Sandy at AroundTheSims3 just did the Sims3 version of this- with lots of other games (checkers, dominoes, scrabble, tarot cards, ...) Of course she didn't change the chess animations, so you'll see sims holding chess pieces occasionally while they're playing.

Diving Board... incoming :p

And being able to sit on a blanket on the beach, suntan perhaps. And have kids playing with beach balls or building sandcastles on the beach.

I loved all the beach interactions in TS2 - sunbathing, digging for treasure, making sandcastles, watching the waves - I hope they make a comeback.

I agree. Beaches are just for show right now.

By the way... slightly off topic, but does anyone know what super water does differently from the regular water? It's in the reflections options, but I didn't notice anything different. I wonder how it'd affect future swimming (not that Generations would give us that feature).

It does reflect differently.

Oh my gosh, I'm so excited. Now I need to start saving up for this AND Unleashed.... what is that, 80 dollars? I better start now xD

Lemme guess: Since proms are almost always held INSIDE schools, it's probably just gonna be a rabbit hole activity until they leave or about to go in (pictures show the teens are outside).

This doesn't really seem like an expansion to me, it adds some new features but not any new gameplay. I kinda think I'd like to call it a 'stuffpansion'.

Personally, I think this is exactly the expansion pack that the game needs. IMO, it's the day to day family life that needs to be fleshed out to make Sims 3 feel more complete. Things like weather, pets, vacations and bar-hopping are nice distractions, but for me, the core of the game is daily living. For instance, I loved the weather in Seasons, but I believe it was all the new activities for home/family life that made the pack a favourite amongst many players regardless of their playing style.

Aeval99, you have said exactly what I have been feeling since I talked about families needed more in Sims 3. Right now I don't have any loyalties to the families I play because there is nothing that touches me and make me want to continue playing them. I think that is why I jump from one household to another because I am looking for something special. Less wooden and more cushy, I want to love them, dammit!

I am really hoping Generations will bring that back into Sims 3.

I am in total agreement with aeval.
I already love that expansion. I just hope ea would do it all the way. That is what as disappointed me with sims 3 expansions, they gave so little on the theme. They could have expanded it way more with not that much effort. Example, late night.. there's so much stuff they could include in it but they didn't and I'm afraid that because the theme is "done" in their head, they'll never add what is missing.
So please EA, don't be lazy.
Oh and about the prom-rabbithole thing.. Am I the only who don't really care ? You could easily fake the prom anyways, you just need the main animations which I think looks like it is included with Generations.
I think I've just got used to rabbitholes. The only frustrating one is the restaurants.. gosh that was a stupid idea.

Well said, I completely agree with all of this!
As someone who plays with risky and autonomous woohoo mods, my sims end up getting pregnant ALOT... . But I rarely get excited about their pregnancies anymore because there's so little for babies and toddlers to actually do. Most of the time I just leave them playing with a toy or sitting in their crib until they need feeding. And they can barely interact with other toddlers which takes away some of the fun of having toddlers and triplets.
Then they grow up into children and although they are now able to interact with each other, they're still pretty pointless since they cant use musical instruments, play foosball or Shuffleboard, use a hottub, garden etc....What is the danger in letting a child sim use a musical instrument, compared to letting a child take the subway alone, watch a game at the stadium alone, cycle around town alone...? (all of which are things the game lets my child sims do!). I mean yes, your child sims cant actually be snatched or eaten by Claire the bear but nor are they going to spontaneously combust from playing a musical instrument so what's the harm?!
Any expansion which extends the everyday dynamics of family life is very welcome to me, maybe even more so than the return of pets.

I could care less too about the Prom/rabbithole thing. I just want the ability to take pictures and have them pose, just like when you have to take dozens of pictures at home before going to the prom. If it's a problem for some, just make a venue that you can have a formal dance at. Would only work if the venue can be labeled as formal like one of the LN bars have. Isn't that exclusive bar?

That is one thing that has often bothered me about TS3, and I hope the next expansion pack will fix at least partially.

That children aren't allowed to do things in TS3 that in real life, children often do. They include musical instruments, gardening, using hot tubs, playing games such as shuffleboard, or even changing diapers. I also think it's strange they can't garden, but they can catch sharks and piranha fish.

