Just picked up this press release and launch trailer of The Sims Social – it has ‘officially’ been launched and should no longer stop telling you it is in closed beta.

THE SIMS SOCIAL UPDATES ITS STATUS TO LIVE ON FACEBOOK
The World’s Most Popular Award-Winning Life-Simulation

GUILDFORD, UK., Aug. 18, 2011 – Your social life will never be the same thanks to The Sims™  Social. The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. today announced that The Sims Social is now live on Facebook. Debuting publicly at Gamescom in Germany this week, The Sims Social has been recognized with the show’s highly coveted 2011 Best Browser Game Award. Available globally in five languages and free to play, The Sims Social allows friends and rivals to play with life on the largest social-networking site where they will be able to interact with each other and create fun, humor and mischief like never before. The Sims Social showcases the best gameplay from The Sims, one of the world’s most popular videogame franchises,combined with innovative social game features. Players create their Sims in any likeness they choose and experience every aspect of their Sims’ social lives, including building a variety of relationships with their real Facebook friends.

The Sims Social brings the authentic life-simulation game design that only The Sims can deliver, and melds it with truly intuitive social-interactive features,” said Lucy Bradshaw, General Manager of the EA Play Label. “The Sims Social gives our fans tools to express their creativity, experience the unpredictability of Sims’ personalities and live out their dreams, all while enabling them to connect, engage and play with their friends.”
In The Sims Social, players experiment with life, customize their homes in a variety of styles and create stories, even scandals with other Sims, as they explore the depths of relationships in the game. From acquaintances to lovers to rivals and archenemies, players can be each other’s best friends or worst nightmares. The Sims Social also presents unique opportunities to grow and advance their Sims’ lives, careers and households. In addition to iconic The Sims objects, The Sims Social will feature real world in-game items from partners Dunkin’ Donuts that can provide extra boosts and benefits when players need them.

The innovation driving The Sims Social is the culmination of a close collaboration between The Sims and Playfish, leveraging more than 10 years of The Sims success with a deep expertise in social gaming.

“When we created The Sims Social, it was important for us to incorporate the deep gameplay nuances The Sims Studio has perfected and leverage  what Playfish does best – develop compelling, cutting-edge social-gaming experiences,” said John Earner, General Manager of Playfish’s London Studio. “Our deep knowledge of the Facebook gaming platform enables us to continue to enable dynamic new features, quests and game updates on a regular basis so The Sims Social remains fresh and fun.”
Players will be able to share their in-game achievements, pranks and more through their news feed updates and wall posts by way of Facebook’s interface. They can be scandalous and publicize their home-wrecking ambitions when they request another Sim to break up with their partner. Or they can tell a friend that they just danced with them or sang them a song to make their day. The Sims Social also features an innovative “replay” option, allowing players to actually see what their friends have done to them and their houses while they were away. They might see that a friend dropped in and cooked a meal or fixed their guitar. Or they may find out that a rival has visited and pulled a prank and left a spider behind the toilet or put a fish in their bed. The Sims Social represents a truly social experience that revolutionizes the way players play with friends and play with life.

To play The Sims Social, please visit Facebook. For more information on The Sims Social, please visit the game’s web site at www.thesimssocial.com or follow the game on Twitter.