Whether you’re a shooting, racing or role-play fan, we’ve got something to get you through the Christmas holidays and beyond. Battle aliens in downtown New York in Crysis 2 – one of the most visually stunning and technically accomplished shooters ever released. Rejoin Alice for another trip down the rabbit hole in horror-platformer Alice: Madness Returns. Or go full throttle with the unique coast-to-coast action driving experience of Need For Speed: The Run.

Sims fans will be able to complete their collection this Christmas with both the original Sims 3 and up to three fun expansion packs, including the long-awaited Sims 3 Pets. Score your way to victory with FIFA 12, the latest in the long running football franchise. Or for gamers of a more trigger-happy persuasion, discover the award-winning multiplayer combat experience of Battlefield 3.
Get your game on – visit Origin today!

*Offer ends 08/01/2012. Selected titles include Battlefield 3, FIFA 12, Need For Speed: The Run, Sims 3, Sims 3 Pets, Sims 3 Generations, Sims 3 Ambitions, Mass Effect 2 Digital Deluxe, Crysis 2, Dragon Age 2, Alice: Madness Returns.

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The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. today announced The Sims Social, a groundbreaking new game that brings one of the world’s most popular gaming franchises to Facebook, the world’s largest social network. The Sims Social invites people to play with life in a whole new way with all of the uniquely playful and creative elements of The Sims and delivers an intuitive entertainment experience to the more than 500 million people on Facebook. Launching globally on Facebook this summer in five languages, The Sims Social allows players anytime, anywhere to create their Sim (characters unique to The Sims), build a bachelor pad or dream house, spark friendships and romances, and have exciting adventures – all with their Facebook friends.

EA has also announced the forthcoming release of a mobile companion app for The Sims Social. Created for the current generation of smart phones, The Sims Social mobile app will enable players to engage with their Sim on the move, taking care of their wants and needs while away from their computers.

“Just like you and me, The Sims is now on Facebook,” said Jeff Karp, Executive Vice President of Play Label. “EA invented people simulation games with The Sims. Over the last decade, The Sims has sold in excess of 140 million units and spawned an active fan community that has grown into the millions. These fans are all enthusiastic, passionate individuals living out their dreams, adventures and fantasies, and expressing their creativity. As The Sims moves to Facebook, their personalities shine through more than ever. The game is alive, brimming with the humor, romance, mischief and creativity that only The Sims can provide.”

The Sims Social is the culmination of a close collaboration between many talented people from The Sims and Playfish studios, leveraging over 10 years of The Sims success in creating hugely popular and engaging experiences with a deep expertise in social gaming.

John Earner, General Manager of Playfish’s London Studio said, “This is the first time such a meaningful entertainment property is coming to Facebook. We are proud that we have combined the best of social game design with the best of The Sims franchise. The Sims was born to be social, and we can now deliver on that. This game will set a new standard for quality and fun on the Facebook platform, and with the mobile companion app sitting alongside, The Sims fans will be able to enjoy playing with life anytime, anywhere.”

“The Sims Social is a great addition to the Facebook Platform, as it provides another fun way for people to connect with their friends through an inherently social app,” said Katie Mitic, Director of Platform and Mobile Marketing, Facebook. “What’s social offline should be social online, and The Sims Social brings some of the everyday interactions we have in the real world onto Facebook in a Sims setting.”

The magic of The Sims Social is in the unpredictability of the Sims’ personalities. Sims are little virtual people with their own characters and ambitions – they even have friends. In The Sims Social, players will engage with every aspect of their Sim’s social lives from the intense emotion of a first kiss to the flawless execution of a hilarious prank. Playing with the sweet side of life, The Sims Social will have players helping their neighbours, building friendships, falling in love, kissing or even making woohoo. Those who are more interested in stirring up trouble can pull pranks or sabotage friends, pee on a neighbour’s lawn, become a heartbreaker or even a womanizer. As players’ personalities come though, the Sims’ conduct is wildly diverse making The Sims Social alive like no other game.

Being on Facebook means that players can connect with their real friends inside the game to share their creations and adventures, and even misadventures, of their Sims.

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2. Madden coming to Facebook
3. Console version of Sims 3 confirmed for Autumn release

Bringing players the first full-life simulation experience in a 3D world on a handheld, The Sims 3 for the Nintendo 3DS will deliver features familiar to the franchise such as personality traits and buildable lots as well as all-new platform-specific features such as a Nintendo 3DS facial recognition system, Karma Powers specifically designed for the 3DS platform and the ability to share Sims characters with anyone in range using StreetPass.

