The Sims 3 Gets Town 2, Currency

You've probably heard that The Sims 3 is a lot bigger than its predecessors, and that it simulates an entire town rather than just a single house. Since the game was revealed last year, that town was called Sunset Valley. Now EA has revealed that there will be a second town for the game when it ships on June 2. This town, Riverview, will be available for download for free from The Sims 3 Web site at launch.

This sounds like a way to get customers to start interacting with the game's Web site quickly, as the game's online capabilities are important. You can upload video clips and edit them on the Web site, for instance. EA has also announced that TheSims3.com will also have My Page and My Studio, which sound like Sims versions of popular social networking sites. For instance, My Page lets you post news, make blog entries, and interact with others. In addition, you can also share your content across other social networking sites.

On top of the second town and the Web site featuers, EA is introducing an online store and a type of currency called SimPoints. You can purchase SimPoints using real money, and you can then use those points to purchase exclusive in-game items from The Sims 3 Store. These include new outfits and items that can be used to customize the world further. EA will give players $10 worth of SimPoints when they register the game.

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