The Sims 3 also puts a greater emphasis on custom content and mods with a variety of tools available both in and out of the game to aid mod makers. Players also have the option of giving freckles, beauty marks, and tattoos to their Sims. With the addition of "Advanced Mode", players can focus on single features on a characters body to modify, allowing for detailed customization. The Sims 3 offers many more character customization options than its predecessors. Each Sim's hair color can be chosen from one of eight basic colors, or the hair color can be customized using a color wheel to choose the base hair color, roots, highlights or tips. Hats and accessories may be applied and may also have their colors and textures altered. The base game includes 22 female hairstyles and 17 male hairstyles although many more were made available in later expansion packs, stuff packs and content packs from The Sims 3 Store. The player is able to pick their Sim's shoes, a feature previously limited to console versions of The Sims and The Sims 2.
The Sims 3 offers a wider range of skin tones than its predecessors, ranging from realistic Caucasian and black skins to fantasy green and purple colors, each skin tone can be further customized with a light to dark slider. Additional options were added over time in free updates, for example sliders for breast size and muscle definition to coincide with the release of the Late Night expansion pack.
However, toddlers do not have the option to have their weight customized. The player has a larger selection of body types for Sims as muscle and body weight sliders have been introduced. The Sims 3 introduces many more character customization options than its predecessor The Sims 2. Further causes of death were added in the game's expansion packs. Sims can die of old age or they can die prematurely from causes such as fire, starvation, drowning, electrocution. Sims live for a set duration of time that is adjustable by the player and advance through several life stages (baby, toddler, child, teen, young adult, adult, and elder). The game includes an optional feature called "Story Progression" which allows all Sims in the neighborhood to autonomously continue free without the player ever controlling those Sims. Fulfilling a Sim's wish contributes to the Sim's Lifetime Happiness score, allowing players to purchase lifetime rewards for the cost of those Lifetime Happiness points. The new reward system Wishes replaces the Wants and Fears system in its predecessor The Sims 2. If the opportunity is connected to a Sim's school, the reward may be increased school performance. Skill opportunities are the requests by your sim's neighbors or community members for Sims to solve problems using their acquired skills for cash or relationship rewards. Career opportunities like working overtime or completing tasks can yield a pay raise, cash bonus, or relationship boost. Challenges occur randomly based on each Sim's lifestyle, like relationships, skills, and jobs.
The gameplay is open-ended and doesn't have a defined goal. players control their own Sims' activities and relationships.
A sequel, The Sims 4, was released in September 2014 for PC and in November 2017 for consoles. The last of eleven expansion packs, Into the Future, was released in October 2013. The game has sold over ten million copies worldwide since its 2009 release, making it one of the best-selling PC games of all time. Critics issued mostly positive reviews, with an 86/100 score from aggregator Metacritic. The Sims 3 was a commercial success, selling 1.4 million copies in its first week. A Nintendo 3DS version, released on March 27, 2011, was one of its launch titles.
The Windows Phone version was made available on the Windows Phone Store on October 15, 2010. Console versions were released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo DS in October 2010 and a month later for the Wii. Smartphone versions were also released on June 2, 2009. It was first released on Jsimultaneously for OS X and Microsoft Windows – both versions on the same disc. It was announced that it was in development for PlayStation 3 and Wii in November 2006, and later announced for OS X and Microsoft Windows. The Sims 3 is the third major title in the life simulation video game developed by the Redwood Shores studio of Maxis and published by Electronic Arts.