Last autumn, you experienced the robust gameplay of The Sims 3 for the PS3, Xbox 360, the Wii and Nintendo DS. Now with the launch of the Nintendo 3DS this spring, you can experience The Sims in a whole new way…within a 3D simulation!

Create a 3D version of yourself in The Sims 3 with the facial recognition technology of the Nintendo 3DS! Capture your likeness or take a picture of your friends with the Nintendo 3DS camera and turn that into a playable Sim character. Change up their look including hairstyles, facial features, and outfits with the stylus. With StreetPass, share your Sims with other Nintendo 3DS owners**.

Interact with The Sims 3 world in whole new ways by using Karma Powers and finding new ways to mess with life. With the shake of a wrist, set forth an earthquake to rock your Sims world or set free a bouquet of butterflies by blowing into the handheld. You can also take your Sims to new zones within the game which have different destinations to explore full of buildable lots and community features. Guide your Sims through life on the Nintendo 3DS as you build relationships and experience different careers to unlock new items, outfits, and various rewards.

** Owners of The Nintendo 3DS must have installed an in/outbox and played The Sims 3 at least once.

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2. Sims 3 on consoles – the lowdown
3. EA announces Sims 3 for 3DS

Simon Bird, Joe Thomas, James Buckley and Blake Harrison – otherwise known as The Inbetweeners – have challenged themselves to rack up 50 lewd locations in just 50 hours.

Setting off from Bush Lane at 12pm on Tuesday 18^th January and finishing at 2pm on Thursday 20^th January at a rude London location to be revealed, they’ll also aim to stop off at the likes of Minge Lane, Titty Ho and Bell End along the way.  The Sims will make a donation into the Inbetweeners Challenge pot each time they successfully reach a new location, with a grand total of up to £25k up for grabs if they successfully reach all 50.  The foursome, also known as their alter-egos Will, Simon, Jay and Neil, will tour their risqué route in the classic yellow Fiat from the series, with the cameras rolling the entire time capturing all of the banter as they navigate their route to meet the 50 hour deadline.

Whilst there will be plenty of laughs, joking and mockery along the way, the Rude Road Trip will be a challenging race against time and the lads need your help!

To show them your support, make a donation at www.comicrelief.com/inbetweeners and www.facebook.com/thesims3uk or donate £1 by texting RUDE to 70011**.

You can see how the guys get on, with footage available to buy exclusively from iTunes (www.itunes.co.uk)***. The whole show will be available to download from 3rd February – when Red Nose Day officially launches.  Red Nose Day is coming on Friday 18^th March. More details about how you can do something funny for money this Red Nose Day are coming very soon! All money donated will go towards helping people living incredibly tough lives both here in the UK and in Africa.

**Texts cost £1 plus your standard network message charge. £1 per text goes to Comic Relief. You must be 16 or over and please ask the bill payer’s permission. For more information go to www.comicrelief.com/terms

***The cast of the Inbetweeners have donated their time and talents for free! The highlights show will be available from iTunes from 3^rd Feb onwards. iTunes will pass 100% of iTunes’ share to the charity. There are production costs to be covered, and we estimate that at least 70% of the selling price will be donated to Comic Relief.

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2. Sims 3 – Review (360, PS3)
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Versions of the Sims have appeared on consoles too but have not quite hit the mark in terms of flexibility but after playing the Sims 3 on consoles my opinion has definitely changed.

The Sims series, as you already know, is a testament in itself to elaborate design, creativity and unlimited imagination where the only thing that will hold you back is you.  Sims 3 comes with the largest toolset to date to enable you to create your sim the way you want offering millions of variations in clothing, hair, eyes, accessories and now also come with personalities for the first time.

The addition of personalities allows you to create a deeper experience for yourself and your sim and when you are creating your sim you are offered to fill 5 personality traits from over 60 options.  This will make your sim act in a certain way and with new addition of lifetime goals and achievements to chase after this time around it actually gives you something to play for rather than the voyeuristic approach of earlier versions. Although the idea is the same the wishes of sims have become a lot more task orientated and once completed will give you certain points to unlock perks.  Perks are there to make your life easier in the long run.  Remember the pain it was to send them to the toilet when their bladder was getting full?  Well now one of the perks is to have a steel bladder which eliminates this want from the gameplay and thus allowing you to concentrate on other areas of your sims life.  Little touches like this has made the game a lot more accessible and less repetitive than past outings.

