Preview - The Sims 3 Pets (Consoles)

Our The Sims 3 Pets for Consoles article is now done. Click read more below!

At the behind-closed-doors Sims presentation at Gamescom, we met Aaron Connors, who showed us a demo about The Sims 3 Pets on consoles (a HD console version on Xbox 360).

In The Sims 3 Pets on consoles there is a lot of new gameplay. The Karma Powers feature a lot of people probably know from The Sims 3 on consoles is back in this console game. It's a console only feature, it is a very popular one and it's a big part of the gameplay. A lot of the karma powers are available to pets only in this game. There is a mystery journal with mysteries to solve, which will earn your Sim pets simoleons. This way they can contribute financially to the household.

A big difference between the Sims 3 Pets games on consoles and the previous Pets games on consoles (Sims 2 Pets) is that this time you can actually control the pets! You don't need some kind of cheat to be able to control them! And there is a lot to do for pets in the game. There are also a lot of customization options for pets in The Sims 3 Pets on consoles. Pets have actual needs and desires now, just like Sims.

You're never going to believe this but... Sims can be "transmogrified" into pets and the other way around!

There is a whole new, unique neighborhood in The Sims 3 Pets on consoles and it's called Sugarmaple Coasts. It has supernatural elements, graveyards and a lot of mystery in it. Pets can go and explore the neighborhood on their own.

Pets can have careers. For example dogs can join the law enforcement career, which is another opportunity to earn money.

In the version for Xbox you can use Kinect, and we're not talking about the move functionality but the voice functionality. So you can give commands with your voice, to control the Sims and pets, and basically use the basic UI navigation with your voice. For example you can switch between Sims and use social interactions.

During the presentation Aaron Connors showed us a character called Tiger Boy, who has also been in a previous demo on E3 earlier this year. Tiger Boy was really devastated because his beloved dog, Tiger Dog had died recently. Tiger Dog was still "hanging around" as a family member. Apparently pets will be able to stick around for a few more days after they have died, as pet ghosts! And just so you know, pets in the consoles games can only die of old age. If Sims use the karma power called Divine Intervention they can bring back a beloved pet who has recently died. But you have only got a few days to bring them back.

Initially Aaron tried some interaction between another dog and Tiger Boy to try and cheer Tiger Boy up. So the dog tried some social interactions such as sit for... which was something Tiger Boy really liked. However when the dog tried the Play death interaction it just broke the poor Tiger Boy's heart all over again. When Aaron tried to bring Tiger Dog back to cheer Tiger Boy up, it succeeded and indeed, the dog was back, alive and well. However when Aaron tried to get the two to meet again, he found out that Tiger Boy had left the cemetery already lol. Sims sometimes do unexpected things. We all know this.

Some other karma powers that have been mentioned, some of these are positive, some are negative, are Cast Curse, Feral Possession and Meteor Strike. Don't ask me what all of these karma powers actually do though.

Now about the Limited Edition for the consoles: It contains 10 or more exclusive pet breeds that are not included in the regular edition of the Sims 3 Pets game. These exclusive breeds also include some breeds inspired by other EA games, such as Dead Space and Dragon Age.

The console games will be released in October 2011. There will be both a regular edition and a limited edition.

A special thanks goes out to Aaron Connors for visiting the Gamescom in Europe to give this presentation. And of course I'd like to thank EA for inviting me to the presentation itself.