10 years after the conclusion of the original game, with Alice struggling to recover from the emotional trauma of losing her entire family in a fatal fire. After spending a decade institutionalized in an insane asylum, she is finally released to the care of a psychiatrist who just may be able to help her conquer the nightmarish hallucinations that still haunt her. Alice embarks on a mission to root out the true cause of her family’s mysterious death, jumping from a gloomy and stark London to a rich and provocative Wonderland.

“In 2000, we launched a cult hit on the PC with American McGee’s Alice. Ten years later, I’m pleased to announce American is back on board leading the top-rate talent at Spicy Horse Games to create this sequel,” said David DeMartini, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EA Partners. “The Alice in Wonderland fiction continues to be a fan favorite all over the world. We can’t wait for them to experience the next chapter with Alice: Madness Returns.”

Alice: Madness Returns will be available in 2011 for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

For more information on Alice: Madness Returns, please visit http://AliceMadnessReturns.com.

Dead Space: Ignition

The downloadable Dead Space 2 prequel was seen in a trailer. The game features four paths and four different endings. Players will have to go through three types of mini-games: Hardware Crack, System Override and Trace Route.

Trace Route was shown playable on 360. “Mini-game” was about right. It was simply running a spot through a 2D landscape. It’s out this fall for 360 and PS3.

Darkspore

Darkspore, an action RPG based in the Spore universe, was announced at the event.

The game is about “loot,” said the game’s producer and will feature character upgrades, online play, character creation, weapons and heroes. It’s a “co-op game at its heart,” said Maxis.

The game was shown playable. The demo said replay would play a major part of the game.

Shots and teaser trailer at the bottom. Here’s the press release:

EA REVEALS DARKSPORE, A NEW SCI-FI ACTION ROLE-PLAYING GAME IN DEVELOPMENT FROM MAXIS STUDIO
Darkspore to Introduce Innovative Character Customization, Gameplay Mechanics and Online Play to Genre
Guildford, UK – July 20, 2010 – MaxisTM, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio, today announced the next project in its award-winning portfolio of PC games: DarksporeTM, an online, science-fiction action role-playing game, is currently in development for an early 2011 launch. Darkspore is rich in action and fiction, and is being written and developed by some of the most talented minds in the video game industry.

“Darkspore is inspired in part by the award-winning creature editor tech of Spore, but also in large part from the team’s own passion for gaming and prior experience,” said Lucy Bradshaw, General Manager of Maxis Studio. “The team has combined these inspirations to produce a unique take on the action RPG genre.”

Darkspore will feature dynamic, fast-paced action as players battle across alien worlds to save the galaxy from the mutated forces of Darkspore in a four-player co-operative and full single-player campaign, as well as intense multiplayer battles. In order to defeat the malicious Darkspore, players will need to collect an arsenal of living weapons – genetic heroes with different combat abilities – and upgrade them with tens of thousands of collectible body parts and armor.

Darkspore will feature three unique classes of five different genetic hero types, with a limitless number of upgrades and customizations available through the parts players collect on each planet level. As players progress, Darkspore builds in intensity, with new planets and enemy forces requiring players to strategically select the right squad and ability combinations to succeed in their missions.

EA is scheduled to launch Darkspore in early 2011.

Sims 3

Before Darkspore, Sims boss Rod Humble showing off Sims 3 for consoles as an opening game.

Humble showed Sims 3: Late Night for the first time. Late Night has just been announced for a fall release alongside Sims 3 itself.

EA has announced that The Sims 3 will land on consoles and DS this fall.

It will be made available for PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii, too.

“We’re bringing players the best console and handheld game for The Sims franchise to date and are excited to offer a unique experience for all types of gamers on their platform of choice,” said Sam Player, executive producer at EA in the press release.

“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.”

Players can unlock “Karma Powers” for “instant control and unleash them on their Sims”; help the virtual people “get lucky’; bless them with “instant beauty”; or be deviant and curse them with “epic fail.”

Players will also be able to earn Trophies and share Achievements with friends on Facebook.

Exclusive to the Wii version, players get a new beach town with unique residents, traits, careers and lifetime wishes, go head to head in the new “Life Moments” game to earn rewards.

