8. How does the SimPort feature in The Sims 3 Showtime actually work? What is the benefit of sharing my Sims with other players? What if I prefer to play on my own? 
 
SimPort is the new and completely optional feature in The Sims 3 Showtime that allows friends to share their Sims by sending them into each other’s worlds by going on tour. SimPort is brought to you through a fun new menu that looks like a travel journal, allowing you to send your star Sim performers on tour to the venues and stages in your friend’s world to perform special shows. You can also invite a friend to send their Sims in to perform for you. You can customize the stage in your venue with special themed backgrounds, props, lights and special effects before your friend’s Sim arrives to make sure their performance is a hit with your crowd of Sims.
 
SimPort is a complementary experience that adds value to an already rich offline game. There are special rewards for those who send their Sims on tour through SimPort, such as earning extra Simoleans, gaining skill and experience at a faster rate, getting unique moodlets, and unlocking new stage props, backgrounds and costumes to make even more unique stories possible for your Sims.

 
Another benefit of SimPort is that you can use it to progress your game even when you're not playing! Send your Sim off to perform in a friend's world just before you log off your game; the next time you log on, your Sim will be back with all the goodies earned while "on the road"! Or, if you have multiple Sims in your household, sending one Sim on tour gives you some time (typically, it's for 12 Sim hours, or 12 minutes in real time) to focus on your other Sim(s).

9. Do the social features relate to The Sims Social in any way?

No, the two are separate social experiences. The Sims Social is a great way to experience The Sims series with your friends on Facebook. The social features we are introducing with The Sims 3 Showtime are focused on connecting The Sims 3 players and community members together in more accessible ways, extending the great community that is already very active on www.TheSims3.com web site into the game.  As mentioned earlier, the great thing about the new connected features is that they will be familiar to anyone who has created an account on the existing www.TheSims3.com community web site.

10. How are the social features tied into Facebook and Twitter?

If you like, you can post memories and wall posts (for instance… images of your awesome stage performance) to Facebook and Twitter to share with your friends and followers outside of the game.

 
11. How are you planning to protect players from any potential viruses, identity theft, or other security issues with the introduction of social features?

The in-game connected features in The Sims 3 Showtime use the very same system and technology that allows community members to post, download and share content on The Sims 3 community web site, including The Sims 3 Store and The Sims 3 Exchange. You can rest assured that we are using the same security measures that keep the www.thesims3.com safe and secure.
 

Well, that's about it!
 
I hope this Q&A gives you a good idea of what The Sims 3 Showtime has to offer. As always, we look forward to hearing your comments and, come March, hope you have a wonderful time playing Showtime!
 
Thanks,

Aaron