The gameplay itself is Sims 3 on PC and has the free roam option to explore the town with extra towns you can buy via their handy community plugin.  This is where I have to have a little grumble. In the past you have your sims go to certain events and they would just appear there, this time around it is a little more free flowing.  Unfortunately instead of disappearing you now catch a taxi to get to certain areas of the town.  I say unfortunately because you are really doing what you were in the past but in a different guise.  Also, when you go to an event you just disappear inside and you cannot see what is going on.

With so much thought that has gone into other areas of the game, a nice little cut-scene here depicting what was going on inside would have helped the story of your sim flow that little bit better.  Perhaps this is something that can be done via a patch but we shall just have to wait and see.  Saying that, going to the park, for example, isn’t a chore and with the AI in the game interacting and meeting each other at every opportunity, building friends, relationships etc you feel that the town is more alive with the story changing around you all the time.  Some of this you have control over and some you have not but that is part of the fun of the game, not knowing what is around the corner and also how far you can take this game before it restricts you.  From what have seenand the tools that are at your dispoal everything is possible and the story of your sim wil be drivem by you, your decisions based on their moods and wishes and everything else in between.  If you want to be a playboy with 5 girlfriends on the go then you can, if you want to end up trying to b a master criminal you can.  Want to run for elections because you sim’s lifetime goal is to run the town?  No problem, point them in the right direction, take the right career tracks, keep the buggers happy and you are sorted.

The customisation tools do not finish with the setting up of your sim either.  You start off with a certain amount of money and get to choose a property within your budget furnished or unfurnished.  There are endless possibilities with regards to furnishing your home for maximum comfort of your sim.  Although there are tonnes of furnishings, you may buy other objects to place in your property via the community plugin for real cash.  If this is something you may want to invest in is another thing but the option is there and I am sure EA will make a shed load of cash from wannabe designers wanting to spruce their sims place up.  You can also create, trade and share items too like the plugin that has appeared in the PC version of the game.  The only downside to this is that all the video and capture options are not there which unfortunately doesn’t add as much depth and fun to the game as the PC version.  Apart from that, everything in the PC version is here.

The customisation tools now add a new feature where you can build your own house to within your budget.  This includes walls, stairs, gardens, wallpaper etc and goes that in depth you can even measure how much dirt you want to put down before laying the grass.  Perhaps this may be a little over the top but goes to show how much work EA have put into this to give you every available option to explore and how geeky you really want to go.

To sum up, this is one hell of a game and an excellent console version of the already brilliant Sims 3 on PC.  The functionality and customisation of the game are second to none and could very well suck up big portians of your life playing.  Whether you are a hardcore player or just a casual one you cannot deny the power of the Sims franchise.  You never see the game out of the charts and that is a testament to the franchise that EA have now created.  Although there are certain niggles in the game you have to stand back in awe at what has been created.

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After Agents, Racing, Party, Kingdom and others that I may have forgotten, MySims are now entering the Danger Zone with SkyHeroes; a flight combat game that reminisces of titles like Snoopy Flying Ace and Crimson Skies. Let me begin by saying that whoever reads this review should know that SkyHeroes can be easily enjoyed by adults, but the whole point is to please the younglings first and invite their parents to join the fun. If you suffer from ADHD and already skipped to the bottom of this review, the chances of our final score surprising you are high.

A nameless pilot finds himself stranded on a beach after his plane crashed. Afflicted with memory loss, he gets recruited by a rebel group known as the SkyHeroes, who seek to clean the skies from the Chaos Pirate organization led by the evil Morcubus. From there, players are tasked with defeating Morcubus and his acolytes and earn victory in the different aerial combat set-ups and racing challenges.

I won’t spend much time making you believe that the storyline presented in SkyHeroes is groundbreaking and amazing because it isn’t. It’s highly forgettable, so much so that even the cleverest kid will end up losing any interest in the characters or the main plot. However, SkyHeroes scores positively on everything else…given that you understand that this game is strictly aimed at a young audience. The story mode is made of several plane races and dogfights that award the player with unlockables which allows for creating, modifying and improving the planes as well as customizing the main character at will. The rewards are based on how high players rank on each given mission and how fast they’re completed. Finish a mission, return to base, talk to the obnoxious characters, find out that you’re being sent to another dogfight or race…rinse and repeat. Even though the mission structure becomes repetitive quickly, the simple and straightforward combat is what makes this game somewhat fun. Controls are responsive and intuitive. The respawn system is almost instantaneous. Planes don’t explode when hitting structures. Defensive and offensive power-ups (which act as a secondary weapon) are scattered across the maps and can be picked up at any time.

