Electronic Arts today officially announced The Sims 3, the next installment in The Sims series featuring a brand new engine that has been in development for nearly three years. The Sims 3 allows you to immerse your unique Sims in an open living neighborhood right outside their door. The initial feature-set unveiled includes the new seamless, open neighborhood, new Create A Sim, new realistic personalities and new unlimited customization. The new seamless neighborhood architecture allows your Sims to roam freely around the neighborhood and visit their loved one and friends or foes. Discovering other Sims homes and families, traveling around to new locations like City Hall or the local park will create a whole new way of life for your Sims. Storytelling options will multiply as your Sims stroll downtown to meet new acquaintances, head across town for lunch, spy on their neighbors and bump into the boss when they least expect it (press 'read more' for details). In the works at Electronic Arts Redwood Shores, The Sims 3 will hit the store shelves in 2009 - the first batch of renders and screenshots has been added in our gallery.