The Sims 3 is a 2009 strategic life simulation computer game developed by The Sims Studio and published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to the best-selling computer game, The Sims 2. It was first released on June 2, 2009 simultaneously for Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows - both versions on the same disc. The Sims 3 was released to home consoles on October 26, 2010, for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS, Android and Nintendo DS and later the Wii platform on November 15, 2010. The Windows Phone version was made available on the Windows Phone Marketplace on the 15th October 2010 for $6.99. There is also a Nintendo 3DS version, released on March 27, 2011, as one of its launch titles.^[5] It has also been released for mobile phone platforms, and a simpler version for mobiles with Java.

The Sims 3 was an instant success, selling 1.4 million copies in its first week.^[6][7] Critics issued mostly positive reviews. The Sims 3 gained an 86/100 score from aggregator Metacritic.^[8] The game has sold over ten million copies worldwide since its 2009 release, making it one of the best-selling computer games of all time.^[9]

Gameplay[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

The Sims 3 is built upon the same concept as its predecessors. Players control their own Sims in activities and relationships in a similar manner to real life. The gameplay is open-ended and indefinite. Sim houses and neighborhoods are entirely in one continuous map. The developers stated, "What you do outside your home now matters as much as what you do within." One of the biggest changes to the franchise is the use of rabbit-holes. Sims aren't allowed to go inside the majority of city buildings; instead, they simply disappear inside for a certain amount of time—a feature known in video games as a rabbit-hole^{[citation needed]}—while the player is given several choices on what happens inside using a text-based notification.

The Sims 2 used a reward system called Wants and Fears. This is replaced with a new system called Wishes in The Sims 3. Fulfilling a Sim's wish contributes to the Sim's Lifetime Happiness score and mood. Some wishes, such as "Go to the Park", may add little points to their lifetime happiness while "Have A Baby Boy" may add thousands of points. In The Sims 2, Wants and Fears also contributed to a Sim's "Aspiration" meter, roughly analogous to current self-esteem. In The Sims 3, Aspiration is removed entirely, replaced with "Moodlets", which contribute positive or negative values to the original Motivation meter. Moodlets can be inspired by physical events, such as having a good meal or comfort from sitting in a good chair, as well as emotional events like a first kiss or a break-up. Most moodlets last for a set duration, but some negative Moodlets can be cured (such as the one incurred by an urgent need to urinate) and some positive ones rely on the Sim's surroundings and traits.

The game includes an optional feature called "Story Progression," which allows all Sims in the neighborhood to autonomously continue as if the player were controlling them, such as grow up, get married, get jobs and promotions, have children, build or buy their dream house while the player isn't playing. Sims live for a set duration of time (adjustable by the player) and advance through several stages (baby, toddler, child, teen, young adult, adult, and elder). Sims can die of old age or they can die prematurely from causes such as fire, starvation, drowning, electrocution, (as of the World Adventures expansion pack) Mummy's curse, (as of the Ambitions expansion pack) a meteor, and (as of the Late Night expansion pack) by thirst (vampires only). One of the major new additions to gameplay is Opportunities, tasks that Sims can complete to earn rewards. These challenges occur randomly based on aspects of each Sim's lifestyle, such as relationships, skills and job. Career opportunities such as working overtime or completing special tasks can yield a pay raise, cash bonus, or relationship boost. Skill opportunities are requests by neighbors or community members for Sims to solve problems using their acquired skills for cash or relationship rewards. If the opportunity is connected to a Sim's school, the reward may be increased school performance.

Create a Sim[link]

Create a Sim (CAS) now has more customizable options for Sims than the CAS in The Sims 2. The player now has a larger selection of body types for Sims, and are able to create different hair styles for every Sim. The player is now able to pick their Sim's shoes.

There are a total of 22 hairstyles for female Sims and 17 hairstyles for male Sims. There are a variety of hats and hair accessories that the player can use, but they all come with set hairstyles. Each of the hats and accessories can also have their colors and textures altered. Hairstyles can be chosen separately for each outfit. Each hairstyle's color can be customized with one of eight basic colors. but players can customize the hair further by clicking the paintbrush icon. Individual colors for the base, roots, tips and highlights of the Sim's hair can be customised with a color palette and slider. 4 new men's hairstyles were added with the Pets expansion pack, along with some men's clothing. The Sim's basic hair color can even be changed to unnatural colors, as can the color of the roots, tips, and highlights. User-made hair colours can be saved onto the bin and used later, and will be used by generated Sims. Hair colors can be shared to the exchange for other players to download and use.

Compared to previous games in the series, a lot more things can be modified. It is possible to just change the nose of a sim, for example, and it is possible to use the Advanced Mode to go into more depth (such as to change nostril definition, nose tip scale and bridge height). There are more hairstyles than that in The Sims 2 and The Sims core games combined. The player cannot add layers when customizing clothing, but if the clothes already have layers then the colors and textures for each layer can be altered. The player can also click on any part of the Sim and the Create a Sim tool takes them directly to the right menu for editing whatever is selected. There is an eyelash length slider bar. Socks and shoes are also fully customizable. Muscle and body weight sliders have been introduced and can be fully adjusted to create much more varied and realistic looking Sims. Late Night expansion pack added sliders for breast size and muscle definition.

The player can also choose the Sim's full name, age, gender, and skin tone. There are six possible skin tones, but only three of the six are realistic. The other three are green, red, and blue. There is a slider so the player can edit how light or dark the skin tone is. For example, they can make a light green Sim with a dark green mother and a light skinned father. Height still cannot be changed, due to conflicts with animation. In The Sims 2, players could only choose between two basic body types: normal and fat. A third body type - Fit - could only be achieved in the game and not on the Create A Sim menu. In The Sims 3, however, body weight is determined by moving a slider left or right. Sims can be extremely skinny or extremely fat. However, toddlers do not have the option to have their weight customized. Weight can be decreased through gameplay if the Sim exercises or increased if the Sim continues eating after they have filled up their hunger meter.

In the clothing tab, players can choose what their Sims will wear. The five categories of outfits are everyday wear, formal wear, sleepwear, athletic wear, and swimwear. Each type of clothes found in each categories include tops, bottoms, full-body outfits, footwear (which players can choose, unlike in The Sims and The Sims 2), eye wear, earrings, gloves, bracelets, rings and socks. Players can create up to three outfits in all categories. Outfits can be customized during gameplay by clicking on a dresser. The color and pattern of the clothes can be chosen by the player with the Create a Style tool. However toddlers do not have the option to have athletic wear, swimwear and accessories chosen and/or customized. Accessories can also be added and customized also with the Create a Style tool.