To increase the game’s appeal, a Quickplay mode as well as a two-player local and 10-player online multiplayer mode is also available. Unless there are people on your friends list playing, finding random pilots online might be a difficult task since no one is playing the game (at least during my review time). I don’t know if the £30 price tag has something to do with it, but if a game like Snoopy Flying Ace (a £5 game mind you) has trouble filling its matchmaking lobbies nowadays, EA shouldn’t be surprised to see this game get snubbed. I’ve said it countless times, if a developer is going with a simplistic experience while aiming at kids and families, the price should reflect that. Games like these don’t get the same budgets other AAA games do. So why not go the budget-title route? By the way, MySims SkyHeroes isn’t better than the aforementioned Snoopy Flying Ace. Knowing there’s a £25 gap between the titles (one being retail and the other downloadable), the purchasing choice between the two is painfully obvious.

Of course, when evaluated from an experienced gamer point of view, MySims SkyHeroes is a disappointing title. Enemy AI is cheap and has overpowered aerial manoeuvres. You are able to pull off evasive movesl with the right thumbstick but compared to what the AI can do, your moves aren’t that efficient against the enemy. The targeting system isn’t very precise either. Matter of fact, power-ups makes it easier to get rid of enemies so make sure they’re used as often as possible.The gameplay has a hard time following the story too. It seems to be a bit confusing when not finishing first is considered winning. As long as you finish in the top three – in spite of the enemy ranking above you – you’re a winner. The game does suffer from its giving nature and it could have certainly been handled differently. SkyHeroes doesn’t take advantage of the Xbox 360/Playstation 3 hardware capabilities either. Despite the large and diverse environments, the visuals are extremely simplistic and won’t ‘wow’ anyone. Keep in mind that this is looking at it from an experienced gamer’s point of view. Kids – which is the target audience here – won’t be concerned about most of these issues. Oh, if you haven’t played a MySims game prior to this one, be ready to get annoyed by the Sinmlish dialogue. Just saying…

Despite its negatives, MySims SkyHeroes does a good job at keeping the young and/or inexperienced player interested. Its solid level of customization and intuitive flight combat mechanics make it a worth checking out, but not at the current price point. Pricing a game at the same level as other, more adult oriented and full featured AAA titles, even though the game in question is clearly target for kids and stripped back a bit in certain areas, is a fail in my book. If it’s geared toward the younger set, then it should be priced accordingly. As for the hardcore gamer, don’t go in expecting a story-driven Crimsons Skies-like experience. You’d be better served keeping your £30 for something else.

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All-new features make it easier than ever to mess with life as players can unlock the ultimate “Karma Powers” for instant control and unleash them on their Sims.

“We’re bringing players the best console and handheld game for The Sims franchise to date and are excited to offer a unique experience for all types of gamers on their platform of choice,” explained Sam Player, Executive Producer at EA. “Building on the unique traits system, living open neighborhood, lifetime wishes, and endless customization options, we’ve tailored each platform of The Sims 3 with exclusive features to allow for even more control, creativity, and connectivity.”

With Karma Powers, players can help their Sim “get lucky,” bless them with “instant beauty” or be deviant and curse them with an “epic fail.” But players should use these powers wisely—they may have unexpected results and karma may come back to bite.

The Sims series’ continues to provide universally appealing content, emergent gameplay mechanics, and an innate sense of humor in its gameplay while bringing out the player’s creativity. The Sims 3 for console/HH builds on this foundation while offering new features that will make for a robust, deep and rewarding gameplay experience.

Key Features
Create any Sim you can imagine and give them unique personalities! Make them evil, romantic, paranoid, kleptomaniacs or a mix of something completely different.

Control your Sims’ destinies. Choose whether or not to fulfill your Sims’ destinies by making their wishes come true – or letting their dreams die. Will your Sims be rock stars, world leaders or expert thieves? It’s up to you!

Unlock all-new Karma Powers! Earn points throughout the game and spend them by giving your Sims instant wealth, beauty and love—or take it all away with the click of a button.

Platform Specific Key Features
Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3

• Build, Design, and Share Your Creations with the World! Connect to share your creations and download content from other players around the world without ever leaving the game through a seamlessly integrated exchange system.*
• Complete Challenges to Earn Rewards! Face short and long term challenges and reap rewards and trophies. Then share achievements with your friends online by connecting with Facebook*.
• Build and Customize! Build the ultimate home for your Sims, improve your town with building upgrades, and more.

