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'The Sims 3' for iPhone Debuts

Tuesday June 2, 2009 1:05 pm PDT by Eric Slivka


EA's The Sims franchise is one of the most successful video game series of all time, and has come to define the genre of "life simulation" social gaming. The latest release in the series, The Sims 3, launched today simultaneously on Windows, Mac, and iPhone [App Store, $9.99]. TouchArcade offers up a "first impressions" review of the iPhone version of the game, revealing a well-done and worthy addition to the franchise, but one which comes up short in several areas.

At the end of the day, The Sims 3 is a decent downsized port that likely has enough content to keep fans of the series satisfied. It comes loaded with the same quirky AI seen in the previous games, and most of the social options when talking to NPC's seem to have remained intact. Whether or not I'd recommend The Sims 3 largely depends on what you liked out of The Sims games.

The Sims 3 is an extremely ambitious game for the iPhone, even with the limitations it has, but if you're like me, and really enjoyed building elaborate houses, you'll probably want to take a pass. If what you spent the most time doing was cultivating virtual relationships between your Sim and the other Sims in your neighborhood, you'll find yourself right at home once you get the hang of the controls.

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benflick
Posted: 39 months ago
I love The Sims. But $10?:eek:
It must be good
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SilentPanda
Posted: 39 months ago

I love The Sims. But $10?:eek:
It must be good


If this game were published on the Nintendo DS it would easily be $40. Just because the majority of the "junk" on the app store is free/$0.99 doesn't mean things can't be more. Unfortunately we've spoiled ourselves.

Not that it has to be $10 either... just consider ourselves lucky that most of our applications which would be much more on something like the DS offers a cheaper price point typically on mobiles.
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sam3020
Posted: 39 months ago
i just brought it. will let you know what it is like
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benflick
Posted: 39 months ago

If this game were published on the Nintendo DS it would easily be $40. Just because the majority of the "junk" on the app store is free/$0.99 doesn't mean things can't be more. Unfortunately we've spoiled ourselves.

Not that it has to be $10 either... just consider ourselves lucky that most of our applications which would be much more on something like the DS offers a cheaper price point typically on mobiles.


You make a good point.
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Rojo
Posted: 39 months ago
I thought this was going to debut with iPhone OS 3.0, no?
Didn't it have a lot of features that 3.0 takes advantage of?
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ditzy
Posted: 39 months ago
Spent hours on this today. I've had to recharge my iPod twice. Though not sure I'll play it as much when Sims 3 is released in the UK. But it is far better than I was expecting and loading times are really good.

I thought this was going to debut with iPhone OS 3.0, no?
Didn't it have a lot of features that 3.0 takes advantage of?


It will take advantage of 3.0, but can be played before that, which is a good thing.
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Rojo
Posted: 39 months ago

It will take advantage of 3.0, but can be played before that, which is a good thing.


Sweet - thanks!
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mikelucas1
Posted: 39 months ago
i bought this today and love it, it's a fun game :)
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Stile
Posted: 39 months ago
I always think it's silly that people complain about spending $5 or $10 on a game. You realize a movie will cost you about $10 and some people spend $5 on a coffee. I bought this today as well, I'm sure it will keep me entertained for at least the length of a movie :)
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MacVixen
Posted: 39 months ago
Just downloaded, can't wait to get started! :D

$10 for this game or for Tiger Woods is well worth it to me. The Mac and Wii equivalents are generally $49.95+ and I never dreamed this game would cost less than $10 for the iPhone. To be honest I thought it would be closer to the $20 range.

I'm sure the price will drop in time and some folks may be willing to buy when it's $7.99 or $5.99 or whatever, but I have no problem paying the current price.
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