Players can choose any of the traits available in the menu. Players can also can choose their Sim's favorite food, music and color. The Sim's voice is customizable as well. Toddlers have one voice slider, children have two voice sliders, and teenagers and older have three voice sliders. They can also pick the Sim's lifetime wish, which is a goal a Sim will be working for all of their lifetime until it is fulfilled. Zodiac signs are added in Late Night^[10] and Patch 1.7, which make Sims more friendly with other Sims of compatible signs. Players can also write the biography of their Sims. Toddlers, children and teenagers don't have the option to have their lifetime wish chosen in CAS, but will be provided with lifetime wishes occasionally as they grow up and the player will be able to select one.

Skills[link]

There are several skill-dependent abilities, such as advanced social interactions available from high charisma, special songs for guitar players and appliance upgrades (self-cleaning, more TV channels, etc.) for high handiness. Painting, writing and guitar are now different skills, instead of the all-encompassing "creativity" skill of The Sims and The Sims 2. Paintings are now more particular to each Sim, based on their traits. Sims can increase their skills by practising a skill (e.g. playing the guitar, working in the garden, writing a novel, etc.), reading a book about the skill, or taking a class in the skill at a civic building. Sims can begin building their skills as early as their toddler days.^[11] While skills do not show up in the meter right away, using skill building objects is rewarded once the toddler grows into a child. Logic can be used to teach children skills that will help them in later life. The skills include Logic, Cooking, Painting, Gardening, Writing, Guitar, Athletic, Handiness, Charisma and Fishing. New skills were later added in expansion packs. When Sims reach level 10 of a skill, they will get a certificate in the mail to display on a wall or sell for 1000 Simoleons.

Players do not see the skill in the Sim panel until the first point is unlocked, then they can view them in a skill journal. Each skill has a tab in the skill journal detailing the level of the skill, statistics, what the challenges are, and sometimes other special information. For example, the athletic skill journal shows the statistics: hours of cardio workout, hours of strength workout, distance jogged. The skill journal is viewed by pressing the 'J' key in-game or selecting the skills tab and clicking the small document that appears at the end of the skill bar after unlocking the first point. Various challenges are also available in the skill journal. For example, in the Painting skill journal, a challenge to paint thirty paintings is available. When completed, the Sim earns a reward of being able to paint significantly faster than normal Sims. There are multiple skill challenges for each and every skill, as well as collections. All of them earn some kind of benefit, such as quicker completion, better results, etc. With The Sims 3: Ambitions, the skill journal also shows hidden skills that a Sim has learned.

Careers[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Many of the careers from The Sims 2, such as the Law Enforcement and Athletic tracks, are in The Sims 3. Of course, there are also some new ones. Sims can look for these jobs in the newspaper or apply right at the building where they’d like to work. (Every career has a building in the neighbourhood.) Sims are also able to make a living at home selling paintings, writing novels,playing guitar for tips or growing fruit and vegetables. Jobs such as nectar making can become a profession with the Sims 3 World Adventures. To get some extra cash on the side if the Sim also has some cash to spare, they can buy out businesses and receive a percentage of the profits they earn. If Sims are less inclined towards pursuing a full-time career or if they need more time during the day, they can get part-time jobs at certain career locations within the town. Part-time jobs have a lower pay than full-time jobs and do not give career opportunities. Part-time jobs are also available for teen Sims.

Advancing in a career still depends on mood and skills, but also relationships with colleagues/boss and even certain goals that have to be fulfilled. The player can decide how hard they work while on the job. The option to work hard will increase the Sim's performance faster at the expense of their mood. Taking work home, schmoozing the boss, reading medical journals, or completing opportunities also have an impact on a Sim's job performance. Chance cards and at-work events can still cause the Sim to lose their job, but may actually help them get a better job in another career track. Reaching the top of a career doesn't mean they're done, either. If a Sim keeps excelling at their duties, they can rake in extra Simoleons through additional raises.^[12]

A new feature The Sims 3 offers is branching careers, which allows Sims to choose a certain path in their career (such as Sim in the Music career can eventually choose to specialize in Symphonic music or Rock).

The Ambitions expansion pack introduces professions, careers that allow the player direct control over their Sims’ work and how they spend their days, and the ability for Sims to register at City Hall as self-employed in a skill career.

The careers in the core game are Business, Culinary, Criminal, Journalism, Law Enforcement, Medical, Military, Music, Political, Science, and Professional Sports. Professions in the Ambitions expansion pack include Firefighter, Ghost Hunter, Investigator, Architectural Designer, and Stylist. The part-time jobs available include such positions as a Bookstore Clerk, Grocery Store Clerk, Spa Receptionist, Spa Specialist and a Mausoleum Gravedigger. If the Sim is a Rockstar, other Sims recognize this and react. The same if he/she is at the top of other careers, like the Military career: Sims use their military greeting and their children can then also use the military greeting. There are some banners that can be found depicting them. Careers and part-time jobs pay hourly, not daily. Sims in a professions from Ambitions, will get money for performing each job, while receiving a weekly stipend. NPCs such as the maid and repairman, when asked about their career by a Sim, will state Maid and Repairman, but if they move into a household they will be listed as unemployed. So far most service NPC jobs are off limits to the player.

Worlds[link]

Neighborhoods are now being officially referred to as 'worlds', possibly due to Electronic Arts' use of the Create a World tool and the neighborhoods scale. Worlds are now 'seamless', open to exploration between lots and are affected by a new game mechanic called story progression. The primary world in the game is Sunset Valley, while an additional world called Riverview can be obtained for free. More worlds can be bought at the Sims 3 store.

The Create a World tool allows players to make their own neighborhoods with custom terrains similar to SimCity 4. A game patch, released in conjunction with the release of Ambitions, also allows players to manipulate pre-made neighborhoods to a limited degree, such as adding or removing lots and scenery. As of Late Night, worlds are divided into "Sims 3 Towns and "Late Night Towns". There seem to be important differences between the two, like the sims they can spawn, etc. Up to now^[update], Bridgeport is the only pre-made world to be catalogued as a city. The rest, including the exotic destinations from World Adventures, are considered suburbs.

On March 19, 2008, EA revealed open world, a new feature, for The Sims 3. Players can explore the world outside their Sims' homes without having to face strenuous loading times. Every house lot is now synchronized with the main neighborhood time. In previous Sims games, the time of day was separate and different for each house lot. Players can interact with every building and amenity in a city. Although players are unable to see inside of certain commercial buildings often called rabbitholes (grocery, bookstore, theater, police station, school, etc.), they are able to enter and retain limited control over their Sims' actions while in these locations. The player has complete control in some other commercial buildings - such as the gym, library and the beach house. All occupied residential buildings can be entered in the same manner as a Sims' home, provided that the buildings are not empty or it is not too late at night.^[13]

Build/Buy modes[link]

The build and buy modes have received their own makeover. The square tile outlines that appeared on the ground in previous Sims games' build and buy modes are now a quarter of their original size to give the player more liberty to place objects where they want.^[14] Alternatively, it is possible to place objects freely without square tiles, an option that was missing in previous Sims games. Players can re-color and re-pattern the furniture and other items to specific shades and patterns with the new Create-a-Style and make six storey houses with basements.^[15]

