The Sims™ 3 Community Blog
: April 2013
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Hi There!

 

I’m SimGuruTing, one of the Assistant Producers on The Sims 3 team currently working on the next expansion pack, The Sims 3 Island Paradise.

 

Those of us working on the game can't wait to let you guys get your hands on our new expansion pack. With new activities for Sims to do along the coastline and in the ocean, The Sims 3 Island Paradise is full of features surrounding the idea of the island lifestyle. Here's a bit of a sneak peek of what you can expect in this upcoming pack!

 

 

The beach has been integrated in order to accommodate a new coastal life of relaxation. Sims can lounge around on beach towels and enjoy the sun while relaxing by the sea. When it's time be more energetic, Sims can play in the ocean, splash around in the water and splash each other! Treasure seekers can snorkel in the water too and may discover unique items that were once lost.

 

 

Also new to the beach is the Lifeguard Career. Lifeguards are the sworn protectors of the beaches they watch over. While on duty, a Lifeguard's job is to survey the beach for any swimming Sims in need of assistance. When a Sim is struggling at sea, the Lifeguard races to the rescue, helping drowning Sims back to shore and performing CPR if needed. However, not all alerts are real emergencies; some Sims may be inclined to "fake it" in order to get some one-on-one time with the Lifeguard on duty. But I've never heard the Lifeguard complain – it is quite the admired role.

 

 

By far, my favorite new feature is the ability to scuba dive! The ocean is no longer just for traveling across, now Sims can dive below! The Sims 3 Island Paradise Expansion Pack comes with a world that has exclusive dive spots. Sims with the new scuba diving skill can visit and explore the underwater surroundings where there is lots to discover. Each dive spot is rich in beautiful sea life, from the many corals and kelps that grow from the ocean floor to the fish that you can catch! But watch out for those sharks! I hear they bite and can be pretty nasty about it too.

 

 

In addition to the rich sea life, hidden away in many dive lots are treasure chests and underwater caves where many surprises await! What will a scuba divers' scavenging reveal? Unique treasures? An uncharted island? Or an encounter with a mysterious monster?

 

 

And this is only a portion of what you can expect with this new expansion pack! We can’t wait to read about your Sims’ adventures above and under the sea when The Sims 3 Island Paradise comes out this June!

 

Thanks for reading!

 

SimGuruTing
Theresa Chen, The Sims 3 Assistant Producer

06:07 PM
04/18/13
Posted by: SimGuruTing
Categories: Screenshots  Expansion Pack 

Watch Gary's video about his experiences during his visit withthe studio.


For more from Gary, check out his following websites:

Web Site
The Sims Resource ArtistPage

YouTube
Facebook

04:57 PM
04/12/13
Posted by: The_PopTart

Meet Gary, another winner of The Sims 3 University Life’s Inspiring Creativity Contest.  Gary’s contest entry won him a Master Class Studio Visit to meet The Sims 3 development team at their studio in Salt Lake City, Utah. Read below to find out how Gary first got involved with The Sims.

I couldn’t be bothered with video games, then one Christmas our daughter asked for The Sims 2. She hated building the houses and asked me to do it. Next thing you know she’s giving up altogether and guess who’s hooked? And so I built…. and built, and built. A few years prior to getting unwittingly involved in Sim building, I made a career change. It was at this time that I went online to feed my growing Sim building fetish. The things I saw when I started searching around the fan sites were just mind blowing. Connecting with others, asking questions, and sharing your builds for others to download…. now I was hopelessly and irreversibly hooked.That was late 2008…

04:56 PM
04/12/13
Posted by: The_PopTart

The other contest winners and I had the opportunity to present our ideas for an upcoming expansion pack. It was wonderful being able to participate in a trial process of creating a new game. Many things had to be taken into perspective like how many objects should be in a world, how many NPC's must be pre-programmed, etc.Since I'm more of a player than a builder, I learned a lot more than what I expected. All of this topped with great food and magnificent hospitality, I couldn't have asked for a better trip. The Sims 3 team, you did an awesome job!

For more from Tysha, visit her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/thehuynhstory.

04:44 PM
04/12/13
Posted by: The_PopTart