EA releases The Sims 3 system specs

Ouch! What a big mistake. I'd bet my first born son that one of the reasons Sims 2 was one of (if not the) best selling PC games of all time was the accessible system requirements.

The Sims 2 only needed a 32MB of video RAM to run, so could run on integrated motherboard graphics...

I'm really shocked that EA seems not to be aware that a big portion of Sims 1+2 players do not have video cards, and they just run the game off of integrated graphics.

Honestly I think this will hurt there sales by like 50%.... or cause a massive surge in video card sales -- one or the two, but I'd guess the first. (Edit: Actually you know, I'm going to make a prediction that tons of non-gamers will buy Sims 3, and they'll be a big controversy about how many people bought the game and then could not understand why it did not run at all with only integrated graphics.)

It would have been really wise to do a 2D version for the masses that does not require a video card.

Sims 2 came out in fall of 2004. Sims 2 to this day is still making top 10 weekly sales. What other 4 year old game do you see up there? Sims 3 will be released in early 2009. Sims 3 4 years from now will most likely follow the same trend as Sims 2.

I think everything will be just fine and dandy.

Uh where you referring to my comments ParanahJoe? No offense, but I don't see how what you said relates to what I said about having no video card requirement being key to the casual market sales success of Sims 1 + 2.

No I was just expressing what I think will happen with the third installment. The fact that it does indeed have a bit higher requirements than the previous two sims games does not necessarily mean the sales will not be on par with sims 2.. or 1. If people want to play, you have to pay. So you may have to dish out some cash for a better video card if need be.

This years integrated graphics chips, especially from intel, are more powerful than the minimum specs posted here.

Intel integrated graphics makes me puke -.-

quote ParanahJoe

No I was just expressing what I think will happen with the third installment. The fact that it does indeed have a bit higher requirements than the previous two sims games does not necessarily mean the sales will not be on par with sims 2.. or 1. If people want to play, you have to pay. So you may have to dish out some cash for a better video card if need be.

I'm not sure if I agree. Not in the case with the Sims, which has been one of the best selling games of all time precisely because it appeals to both gamers and non-gamers. I think you'd be really surprised at how many people play the Sims and do not have a video card. I've met tons of people myself who play the Sims 1+2 and don't even realize that you can even BUY a video card to put into your computer.

Umm, so what ea should just not improve their games ever so that people on 10 year old pcs can continue playing? Go out and buy a new computer and stop crying, pretty much any pc bought in the last 2-3 years has integrated graphics that meet those specs. You seem to not be aware of the fact that while you stand still sitting on your old pc playing the sims the entire pc industry is ALWAYS moving ahead.

Hehe, thanks jonwall, your comment really cracked me up.

I'm not crying. I have an awesome gaming computer myself. I'm very aware of the PC industry moving ahead hehe, thank you very much.

I'm saying that a big bunch of people who would want to buy Sims 3 do not have integrated graphics cards with 128MB+ memory. Feel free to disagree, but try not to take things too personally dude.

Sims 3 is not like 9 out 10 PC games. A huge part of the audience is casual gamers who never even bought a single other PC game in their lives.

I'd also put money on one of the big reasons WoW is so popular is the such low system requirements. You'd probably also be surprised at how many people who play WoW don't even have video cards.

I think those min specs are below probably 90% of the games coming out on the market. If someone doesn't have a comp that can run that, then they need to just give up on playing video games on the comp, and get a Wii or something.

Kspiess, you are the only one on here moaning that EA have made the min spec 128mb, and yet you claim not to be crying... Pull the other one your heart broken obviously or you wouldn't be argueing the toss. Since we're on this subject however I know loads of people who say they dont have a graphics card and when I got them to send me a Vid feed of the back of their cases, Low and Behold there's the card. Check your Data I guarantee your wrong.

Hehe, really I don't care. I currently have a HD 4870. It is quite very far from the min. specs. I'm just saying. Well I already said it. No need to go over it again.