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

 * The brand new Karma system which allows you to either bless or curse your Sims.


 * The Create-a-Sim tool allows you to create almost any Sim you can imagine. The number of customizations available is countless. You can also set their personality with a huge choice of personality traits."


 * Wishes are up to you to fulfil. You have the choice of allowing your Sims' dreams to come true or not.


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


 * It has life cycles..


 * It is possible to have children.


 * PS3 and 360 versions feature the Exchange. It is a place where items can be uploaded and shared between both consoles..


 * You can connect with Facebook and Twitter to share your 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).


 * The neighborhood 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/Mac 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|The Sims 3 on Console trailer

Video:The Sims 3 Console Commercial|The Sims 3 Console Commercial

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

Video:Jessica Mauboy 'Saturday Night' Simlish Recording Session for The Sims 3 on Console|Jessica Mauboy - Saturday Night (The Sims 3 for console)

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 criticized 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.

Criticism and issues
The Sims 3 for Console has received many criticisms when it came out such as the glitches, features and pricing.

The Sims 3 for console has been criticized for being too expensive with the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions costing $60 and the Wii costing $50 compared with Windows and Mac OS X costing $40. In Mid-2011, Electronic Arts lowered the price of the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii versions to $40. The Sims 3's successor, The Sims 3 Pets will cost $50 rather than $60.

Like The Sims and The Sims 2 below it, the game has received mixed reviews from players 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 on the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions and the inability to change Active Household. The DS version has also been criticized for lacking Children. The game also retains the 'Fire Code' which has been criticized by some users. The Sims 3 for PS3 and Xbox 360 will remove Sims that are kicked out or left behind. One user stated that if the kids move out but left the parents behind, the parents would be deleted.

Unlike previous console games, using cheats causes challenges and achievements (Xbox 360) or trophies (PS3) to be disabled. Furthermore, The Sims 3 will detect if a saved game is cheating and prevent challenges and achievements/trophies from being completed. This led to some users or websites to post warnings about using cheats in The Sims 3.

The Sims 3 has a save game glitch that causes the game to freeze when saving it. On May 18th 2011, EA released an update via Xbox Live and PlayStation Network fixing this issue.

The Wii version lacks Create-a-Style in game and also lacks ages like Toddlers which can not be playable.

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.
 * If you have twins at one time then have another set the father will not show up on one of the child's family tree.
 * Obtaining new career outfits works differently on the console version. On the Windows and Mac OS X version, humans and vampires would automatically wear the new career outfit when it is obtained. However, the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions ask the player if they want to go to Create a Sim or skip it (Where the Sim wears their Everyday outfit) when a Sim obtains a new career outfit. Pets also retains this prompt from The Sims 3.