The Electronic Arts (EA) game most people are focused on right now is Spore, which ships Sept. 7th. But there's this other game some may recall, which was also designed by that Will Wright guy: The Sims.
And on Wednesday, EA announced at the Leipzig Games Convention that The
Sims 3 will be available at retailers worldwide and also via digital
download on February 20th, 2009.

In their press release, EA said:

The
feature-set includes a new seamless, open neighborhood, new
Create-a-Sim, new unique personality traits, new unlimited
customization and new gameplay that's quick and rewarding.

The
Sims 3 Collector's Edition will also be in stores on February 20, 2009.
The Sims 3 Collector's Edition will include the full game along with
additional collectable The Sims merchandise and a bonus in-game
Italian-Style Sports Car unavailable elsewhere. A limited number of
copies of The Sims 3 Collector's Edition will be available worldwide,
and those who pre-order the product from select retailers will receive
an additional exclusive in-game vintage sports car and a collectible
poster that is a first look at the neighborhood, all available while
supplies last.

We've never really understood The Sims; performing real-life tasks in a virtual world just doesn't feel fun to us. Yet another reason we haven't tried Second Life.

Still, The Sims is so popular that EA has devoted an entire division (or "label") to it, so who are we to talk?