Electronic Arts today announced details to latest incarnation in the popular The Sims franchise, The Sims 3. The major features of this new incarnation include a new "neighborhood," which will allow Sims to greater explore their environment along with a revamped personality system. EA also confirmed that The Sims 3 is expected to launch globally in 2009.

In Sims 3, the virtual people will have more complex personalities and the game will have "endless creative possibilities." Click to see brand new Sims 3 screenshots...

"In The Sims 3, Sims can go beyond the boundaries of their home lot, and immerse themselves in an open, living neighborhood, interacting with other Sims using our new deeper personality system," said Rod Humble, Head of The Sims Studio. "It is this type of open-ended gameplay that inspires endless creative possibilities. In addition the new goals and rewards systems will give players of all kinds from core gamers to storytellers the ability to enjoy long-term gameplay."

"The new engine and technologies in The Sims 3 are designed to unleash the player's imagination with realistic looking Sims who have distinct personalities and a seamless living neighborhood for them to discover," added Ben Bell, Executive Producer on The Sims 3. "Players are going to be thrilled by the level of realism in The Sims 3!"