EA answers our questions about the console versions of The Sims 3.
Recently we got a chance to exchange some emails with Sam Player, Executive Producer in The Sims Studio about the upcoming console versions of The Sims 3. To get the lowdown on what's planned for the console versions, as well as things they've learned from past console sims, read on.
IGN: What are the biggest features to The Sims franchise that you feel are necessary to bring over to the console?
Sam Player: For any The Sims game, it all starts with Create a Sim, where players can create any Sim they can imagine, customizing their clothes, their body shape, their voice, and even give them unique personality traits and a lifetime destiny to pursue. This is the player's first opportunity to truly personalize their experience. Of course, the opportunity to build their dream home and customize it is a staple that has to be there. The Sims 3 also introduced to the franchise the fact The Sims are now living in a town that evolves as they evolve, with neighbors that live their lives right alongside them. These features were essential to adapt to the console and handhelds and created a foundation to build the console and handheld experiences on.
Soon console owners can be polygamous as well.
Furthermore, for console players, we want to give them plenty of unique things to change up the experience. Karma Powers is one such feature to do this, giving the player even more direct control over their Sims and allowing the player to tell new and, in some cases, more deviant stories. Players can help their Sim "get lucky," bless them with "instant beauty" or curse them with an "epic fail."
IGN: What features have you had to cut out for the console versions?
Sam Player: With a life simulation game like The Sims 3, the player experience is created by mixing several complex gameplay systems and having them work together. If we tried to remove any of these systems – examples are the Traits system to define The Sims' personalities, the Opportunities system to generate player quests or the Wish system to drive The Sims motivations – we wouldn't be creating an experience that was true to The Sims 3. So features are adapted and enhanced for each individual console. For example, on the PS3 and Xbox360, we changed the world map to a more easily navigated 2D map view for ease of player control. On the Wii, we chained multiple Opportunities together to give the player longer "quest-like" paths to follow. On the DS, we took advantage of the stylus control to give the player the ability to "paint on their Sim" to sculpt and customize it the way they want.
Clothes are overrated.
IGN: What has the Sims team learned from past console Sims?
Sam Player: While the success of the PC franchise is well known, The Sims franchise on console and handheld has also done incredibly well in its history, with various titles charting in the top 10 throughout the world, and also earning critical success (the original The Sims title on PS2 earned an 83 Metacritic rating). While we don't disclose financial information on a platform by platform basis, the console and handheld games have contributed mightily to the 125MM units sold for The Sims franchise throughout the past 10 years. There is really nothing offered on the console or handheld platforms like The Sims.
Keeping all of this in mind, we have embraced our opportunity to make the experience even better for The Sims 3. We learned that while the console player may have different play tastes than the PC player, they still crave a detailed simulation experience. We've taken great steps this year to ensure that all the features that make up the "secret sauce" of what make The Sims tick is preserved in the console versions, and then enhanced it for the specific play desires of the console gamer.
Can't romance in real life? Do it on your 360 or PS3 soon.
IGN: Can you break down what makes each platform for The Sims 3 unique? What strengths do you feel were unique to platforms like the Wii and DS that you had to capitalize on?
Sam Player: Obviously on the PS3 and Xbox360 platforms, connectivity is a big story. Specific to those versions, players can connect to share their creations with fellow Sims players around the world, as well as download content from other players without ever leaving the game through a seamlessly integrated exchange system. Players will also face short and long term challenges, earning rewards, Xbox achievements, and PSN Trophies, and can even share those achievements with friends by connecting to Facebook or Twitter. [Note: This feature is subject to availability through PlayStation Network and/or Xbox LIVE.
The Wii version offers exclusive content and an all-new beach town location with new residents, traits, careers, weather, Karma Powers and lifetime wishes. It also is exclusively a direct control play mechanic – players will use the thumbstick to move their Sim around town. The remote/nunchuck controls of the Wii lend themselves perfectly to a direct control system. The town also offers unique environments never before seen in a Sims game. Sims will be able to live in houseboats or tree houses, for example, as well as features that did not appear in the PC version like swimming, kite surfing and others. There is also a multiplayer game just for the Wii version that social players will enjoy. Players will be able to go head to head against three of their friends in the all-new Life Moments game, where they bet on and make choices about life's most important milestones to tell their Sims' life stories, earning points and garnering rewards along the way – all flavored with our Sims-style of humor and irreverence.
The NDS offers our first truly open sandbox-style play experience for the handheld. We are very proud to be able to offer a robust, real life experience for players who are "on the go". Our Create a Sim feature is second to none on the NDS in terms of customization options, and it even contains more clothing options and items than its predecessor on the PC. For the first time on DS, players can control multiple Sims within a household as well as build the floorplans of homes with tools to construct walls and floors, again using the stylus as your "paintbrush." Of course players can still customize their house as always with décor objects, textures, and more.
IGN: Why no PSP version? Is the audience perceived to be more hardcore than what PSP owners would like?
Sam Player: We are focusing our energy on delivering the first full life simulation to date on the NDS. DSi users will be able to play the game on their DSi and on NDS. Our goal has been to focus on delivering a pocket version of The Sims 3 to the NDS world. We are not developing a version for the PSP at this time.
Ghosts are scary, even when they're fake.
IGN: The Sims games have always been a very PC-centric franchise, do you feel like the console versions are the best option these players can get, or do you feel like PC Sims players will get something out of the other versions as well?
Sam Player: The console and handheld versions of The Sims have been quite well-received and while building on the popular gameplay of the original PC counterpart, we have tailored each experience so players who game on any platform have platform specific elements that are built just for them. For The Sims 3 on console, the idea is that console gamers and new players to The Sims, past players of The Sims on console, and fans of the PC version could all find something that they enjoy in the game on their chosen platform. Of course, this is the first time The Sims has been available on the HD platforms, so we're obviously excited to put it into the hands of those players.
IGN: Why do you think it's important to bring the Sims to consoles to begin with?
Sam Player: We often think of The Sims as the ultimate creativity tool. There are virtually no rules, boundaries or limits in The Sims. We know console and handheld gamers have just as many creative muscles they want to exercise as PC players do, and there's really nothing on the consoles or handhelds that is like The Sims – the best life simulation game. Internally we don't think of the challenge as here's a great PC game, let's make it work on console. We look at it as The Sims is a great game experience, so let's make sure we can share it with gamers on whatever platform they choose to play games on.
Pools are expensive, even in the Sims.
IGN: Why is Facebook connectivity an important part of the console The Sims 3 experience?
Sam Player: While playing The Sims can be a very personal experience for some players, we find that our avid Sims community participants are always sharing their favorite gameplay moments with each other on our message boards, their My Pages, and their blogs. The inclusion of social networks like Facebook and Twitter will make it super easy for players to share their moments directly with their friend lists and followers. Of course, this participation is optional, so those that want to keep their secret Sims' lives private can continue to do so. The level of creativity that our players express while playing the game never ceases to amaze us, and we'd love it for folks to share their best stuff and achievements with one another.
IGN: Is there a plan to support the Sims 3 games for 360/PS3 with DLC expansions, perhaps on par with what is released on PC?
Sam Player: We'll be going into further detail on the online offerings for The Sims 3 console players in the months to come.
bron: http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/109/1091453p1.html
(niet slecht bedoeld)!
