Frequently Asked Questions
  • What is The Sims™ 3?


    The Sims 3, released in 2009 for Mac and PC, and in 2010 for Wii™, Playstation® 3 computer entertainment system, and Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and 2011 for Nintendo 3DS™, is a simulation game that gives anyone the tools to play with life. The freedom of The Sims 3 allows for endless creative possibilities to amuse players with unexpected moments of surprise and mischief! Players can create unique Sim characters and control their lives, customizing everything from their appearances, to their personalities, and even the home of their dreams. Players can also send their Sims out to explore new locations around town and to meet other Sims in the neighborhood. The Sims 3 offers an online community where players can go online to download exclusive content and show off their own creations to the world. With quick challenges and rewarding game play, The Sims 3 gives players the freedom to choose whether (or not!) to fulfill their Sims’ destinies and make their wishes come true.

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  • How do you play The Sims 3?


    The Sims 3     offers many ways to play:

    • Creating Sims: Not only are players able to fine-tune their Sims’ appearances, they can control their personalities as well. Players can select multiple traits for their Sims ranging from Evil and Paranoid to Romantic and so many more. Players can create their Sims and form Sim families to be used in game, or share them on The Sims 3 Exchange for other players to download.
    • Controlling Sims: Sims have wishes that range from short term desires to lifetime goals. Players can choose whether or not make their Sims wishes come true or deny their every want. Will your Sim be married? Have kids? Become a Rock Star or an Expert Thief? The choice is up to you.
    • Customizing Everything: From the Sim’s physical appearance down to their clothing, their home and even their world, players can customize and download new content to change their game. There is new content available in The Sims 3 Store every week for purchase and player-made creations for download in The Sims 3 Exchange.
    • Explore new locations: A Sim’s town is filled with many activities and places to visit. Take your Sims to meet friends in the park, go on a date at the bistro, visit neighbors’ homes or even converse with less-than-savory characters in the graveyard. New worlds are also available to add to your game from The Sims 3 Store.
    • Connect, share and shop: A whole community of Sim Players awaits you at TheSims3.com. Go online to make movies, show off your creations, download exclusive content and more.


     

     

     

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  • What are Expansion Packs and Stuff Packs?

     Expansion Packs enhance The Sims 3 game by adding new gameplay to your Sims’ experience. Different Expansion Packs offer different enhancements, from example some offer exotic faraway World Adventures for your Sims to visit while others allow Pets into your home! To learn more about Expansion Packs, please visit our Games listing page.

    Stuff Packs contain new items, décor, clothing, and hairstyles for your Sims. Each Stuff pack comes with themed content, from vehicle collections for the Fast Lane, to items focused on Town Life.

    The Sims 3 base game is required in order to play Expansion and Stuff Packs.

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  • What are SimPoints?

    SimPoints are the virtual currency of The Sims 3 that can be used in The Sims 3 Store. Unlike Simoleons that your Sims use in-game, you cannot earn SimPoints, but must purchase them from The Sims 3 Store. You can use SimPoints to purchase exciting new content for your game, such as clothing for your Sims, sets of furniture or even new worlds to explore! To purchase SimPoints, please visit our Buy SimPoint page and choose from a variety of bundles.

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  • How can I earn bonus SimPoints?
    Look for the Bonus SimPoint banner located in the left menu navigation throughout The Sims 3 Store or in the Launcher and click to start!



    After watching a short video from our sponsors your account will receive five bonus SimPoints (subject to change). These SimPoints may take up to a day to be added in your balance, so don't worry if your SimPoint Balance does not reflect the new amount instantly. The number of videos available to view per user will vary depending on inventory. In the event that no videos are available, the banner will not appear.

    These SimPoints are no different than the SimPoints you can purchase as bundles, so pick up that item you’ve always wanted or even save for a set!

    If you are at the maximum account limit of 35,000 SimPoints, you will not be able to earn anymore SimPoints until your balance has room.
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  • What is The Sims 3 Store?

    The Sims 3 Store is where all our official The Sims 3 content is available for purchase and download. If you have SimPoints, you can purchase content from this section of the site and download to your game. You can use the content from The Sims 3 Store to customize your Sims and their environments.

    To purchase, click the “Buy Now” button next to any item’s image. You can choose to download right then or download later. Alternatively, you can add items to a shopping cart by clicking the “Add to Cart” link and purchase them together after browsing through The Sims 3 Store. All of your purchased items will appear in your account’s Purchase History where they can be downloaded or downloaded again at any time.

    You can access The Sims 3 Store within the game by clicking the “Shop Mode” shopping bag icon.

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  • What is The Sims 3 Exchange?

    The Sims 3 Exchange is where players can upload and download their creations in The Sims 3. Players can share their objects, households or Sim families so that other players can download and play with them in their games. We also offer exclusive The Sims 3 tools, such as Create-a-Pattern and Create-a-World, which allow users to show off their design flair and urban planning skills. All content on The Sims 3 Exchange is free to download, however some may require the player to own the same Store Content and/or Expansion Pack/Stuff Pack in order for the content to display properly within their game.

    Creations made in The Sims 3 PC or Mac game can be uploaded to The Sims 3 Exchange via the Launcher. Players of the console versions of the game can submit to their exclusive platform-specific Exchanges.

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  • What is a My Page?

    The My Page is your personal profile page. You can decorate it with stickers, upload an avatar image of your favorite Sim and personalize it in many more ways. The My Page is also where you can show off your creations and the badges you’ve achieved from the site.

    Having a My Page allows for additional features to enhance your game, such as the ability to add friends and keep in touch with other Sim players. To get a My Page, just register an account with TheSims3.com!

    Please note that users who have not registered a game with our site will have limited functionality with our features.

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  • How do I get more involved with The Sims 3?

    The Sims 3 has many communities for you to get involved in.

    Check out our Community Page for the latest official content from The Sims 3.

    Follow us on Facebook & Twitter for faster info and exclusive giveaways.

    Interested in sharing your creations? Upload your content to The Exchange or join our Machinima and Story communities.

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  • How can I receive more information about The Sims 3?

    TheSims3.com offers a VIP Newsletter to those who would like to keep updated with the latest news about The Sims 3. To subscribe to this newsletter, please go to your My Account, open the Site Preferences, and check the box in Email Preferences.

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  • How do I find out about Cheats for The Sims 3?

    There always comes a time to hurry things along or explore a different option quickly and easily. That’s why we make it easy to access various The Sims 3 cheat codes and tricks, from adding more Simoleons to your account to making everyone happy and much more.

    Type Control+Shift+C to open the Command Line, where you can enter various cheat codes. A couple of quick starters (enter these without quotations):
    • Enter “motherlode” to add 50,000 more Simoleons.
    • “make happy” changes all moodlets to optimal
    • “help” returns a list of other available cheats.
    • “make friends for me” makes several random in-game friends for your Sim.
    • “testingCheatsenabled true” will enable cheats in your game while “testingCheatsenabled false” will disable shortcuts like being able to modify status bars by clicking on and adjusting them."

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  • Where can I find out more about The Sims 3 Tips and Tricks?

    TheSims3.com has many resources for new (and veteran) players within The Sims 3 Community Blog and through Tutorial Stories created by the Community to help new Simmers get started. The Sims 3 Forums also has a wealth of helpful information (and a community of very welcoming The Sim 3 players!).

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Once you register your game, you will be able to:
  • Post to The Forums
  • Download free player-created game items from The Exchange and upload your own custom creations for others to use
  • Receive new opportunities to earn badges
  • Customize your avatar
  • Upload your own game videos and screen shots to use to create Movies and Stories
You can register your game at any time on your My Account page.
 
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