Head on out to your stores, Sim fans…The Sims 3 World Adventures has been released (in the US)!  EA sent out the following announcement along with two new screens from the first expansion!

TAKE YOUR SIMS TO REAL-WORLD INSPIRED LOCATIONS WHEN EA’S THE SIMS 3 WORLD ADVENTURES LAUNCHES THIS WEEK

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Let There Be New Lands, Let There Be New Adventures, Let There Be Sims

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., November 17, 2009 – The Sims are off on an adventure of a lifetime! The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that The Sims™ 3 World Adventures Expansion Pack*, the first expansion pack to the best-selling PC game of calendar 2009**, The Sims 3, is available at retail nationwide and for digital download today for the PC and Mac. The game will be in stores worldwide in 60 countries and in 22 languages this week.

“The Sims 3 World Adventures is the most robust expansion pack in the history of The Sims franchise,” said Scott Evans, General Manager of The Sims at EA. “Players can take their Sims to three new real-world inspired locations in Egypt, France, and China where they will embark on exciting adventures, master new skills, and discover exotic objects and treasures to collect. In addition, the enhanced building and customization features will allow players to express their creativity in exciting new ways. We’re looking forward to seeing what players create and the new stories, content, and movies they’ll share online.”

The Sims have itchy feet and are looking for adventure far from Sunset Valley. Players travel with their Sims to three real-world inspired locations in Egypt, France, and China. They can search for treasure in ancient tombs in Al Simhara, Egypt, fill the sky with fireworks purchased from locals in Shang Simla, China and master the art of nectar-making in Champs Les Sims, France. Players can accept challenges, chase down new personal opportunities, and meet locals who will share their culture and style. Along the way, they can capture the funny, scary and exciting moments while using the brand new photography skill. Once they have completed their quests, players can bring their treasures home with them to reminisce and share with other Sims. Additionally, players will get exclusive, extra game content when they register their copy of the PC/Mac version of the game online. They will receive the Explorer’s Loot Set which includes exotic Egyptian furniture, Chinese décor, and more as well as 1,000 SimPoints*** to be used in The Sims 3 Store to customize their game with additional in-game items.

The Sims fans around the world will be rockin’ out to new Simlish music in The Sims 3 World Adventures. Over a dozen artists lent their Simlish voice stylings to the game including GRAMMY Award-winners Nelly Furtado and LeAnn Rimes, plus hot rising stars Matt + Kim, Fefe Dobson, Pixie Lott, Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head, Katie Melua, Esmee Denters, Young Punx!, Evan Taubenfeld, Madina Lake, and more.

The Sims 3 World Adventures will also be available for feature phones, the iPhone and iPod touch in early 2010 from EA Mobile. These versions do not require a base game to play and will have customized mobile gameplay features. For information on carrier availability and pricing for all EA Mobile games, please visit www.eamobile.com.

The Sims 3 World Adventures for PC/Mac is rated PEGI 12 and is available at retail and online through digital distribution at http://eastore.ea.com/. For those who haven’t already purchased The Sims 3 or need a good gift idea for friends or family, a special limited Holiday Collector’s Edition will also be available on November 17, 2009. The special edition will feature content from the original The Sims 3 Collector’s Edition along with new holiday content. For more information on The Sims 3 or The Sims 3 World Adventures, go to www.thesims3.com.

*Requires The Sims 3 or The Sims 3 Collector’s Edition for PC/Mac to play.
**According to NPD data.
***INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED, see product pack or digital distribution rules for details

About The Sims
The Sims franchise celebrates an impressive over 100 million units sold since its launch in February 2000. Now translated into 22 different languages and available in 60 different countries, The Sims quickly has become a universal gaming and cultural phenomenon. The Sims 3 sold more than 4.5 million copies since launch through October 2009 and was the best-selling PC launch in EA’s history. Fan intensity is evidenced through more than 80 million downloads of player created content including: Sims, houses, stories and more. The Sims 3 YouTube Channel is in the top 5 most viewed sponsored channels of all time with more than 22 million video views. The Sims 3 took the social media sites by storm with half a million fans on the official Facebook page for the game and more than 30,000 followers on the Twitter official game page, making it one of the most popular games on Twitter. Visit The Sims 3 official website to see what the players are creating at www.TheSims3.com or the official YouTube Channel for The Sims at http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSims.

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EATM, EA SPORTSTM, EA Mobile TM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile, POGO, and The Sims are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Mac, iPhone, and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.