The next iteration of the world's best-selling game is due within the next few months, which actually means it's been delayed from its previous February 20th release date. EA now plans to have The Sims 3 on store shelves by June 2nd. The staged released will start on the PC, while other platforms like the Mac will follow soon thereafter. The Sims 3 will be completely an EA product, marking a turning point in The Sims history. All previous games have been developed by Maxis at least in part.
The original Sims still stands as the best-selling PC game of all time, and The Sims 2 holds the number two spot, beating out the incredibly popular World of Warcraft by a large margin. The franchise has sold over 100 million copies, combining all expansion packs and full versions.
EA certainly struck gold when they hooked up with Maxis in this endeavor. Will they be able to carry that same amount of success again and have The Sims 3 become a best-seller? One complaint some gamers have towards chain titles that get a new version year after year is how diluted the series can become. Will The Sims suffer that fate?