The Sims 3 Delayed, Fans Chitter Angrily

The next installment of the popular Sims franchise, creatively entitled The Sims 3, has officially been delayed, much to the dismay of its fans. The Sims franchise has been one of the best selling PC titles since its initial release in 2000.

The PC game was originally scheduled to be released on February 20, but publisher EA Games is now planning on a June 2 delivery. EA has given no official reason for the delay, but rumor has it that they wanted more time to publicize and promote their title. Given the state of the economy, I guess it’s understandable to get the word out to as many customers as possible.

The Sims puts players in total control of their characters lives, micromanaging every aspect of their characters lives. Everything from choosing jobs, creating relationships with neighbors, and furnishing their home is part of the experience. For those of you who like things in a nutshell, The Sims franchise is a strategic life-simulation. Players are in control of all daily activities, including even mundane things such as eating, sleeping, showering, and evacuating the bowels (wherever you may choose, at that).

The newest installment aims to delve deeper into the idea of socialization, placing an increased emphasis on neighboring communities, while still maintaining the household activities that made the previous titles so popular.

Two years after the original Sims was released, it became the top-selling game in PC history. Following the huge success of the game, expansion packs were released, followed by The Sims 2 in 2004.

The franchise’s huge fan base may be a little disheartened by this delay, but shouldn’t hurt the popularity and sales numbers for the highly anticipated game. Fans will just have to wait a little longer until they can get their hands on a copy and fashion their newest Sim characters—and proceed to torture them shortly thereafter.