Build mode is one of three modes in The Sims 3. It is used mainly for construction and architectonic work. Some items that would be considered to be in build mode, such as counters and lights, are actually in the buy mode section. Build mode can be used to do many things including adding walls, paint/cover walls, add doors and windows, lay down flooring, create foundations and raised decks, create basements by using either foundations or the Basement tool, add columns and supports, create pools, raise and lower land, create ponds, build gardens and landscape a lot, add fireplaces, add additional floors/stories to a building, add stairs, and add a roof.^[16] Some expansion packs released after The Sims 3 add extra build mode features such as ceiling construction and designing the terrain, Players cannot build or place objects outside the limits of the lot. Walls and foundations cannot be placed within 2 tiles of the outer limit of the lot, or within 2 tiles of the front sidewalk. The sidewalks mark the limit on which a player can place objects on their lot. Fences can be placed all the way up to the edge of the lot and all structures built by the players are limited to eight stories. The height of a section of wall is equal to the length of 3 floor squares. This is most noticeable while placing a 45° roof. It is possible that the length of a game tile is 1 meter, and that the height of a section of wall would then be 3 meters. In some situations, Build mode, as well as Buy mode, may become disabled, such as during a fire, burglary, or other major event. This is done to prevent modifications to the lot that may impact or prevent a game event from occurring. After the event has ended, Build and Buy modes will be re-activated. This feature has been an annoyance to many player and is disabled in many mods. Depreciation of objects is visible in The Sims 3. All objects depreciate 10% as soon as the player exits build mode. This adds realism to the game and gives the player limited tries at building before the costs of building use up too much of the funds intended for furnishing and living expenses. When in build mode, players can return items for full value by using the undo tool.

Buy mode in which the player may purchase items from the catalog, sell objects that are on the current lot, and arrange objects on the current lot. Construction-related elements such as doors, windows, fences, and stairs are not associated with buy mode, but are in build mode.^[17] Buy mode largely focuses on furniture and appliances. The descriptions of many of the objects available for purchase in the game (namely the least expensive ones) involve humor, sarcasm, insults towards the player, and wit, and serves as comic relief in the game. For example, one of the cheapest cars available in The Sims 3, the "Big Lemon", notes that although the car's doors are jammed and its ignition is faulty, it is still worth buying. Another example is the outdoor entertainment item "Foot-and-Hand Ball" used to train the athletic skill, which references and pokes fun at American football, which, despite its name, rarely involves contact with the ball via the feet. A feature that was introduced in The Sims 2 and stays present currently is the eyedropper tool. When the eyedropper tool is pointed at a wall covering, floor covering, or most objects, will show the name of what it's pointed at. Clicking on a wall or floor covering will switch to the appropriate area of build mode and select that covering so it can be applied. Clicking on an object will make an exact duplicate of it, and will focus the catalog on that object.^[18] The family inventory is a space where objects that are too large to be held in a Sim's personal inventory are kept. Certain opportunities may make an object available in the Family Inventory. When a Sim family moves, if "pack furniture" is selected, all objects in the household will be placed in the Family inventory, to be moved and rearranged in the new house.

Create a World[link]

On October 29, 2009, Electronic Arts announced "Create a World (CAW)", which is a game world editor that allows players to create their own custom cities from scratch for use within the game. Players can customize lots, choose terrain patterns and add roads, vegetation and neighborhood accents (such as water towers and lighthouses). CAW also allows players to import designs from Photoshop for use in their worlds.^[19] Users can upload their worlds to The Sims 3 Exchange for download by other players. The editor tool is offered to players as a separate download (156MB), and was released on December 16, 2009 as a beta version. EA will offer technical support and updates. Players are able to share their neighborhoods as with other content. The Create A World tool is currently only available for Windows based PCs.^[20]

Development[link]

Electronic Arts first announced Sims 3 on March 19, 2008.^[22] The game was developed at The Sims Studio located in Redwood Shores, California. On January 15, 2009, EA invited "some of the best" custom content creators to their campus at Redwood Shores where they were hosting a Creator’s Camp. Creators have been invited to spend the week exploring and creating content like Sims, houses and customized content. The Creators' work is used to pre-populate The Sims 3 Exchange.^[23] In the seventh expansion pack for The Sims 2, The Sims 2: FreeTime, an event occurs in which a Sim-version of Rod Humble, the head of The Sims franchise, gives the player's Sim family an unopened gift box. When opened, the family gets a computer with The Sims 3 on it. The Sims 3 game cannot be bought in the catalog. Sims can then play The Sims 3 on their computers or console systems. Like all the other games that Sims can play in The Sims 2, The Sims 3 is a looping gameplay video shown on the player's Sim's computer screens when played by a Sim. On July 15, 2008 the first video preview of The Sims 3 appeared on the official website as did seven new screenshots and five Create-A-Sim screens. Four screenshots that appeared on the website and were then taken down soon after, leaked onto the Internet by a member of the community.

Copies of the video game Spore also came packaged with fliers advertising the game, with information stating whole-neighborhood accessibility and endless possibilities on character creation. On October 31, 2008, two teaser trailers were released by Electronic Arts featuring a comical view on the 2008 presidential election in the United States. Candidates John McCain and Barack Obama were included along with respective running mates Sarah Palin and Joe Biden.^[24] In the eighth expansion pack of The Sims 2, The Sims 2: Apartment Life, new objects were added including logo posters and framed screenshots. The game was shipped with a code and an Internet address, where the player could download clothing with The Sims 3 logo on it. Another developer walk through was released on November 6, 2008, featuring in-depth previews of the neighborhood and Create-A-Sim.

On May 8, 2009, EA announced that The Sims 3 had gone gold meaning that the game had finished beta testing stage and was off for manufacturing ahead of its June 2009 release.^[25] On May 15, 2009 EA released some online interactive teaser experiences on The Sims 3 Website, including 'SimFriend', which allows users to choose a virtual Sim Friend who would email them throughout the day. 'SimSocial', which allows users to create their own Sim online, and have an adventure with them. 'SimSidekick', which allows users to surf the web with a sim.^[26] Two weeks before the game was scheduled to be released, a pirated version of the digital distribution version^[27] of the game leaked onto the Internet.^[28] EA later commented the leak was a "buggy, pre-final" version.^[29] EA claims that more than half of the game is missing and is susceptible to crashes or worse.^[30] Reportedly, the title has seen higher piracy rates than that of the most pirated game of 2008, Spore.^[31]

Marketing[link]

In April 2009, Electronic Arts began to post billboards in many areas in advertisement for the game. Many of the billboards covered skyscrapers in densely populated areas, most notably Times Square in New York City.^[32] The costs of these billboards was estimated to be $10 million a month. This marketing campaign proved successful, as The Sims 3 sold 1.4 million copies in its first week, breaking the record for all EA games.