• Go Head to Head Against Friends! In the new Life Moments Game, play with up to three other players as you bet on life’s most important moments to earn points and garner rewards.
• Exclusive Content and Town. Enjoy an all-new beach location with new residents, traits, careers, weather, Karma Powers, lifetime wishes and for the first time direct control of your Sim.

• Live long and Simulate! Create any Sim you can imagine and control their lives for the first time on DS. Control multiple Sims within a household and enjoy life’s special moments as you interact with the world.
• Robust Create a Sim. Use your stylist to sculpt your Sims’ facial features. Choose hair styles and clothing and dictate your Sims’ personalities.
• Customize your Sims world! For the first time ever on DS, build your Sims home with tools to draw walls and floors, and customize with décor objects, textures, and more.

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The title is available in high definition for the Xbox 360, PS3, and on Wii and Nintendo DS.

“MySims SkyHeroes strikes the right balance for players of all skill levels with three levels of difficulty, making it an ideal game for everyone from fathers and sons to play together, to hardcore gaming fans looking for high-speed aerial maneuvers, boss battles and multiplayer action,” said Scott Evans, General Manager of the The Sims Studio. “This makes the game a must-have for any gamer this holiday season, especially as the MySims franchise expands to new platforms to bring even more fans into the fold.”

Players begin the game as a pilot who has crash landed on an island, waking up with amnesia. He joins a group of fellow stranded pilots in a quest to take down the villain Morcubus, who is doing everything in his power to prevent anyone from flying in an attempt to rule the skies.

MySims SkyHeroes pilots jump right into the action in Single Player Campaign mode, flying through 42 different missions over 12 vastly different environments as they gather power-ups and assorted unlockable upgrades while trying to rack up the best score along the way. With each accomplished mission, the player becomes an increasingly high profile and feared hero by defeating deadly enemies, testing his mettle in high-speed challenges, or facing down huge bosses. While progressing through the game, players use power-ups such as radar jammers and giant laser attachments to temporarily punish the enemy. They can also use unlockable elements to customize their planes and outwit foes. For instance, players can swap in a new engine or upgrade wings to create a faster, more nimble aircraft; paint and detail planes to blend and disappear into the environment to evade combatants; or upgrade weapons as well as the pilot himself with new facial features and hats. The customization combinations are endless, which is part of the MySims SkyHeroes strategy and fun.

Branching storylines also keep MySims SkyHeroes interesting at every looping turn. For example, if a player is engaged in a mission that has him facing off with a difficult boss, he can temporarily leave the battle to rescue a fellow MySims character who may be able to assist in the battle against that boss.

MySims SkyHeroes also offers two Quick Play modes — Dogfighting and Racing. Dogfighting allows players to challenge foes in dangerous aerial maneuvers like barrel rolls and loops against a cityscape backdrop or a lush tropical paradise, complete with an active volcano. The Racing mode tests a player’s twitch reflexes during high-speed solo or team challenges. Both styles ratchet up the adrenaline when players click into online multiplayer action allowing up to 10 players on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, six on the Wii or four on the Nintendo DS. The game becomes even more riveting by viewing the action in local split-screen format on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 33, allowing players to team up in co-op play against eight AI opponents, or go head-to-head against each other in competitive play.

MySims SkyHeroes for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and Nintendo DS is rated 3+ by PEGI. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions carry an RRP of £39.99 while the Wii version has an RRP of £29.99 and the Nintendo DS version has an RRP of £29.99.

We managed to get hands on with the game a month ago and must say that it was a lot of fun.

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The Sims 3, a global success on the PC, Mac and mobile devices, will launch this Autumn on the PS3, 360, Wii and DS making it accessible from every gaming touch point available.

“We’re bringing players the first true 3D life simulation game on a handheld utilizing the ground breaking technology of the Nintendo 3DS,” explained Sam Player, Executive Producer at EA. “With new features like face mapping, a living open neighborhood, connectivity like never before and an all-new feature called “Karma Powers,” we’re making it easier than ever for gamers to play with life from the gaming platform of their choice.”

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In the meantime the first look trailer has appeared prior to E3 to give you a first look at what’s to come.  Sims 3 appeared last year to great success and I am sure there will be a strong uptake for the console version of the game.

You can read what we thought of Sims 3 on the PC here and afterwards, you can check out the trailer below.

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