The Sims 2 put a real focus on storytelling, with resources like the movie maker and the photo album. Will The Sims 3 have a similar focus, and what will the game add to aid storytelling?

GR: We’ve put a fairly significant focus onto storytelling. Players can still capture videos and screenshots in game, but now they can also edit these video clips into movies using our new online movie mash-up tool. It’ll be easier than ever before for players to share their videos with the world.

A common complaint against the Sims series is that it eventually boils down to babysitting your imaginary tenants, with little time between achieving basic human needs to do anything interesting. Will there be changes in Sims 3 that allow for more room for exploration and independent play?

GR: One of the most fundamental differences between The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 is how we handle basic Sim needs like Bladder, Hygiene, Energy, and Hunger. We’ve dialed it back in The Sims 3 and shifted the focus from the Need Bars to Moodlets, which give you a quick and humorous snapshot of what’s affecting your Sim. We’ve tried to “move past peeing” with The Sims 3 to create a game that’s more about telling interesting stories and less about getting to the toilet on time.

The life goal system in Sims 2 really added a layer of achievement to the series. Will this system be in place in Sims 3; if so, what changes have been made, if not, what has it been replaced with?

GR: We’ve upgraded the Aspiration system of The Sims 2 with the Lifetime Happiness system. Sims all have a Lifetime Wish, which draws from about 3 dozen Lifetime Wishes (ex: Become Emperor of Evil, Gold Digger) so that every Sim’s life goal can be unique. We also have smaller Wishes that guide your Sim towards their Lifetime Wishes. All of these things give you Lifetime Happiness points, which can be spent on cool rewards like the Teleportation Pad or traits that make it so your Sims never have to pee again.

Will the Movie Tool feature have any sort of rating system to know which uploaded videos are worth while? Or will I have to watch everyone else's Sims sit on the couch and watch tv?

GR: Yes! Players can rate their favorite videos and share them with others. This way, the best content rises to the top. New directors who don’t have a massive fan base can still put their videos on YouTube, Facebook, and other sites to create a fan base.

One of the big goals of The Sims 3 is taking the existing Sims experience and ramping it up, because the entire neighborhood is constantly growing and evolving no matter which family you play.  What sort of steps are being taken to avoid having the player micromanage families in a frantic manner?

GR: Like I mentioned above, we’ve dialed back the basic Needs of your Sims so their impending doom isn’t around every corner. They are also smarter on their own, so that if a mother and daughter are at the park while you’re focusing on the dad at the beach, mom and daughter will take care of themselves and get home just fine.

Are there any plans to offer an enhanced multiplayer system into The Sims 3 that allows individual players to share their personal experience?

GR: The Sims 3 is an offline, single-player experience. That being said, we’ve taken great steps to make sure the online community is just as much a part of the experience as the rest of the game. Players can share Sims, stories, movies, homes, patterns, and more on the exchange

Aside from the normal sorts of places, what exotic community lots will my Sims be able to visit?

GR: Sunset Valley features the graveyard, movie theatre, beach, hidden coves with unique fish to catch – it’s a varied place with lots of things to discover.

What are some of the more interesting and unique personality traits that you've seen in the game? Do you have a particular favorite?

GR: Over-Emotional is one of my favorites because it’s so powerful. It magnifies the effect of all Moodlets, but that also means negative Moodlets hurt your Sims even more! Kleptomaniac is a clear favorite with members of The Sims 3 development team, as are Evil and Mooch. What does that say about us?

What new NPC's and creatures have been added?

GR: We’ve added many species of bugs to find throughout the neighborhood and collect. You can also sell them to the science facility for cash. We also have 21 species of fish to find, not to mention many types of plants. As for NPCs, The Sims 3 takes place before The Sims and The Sims 2. You may find some old favorites as much younger Sims…

You're introducing a new feature into the Jobs system which is going to make them a little more diverse from previous games, by offering branching promotions that aren't always identical along the same career path.  How diverse are these?

GR: We have a few careers that feature branching careers. In some cases the branches can be quite different by requiring your Sims to learn new skills. They’ll also come with unique career outfits, rewards, work hours, and activities required for promotion. You’ll find that all the careers in The Sims 3 are far more unique than careers in previous Sims games.

The one thing that goes hand in hand with The Sims, outside of frantic bathroom dances, is the popularity of its expansion packs.  When can we expect to see the first release of new content following the retail launch of The Sims 3?

GR: At the moment we’re entirely focused on The Sims 3 to ensure it’s the best game it can be. Fans have been waiting a long time to play the game and we want to make sure it’s an incredible experience.