On March 23, 2009, the look and feel of The Sims 3 was seamlessly threaded throughout the storyline of an episode of The CW series One Tree Hill. On screen, the episode opens in an idealized Sims version of One Tree Hill and then transitions into the real Tree Hill. As this episode plays out, Sims versions of popular One Tree Hill characters are introduced and then morph into the real-life characters, including Dan (Paul Johansson), Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Peyton (Hilarie Burton).^[33]

The Sims 3 versions of the characters are available for download via CW's official website. On April 19, 2009, Target exclusively released a promotional disc of The Sims 3 that features a Ladytron band poster, The Sims 3 theme song music download, and a $5 off coupon. The main menu includes screensaver downloads, videos, Create-A-Sim, Create-A-House, and much more. There is no actual gameplay involved, but it describes what playing feels like.

On July 14, 2010, Ford Motor began a promotion at The Sims 3 Store by allowing players to download their newest car at the time, the Ford Fiesta Mark VI.^[34] The car also came with a collection of street signs. On October 27, 2010, the download was updated to include the Fiesta Hatchback.^[35] The 2012 Ford Focus was made available to download on June 8, 2011.^[36] The car included one male Ford t-shirt, one female Ford t-shirt, a stereo, and a set of neon lights, all for use in-game. The Focus pack was available to download on Mac, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms.

Audio[link]

Music for The Sims 3 was composed by Steve Jablonsky. Scores were recorded with the Hollywood Studio Symphony at Newman Scoring Stage at 20th Century Fox.^[37] Music for the game's stereo and guitar objects was produced by others, including Darrell Brown, Rebeca Mauleon, and Peppino D'Agostino. Additional music was produced by APM Music.^[38] Two soundtracks have been released for The Sims 3 base game, The Sims 3 Soundtrack and The Sims 3 - Stereo Jams. The soundtrack includes theme music and the Stereo Jams album includes music from stereos in game. All songs on Stereo Jams are in Simlish.

Software copy restriction[link]

Some of EA's other recent PC titles, such as Spore and Dead Space, have used a SecuROM copy restriction scheme that requires online and offline authentication and limits the number of times a user can install the game to five. While it was speculated that The Sims 3 would use the same system, on March 26, 2009, executive producer Rod Humble revealed that The Sims 3 uses traditional disk-based copy protection as Sims 2 did, and does not require online authentication to install. A product key is also required.^[41] However, SecuROM based restriction is still present within the "Digital Download" version of the title, limiting users to a total of 5 authorizations for 5 different machines via online activation, each of which can be de-authorized online at any time. A legitimate serial key is required to download custom objects and Sims from the official website. This includes custom designs created by other Sims 3 players as well as additional content from EA.

Delay[link]

On February 3, 2009, it was announced that the release date of The Sims 3 would be delayed from February 20, 2009 to June 2, 2009 in the US, and June 5, 2009 in the UK. John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts, said "In the case of Sims 3, we’re moving this title to June 2 to give us additional time to build the worldwide marketing campaign a title like this deserves".^[42] Grant Rodiek, Associate Producer of The Sims 3 said:

The Sims 3 June launch gives more time for tuning and polish and the ability to launch the game on PC and Mac platforms simultaneously. This is a key EA franchise and title and it deserves a bigger bet on the best Sims game EA has made. These last few months will give us a little more time to tune, tweak, and polish the game. Our players have been waiting for something awesome and that’s exactly what we intend to give them.^[43]

Release[link]

EA Singapore launched The Sims 3 with a large launch party^[44] which was held on 2 June 2009 at the new shopping mall Iluma in Singapore. At the event, The Sims 3 T-shirts were available for purchase. In Sydney, Australia on June 4, 2009 a fashion event to show off the freedom and self-expression in The Sims 3 was held by Electronic Arts Australia, and included a performance by Jessica Mauboy.^[45]

The game was released as both a standard edition and a Collector's Edition. Both the collector's edition and the standard edition of the game comes with a coupon for 1000 Sim Points to spend at The Sims 3 Store.^[46] The standard edition contains the first release of the core game, while the Collector's Edition includes the Sims 3 core game, a 2GB The Sims Plumbob USB flash drive (preloaded with wallpapers and screensavers of the game, and the main theme as an MP3 file) with matching Green Carabiner, an exclusive European-styled Sports Car download, a Prima Tips and Hints Guide (not the actual Sims 3 Prima Guide), and Plumbob stickers. Those that pre-ordered the game also got a Vintage Sports Car download, The Sims 3 Neighborhood Poster, and a quick start reference guide.^[47] A preview CD with more information about The Sims 3, such as music samples, family descriptions, and career information, was also released.^[48]

iOS[link]

A version of The Sims 3 was released on the iOS on June 2, 2009. The iPhone game works similar to that of the PC version. In Create-a-Sim, instead of Lifetime Wishes, there are personas. Personas decide which lifetime wishes your sim will have, as a persona is the largest factor in a sim's personality. Sims start out with a small house. The house can be expanded every five sim days if the player can afford it.^[49]

Console[link]

The Sims 3 was released to home consoles on October 26, 2010, for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo DS and the Wii platform on November 15, 2010. The game was released for Nintendo 3DS on March 25, 2011.

The game allows you to take on up to three friends in the Life Moments Game on the Wii, upload and download content on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, including furnishings, houses, and player creations or experience a full life simulation on a handheld with Nintendo DS. Reviews for the game ranged from average to moderately positive.

Editions and add-ons[link]

Editions[link]

Expansion packs[link]

The Sims 3 expansion packs provide additional game features and items. The release dates fall in line with the 88-day gap between each expansion/stuff pack.

Stuff packs[link]

Stuff Packs are add-ons that intend to add only new items (usually in the amount of 60) to the base game. Stuff Packs work on both Windows and Mac OS X as with the main game and expansion packs.

The Sims 3 Store[link]

The Sims 3 Store is an online store where players of The Sims 3 can purchase and download content for their game online for additional fees. To date, unlike its counterpart for The Sims 2, The Sims 3 Store only offers exclusive objects, clothing, skins, and hairstyles not found through any other medium. The Store also offers variants of special objects found in expansions (such as laundry and hot-tubs), which offer their features for players who haven't purchased those expansions. The store is updated with new items for purchase every month. Two notable release that were published outside of the regular monthly schedule were Barnacle Bay and Hidden Springs, both of which are world downloads with exclusive items. Premium content, such as the foot massage chair and wind chimes,^[56] add new gameplay or animations.

The store uses a point system in which players can purchase additional SimPoints using a credit card or Points Card, which may be purchased at retail stores or via the Origin online store. It was launched on June 4, 2009 to coincide with the launch of the game. Players can download purchased items using the game launcher or the Store Mode interface found within the game itself. When a user purchases additional SimPoints, they obtain an object in the game for buying SimPoints.

This is a noted departure from both the first and second generation of the franchise, in which new items were obtained primarily through expansion packs, stuff packs, and/or user-generation.

