EXCLUSIVE: What it’s like to be a celebrity in The Sims 3: Late Night

The Sims 3 Late Night is the biggest and most ambitious expansion for series since Ambitions. EA’s Sims team has gone vertical, replacing the suburban flatlands of the original with a city full of towering skyscrapers, packed with penthouses and chic roof top nightclubs. But at the same time, The Sims team is also going back to the roots of the series as a life simulator in Late Night, adding a ton of new ways to approach the night, including a celebrity system, three new instrument skills that combine to form a band, the mixology skill and plasma sucking creatures of the night.

GamesRadar recently got a chance to speak with Grant Rodiek, associate producer for The Sims 3 Late Night to find out more about the new celebrity system. Find out what it’s like to be rich and famous and how the new career will change how you play The Sims 3.

GR: Why did The Sims team decide to introduce celebrities in Late Night?

Rodiek: Several reasons. Celebrities make for fantastic storytelling – they are hilarious, bizarre, charming, sexy – who doesn’t want to be all of those things. Openness and humor are our trademarks so it’d be a mistake to pass up celebrities.

They also fit perfectly with our other features, like high-rise penthouse suites, high end clubs with VIP lounges, and bands!

Finally, we haven’t done anything celebrity related since The Sims Superstar and a lot has changed in Hollywood since then! Our community has been asking us to bring it back and we always strive to listen to our community. 

Above: Celebrities will still have problems. Sue stalkers and bribe the paparazzi to keep them off your back

GR: How do you become a celebrity? Is it a career you can select when you create a new character? Or is it something you have to become, like with vampires?

Rodiek: You can become a celebrity by befriending celebrities or impressing them by talking about your job, wealth, name dropping, or just making things up (“Uh, sure, I’m totally in a band…”). Or, you can buy a round of drinks for folks at the bar to prove you’re a big spender.  Really, it’s all about experimenting out on the scene.

Celebrity is something you have to become, although the offspring of celebrities do get a boost.

GR: What are the perks to being a celebrity?

Rodiek: Celebrities are granted access to better clubs and VIP lounges. They are given discounts around town. My favorite is when drinks are on the house! They are stalked by the paparazzi and adoring fans. Plus, they are invited to hang out at exclusive parties with other celebrities. There is a lot of gameplay packed into the system!

Above: One of your adoring fans wants an autograph

GR: Are there any disadvantages to being a celebrity? Will we have to deal with stalkers or bad movie reviews? Do you have to worry about your popularity?

Rodiek: Yes, the paparazzi will stalk your Sims from time to time, which is a problem your Sims can solve if they wish. There are also scandals, which we’re quite happy about. If your celebrity Sim is caught doing something in public like, cheating on their wife for example, this could hurt their public image. To defend themselves, celebrities can pay off the paparazzi or sue their assailants…it’s great!


  • Spike88 - September 26, 2010 6:03 a.m.

    People may buy the wii because it appeals to the old and young for its mechanics, but in all honesty, a majority of the Wiis out there do not get used. Hell I have a Wii, and can only be bothered to play HMAP once in a while. While my Fiance has been playing it more often for the same game, once she gets bored of it, it's just going to sit there again. In terms of Sims 3, it may be a good game, but it is a buggy as hell game. Go to the forums and you'll see a lot of topics about something being broken. If you try to contact EA about any issues you have in game, they tell you to check the faq, or ask the forums. Not very good customer service. Look at the two bugs that Ambitions added which haven't been fixed. Despite the fact that a patch was recently released for Fast Lane. The only thing the patch did was add stuff to make you want to get Fast Lane. Also, a lot of people bought Sims 3 on the high of Sims 2 expecting the game to be drastically better, only to realize a lot of features had been removed. Features that EA is slowly adding again, but at a price. The prices for expansion packs and stuff packs also have gone up from 20 and 15 respectively to 40 and 20. While most of the things these packs bring into the game, are already items Sims 2+expansions had. On top of it, look at the number of people who've bought the expansions but hardly use them, which is quite common among the sims3 forums. Lastly just like the Wii, a lot of Sims 3 sales went to children who do not even play anymore. Like my niece who only plays once in a while just to make the sims kiss. I would say a better judge of a game is the amount of people who actually play it frequently(every week to every month) than the number of people who actually own it. Also lets not forget Metacritic reviews. Comparing game reviewers, and general users reviews. Sims 3: 86(out of 100)Metascore Based on 75 critics 7.5(out 10) User Score Based on 138 ratings Starcraft 2: 93(out of 100) Metascore Based on 74 critics 8.3(out of 10) User Score Based on 1257 ratings. I'd have to say Stracrft 2 is the better game. Although to be told I have yet to play it as I do not believe in spending 60 dollars on a non console game. And the fact I detest Activision as a company.
  • jv20 - September 21, 2010 7:43 p.m.

    and therefore it is better* (forgot this part srry)
  • jv20 - September 21, 2010 7:41 p.m.

    @Spike He doesn't have a point. Your example with the wii, 360 and ps3 is pointless. Not everyone wants a "stronger system", they want to amuse themselves. Wii sells more consoles because people enjoy the gameplay with a wii. You might not think this is a valid reason to think that wii is better than a 360 or ps3 but wheter something is "good" is up to the people to decide, it's completely relative. Because it's relative whether something is good, you have to look at the majority to see what most people think is good, to have a representative image of what is good in average. This means, a lot more people like the wii above other consoles therefore it is better, there are more players liking WoW over half life 1 so more people think WoW is good and last but not least, more people like the sims than they like starcraft. Sales mean a lot :p if the sims franchise was shit, they wouldn't have made 2 sequels, sequels that were continued to be bought, and topped the charts one by one. Long story short, more people like the sims than people like starcraft.
  • Spike88 - September 19, 2010 7:33 a.m.

