Rod Humble, head of EA’s Sims Studio, sat down with GamesIndustry.biz to reveal the inspiration behind the next step in the evolution of The Sims franchise, The Sims 3.
According to Humble, the biggest change in the new game is the move from instanced scenarios to open world play. He describes the first design meeting for The Sims 3:
“The one thing that I walked into the room with as a mandate was ‘No More Hamster Cage’,” he says rather cryptically. “That came from a phrase Matt [Brown, design lead] used – during The Sims 2, they referred to the Sims as hamsters with jobs. There’s a little hamster cage, and they have a little job…”
“I always thought that was incredibly limiting,” Humble continues. “We needed an open world. You’re not going to get where this game can go unless you can literally walk across the street and see the neighbour’s kids playing in the opposite yard. You’re not going to get to the next place you want to be unless you can buy a house at the top of a mountain and look down on a town. That’s incredibly important, and that was job one.”
The open world concept was easily agreed upon, but from there ideas of what the game should include took a chaotic turn. Humble outlines several of the different scenarios that were built and ultimately discarded. He also reveals prototypes that seemed like bad ideas at the time but ended up fitting into the evolving concept of The Sims 3 nicely.
“One of the [things we learned] that was very powerful was that it felt right to be able to go into the world and tidy up for your Sims,” says Humble. “This was a huge deal. Before the prototypes, I don’t think that anybody would have agreed that that was a good idea – but after doing a prototype, we realised that when your Sim is at work, and there’s a book lying on the floor, it bugs players. They just want to move it. That felt right.”
“We would never have put it in the game because it sounded tedious and awful. Imagine it as a feature – now, in Sims 3, you get to clean up your Sims’ trash yourself! But what it means is that if your Sim is sloppy and leaves stuff lying around, you can fix it. People did it reflexively. We didn’t even mean for it to be in the prototype, we just forgot to turn it off – and then we watched people do it. If you don’t want to, it doesn’t matter, but there’s a weird side-band nurturing motive that makes people want to do that.”
Actually giving players the ability to “tidy up” for their Sims makes so much sense considering how much time it takes for your Sims to do menial tasks. Players can accomplish clean up in a very short amount of time while the game is paused leaving more time to play with their Sims while the clock is ticking.
You can read the article in its entirety on GamesIndustry.biz.
94 Comments to Rod Humble Protypes The Sims 3
by: Nick
On April 9, 2008 at 10:09 pm
are they gonna stick with the sims 2 hud?
by: Monster_user
On April 10, 2008 at 12:08 am
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
by: Yeo Song Zhe
On April 10, 2008 at 9:46 am
by: Hannah
On April 11, 2008 at 2:36 am
I already want to play it. I think actually being able to walk to the shops and buy clothes instead of ordering a taxi and visiting neighbors with them visiting you I think they made the right decision to let you walk freely me and my sister (Bonnie) we were always talking about that when we were only little playing our first ever Sims game on the PS2 me being a teenager now love the Sims 2 I play it all the time. It gives people comfort to control something when they cant control the world around them me being one of those people.
can I say I dont know how to feel but my sims do HAHA Love Hannah
by: ginger
On April 16, 2008 at 5:36 pm
l like how the sims get to interact with their neighbors and walk down the street ,but i don’t really like how the sims look, they look better on the sims 2 . I mean everything seems more realistic but i really don’t like how the sim’s look
by: J Boy
On April 16, 2008 at 6:11 pm
by: Sweet T
On April 23, 2008 at 2:35 pm
I just cant wait until the new game come out the open neighborhood sounds like its going to be a wonderful idea, but I also have doubts. Like wether or not my computer will run it or will my walls and water turn red!!
Even though i love the sims 1 and 2 in sims 2 the loading the walls and water gave me a lot of problems! 
I also hope that most of the expansions that are with the sims 2 are going to be on the sims 3 like pets, cars, seasons, freetime, so that i wont be spending money on something that i have already paid for! 