Reception[link]

EA reported that in its first week, The Sims 3 sold 1.4 million copies. According to EA, this was the most successful PC game launch the company had ever had to date.^[74] According to retail data trackers Gfk Australia The Sims 3 has been the top selling game in Australia from release until June 21, 2009.^[75] Critical response was generally favorable, with Metacritic calculating a metascore of 86/100 based on 75 reviews.^[76] PC Gamer awarded The Sims 3 a 92% and an Editor's Choice badge, calling it "The best Sims game yet".^[77] IGN PC awarded The Sims 3 an 8.9/10, stating:

This is simply a better playing Sims experience, and once you experience the freedom to hit the town without hitting a load screen you’ll be hard-pressed to go back to any of the earlier games. Blowing up the size of the game was certainly a risk, but it was a sensible and overdue one, and kudos to EA for recognizing that the decade-old formula needed some growth. And while there’s still plenty of room for more innovation, we’ll settle for The Sims 3 for now. It delivers a solid foundation for what should be many more years of Sims sales dominance.

—Jason Ocampo, IGN^[68]

GameSpot awarded The Sims 3 a score of 9.0/10, the review praised the game: "The latest Sims game is also the greatest, striking a terrific balance between the fresh and the familiar."^[64] The Sims 3 has sold more than ten million copies and is the third best-selling PC game of all time.^[78] The game was ranked 91# in IGN's "Top 100 Modern Games".^[79] Currently over eleven and a half million people like the Sims 3 on Facebook.^[80] Worthplaying added the following:

The Sims 3 is may be largely unchanged from the previous iterations of the game, but that doesn't mean it's bad at all. The expanded scope of the game and the streamlined experience make this the best Sims game to date. It looks good and it plays well, but it won't sway people who hate The Sims. For those who like the series, though, it doesn't get much better than The Sims 3.

—Jesse Littlefield, Worthplaying

See also[link]

• The Sims Medieval
• The Sims
• The Sims 2
• The Sims (series)
• The Sims Social

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website

Stuff packs are minor expansion packs for The Sims 3 that add new items, clothing, and furniture to the game without implementing any significant changes to gameplay.

Stuff Pack[link]

High-End Loft Stuff[link]

The Sims 3: High-End Loft Stuff (HELS), or The Sims 3 Design and Hi-Tech Stuff in Europe^[2], is the first stuff pack for The Sims 3, and was released in February 2, 2010. It includes high-end furnishings, mainly technology such as televisions, video game consoles, and computers, as well as postmodern designs of bookshelves, tables, and chairs. It contains clothes with a fashion-forward apparel, tailored suits, and sophisticated outerwear. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Sims, 3 items from The Sims or The Sims 2 are re-introduced: the heart-shaped vibrating bed, the electric guitar, and the aquarium. This is the first game of The Sims 3 to include Shop Mode. There is only a single new object for any given category. While there is a new TV and a new bathtub, there is only one new TV and only one new bathtub. If players have multiple wealthy virtual houses they want to decorate, they have to be fairly creative with décor and textures (such as using Create a Style) to avoid making the houses look like clones of each other. Most items are more expensive than items from other stuff packs.

Fast Lane Stuff[link]

The Sims 3: Fast Lane Stuff (FLS) is the second stuff pack released for The Sims 3. It was officially announced on June 28, 2010^[3] and the official release in North America was September 7, 2010^[4]. The release date for Europe was September 9. In some places, it was September 10. FLS is centered around cars and the lifestyle of the Sims who drive cars. It features 12 new vehicles and many new objects and styles of clothing, as well as the Vehicle Enthusiast trait and also enables Sims to have a relationship with their vehicle. With this stuff pack, Sims will be able to develop a relationship with their car. The car will appear in the sim's friends tab and the more a Sim drives a vehicle, the better the relationship becomes. A Sim will eventually be able to name the vehicle. Vehicle Enthusiast is a new trait available. This is the first time a stuff pack has included a new trait. It will allow a Sim to develop a relationship with their vehicle faster and enables a Sim to name their vehicle immediately. A new radio station, rockabilly, is added. Along with new cars, new objects for each theme listed below, are added, with the exception of the intrigue theme.

Outdoor Living Stuff[link]

The Sims 3: Outdoor Living Stuff (OLS) is the third stuff pack for The Sims 3. It was officially announced on December 7th, 2010, with an official release date of February 1, 2011^[5]. Rumors for the game began appearing in October 2010. Players can build al fresco settings for their Sims with new furnishings, outdoor electronics, and fire pits and fireplaces. The stuff pack includes highly customizable hot tubs, which have become more interactive. Outdoor cooking is also included, as there is a selection of new stoves for outdoor settings. All items in the set are divided into two styles, Garden on the Terrace and Sunset on the Veranda. It was the first pack to not contain a game manual in the box. All packs released following have not contained user manuals instead containing a small 2 page install sheet with the serial code attached.

Town Life Stuff[link]

The Sims 3: Town Life Stuff (TLS) is the fourth stuff pack for The Sims 3. It was announced on June 16th, 2011 and was released on July 26, 2011.^[6] TLS includes new venues and community lots such as playgrounds, libraries, and laundromats. The pack also includes an assortment of new items and clothing. There are 25 new clothing items in total with 12 items for female adults (5 tops, 2 hair styles and 5 outfits), 6 items for male adults (a pair of pants, a hair style and 4 tops), 4 items for female children (top, hairstyle, pair of pants and an outfit) and 3 items for male children (a top, a hair style and a pair of pants). The Stuff pack also comes with redesigned rabbit holes, such as Scrumptious Nibbles Cafe and Fresh and Frozen Express Grocer. It also allows sims to enroll their children in prep school and has new objects for community lots. Some of the new items include jungle gyms, slides, and sandboxes for children. There are pre-made community lots as well, which are Mr. Crunches Fitness Gym, Sudsy Time Laundromat, Ray of Sunshine Park, and Noble Tome Library. There are a large number of items for upgrading libraries and parks. Unlike other stuff packs, Town Life Stuff includes new objects that were originally from expansion packs. The jungle gym and sun box were originally from Generations, while the washer, dryer, and hamper were originally from Ambitions.

Master Suite Stuff[link]

The Sims 3: Master Suite Stuff (MSS) is the fifth stuff pack for The Sims 3. Rumors of the stuff pack surfaced in July 2011 and was confirmed by Electronic Arts on November 10, 2011.^[7] It was released on January 24, 2012 in North America and January 27, 2012 in Europe. Most of the objects included are more expensive than objects that are in other stuff packs. A majority of the furniture objects are for bedrooms and bathrooms. New beds, tubs, and vanities are added. Most of the new decorations are vases, candles, and rose petals.