    While Redeater is obviously trolling. He does have a point. Sales are not a good representative of quality. Take for example the Wii. It outsells the 360 and the Ps3. But it is the weakest system. Next up we have the 360, which outsells the PS3. But according to a recent article released the PS3 is the stronger system. Half life 1 is way better than WoW, and yet WoW dominates it in sales. Throw in the fact that the Sims 3 has been out for a whole year longer than Starcraft 2 and of course the sales are going to be better. Also I remember around the time that Sims 3 was released a lot of people had problems with their disks not working. So they went out and bought a brand new disk. That surely skewed the total sales. Sales don't mean jack. And I would have to say the best Trilogy is either Team Ico, or God Of War. Long story short. Both sides are wrong in this arguement /endrant I'm highly anticipating this expansion and the buccaneer bay vacation area :3. My only complaint is the fact that Vampires don't go "poof" in sunlight. It's too twilight for me. And I want the coffin's from Nightlife.
  • Juggaletteluv91 - September 17, 2010 11:36 p.m.

    The sims is the best game trilogy ever made (mine & everyone else's opinion) ~MuchWickedClownLuv~
  • YuGiOhisbetterthanMagic - September 16, 2010 1:13 p.m.

    Ahem, Mentalgen.
  • SmoothMoveExlax - September 16, 2010 4:10 a.m.

    Don't mind redeater, who is just a fanboy who feels that because they don't like or play a game it has no value to anyone else. A quick look at any sales information (or the Sims 3 website) would refute his/her illogical assumptions. I am glad I am open-minded and can enjoy both games ;)
  • Georgio9 - September 16, 2010 4:06 a.m.

    Shut up "Redeater". Why are you criticizing what others play? It doesn't even make any sense. The Sims IS the best selling PC game in history for a reason. Obviously, people like it, buy it, then play it. I have no interest in "Starcraft", but does that mean no one plays it?
  • Ylock - September 16, 2010 3:36 a.m.

    Just an argument between different sections of the gamer vein. Their both good, moving on.
  • omniuni - September 16, 2010 3 a.m.

    I don't really care how many of what games sold... I love the Sims and I could really care less about Star Craft. I don't take it personally when someone doesn't like what I like. There's no need to argue over it, but I can say that there are people all over the world that play The Sims and there are countless websites that deal with The Sims and custom content and a huge community. I don't know what sort of community there is for Star Craft because I don't really care about it. Just saying...
  • Redeater - September 16, 2010 2:40 a.m. are not familiar with the definition of an analogy are you? Bioshock was used as an example of how not all games do not get better with huge sales. If you are so inept at understanding simple things like that...... I'm done here. There is no point. You will not understand.
  • sims3isbetterthanstarcrat2 - September 16, 2010 1:33 a.m.

    An analogy? Oh my God, bioshock sol how many million, a whole 2, 3? If you actually did do research, you'd see The Sims sold like 5 times that, so yea...
  • Redeater - September 16, 2010 1:29 a.m.

    @Sam It is called an analogy. Look it up as it is perfectly apt in this situation. And my research is sound unlike your random "facts". Man they are building kids dumb these days.
  • XoxSamanthaxoX - September 16, 2010 1:05 a.m.

    LOL @sims3isbetterthanstarcrat2 you rock... @Redeater your sayin do you research but your one to talk...and guess what bioshock has nothing to do with either game so there was no reason for your little example of neither of the games...and im not talking about any of the simcity games I'm talking purely The Sims
  • sims3isbetterthanstarcrat2 - September 16, 2010 12:52 a.m.

    Next time you do research, buddy.
  • sims3isbetterthanstarcrat2 - September 16, 2010 12:52 a.m.
  • sims3isbetterthanstarcrat2 - September 16, 2010 12:49 a.m.
  • sims3isbetterthanstarcrat2 - September 16, 2010 12:44 a.m.

    @510BrotherPanda, you're a moron as well.
  • Redeater - September 16, 2010 12:42 a.m.

    @sims3isbetterthanstarcrat2 Wow....really? Did you just create an account for that? Sims has been out for WAY longer then SC2.I don't expect it to do the same but to say that one of the best selling games of this year has "no demand" is stupid. Also Sales for Bioshock 1 = over 3 Mil Sales for Bioshock 2 = 2 mil Now by your logic the second one should have scored ahead of the first. It didn't. You are wrong. This is just one out of many examples. Research buddy. Check it out.
  • 510BrotherPanda - September 16, 2010 12:04 a.m.

    I don't have a PC, so I don't play either Sims or StarCraft. But I think it's safe to say that StarCraft has to be at least a little good if it can entrance an entire nation the way it has. Sims is good too, but I don't know if it could become a national pastime in the same way StarCraft has. And the reason there is only one sequel to SC: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." SC 2 just updates the multiplayer fluidity, I think. Sims is spread out into many different groupings, like SimCity and SimAnt, etc. The amount of sequels it has makes sense for how broad it is. There's also Spore and lots of other Will Wright things. ...But you don't see Sims being advertised by being printed onto the tail fins of a fleet of airliners.

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