The Sims 3 (console)

The Sims 3 is a console game, developed by Electronic Arts for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii consoles.

For the first time ever, players can upload and download content on Xbox Live and PlayStation Store, including player creations from the Exchange for free and new items released by EA, which cost a fee.

Description
"Create Sims with unique personalities, fulfill their desires, and control their lives within a living neighbourhood that you can customise. Unlock all-new Karma Powers and unleash them on your Sims: help your Sim get lucky with the power of “love connector”, bless them with the power of “age defier” or 'instant beauty' or curse them with an 'instant enemy'. Use these powers wisely, because they may have unexpected results! As you guide your Sims through life, you can complete challenges to unlock additional items, new buildings and landmarks."

Features

 * It features a Karma system


 * "Create any Sim you can imagine – give them unique personalities! Fine-tune your Sims’ appearances and personalities. Make them evil, romantic, paranoid, kleptomaniacs, or a mix of something completely different."


 * "Unlock all-new Karma Powers. Wield the ultimate control over your Sims giving them wealth, beauty, and love—or take it all away with the click of a button."


 * "Control your Sims’ destinies – Choose whether or not to fulfill your Sims’ destinies by making their wishes come true—or letting their dreams die. Will your Sims be rock stars, world leaders, or expert thieves? It’s up to you."


 * Complete challenges to unlock additional items, new buildings and landmarks.


 * It has life cycles.


 * There are kids.


 * PS3 and 360 versions will have the Exchange. Items can be shared between both consoles..


 * An online exchange is featured which allows Create a Style objects and Sims to be shared with other players.


 * The player can connect with Facebook and Twitter to share their achievements and trophies with others.


 * The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game does not have direct controls, but instead uses traditional controls as seen in The Sims 3 for PC. The Wii version has direct controls (using the Nunchuk).


 * An Internet connection is required for online features.


 * The city in 360/PS3 has short loading times when moving between areas, unlike the PC and Wii version.


 * The game supports Xbox 360 achievements and PlayStation 3 trophies.


 * The game features challenges to complete and rewards players for completing them by giving them challenge points which can be used to purchase new karma powers, clothes, furniture amongst other things.


 * The Wii version has weather and a few exclusive features such as new traits.

Trailer
The trailer for the Sims 3 console was released on June 14, 2010. It shows many of the original features of the Sims, such as cycling around town and changing Sims' appearance. It also shows the newly-added features, such as 'Karma Powers', such as when a female Sim is exposed outside a restaurant, leaving her totally nude with only the blur to cover her, presumably after doing something bad. It also shows that, unlike previous games, players are allowed to build more than one floor onto buildings. Another feature seems to be the ability to have children in the game, unlike its predecessors: (The Sims 2, The Sims 2: Pets, and The Sims 2 Castaway). Also on the The Sims 3 for Wii, Sims can have WooHoo, and players can remove the blur, and it also shows features from The Sims 3 PC Expansion pack Ambitions, although we don't know if they will be in the game. The 2nd E3 trailer features the Kris Allen song, "Live Like We're Dying" and shows the possibility of the ageing system as the trailer shows Sims life memories of when they were younger as well as one point of the trailer showing the 6 life stages from The Sims 3 as well as an elderly man with the Grim Reaper. The aging system was later confirmed by Sam Player in an interview with Gamespot.

Images
"Promotional images"=

Videos
Video:The Sims 3 on Console trailer

Video:The Sims 3 Console Commercial

Video:The Sims are Alive!: The Sims 3 Console TV Spot

Music

 * 3OH!3 - Double Vision
 * Flo Rida and Jovi - Fresh I Stay
 * School of Seven Bells - Dust Devil
 * Saturday Night - Jessica Mauboy
 * Deadmau5 - Some Chords
 * Cody Simpson - Iyiyiyi

Reception
Reviews have been generally positive with Gameblog.fr giving 3 stars saying that it will "satisfy fans of the series". Gamespot gave a 7/10 praising the new features given to the console version but critisised the performance and load times. However, Game Informer scored the game with 9/10 on the 360 and PS3, praising The Sims Studio for the console controls and the all new features, commenting that "The console edition of Sims 3 plays just like its PC predecessor". Currently, the PS3 version of the game is scored at 77/100 at Metacritic, while the Xbox 360 version is scored at 76/100.

Like The Sims and The Sims 2 below it, the game also have received mixed reviews from player with players comparing it to the PC/Windows Version despite features are returned that were only on Windows and Mac OS X such as Children. It has also been criticized for features that were removed such as Direct Control and the inability to change Active Household. The DS version has also been criticized for lacking Children. The game also retains the 'Fire Code'.

Trivia

 * The idea of karma is taken from the Hindu religion. However, the Western interpretation of the term more accurately describes the Karma system in the game.
 * This is the 3rd game that is based on and plays like Windows and Mac OS X, the first 2 were The Sims and The Sims Bustin' Out.
 * No 6th Generation console has a version of The Sims 3.