Katy Perry's Sweet Treats[link]

The Sims 3: Katy Perry's Sweet Treats (KPST) is the sixth stuff pack for The Sims 3. Originally discovered on Origin by a member of Mod the Sims in March 2012^[8], it was officially announced by EA on April 3, 2012 ^[9]. Set to be released on June 5, 2012 in North America and June 8 in Europe, this stuff pack includes Katy Perry-inspired furniture, outfits and hairstyles, including banana split couches and cotton candy trees. Also included are three lots - a pool, a park and a hangout decorated with these fantasy items, and a Simlish version of Katy Perry's single "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)". Part of a multi-expansion pack deal with Perry, this pack is different from regular stuff packs by omitting the tag "Stuff Pack" from its logo, having a differently-styled box art and costing roughly $10 more than previous packs.

Diesel Stuff[link]

The Sims 3: Diesel Stuff (DS) is the seventh stuff pack for The Sims 3. It is based on Diesel, an Italian clothing company, which won a poll on TheSims3.com: "What should we see in the next stuff pack?" It is the second smallest stuff pack after Fast Lane Stuff, and adds clothing and some objects to the game.

References[link]

Katy Perry
Katy Perry at the Logie Awards in 2011
Background information
Birth name	Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson
Also known as	Katy Hudson
Born	(1984-10-25) October 25, 1984 (age 27) Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Genres	Pop, rock, dance, gospel
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, actress
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Red Hill, Island, Columbia, Capitol
Associated acts	The Matrix
Website	Katyperry.com

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson^[1] (born October 25, 1984), known by her stage name Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Perry grew up with gospel music, and during her first year of high school she pursued a music career as Katy Hudson, releasing her first studio album called Katy Hudson which failed to chart. She recorded a solo album later, which was never released. After signing with Capitol Music Group in 2007, her fourth record label in seven years, she adopted the stage name Katy Perry.

She first gained recognition with the release of her first mainstream album, One of the Boys in 2008, which spawned three Billboard Hot 100 top-ten songs—"I Kissed A Girl", "Hot n Cold" and "Waking Up In Vegas". Perry supported the album with her Hello Katy Tour. In 2010, her third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010), which topped the Billboard 200 chart, and spawned five number one singles—"California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", "Firework", "E.T." and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"—Teenage Dream was the only album (after Michael Jackson's Bad)—to do so, and the first female in history to achieve this milestone. She embarked on the California Dreams Tour, which grossed nearly $60 million worldwide.^[2] Perry re-released the album under the name of Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection on March 26, 2012, and the re-release has already spawned the number-one single "Part of Me".

Perry is the only artist to spend over 52 consecutive weeks in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, and has since heightened this to 69 weeks.^[3] As of 2012, Perry has been nominated for eight Grammy Awards. She was named 2011's "Artist of the Year" by MTV.^[4] She has sold 37.6 million digital tracks in the United States and 11 million albums worldwide.^[5] Perry was a guest judge on the seventh series of The X Factor UK and the ninth season of American Idol. She has released fragrances "Purr" and "Meow". She ventured into film, voicing Smurfette in the 2011 film The Smurfs. Perry was married to British comedian Russell Brand from 2010 to 2012.

Early life[link]

Perry was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson in Santa Barbara, California^[6] to Keith, a West Coast scenester in the 1960s,^[7] and Mary Hudson (née Perry), an evangelist who grew up in Southern California and had a "tempestuous" first marriage in Zimbabwe.^[7] Perry has Portuguese, German, Irish, and English ancestry.^[8][9][10] She is the second child of two pastors.^[11] She has an older sister named Angela Hudson and younger brother named David Hudson.^[12] Perry's mother's aunt and uncle were screenwriter Eleanor Perry and director Frank Perry.^[7] Perry was incorporated into her parents' ministry^[11] and sang in their church between the ages of 9 and 17.^[13] She grew up listening to gospel music,^[14] was not allowed to listen to what her mother called "secular music",^[13][15] and attended Christian schools and camps.^[11] As a child, Perry learned how to dance in a recreation building in Santa Barbara. She was taught by seasoned dancers and began with swing, Lindy Hop, and jitterbug.^[16] She took her GED after her first year at Dos Pueblos High School and decided to leave school in the pursuit of a career in music.^[17] Perry initially started singing "because [she] was at that point in [her] childhood where [she] was copycatting [her] sister and everything she [would do]."^[17] Her sister practiced with cassette tapes, while Perry took the tapes herself when her sister was not around. She rehearsed the songs and performed them in front of her parents, who suggested she take vocal coaching. She grabbed the opportunity and began taking lessons at the age of nine and continued until she was sixteen. She later enrolled in at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, and studied Italian opera for a short period of time.^[17]

Career[link]

1999–2006: Career beginnings[link]

Perry performing on her guitar, an instrument she learned to play when she was just starting her record career

When Perry was 15, her singing in church attracted the attention of rock veterans from Nashville, Tennessee, who brought her there to polish her writing skills.^[18] In Nashville, Perry started recording demos and was taught by country music veterans how to craft songs and play guitar.^[13][15] Perry signed to the Christian music label Red Hill, under which she recorded her first album at the age of 15.^[19] Performing as Katy Hudson, she released a self-titled gospel rock album in 2001.^[18] She supported this album with The Strangely Normal Tour, accompanied by Phil Joel, LaRue, Luna Halo, Earthsuit and V*Enna.^[20] The album was unsuccessful as the label ceased operations at the end of 2001.^[19] She later changed her surname to Perry, her mother's maiden name, because "Katy Hudson" was too close to film actress Kate Hudson.^[18][21]

Perry performs at the 2008 Warped Tour

At the age of 17, Perry left her home for Los Angeles, where she worked with Glen Ballard on an album for Island Records.^[22] Growing up listening to mostly gospel music, Perry had few references when she began recording songs.^[13] Asked by the producer with whom she would like to collaborate, Perry had no idea. That night, she went with her mother to a hotel. Inside, she turned on VH1 and saw producer Glen Ballard talking about Alanis Morissette;^[13] Ballard produced Morissette's Jagged Little Pill, which had a "huge influence" on Perry.^[18] She expressed interest in working with Ballard to her initial collaborator, who arranged a meeting for her with Ballard in Los Angeles. Perry presented one of her songs to Ballard. Ballard then helped Perry develop her songwriting over the next few years.^[13] The album was due for release in 2005,^[18][19] but Billboard reported it also went nowhere.^[19] Perry was dropped by The Island Def Jam Music Group.^[7] Some of Perry and Ballard's collaborations included "Box", "Diamonds" and "Long Shot", were posted on her official MySpace page. "Simple", one of the songs she recorded with Ballard, was released on the soundtrack to the 2005 film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.^[23][24] "Long Shot" and "I Do Not Hook Up" was later recorded by Kelly Clarkson for her 2009 album All I Ever Wanted.^[25]

Perry signed to Columbia Records in 2004. However, the label was not amenable with her vision, not putting her in the "driver's seat".^[19] Instead, one of Columbia's ideas was to pair Perry with the record production team The Matrix, who was working on an album, to serve as its female vocalist. Although the album was later shelved,^[26] she caught the attention of the music press: Her burgeoning music career led to her being named "The Next Big Thing" in October 2004 by Blender magazine.^[19] With no album project ongoing, Perry began recording her own. Eighty percent completed, however, Columbia decided not to finish it and dropped her from the label.^[19] While waiting to find another label, she worked in an independent A&R company called Taxi Music. In 2006, Perry was featured in the tail-end of the video to P.O.D.'s single "Goodbye for Now".^[27] She made a cameo appearance in Carbon Leaf's video, "Learn to Fly".