Other than all of that i am very happy about THE SIMS 3!!!!!! 
by: Little Miss
On May 8, 2008 at 10:58 am
by: chris
On May 10, 2008 at 9:32 am
i think it looks qite good bt is it coming out on pc
by: smity
On May 17, 2008 at 5:11 am
it looks wicked!!!
by: al
On May 17, 2008 at 5:16 am
i luv da sims. i hv every game! i cant wait 4 sims 3!
by: Jennifer
On May 17, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Cant wait!!!!!!!!!!! I have Sims and Sims2 now Im getting 3~
by: Sunset gal
On May 18, 2008 at 5:03 am
You want to read more from the link at the bottom of the page, but when you’ve finished, you can’t! I want to find out more!
by: Rachel
On May 20, 2008 at 12:34 pm
I love to play the Sims!! I have been playing Sims since I was in High School, I am now 25, graduated with a college degree and I still love to play. I would really like to see Sims go the next level with XBox Live. I think it would be awesome to meet up with other players, invite them over. Something like that.
by: mimi
On May 21, 2008 at 8:13 am
i love sims 2 its my favorite game but my stupid little brother had to brake it
by: iesha
On May 21, 2008 at 8:25 am
i cant wait for sims 3
so happy about it
by: mimi
On May 21, 2008 at 8:32 am
lol i will never let him know how i feel
by: jo
On May 22, 2008 at 1:10 pm
I already stay to play this. I love sims and i think i wil like sims3. because this criatividaty the shop when we go to home. thats so pretty an cool
by: Kitty
On May 22, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Does anybody else find it slightly annoying that the toolbar in the lower left corner looks almost identical to the Sims 2 version? That’s my only complaint.
by: Misty
On May 23, 2008 at 6:04 pm
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO FREAKIN XITED FOR THE SIMS 3!!!!!!!!!!
by: LEILA
On May 28, 2008 at 7:44 pm
i notice the toolbar, im sort of relieved to be honest, i liked it…
by: Kikkku
On May 29, 2008 at 5:18 pm
I’m unhappy
I konow , i’m stuppittttt
by: wimes
On June 3, 2008 at 11:06 am
hello
by: jAcKiE
On June 7, 2008 at 8:45 pm
I am sososoooooooo excited for sims 3 but Idk if i will get it cuz i just bought exstension packs for sims 2 and thats alot of money so i think (to make it more fun) they shud include mor things lik pets, seasons, open for buisness, night life, and maybe even university. IT cud increase sales too. more people wud get it cuz they dont hav to buy exstention packs and they cud bring the price a tad bit higher!!!!!!!
by: mady
On June 8, 2008 at 4:52 pm
i can’t wait the oly thing is i wish that they talked in english and they had better music
by: Jaimie
On June 11, 2008 at 1:04 pm
is it coming out on pc if so when?
by: Jaimie
On June 11, 2008 at 1:04 pm
is it coming out on pc if so when?
by: tintin
On June 11, 2008 at 1:50 pm
I love alot of people. Like the sims.
Oh shabva. I love you
by: Nadiiiiia
On June 12, 2008 at 10:43 am
im just crazzzy about it!!!!
cant wait….!
by: Sophie
On June 14, 2008 at 4:31 am
Got On Msn This Morning And My Friend Went Crazy
Knowing Its Only 6 Months Away
I to think you’ve made the right desicions about the sims
being free and us being able to tidy up their mess! .. When i am on sims
2 i only have an hour on the computer,And half my time goes to waiting for them to tidy up!
Ever Since sims 2 me and my friends have thought of loads of i deas for extension packs.
1.A dance one. (Bit like free time but they can do all different types of dance)As i am passionate about dancing!
2.Hospital!
3.Designer Clothes! like D+C + Gucci! etc .:mrgreen:
5. Just a hairstyle expansion pack! .. with al l gorgeous hairstyles! like some downloads!
Thanks Sophie
,x3
by: Caity
On June 14, 2008 at 6:42 pm
I wonder if they will still have Vampires, PlantSims, Werewolves and such like they do in Sims 2….it would really stink, in my opinion, if they took that out. That’s one of the reasons I play the Sims 2 so much!
by: Katie
On June 14, 2008 at 11:47 pm
I’ve always wanted to be able to walk around a town without the loading screens for all my fams! I’m so excited about that! I hope that we can make more than one town soon, and just add houses with fams ect later, cuz I really don’t want to be stuck with one town…I’m one of those girls who has a LOT of towns, and fams in each town, but doesn’t play much of those towns…I know it’s kinda stupid, but I can’t help it…I’m sure with the new one and more things to do, I’ll be able to stick with a few fams…my main Q is if you can go back and control someone at your home, when you’re at the town square with another character. I also wanna know if there’s a section where you choose towns, even though you can’t add more immediately, when it first comes out, maybe they’ll let you do so in expansion packs, and how would that work? would you just go to neighborhood view, and choose a fam to play, or something? do the things stay in the house, if they’re like, the counters, sinks, toilets, and ect. if you move a fam out? yeah…actually there were a lot of Q’s, I guess! lol…I’ll shut up!