Another thing that bothers me, though not as much, is that there isn't a "Give Ride" and "Give Ride back Home" interaction. Instead you have to use "Visit <Lot name>" or "Go Here," and then use "Go Here With..." Even then, they won't always actually travel together with the "Go Here With..." interaction, though eventually both Sims will end up at the same lot. This is because doggone it, bicycles are SLOW. It'd be great if a teen sibling or a parent could more easily use their car to pick up a child Sim. In real life, that happens all the time.

Looks like EA will be announcing something bigger on April 5, so the March 31 will have a small announcement. Facebook page as reference: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=149952015066988

I am so sick of this. Sheesh!

March 31 sounds like April fools to me.... or maybe they want to separate the annoucements of the 2 next expansions.
Like Generations on the 31th and Unleashed on the 5th

QFMFT!

Dating, vacations, firefighting, dance clubs, open neighborhoods - this is all good stuffs. But ultimately the core of the game is still the dollhouse, and more interactions and activities for family members of all ages will go a long way to boost both the fun and the long-term playability of TS3.

I seriously think that the new supernatural Sim will be witches/warlocks. At least I really, REALLY hope so! If it's true that things are usually tested out in side games and then implemented into the main series, the sorceresses/wizards and the witch in The Sims Medieval are a good sign!

EDIT: Plus, I've been analyzing the picture of the children playing dress up, and looking at the little girl's "magic wand". It looks strange to me. I'd think that if it was just a dress-up costume wand it would be pink and kinda frilly to match the outfit, but it's not. Really, to me it looks like something out of Medieval! Anybody else agree with me?

I loved the witches and kooky wizardry in Sims 1, but that took up a whole Expansion Pack. I doubt EA will ever have dominating themes like that again. I only hope that if the next occult is witchcraft, that its as full featured as the witchcraft in Sims 1. Especially with all the craftable objects we got from that EP/series. Anyone remember the baking oven or the canning station from Hot Date? Would be so nice to get those back. I also liked how u had to search for ingredients to make a spell. I never got AL(got all the other EPs but that one) so I dont know how witches worked in the sims 2. From what I've heard, its not that great.

I totally agree. I understand if people like their Sims game to be more "realistic" (which to me, means "boring"), but I don't understand the hesitation about magic being such a dominant theme. In the Sims 1 if you didn't want magic, you just had to ignore the Mystery Man's box, but if you didn't there was a whole world of magic that your sims could explore, and it was wonderful! Plus with the collecting and opportunities in Sims 3, searching for ingredients could be really fun!

Anyway, I just took a screenshot of the Generations trailer so that I could get a better picture of the magic wand.

Here ya go:

But is that what this expansion pack is going to bring? I saw pranks, parties and proms as the main focus. And then a few activities like the toddler tickle, kids playing dress up, a fort and a stroller to round it out. Is that enough or are people expecting other features that didn't show up in the trailer to make this pack worth while for them?

I would also hope it's a secondary life state that would overlay, or be in addition to a Sim's main, or primary life state. What do I mean by a primary and secondary life state?

Well, I consider a primary life state to be regular (nothing special), vampire, mummy, or Sim-bot. For the most part, it makes sense that a Sim can't be all three at once. Vampire Mummies don't make sense because according to Vampire folklore, they are supposed to vanish into thin air upon being killed, so there's no body to mummify. Primary life states determine a Sim's needs (i.e. thirst/hunger/scrap reserves/never hungry), as well as advantages (i.e. faster skill gain, never fatigued, immune to electrocution) and disadvantages (i.e. slow walk, sun sensitivity, and water sensitivity).

Right now, there's only one secondary life state; Ghosts. Ghost versions of all occults may exist, but don't ultimately change their needs (Vampire ghosts still have a thirst need), advantages, or disadvantages (Vampire ghosts still hate the sun). Although being a ghost adds additional interactions and abilities (walk through walls). I would hope that witches/warlocks are a secondary life state. This is because I'd want my Vampire Sims to be able to perform magic. In fact, that would make sense as Vampires are already supernatural.

It looks more like a royal scepter than a wand though.

oddly enough, that wand looks like something out of Sim Medieval. I wonder if wizardry powers from that game will be used in this one. I guess we'll find out tomorrow with the big(small) reveal set for 31st. Does anybody know exactly what time it will be posted? Is the reveal just on facebook or is it also going to be on their main website?