[edit] 2007–09: Commercial success with One of the Boys and MTV Unplugged

While in the process of being dropped by Columbia in 2006, the company's publicity executive Angelica Cob-Baehler enthusiastically recommended Perry to Virgin Records chairman Jason Flom.^[28] At the time Flom was leading a complete revival in fortunes at the label and looking to crown recent achievements by breaking a global pop act.^[28] Despite mixed reactions from fellow Virgin executives, Flom became convinced that Perry could be that breakthrough star, and at the start of 2007 extended discussions with Columbia resulted in Perry signing to the newly created Capitol Music Group, a merger between Virgin and Capitol. As part of the deal, the label secured the masters to the unfinished album, recorded while at Columbia, that would go on to form a significant part of her official mainstream debut album, One of the Boys.^[28]

The Columbia recordings were seen by Flom as being "very strong but lacking an undeniable smash or two that would work both at U.S. pop radio and internationally" and so one of the executive's first actions after completing the signing was to set up a collaboration between Perry and the writer-producer Dr. Luke.^[28] The results were the songs "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot n Cold". Establishing her image was one of the immediate concerns of her management.^[19] A campaign was started in November 2007 with the release of the video to "Ur So Gay", aimed at introducing her to the music market. A digital EP led by "Ur So Gay" was later released to create online buzz and press story.^[11][19][29] This was a successful move that resulted in bringing Perry to the attention of Madonna,^[19] who mentioned her on KISS FM and KRQ's JohnJay & Rich morning show in Arizona. On March 10, 2008, she appeared as herself on the ABC Family television series, Wildfire, on the episode "Life's Too Short".^[30]

Perry during Hello Katy Tour on March 27, 2009

In the next step of promoting the album, Perry undertook a two-month tour of radio stations. The album's official lead single, "I Kissed a Girl", was released on May 6, 2008. Perry's A&R, Chris Anokute, told HitQuarters the song and its controversial theme had met with strong resistance at the label: "People said, 'This is never going to get played on the radio. How do we sell this? How’s this going to be played in the bible belt?'"^[29] Anokute said that they needed the support of one of the label's radio promoters to convince people to believe in the record; otherwise, Perry would have likely been dropped again. Capitol's SVP of Promotions, Dennis Reese, saw the vision and helped push the single on national radio. The first station to pick it up and take a chance was The River in Nashville. After playing it for three days they were innundated with enthusiastic calls.^[29] With the song climbing atop the charts, Perry embarked on the annual Warped Tour music festival, which her management used to "establish her as a credible performer and make sure she wasn't seen as just a one-hit wonder."^[19] The single was a commercial success, peaking at number one for seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.^[19] It has since become a major worldwide hit, topping charts in 30 countries,^[26] including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.^[31] On June 12, 2008, Perry appeared as herself on the daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless,^[30] posing for the cover to the June 2008 issue of the fictional magazine Restless Style.^[32] Perry also performed backing vocals on the song, "Another Night in the Hills" from Gavin Rossdale's 2008 solo album Wanderlust.^[33]

One of the Boys was released on June 17, 2008, to mixed critical reviews.^[34] The album has reached number nine on the Billboard 200,^[35] and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.^[36] Perry released her second single, "Hot n Cold", which became her second top three single in dozens of countries around the world, including the United States where it reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100,^[19] as well as topping the charts in Germany, Canada, and Denmark. After Perry wrapped up her appearance at the Warped Tour, she went on tours in Europe. She later launched her first headlining tour, the Hello Katy Tour, in January 2009.^[19] "I Kissed a Girl" earned Perry a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 2009 Grammy Awards.^[37] Perry was nominated in five categories at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, including Best New Artist and Best Female Video, but lost to Britney Spears.^[38] She won Best New Act at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards, which she co-hosted,^[39] and Best International Female Artist at the 2009 BRIT Awards.^[40] On February 9, 2009, both "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot n Cold" were certified three-time platinum by Recording Industry Association of America for individual digital sales of over three million.^[41] The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Perry in its 2010 version as the "Best Start on the US Digital Chart by a Female Artist," for having her first two singles sell over two million digital copies.^[42]

Perry during the Hello Katy Tour in June 2009

The Matrix's self-titled debut album, which features Perry, was later released via the team's label, Let's Hear It, during Perry's solo tour. When the release date was scheduled, "I Kissed a Girl" had been charting well. Matrix member Lauren Christy spoke to Perry about the decision, but she wanted to hold the release until the fourth single of One of the Boys had been dispatched. Despite their communication, The Matrix was released on January 27, 2009, via iTunes Store.^[43]

In December 2008, Perry apologized to British singer Lily Allen for remarks in which she called herself a "skinnier version" of her, saying she meant it as a joke.^[44] Allen retaliated and told a British radio station that she "happen[ed] to know for a fact that she [Perry] was an American version" of her because their record company needed "to find something controversial and 'kooky'" like her.^[45] In January 2009, Perry embarked on her first headlining world tour, the Hello Katy Tour, visiting North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Beginning on January 23, 2009, and ending on November 28, 2009, the tour consisted of 89 concerts. During that time, Perry also opened select concerts for the band No Doubt, on their Summer Tour 2009.

On May 16, 2009, Perry performed at the opening ceremony of the annual Life Ball in Vienna, Austria.^[46] In June 2009, lawyers acting for Perry opposed the then-recent trademark of Australian fashion designer Katie Perry, who uses her own name to market loungewear.^[47] Some media outlets reported this as a lawsuit, which Perry denied on her blog.^[48] Katie Perry reported on her blog that at a hearing with IP Australia on July 10, 2009, the singer's lawyers withdrew their opposition to the trademark.^[49] During the summer of 2009 Perry filmed a cameo appearance for Get Him to the Greek; her scene, in which she kisses her future fiancé Russell Brand was cut, and does not appear in the final film. Discussing the issue with MTV, Perry hypothesized there may have been some fear that seeing the two make out would have taken viewers out of the experience.^[50] In 2009, Perry was featured on two singles: in August, a remix of Colorado-based band 3OH!3's song "Starstrukk" (the idea for the collaboration having come after Perry's tour that featured 3OH!3 as the supporting act, the song being released by iTunes on September 8, 2009); and, thereafter, in December, on "If We Ever Meet Again", the fourth single from Timbaland's album Shock Value II.^[51] In October 2009, MTV Unplugged revealed that Perry was one of the artists to perform for them, and that she would be releasing a live album of the performance, including two new tracks, "Brick by Brick" and Fountains of Wayne cover "Hackensack".^[52] The album, released on November 17, included both a CD and a DVD,^[53] and debuted at No. 168 on the US Billboard 200 chart.