by: Samantha
On June 24, 2008 at 3:45 pm
I cant wait…
but how much does it cost well i guess it dont matter im gonna get it anyway!lol 
by: grace
On June 28, 2008 at 3:54 am
when is it coming out
by: Lacy
On July 1, 2008 at 8:59 pm
I saw somewhere that it comes out April 2009.
by: Jessah
On July 2, 2008 at 2:25 pm
I can’t wait!!! I’m soooo excited about this game, but I have the same problem as Sweet T: every expansion pack after and including Family Fun Stuff (Bon Voyage, Free Time, etc.) makes my walls and pool water flash red! I hate it, cause it makes the game run soooo slow. I know it’s the graphics card, but I heard that in 3, the card requirements are a lot lower than 2, because they were more concerned on speed rather than detail, fact being that there are no loading screens.
I hope it works perfectly on here, if not, I’m getting a laptop anyway for my business course next September, and I’ll load it onto there then.
Still excited, though, red walls or not!!
by: KKye
On July 2, 2008 at 11:57 pm
im not so sure about the whole cleaning up thing it would make it easier but that takes the realness out of it sort of and doesnt motivate you to earn lots of money so you can get a maid but ohwell, also im wandering if like when the other people in the neighbor hood are going on with there lives even when your not playing them does that mean they like have kids and everything when your not using them cuz im one of those people that stick to one family but i dont want all my neighbours dying and not having grandkids and stuff lol
by: Jessah
On July 3, 2008 at 10:00 am
Yeah, I’m pretty sure they’ll have kids and all that jazz. I know that if they DO have kids, they grow up with your own kids, which sort of made me think of Free Time, I think it is, where certain neighbourhood kids grow up with your own.
by: Trina
On July 8, 2008 at 4:09 pm
by: amal
On July 9, 2008 at 1:47 am
hiii i loo0o0o0vvveee thiiszz siimszz i cant waiit to play iit…. it lo0okkszzz so0o0 intresting and fun becouse you are able to walk freely outside which i thiink was really guudd…. anniiwaaiisszzz i cant wait to play iit!!! bye 4 know!!!! mwahzzz
by: Charlotte
On July 9, 2008 at 4:04 pm
i hope u can move the sims by the arrow keys on the keyboard instead of clicking on the mouse cuz thats always annoying
but i think its gonna be fun
by: o s
On July 10, 2008 at 1:53 am
by: o s
On July 10, 2008 at 1:53 am
by: o s
On July 10, 2008 at 1:55 am
if any1 has noticed but the pic is fake
by: Amin
On July 12, 2008 at 3:53 pm
i luve sims & i’ll buy every version of it
i cant wait for sims 3 & i hope that i’ll be alive to see sims 100
by: Amin
On July 12, 2008 at 3:58 pm
i hope we can see from sim’s eyes and we’ll be the first person and play our self lifes not a sim’s life!
did you get me??
by: lile
On July 13, 2008 at 1:16 pm
koga ke iskoci sims 3
by: Mad
On July 14, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Okay so when is the Sims 3 comin out i am dieing to get it!!!
by: Nancy
On July 16, 2008 at 10:45 am
I can’t wait for the Sims 3 to come out.
But I think if I got it, I would never stop playing it. I wouldn’t talk to anyone! 
When I got the Sims 2, I never played the Sims 1 again! 
xxxx
by: diva davia
On July 16, 2008 at 4:16 pm
i can’t wait for 2009 for the sims3 it look so good i feel like i want to play it now
by: curious giorgio
On July 20, 2008 at 5:08 am
I wish they had a new feature allowing us to customize our sims voice (ex: low-deep voice/high-geeky voice/Sean Connery voice, etc..)and whether a sim can talk fast, very fast, normal or slow and calm. Also why can’t they have sims with poppy-bulging eyes, or a protruded brow ridge, arched nose, etc. And what about a wrinkle feature where you can add all the sagging skin on your sims that you want. Oh, and I almost forgot, I hope they let you customize your sim’s body type anyway you want like if you were to mold a clay figure. (this includes the face)And last but not least what about the ears. Different people have different ears ya know!