On Nintendo DS, players can use the stylus to build their Sims’ homes with tools, draw walls and floors, and customize virtually everything from décor objects, textures, and more.

Per the release, players will use the stylus to “sculpt their Sims’ facial features, choose hair styles and clothing, and dictate personalities in the most robust Create a Sim yet for a handheld game”.

Here’s the full PR for your reading pleasure. Grab a cuppa and relax with it a bit.

Guildford, UK., April 27, 2010 – The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that the critically-acclaimed The Sims™ 3 is in development for the PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, the Wii™ and Nintendo DS™, and will be available this fall. Millions embraced the launch of The Sims 3 on the PC/Mac last summer making it the biggest PC launch in EA’s history and going on to become the #1 best-selling PC title in 2009*. The groundbreaking The Sims franchise has continued to gain momentum, remaining a worldwide cultural touchstone for its enormous and growing fan base.

“We’re bringing players the best console and handheld game for The Sims franchise to date and are excited to offer a unique experience for all types of gamers on their platform of choice,” explained Sam Player, Executive Producer at EA. “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.”

In The Sims 3 for console and handheld, players will be able to create Sims with unique personalities, fulfill their desires…or not, and control their lives within a living neighborhood. Additionally, all-new features make it easier than ever to mess with life as players can unlock the ultimate “Karma Powers” for instant control and unleash them on their Sims. Players can help their Sim “get lucky,” bless them with “instant beauty” or be deviant and curse them with an “epic fail.” But players should use these powers wisely—they may have unexpected results and karma may come back to bite.

Rich, immersive gameplay is complimented with a seamlessly integrated exchange system on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms where gamers will be more connected than ever before as they design, build, and share their creations and download content from other players around the world without ever leaving the game.** Facing short and long term challenges, players will reap rewards and trophies and can even share achievements with friends by connecting to Facebook**.

Exclusive to the Wii version, players will be able to enjoy an all-new beach town with unique residents, traits, careers and lifetime wishes. For the first time ever, players can enjoy The Sims 3 with friends by going head to head in the new “Life Moments” game to earn rewards. Finally, players will also enjoy several adventure quests, as the game will challenge them to explore their town and discover the secrets therein.

Never before seen on Nintendo DS, players can use the stylus to build their Sims’ homes with tools, draw walls and floors, and customize virtually everything from décor objects, textures, and more. Players will use the stylus to sculpt their Sims’ facial features, choose hair styles and clothing, and dictate personalities in the most robust Create a Sim yet for a handheld game. In “Story Mode,” players will control multiple Sims within a family and enjoy life’s special moments. For the first time ever on the Nintendo DS, players can enjoy a complete life simulation as they guide their Sims through completing challenges to unlock additional items, new buildings and landmarks, and more.

“The Sims series continues to be one of the most successful videogames of all time by providing universally appealing content and focusing on the player’s imagination, emergent gameplay mechanics, and the innate humor evident in the virtual world of The Sims,” said Scott Evans, General Manager of The Sims Studio. “We’re building on this foundation and applying new features that will make for a robust, deep and rewarding gameplay experience. I’m extremely proud of the game that the team is making and can’t wait to bring these exciting new features like “Karma Powers” to life and get them into players’ hands.”

The Sims 3 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and Nintendo DS is developed by The Sims Studio and has not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information about The Sims 3, please go to www.TheSims3.com. The Sims 3 is also available for PC, Mac, iPhone®, iPod touch® and mobile devices. To download artwork, please visit www.info.ea.com.

* In North America and Europe according to NPD data, Chart-track UK, Gfk France, Gfk Spain, Gfk-MCC Germany and EA internal estimate.

** INTERNET CONNECTION, EA Online Account, and registration with single-use serial code enclosed with new, full retail purchase of The Sims 3 for Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 required. PlayStation®Network/Xbox LIVE® account required and separate fees may apply. Some features subject to availability through PlayStation Network and/or Xbox LIVE. Registration is limited to one EA Account per serial code and is non-transferable once used. You must be 13+ to register. EA Online Terms & Conditions found at www.ea.com.

EA’s confirmed the console versions of The Sims 3 will release in the Holiday season this year.

The company mentioned the game’s new SKUs in its Q3 earnings call tonight, but didn’t add detail.

