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e3 2010

Sims 3 Console-Exclusive Karma Powers Explained

by Annette Gonzalez on Jun 17, 2010 at 04:15 PM

Sims need no introduction, you already know the deal. The life simulator has made countless appearances on PCs and has become one of the best known franchises in the world. Now EA is bringing Sims 3 to consoles making this the franchise's first jump into HD. During the EA booth tour, reps shared details with us regarding the console-exclusive Karma system.

Sims 3 will grant players Karma powers that can change the way other Sims respond to you. In one example, we're shown a male avatar named Hunter who is interested in talking to a female Sim, Tara, at a party. To clear out the male competition, Hunter uses the Cosmic Curse Karma power on another male to clear him out of the room. The curse makes that Sim unappealing as he suddenly becomes gassy and rushes to the bathroom making it clear to talk to Tara.

Tara isn't entirely impressed by Hunter so he uses the Get Lucky Karma power and suddenly she's drawn to him as if he had bathed in Axe body spray. He's irresistable. They WooHoo it up. The pair go upstairs and have..."a nice long talk."

Hunter wants everyone to leave the party at this point so he uses Earthquake to clear the room as all the Sims scatter in fear. To further drive them away, we then see Fire Storm, which triggers a meteor shower. One person at the presentation asked if you could cause an oil spill. Too soon?

Sims 3 will be available on 360, PS3, Wii and DS. A 3DS version is also in the works. The Nintendo versions will be designed differently to accommodate the controls. You'll get a chance to "play with life" this October.