An interactive multiplayer version of The Sims is coming to Facebook.

Just three days following the release of the latest expansion pack, the fourth for the Sims 3, Generations, Electronic Arts on Friday released a video trailer for the next: The Sims 3: Pets.

Gamesradar reports on the newest expansion pack for The Sims 3.  For the first time, Sims are able to leave the suburbs and live the high-rise lifestyle downtown!.  Excerpt:

The Sims 3: Late Night – Good clean debauchery

The Sims franchise has always taken place in an idealized world, with your Sims enjoying huge houses with nice yards in a relaxed neighborhood with a small town feel. But it’s always been limited to the suburban ideal – what about those of us who want to vicariously live the big city fantasy? Enter the Late Night expansion for Sims 3, where you can design a penthouse in the sky with a hot tub on the roof, the perfect spot for skinny dipping with vampires…

For more, see the original Gamesradar article at http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/the-sims-3/preview/the-sims-3-late-night-good-clean-debauchery/a-20100813154719339066/g-20061106113750640058.  Then, discuss in our Simphoni Forums.

It appears that EA has learned that on-line authentication and restrictive DRM causes much more hassle than it’s worth. EA received lots of bad press on Spore’s DRM measures when the game was first released. This even caused the software giant to go back, and provide ways to “de-activate” Spore installations to make it possible to transfer the game to other hardware. For The Sims 3 EA seems to revert to the old and trusted disc based copy protection. This is reported in an open letter to the TS3 community by Rod Humble:

Hello everyone I wanted to share news with you regarding our copy protection plans for The Sims 3.

We’ll have more information for you as we get closer to launch about everything we’ll have to offer on TheSims3.com and The Sims 3 Store, but we have heard your requests over the past months and here is our plan for The Sims 3.

The game will have disc-based copy protection – there is a Serial Code just like The Sims 2. To play the game there will not be any online authentication needed.

We feel like this is a good, time-proven solution that makes it easy for you to play the game without DRM methods that feel overly invasive or leave you concerned about authorization server access in the distant future.

We’re really excited to bring you the game for the PC and Mac starting June 2, 2009. The extra time we’ve taken to polish the game has resulted in an even better game experience for you to enjoy and we can’t wait for you to see for yourself!

Thanks for your passion and your loyalty.
Rod Humble

We just learned through Simprograms that Amazon has now put up The Sims 3 for pre-order. As reported earlier here at Simhoni the game will be released on February 20, 2009. Price for the Collectors Edition will be 69.99USD and 49.99USD for the regular Sims 3 version.

EA have just put out a press release stating a date for the release of The Sims 3. The game

will be available at retailers worldwide and available by digital download on February 20, 2009

Along with that a special collectors edition was announced:

The Sims 3 Collector’s Edition will also be in stores on February 20, 2009. The Sims 3 Collector’s Edition will include the full game along with additional collectable The Sims merchandise and a bonus in-game Italian-Style Sports Car unavailable elsewhere. A limited number of copies of The Sims 3 Collector’s Edition will be available worldwide, and those who pre-order the product from select retailers will receive an additional exclusive in-game vintage sports car and a collectible poster that is a first look at the neighborhood, all available while supplies last.

EA has let us know through The Sims 3 Newsletter that the official Sims 3 site has been updated:

We’ve updated our website, and as a member of The Sims™ 3 VIP List you’re among the first to hear about it. Check out the all-new screenshots, blogs from the developers, cool stuff, and more from The Sims 3 Team.

Among the cool stuf: The Sims 3 Video!

EA have released the first official Sims 3 screenshots to some fansites. The Unofficial Sims 3 UK Fansite was kind enough to share them with all of us. Head on over and check them out!

The people of Infinite Sims got their hands on the first magazine articles on The Sims 3 and were kind enough to share them with the rest of us! Check them out on the Infinite Sims website! It looks like there will be a lot of changes in store compared to The Sims 2.