What about your sim’s height and if you want him/her to have ear piercings or tattoos. That way I can make my sim 6’8 or 7’1 if I want to. [I hope The Sims 3 people READ THIS!!!!]
by: geegee
On July 20, 2008 at 9:20 pm
i think Sims3 is going to be a version where you can like be the person… That would be so cool!!! and like u could walk to different lots and they wouldnt look faded…
by: badgirl
On July 22, 2008 at 7:37 am
meraba bn kötü k?z siz yabanc?s?n?z de?il mi???
by: irma
On July 23, 2008 at 5:56 am
at first i was kinda sad about the new sims. i didn’t want to speand more money and all… but now i am totally happy! i can not wait! woohoo i am also happy that the tool bar is the same…
by: Jennifer
On July 23, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I absolutely can’t wait to get sims 3. I have been waiting ever since daddy told me that it was coming out soon. I had sims 1 first, it was my favourite game in the entire universe! Until……..
…….. sims 2 came out, you couldn’t pull me away from the game……..
…….. AND NOW SIMS 3 when I found out that the next generation of the sims was coming out I LITERALLY jumped out of my skin……..
…….. I have no concerns or complaints about this game, it is absolutely perfect, there is nothing wrong with it……..
……..AND to top it ALL off daddy says he is going to be the first in-line to get it, I am so spoilt. AND I’M LOVIN’ IT!
by: tanya :D
On July 24, 2008 at 6:51 pm
WoOOw ia lo qieRo
by: tanya :D
On July 24, 2008 at 6:52 pm
I LOB THE SIMS
by: rose
On July 26, 2008 at 9:16 am
i love the sims and the sims 2 and now i just cant wait for the sims3. does it have a expansoin pack too?
by: AuTxY!
On July 26, 2008 at 12:20 pm
by: katy
On July 27, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I am so excited! The Sims 3 is going to be amazing! I cannot wait. I love the Sims 2 and play religiously haha. I do hope that it is similar to the Sims 2 in ways; particularly like the options sims have with one another and the careers. Oh, and that you can have pets!
by: maddie
On August 5, 2008 at 2:14 pm
by: Morgan
On August 7, 2008 at 9:45 am
I think its going to be an awesome game! but I already spent my money on sims 1 and sims 2, and I dont want to spend even MORE money on the expansion packs like Teen Style, Seasons, Pets, Ikea… I think im just gonna stick with Sims 2, and buy more expansion packs for it… It will cost way less then the Sims 3 expansion packs because their old, and Sims 3 is new.
by: Morgan
On August 7, 2008 at 9:45 am
Even thought Im a Junior in Highschool, I absolutaly LOVE the sims. IT gives me something to do when Im bored. It takes my mind of of stress.
by: Morgan
On August 7, 2008 at 9:51 am
But its cool how the furniture can be sideways now, and the kitchen cuboards can be hung on the walls (you know what I mean by that)… Check out the pictures of Sims 3 on the INSIDE of the houses.
by: Mike
On August 10, 2008 at 9:10 pm
As long as they get the building design set to allow 1/4 level builds, I will be happy. Having to enter cheat codes to be able to do split level houses is BOGUS!
If they could put some form of internet play into the game where you could interact with others it would be great also.
Another step in the right direction would be to age the rest of the town as you age your played sims. Similar to Aging on / Aging Off but for the entire town.
Watching my sim kids move out and become elders before their parents is a bit much for me.
by: taylor
On August 12, 2008 at 2:16 am
wow the sims three looks like a really cool game! i cant wait to play it next year, im really getting anxious!!!!!!KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK
by: HI! :D
On August 12, 2008 at 5:27 pm
AWESOME!!!!
by: HI! :D
On August 12, 2008 at 5:30 pm
:evilnana:
hahaaa sims 3 is gonna be the awesomest PCC, game ever other than world warcraft.
but i am worried about them and the whole neighboring ppl to grow up with them because me and my sister both play at the same time at the same account so i guess that will suck bawallss.(balls)
by: Hello HI!
