I don’t understand.  If you’re given the chance to conduct an interview with a game developer, why is it that most of the time the questions asked are things you can find answers to on google in less than five minutes?  Why not put some thought and…perhaps ask some questions about details we may not be aware of…

Anyway, Sims 3 Nieuws found the following interview from Skewed & Reviewed in which they contacted The Sims 3 team.  If you already play the game…you’re not really going to discover any new details regarding their work.

What engine is the game using and what are some of the new features it will offer gamers?

The Sims 3 uses an internally developed engine. The new engine allows us to have the entire town come to life with each character having their schedules. The new engine also allowed us to give more creative freedom for our Animators. There are more nuanced facial animations for example. And that the objects and the clothing can be customized on the fly by the Player in game is a testament to the hard work of our engineering team.

interview here