Meet Gary, another winner of The Sims 3 University Life’s Inspiring Creativity Contest.  Gary’s contest entry won him a Master Class Studio Visit to meet The Sims 3 development team at their studio in Salt Lake City, Utah. Read below to find out how Gary first got involved with The Sims.

I couldn’t be bothered with video games, then one Christmas our daughter asked for The Sims 2. She hated building the houses and asked me to do it. Next thing you know she’s giving up altogether and guess who’s hooked? And so I built…. and built, and built. A few years prior to getting unwittingly involved in Sim building, I made a career change. It was at this time that I went online to feed my growing Sim building fetish. The things I saw when I started searching around the fan sites were just mind blowing. Connecting with others, asking questions, and sharing your builds for others to download…. now I was hopelessly and irreversibly hooked.That was late 2008…

Meet Tysha, one of the winners of The Sims 3 University Life’s Inspiring Creativity Contest. Tysha’s compelling story of how The Sims changed her life secured her spot for the Master Class Studio Visit to meet the development working behind-the-scenes on The Sims 3 games! Read below to find out how The Sims has changed Tysha’s life and about her experiences meeting the development at The Sims Studio in Salt Lake City, Utah.

A little about me…

I have been playing The Sims 3 since March 2012. I spend most of my time creating stories. My favorite stories to tell are ones with Sims who are hopeless romantics but also childish.  I knew I loved The Sims when Istarted have withdrawal problems.

Winning the Master Class and VIP Studio Visit with The Sims 3 contest was already a surprise, but what happened once I arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah was even better! I had great opportunity to meet and greet with the many different people who help make the Sims such a great game. I met very interesting and upbeat team members from animation, game design, engineering, and SimGurus Brittany and Lauren, just to name a few. Not only were the employees animated and friendly, the studio was filled with this playful atmosphere that you could expect from The Sims. To many of the employees, the studio was like a second home. Many of them enjoyed the game just as much as I did. Others showed passion in building, just like other members of the Simmer community. It was amazing to see how hard every individual works on these stuff packs, worlds, and expansion packs. I even had the chance to love the experience myself.

Check out what Designer Alan Copeland has to say about how (and why) he designed the all-new premium content set:  Country Livin’. Don’t forget to pick up the Country Livin’ Set from The Sims 3 Store on April 4, 2013. 

While I enjoy designing all of the different premium content for The Sims 3 Store, I have a special place in my heart for any object that we can add some of that classic Sims humor into. This is just one of the reasons I’m particularly excited about our latest set, Country Livin’, which includes the Fowl and Feathers Chicken Coop!  

Finally eggs don’t just grow on plants anymore.  Not only can you get basic eggs every morning, but you can also collect rare exotic eggs that give your Sim a boost to fun and the new Egg-static moodlet! Want more opportunities to collect eggs? Just remember to feed your chickens and you’ll also get an additional egg harvest in the evening.  

Something you might not know about Sims chickens is that they are great conversationalists. If it’s getting a little lonely down on the farm, go talk to your chicken about important things like why they cross the road. If you’re lucky, your Sim might get some Universal Enlightenment (new moodlet!).  

But if you’re not so lucky, you may run into Charles the Evil Chicken. Charles is kinda a jerk. He’ll sometimes come out to argue with your Sim or fling an insult or two about your Sim’s lineage. Keep arguing and your Sim might have to teach him a thing or two about who rules the roost in a chicken fight.  

If matching wits with the Evil Chicken scares your Sim away from collecting eggs for a couple of days, the eggs might just hatch into baby chicks! Your Sim can get plenty of fun and social from playing with these cute and cuddly little guys, not to mention the new Chick Magnet moodlet.  

However, there is so much more to this set than just the Fowl and Feathers Chicken Coop. There are some great new décor objects that can make any home have that extra touch of country.  

And let’s not forget about the new outfits! This set has some awesome new clothing for toddlers, children, young adults, adults and ELDERS! How charming are these folks?

Hope you like what you see in the new Country Livin’ Set. Make sure to pick up on The Sims 3 Store when it comes out on April 4, 2013.