On August 12, 2008 at 5:32 pm
DAMN! THE EVIL NANA DIDNT WORK!
hi,hi 
by: Sarah
On August 16, 2008 at 7:45 am
I love sims2 and sims3
[sorry my english isn't so good 
]
Aren’t you exited for the sims3
by: Kimberley
On August 16, 2008 at 11:14 pm
it’s gonna be awesome! but I’ve always wondered what it would look like if they made one anime style…just a thought
by: selin balkan
On August 18, 2008 at 5:01 am
? from turkey
by: eka indonesia
On August 21, 2008 at 7:58 am
wow…….nice…
by: DODE
On August 22, 2008 at 3:52 am
THE SIMS 3 HAS A Expansion PACK
ICAN’T WAIT
by: emily
On August 23, 2008 at 2:15 pm
emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily emily
by: karim
On September 17, 2008 at 12:54 pm
by: Be Double You
On September 22, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Although I absolutley love the sims, I think I am going to stick to Sims 2.
It’s not that I don’t want to play the new sims, its just that I think I rather like having the just one household. Personally I think that being able to go into all the other houses would just complicate things. Call me old fashioned but I like it this way.
I much prefer having my sims settling down and raising a family rather than going out everywhere. Don’t get me wrong it is a good idea, just not for me.
Although, one thing which may sway it for me would be if you could take the infants and toddlers with you. It is my pet hate that you can not take them with you anywhere. I think Maxis should provide a buggy or something so that you can take the babies with you!
by: emily
On September 30, 2008 at 6:26 pm
by: alba
On October 4, 2008 at 11:23 am
comprar pero si puedo ya lo descargo
es que lo quiero
by: Kasia
On October 6, 2008 at 2:30 am
kiedy beda te simsy wkoncu!!!! najlepsza gra na rynku:)
by: rocio
On October 13, 2008 at 4:53 pm
quiero que ponganjuegos de los sims 1,2,3,4y5
by: clarinha
On October 19, 2008 at 11:08 am
i wanna the sims is so much cool i love ,
and the sims3 is my love i looooooooovee the sims bye.
by: babygirlsweet9
On October 26, 2008 at 1:56 pm
hi i just hope that they have new cars.
by: Plasma Ball1
On October 26, 2008 at 11:41 pm
This is the Sims 2 picture…
by: dmi
On November 7, 2008 at 10:10 am
by: Jordan
On November 14, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I totally luv da sims i have every single game for it and my toatlly rich daddy says ill be da first one in gainesville, florida to get it im sooooo excited i cant wait till February 20 2009 its going 2 be awesome oh and guys the pic @the top is totally fake its from da sims 2 with a sims3 label on it i also have already preordered the game from… Gamestop so its gonna be so awesome plus daddys getting me a new Gateway avalon blue gaming laptop for christmas so ill be able 2 play all day without any glitches. YESSSSS!
by: ?C@ROL LIND@?
On November 15, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Quando The sims 3 chega nas lojas /?/
by: GHeTtoGiRL
On December 1, 2008 at 4:16 pm
All I can say is that I CAN’T WAIT!!!!!….;)I am so excited and relieved that we will have so much, many more options, and will be able to play the game so freely!!!.YAAAY lol
But I have to say I’ve always wished for stuff like this with the Sims games period, from part 1-2, and know here it is!!!:)…I’ve bin a fan for 7 years now every since I was 14, and I have most of all the games from Sims to Sims 2, and Sims 2 for ps2…and now I’m 20 WOW that’s along time!. And I really don’t care less about people complaining about little things of Sims 3, but I can say that my only concerns are, just which and what type of computer or laptop you will need to play this game?!. But other then that I’m HAPPY out of my mind!…smooches;)
by: Diana
On December 5, 2008 at 12:29 pm
I love sims… i have sims 2… where i can dowland sims 3?
i want this game 
by: la
On December 9, 2008 at 1:46 pm
ok people this is a fake website, the sims 3 symbol is not correct and it looks exactly like the sims 2 just type in the sims 3 on google and u will find the true website!!!!
by: la
On December 9, 2008 at 1:53 pm
why is everyone speaking in Spanish????
by: la
On December 9, 2008 at 1:56 pm
does everyone agree that Kitty is damn stupid!!!!
by: Luana
On December 17, 2008 at 10:09 am
i cant wait to buy sims 3 im so happy about it
by: Luana Mitre
On December 17, 2008 at 10:11 am
Im so happy that my Mum is going to buy sim 3 for me im so exited