No platforms have been confirmed, and the update is listed merely as “The Sims 3 on Console Title TBA” for both “Console” and “Handheld”.

The Sims 3 launched for PC last June, shipping 3.7 million units in its first quarter.

The news comes from EA’s Q3 earnings release.

EA and Dr Pepper are teaming up to offer people gaming codes for chugging the popular soft drink.

The promotion includes Battlefield Heroes, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Mass Effect 2, The Sims 3, and Spore, which will all have “unique DLC” tied to them.

“Every bottle wins,” a Dr Pepper rep told Joystiq.

Each bottle contains a code to redeem on the Dr. Pepper website, where you choose your system and DLC from an available list.

This offer went live on January 1 in the US for every state except for Maine and Washington DC – which is technically not a State, but claims to be one of sorts.

Offer ends March 31 but will start up again running from July 1 to December 31, 2010 in participating markets.

Check out the official website for details.

A new video for The Sims 3, which had an expansion called World Adventures come out this week, has surfaced.

It makes fun of the Twilight saga, by parodying New Moon.

Actually, it looks loads better to us. We would actually pay to see this in theaters.

Watch on below.

In other Sims news, there’s also a patch available and you can get it here.

The Sims 3 expansion pack World Adventures will come packed with basement tools, which allow players to create underground structures with up to four levels.

EA has added tomb objects for exploratory adventures and purposes and certain ones -like the Fogger – hides unexplored areas from view, or hidden stairways which lead to secret passages.

Other objects include floor switches, traps that shoot fire, steam, electricity, darts and other neat Indiana Jones type stuff.

The expansion’s out November 17, and Kotaku has all you need to know on underground bits, but Sim Operations has the rest of the expansion detailed here, along with a teaser trailer.

The EA financial call is still ongoing and in it the company revealed that The Sims 3 has sold 3.7 million copies.

Sims 3 was the top selling title in North America and Europe for the quarter, it was revealed.

There’s loads of Sims fans out there, apparently.

Full financials can been read here.

EA has announced the first expansion pack for The Sims 3, known as The Sims 3: World Adventures, which will ship worldwide on November 16.

The expansion sees your Sims taken out of Sunset Valley as they go across around the world to countries including China, France and Egypt.

Press release and the first three screens are after the jump.

EA REVEALS THE SIMS 3 WORLD ADVENTURES

First Expansion Pack to Global Phenomenon – The Sims 3

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., August 3, 2009 – The Sims are off on an adventure to famous destinations around the world! The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that The Sims™ 3 World Adventures, the first expansion pack* to the #1 best-selling PC and MAC game in June 2009**, The Sims 3, is in development and will ship to retailers worldwide the week of November 16, 2009.

“We’re thrilled with the global success of The Sims 3 over these last few months and are looking forward to expanding on the gameplay experience with one of the most robust expansion packs to The Sims yet,” said Scott Evans, General Manager of The Sims at EA. “Players will be able to take their Sims on the adventure of a lifetime and explore lands outside of Sunset Valley and Riverview, pursue thrilling new life destinies in locations around the world inspired by famous destinations, and immerse themselves in the open-ended gameplay where they’ll discover new cities in China, France and Egypt and share new stories.”

Players can take their Sims on new journeys to famous real-world inspired destinations around the globe for the first time ever and seek out new adventures. While exploring the landmarks of an exotic city, there is no telling what the Sims will find. From mastering martial arts in Shang Simla, China, discovering rich culture and famous landmarks on a romantic getaway to Champs Les Sims, France or exploring the depths of ancient tombs in Al Simhara, Egypt, players can take their Sims on a journey that will change their Sims’ lives. Players can accept challenges to search for secret treasures, learn new skills and chase down new personal opportunities, meet new Sims with unique personalities, share their culture and bring them home, discover new styles on their travels, and share everything they encounter on their adventures with the world through personal photographs, movies, and stories. Additionally, players will receive 1,000 SimPoints to be used online in The Sims 3 Store*** for the PC/MAC versions of the game. Exclusive online content, available only for the expansion pack at launch, will be revealed soon.

