Hi Simmers!

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Graham Nardone, and I've been a producer on every expansion and stuff pack released for The Sims 3 so far. I’ve had the privilege of traveling across the globe to meet many members of our community. We've chatted and shared a few laughs, but most importantly I've had the honor of listening to what many of you have to say about The Sims.

As we enter 2012, I know it’s going to be a fantastic year for The Sims. From The Sims 3 Showtime Expansion pack and The Sims 3 Master Suite Stuff pack to unannounced projects currently in development, the teams within The Sims Studio have several great experiences for you this year.

Since the launch of The Sims 3 in 2009, the game experience has expanded considerably with robust expansion packs, stuff packs, new downloadable worlds and unique content offerings through The Sims 3 Store. As the game has grown, so has The Sims community across portals such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and of course all of you right here on TheSims3.com. As we branch out into these new areas, it continues to be a priority for us to gather feedback, engage with the community on the direction of the franchise and respond to questions.

For those of you who have been fans and active in the community spanning the years of The Sims, we thank you. We’re thrilled that people are so passionate about the games that you ask for past favorite features to return in new game experiences. Many fan requests have been incorporated into upcoming game releases and are being factored into future game developments. We’re also reaching out to new players by offering content with themes that we’ve never undertaken before. We’re committed to advancing the game and opening the experience for even more players in our global audience to enjoy. With the variety of content offered throughout The Sims games on the horizon, we’re certain that you’ll find something that speaks personally to you and the experiences you have with your Sims.

As a developer working on The Sims, I truly have one of the best jobs someone who loves video games could ask for. There are millions of The Sims players around the world, and knowing that fans eagerly anticipate each upcoming game we create helps drive us every day. While I’m always excited to discuss what the future holds, it’s just as important to have an open dialogue regarding the experiences you’re having with the games we’ve already released, and recognizing what we can do to improve your experience. Many of us on the team spend time reading the forums and social media channels and share your feedback with the larger development teams. We know the hot topics that are being discussed. It’s our responsibility as developers to not only recognize those topics, but to communicate with you about how we intend to address them.

To kick off more of this dialogue, we’ve included some of the frequently asked questions from the forums and have responses for you. We’ll continue to share new information and respond to your feedback here, so keep an eye out for future blogs and interviews.

From all of us at The Sims Studio, thank you for playing such a large part in the continued success of The Sims!

Graham Nardone

The Sims 3 Assistant Producer