The Sims 3: Ambitions

The Sims 3: Ambitions
Developer(s)	EA Play/The Sims Studio (Windows, Mac OS X) EA Mobile (Mobile)
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Composer(s)	Steve Jablonsky
Series	The Sims
Engine	RenderWare
Version	4.9
Platform(s)	Windows, Mac OS X, iOS
Release date(s)	NA June 1, 2010 AUS June 3, 2010
Genre(s)	Life simulation game
Mode(s)	Single-player
Rating(s)	ACB: M Apple: 12+ ESRB: T PEGI: 12+

The Sims 3: Ambitions is the second expansion pack for the strategic life simulation computer game The Sims 3. It was released in June 2010. The Sims 3: Ambitions introduces new career opportunities and control mechanisms into gameplay. Manipulation of Sims' career progressions, actions and interactions during their working are feasible. Additional career pathways introduce a diversity of skill sets available for acquisition. These features, which were absent in The Sims 3, give players greater control of their Sims' career pathways, choices and lives.

Gameplay

See also: The Sims 3: Gameplay

The Sims 3: Ambitions is a career-based expansion pack and introduces new career pathways. Such examples of career pathways include firefighting, investigator and stylist. Fulfilment of duties and tasks associated with careers are committed by the players. Firefighters maintain equipment, extinguish hazardous fires, rescue Sims from burning buildings and clear rubble. Investigators solve cases and mysteries by convincing or bribing Sims for information, breaking into homes for clues or stealing items for evidence. Stylists are hired by neighbors to offer fashion advice and provide makeovers. The success or failure of task and duty outcomes is controlled by the players.

Implementation of the Skill Careers features increase career opportunities and enables for self-employment. Self-employed Sims utilize their existing skills to create products, such as paintings, home grown produce or literature works, and profit from their works.

Tattooing and stylist careers enable players to modify other Sims. The complexity of the tattoo system allows for players to produce unique designs by selecting tattoo shapes, colors and layers, and stylists design outfits and hairstyles. These examples bridge Create-a-Sim Mode and Live Mode, meaning real-time modification of Sims is practical for the first time in Sims series.

Twinbrook

Twinbrook is a neighborhood which shipped with Ambitions. It is most likely named after the two twin rivers that flow on either side of the richer part of the town, near households such as the Wheloffs.

In its heyday, Twinbrook was a small industrial town at the mouth of the Simislaus creeks. Years later, the dam was built and it changed everything for the town. Now with an influx of professionals, artists, and inventors living around the Sim-made lake, Twinbrook is experiencing a rebirth. How will life in this eclectic community turn out?

Twinbrook stresses the new career/professions and skills introduced in Ambitions, such as the Stylist profession or Inventing skill. The neighborhood is situated on a bayou (swamp), with many bridges and may be in the state of Simisouri (according to DeAndre Wolf's bio). Much of the town is designed in a French style like many bayou towns. For example, the town library is a classic French design with two porticos, one at both entrances.

Professions

Profession Name	Description	Level 1 Stipend	Level 10 Stipend
Firefighter	Athleticism and handiness are useful in this profession. In-depth tasks include upgrading and maintaining both the station's alarm system and fire truck as well as socializing with fellow co-workers.	§276/week	§2480/week
Investigator	Unique among the possible careers, Investigators work freelance, having no set time or location to work. Instead, they acquire cases either by going to the police station, researching cases on a computer, or waiting for clients to call them.	§275/week	§2475/week
Ghost Hunter	Sims use various machines to trap or ward off ghosts, similar to the Ghostbusters film franchise, and the Nintendo GameCube game, Luigi's Mansion.	§280/week	§2,480/week
Stylist	Stylists work in a salon, and there they can make over customers. Stylists have access to clothing and hair options that other Sims cannot easily access. The stylist career combines Create a Sim mode with live mode.	§182/week	§2,306/week
Architectural Designer	Architectural design is a powerful creative career path and one that can greatly impact your town. Sims throughout the neighborhood will call your architectural designer sim to do a huge assortment of design jobs, which may include the addition of a man cave, a book nook, a kitchen redesign, or an entire home makeover. Jobs are driven by the clients themselves--and not at random.	§272/week	§2,480/week

Development

Scott Evans, General Manager of The Sims studio said, "The variety of careers to choose from is unmatched and we've never given players the opportunity to follow their Sims to work and affect their actions on the job. The Sims 3 Ambitions changes that. Players' actions at work now directly affect their lives, community and neighbors and become an extremely important part of how the game is played."

Associate Producer Grant Rodiek explained that career-based gameplay was something that the team had always wanted to do. "We always strive to do something new that hasn't been seen in The Sims before." Rodiek explained the main focus of an expansion pack relied on three elements: community feedback, what the development team wants to do and software limitations.

In addition, versions for mobile devices are in development as standalone games.

Music

Several famous artists were hired to record songs in Simlish for The Sims 3: Ambitions. Robi Kauker, Audio Director for The Sims Studio at EA said: "Each time we set out to create a soundtrack for an expansion pack, it's always exciting matching the vibe of the game to the music by our incredible lineup of extremely diverse artists. It's fun hearing hit tracks in the language of The Sims, and I think fans will be pleased to find their favorites songs and artists throughout this game, and will no doubt discover new bands to follow in The Sims 3 Ambitions."

The Sims 3 Ambitions soundtrack
No.	Title	Artist	Length
1.	"Need You Now"	Lady Antebellum	4:38
2.	"Savior"	Rise Against	4:02
3.	"Pyramid"	Charice	4:07
4.	"Bang Bang"	Melanie Fiona	3:28
5.	"Make My Heart"	Toni Braxton	3:27
6.	"Animal"	Neon Trees	3:32
7.	"Shark in the Water"	VV Brown	3:02
8.	"Number One Enemy"	Daisy Dares You	3:47
9.	"This Too Shall Pass"	OK Go	3:08
10.	"Early Morning"	Old 97's	2:50
11.	"As Long As There Is Whiskey In The World"	Murder by Death	3:15
12.	"Restoration"	The Acorn	3:24
13.	"Cooler Than Me"	Mike Posner	3:36
14.	"Jesus Stole My Girlfriend"	Violent Soho	2:57
15.	"Tea Party"	Kerli	3:29
16.	"Come And Get It"	Eli "Paperboy" Reed	3:33
17.	"Lock My Heart Down"	Hal Linton	3:16
18.	"Until It's Gone"	Radney Foster And The Confessions	4:01
19.	"Setback"	The Constellations	3:42

Trivia

• While Ambitions contains elements from The Sims 2: Open for Business, it is not possible for the player to run their own business in the same style.
• Existing careers, except the Medical career, are not enhanced and their career buildings remain rabbit holes.
• The town seen in the first video trailer is Riverview, and the town seen in the second trailer (Iron Man parody) is the new town of Twinbrook.
• EA have announced that Rise Against, Lady Antebellum, Charice and more have their songs recorded in Simlish featured in game. [1]
• The Sims 3: Ambitions Commemorative/Collector's Edition also features a premium 48-page hard-backed 10th Anniversary book, wall poster, sketch book, ‘Build your own Plumbob’, and a digital asset card. It may only be available in Europe[2] and Asia.[3]. The 10th Anniversary book is also available with other games.[4]
• On May 27 The Sims 3: Ambitions went gold. The following day fans started to receive their copies early.
• Ambitions is included in The Sims 3 Deluxe with the base game.

External links

• Official website