The Sims 3 World Adventures will also be available for feature phones, the iPhone™ and iPod touch® in early 2010 from EA Mobile™. These versions will have customized mobile gameplay features which will be revealed in the coming months. For information on carrier availability and pricing for all EA Mobile games, please visit www.eamobile.com.

For more information about The Sims 3 World Adventures or The Sims 3, please visit www.TheSims3.com. Developed by The Sims Studio, The Sims 3 World Adventures has not yet been rated by PEGi. To download artwork, please visit www.electronicarts.co.uk/press

*Requires The Sims 3 for PC/MAC to play.
**According to NPD data.
**INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED, see product pack or digital distribution rules for details

About The Sims
The Sims franchise celebrates an impressive over 100 million units sold since its launch in February 2000. Now translated into 22 different languages and available in 60 different countries, The Sims quickly has become a universal gaming and cultural phenomenon. The Sims 3 sold thru 1.4 million PC/Mac units within the first week of launch in June 2009 making it the best-selling PC launch in EA’s history. Fan intensity is evidenced through the more than 36 million downloads of player created content including: Sims, houses, stories and more. The Sims 3 YouTube Channel is the #1 most subscribed to sponsored channel of all time and is within the top 5 most viewed sponsored channels of all time with over 42,000 subscribers and nearly 17 million video views. Visit The Sims 3 official website to see what the players are creating at www.TheSims3.com or the official YouTube Channel for The Sims athttp://www.youtube.com/user/TheSims.

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EATM, EA SPORTSTM, EA Mobile TM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile, POGO, and The Sims are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Mac, iPhone, and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

NPD numbers for PC sales in June finally arrived, and like EA claimed already, The Sims destroyed the charts.

The third main release in the series took the top two spots with The Sims 2 coming in at number three.

Blizzard’s behemoth World of Warcraft took the fourth, fifth, seventh and eleventh spots, so no need to cry for them or anything.

Full list of top PC games in June is as follows courtesy of Gamasutra:

1. The Sims 3 (EA The Sims Studio, Electronic Arts)
2. The Sims 3 Collector’s Edition (EA The Sims Studio, Electronic Arts)
3. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe (EA The Sims Studio, Electronic Arts)
4. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (Blizzard Entertainment)
5. World of Warcraft Battle Chest (Blizzard Entertainment)
6. Spore: Galactic Adventures (Maxis, Electronic Arts)
7. World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
8. Spore (Maxis, Electronic Arts)
9. Empire: Total War (The Creative Assembly, Sega)
10. StarCraft Battle Chest (Blizzard Entertainment)
11. World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (Blizzard Entertainment)
12. Reel Deal Slots Adventure (Phantom EFX)
13. Civilization IV: Complete Edition (Firaxis Games, 2K Games)
14. WarCraft III Battle Chest (Blizzard Entertainment)
15. SimCity Box (Maxis, Electronic Arts)
16. Diablo Battle Chest (Blizzard Entertainment)
17. The Sims 2: Apartment Life (EA The Sims Studio, Electronic Arts)
18. Prototype (Radical Entertainment, Activision)
19. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion GOTY Edition (Bethesda Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks/2K Games)
20. Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Terminal Reality, Atari)

The NPD Group has revealed that EA’s The Sims 3 was the best selling game for the PC last month.

Unfortunately, the NPD Group no longer distributes PC sales data publicly, but it has revealed the above.

EA said that The Sims 3 sold 1.4 million in June.

Thanks, Edge.

If you hadn’t guessed after reading the headline; Fight Night Round 4 sits top of the tree in this week’s serving of UK chart action.

It’s punched Prototype off top spot which in turn has pushed The Sims 3 to third.

Full top ten here:

Update: Worth a mention: GI points out that this is the first time a boxing title has hit the number one in the all-format charts. So congrats to that.

EA and Dr Pepper are to announce a “multi-million dollar” marketing deal, according to IndustryGamers.

This isn’t your common or garden stuff, from the look of it. The partnership will see EA integrate original content related to Dr Pepper in its games, starting with The Sims 3 in early 2010.

In addition, EA will work with Dr Pepper to put codes on more than 500 million specially-marked Dr Pepper packages, which can then be used to unlock “exclusive premium downloadable content that may include one-of-a-kind beach party items or all the elements of a perfect fall tailgating party.”

More through there.