[edit] 2010–present: Teenage Dream, film debut and The Complete Confection

Perry at 2011 MTV Video Music Awards

Perry appeared as a guest judge alongside Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole and Louis Walsh during the Dublin audition stage of the seventh series of the British television show The X Factor on June 28, 2010.^[54] She was one of the many celebrities chosen to fulfil the role of judge whilst Dannii Minogue was on maternity leave. In May 2010, Perry released the first single from her second studio album, Teenage Dream entitled, "California Gurls". The single peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for six consecutive weeks.^[55][56] "Teenage Dream" was released as the second single from her album, and it also topped the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her third number one and second from the album. Teenage Dream was released August 24, 2010 and debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart with sales of 192,000 copies in its first week.^[57] The album as since sold over 2 million copies in the US, being certified Platinum by the RIAA. Following the album's release, the third single "Firework" was released and became the third consecutive single from Teenage Dream to top the Hot 100. With this, Perry became the first female in eleven years to have three consecutive number-ones from one album.^[58] In February 2011, Perry released the fourth single, "E.T.", a remixed version featuring Kanye West, that peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for five non-consecutive weeks.^[59] The music video for "E.T." was directed by Floria Sigismondi and features Shaun Ross as the main love interest. With "E.T." at number one on the chart of May 12, 2011, Perry became the first artist to spend 52 consecutive weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.^[3] In June 2011, Perry released the fifth single, "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)". A remixed version featuring American rapper Missy Elliot was released in early August.^[60] The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 on August 17, 2011, making Perry the first female and second artist (tied with Michael Jackson) ever to have five No. 1 singles from one album. Also, when the song reached number 1 in the Pop Songs airplay chart, "Teenage Dream" became the first album to have 5 number 1's from the same album on that chart. Additionally, when the song reached number one in the Adult Pop Songs airplay chart, the album become the first to have 4 number 1's from the same album on the chart.^[61] In October 2011, Perry released the sixth single, "The One That Got Away". It reached No. 3 on Hot 100, becoming the third album in history to produce six top five hit singles,^[62] and the seventh song from Teenage Dream to reach the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs, the most by any album and setting a new record in the chart.^[63] Perry released a "The One That Got Away" remix featuring American rapper B.o.B. in December 2011. An acoustic version of the song was released in January 2012.^[64]

From February 2011 to January 2012, Perry embarked on an extensive world tour in support of Teenage Dream, the California Dreams Tour, playing 124 shows in Europe, Australasia, Asia, North America and South America and earning over $59 million.^[2] Perry made her perfume debut, releasing a fragrance named "Purr" in November. It is packaged in a cat-shaped bottle, and is available through Nordstrom stores.^[65][66] She followed it up with the fragrance's first flanker, "Meow".^[67][68]

Perry promoting her 2011 fragrance 'Purr'

In July 2011, Perry made her film debut in the 3D family film The Smurfs as Smurfette. The Smurfs earned $557,771,535 worldwide during its theatrical run. Perry appeared at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards on August 28, 2011. She was nominated for ten awards, received the most nominations of the ceremony and was the first singer to have four different music videos shown in various categories, eventually winning three of those, Video of the Year for "Firework", Best Collaboration and Best Special Effects for "E.T.". On September 17, 2011, marked Perry' 69th consecutive week in the Top 10 with single "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)".^[69][70] On September 23, 2011, she performed, along with Elton John, Brazilian Claudia Leitte and friend Rihanna, on the opening day of the 2011 Rock in Rio festival, which was extended to October 2.^[71] Perry performed for 100 thousand people, a show that received high praise from critics and audience alike.^[72]

On December 14, 2011, the annual list Forbes was elected the third singer who earned more than US$44 million, behind Lady Gaga (US$90 million) and Taylor Swift (US$45 million).^[73] On December 15, 2011, Perry was elected the Artist of the Year by MTV, for their performance on the charts worldwide and won the record during the year.^[4] On December 20, 2011, She released a Barbie doll that represents her style in 2012.^[74] On January 8, 2012, Perry was named the sixth best-selling digital artist of all time in the United States, having sold 37,620,00 million singles and albums as of 2011, according to Nielsen SoundScan.^[75]

In the week ending January 15, 2012, Perry became the first artist ever to have five songs sell over 5 million digital copies in the USA.^[76] Perry was once again recruited by EA Games to promote their new expansion pack The Sims 3: Showtime for their The Sims game franchise. The game content was based on Perry.^[77] Perry became the first person to have six songs top the Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart.^[78] In March 27, 2012, she re-released Teenage Dream under the title Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection on March 27, 2012. The lead single from the re-release (and seventh single from the Teenage Dream era overall) was "Part of Me", which released in February, debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[79] Perry has announced that she will release a part-biopic, part-concert film to be shown in 3D titled Katy Perry: Part of Me to be released on the 4th of July weekend of 2012 by Paramount Pictures.^[80][81] In April 2012, Perry performed in India for the first time at the opening ceremony of 5th edition of Indian Premier League, cricket match, in Chennai along with Indian actors Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Prabhu Deva.^[82][83][84] She performed her songs "Teenage Dream" and a remix version of "California Gurls".^{[85][83][86][87]} In April 2012, Perry stated that she was working on new music and changing her musical style, "My music is about to get real f—ing dark. You'd never see my face because my hair would be in it."^[88]

Artistry[link]

Musical style and themes[link]

Perry performing in 2009

Perry has a contralto vocal range.^[89] Perry's first album is of the Gospel music genre.^[11][19] She related that her perspective in music was "a bit enclosed and very strict", and everything she did was church-related.^[11] Her second album, One of the Boys, is described as "secular" and "rock," and reflects a departure from her religious musical roots.^[11] Her next album Teenage Dream featured more pop songs in the vein of Boys.^[16][90] In her childhood, Perry was introduced to the music of Alanis Morissette and Freddie Mercury, the late frontman of the British band Queen.^[26] In her tribute to Mercury on what would have been his 65th birthday, Perry stated; "Without you I wouldn't be making music or doing what I do because your lyrics inspired me as a 15 year old girl."^[91] Queen's song "Killer Queen" has inspired her to pursue a career in pop music after her first album.^[11] She also described that Morissette's album Jagged Little Pill as having influenced her music profoundly; even going on to work with Morissette's collaborator on the album, Glen Ballard because of that.^[18] Influence also came from a number of female pop rock singers, including Cyndi Lauper, Shirley Manson, Pat Benatar and Joan Jett, as "they came out with a vengeance."^[92] Perry also cited Madonna as another big influence, saying "I want to evolve like Madonna."^[93][94]

	"Part of Me" noicon A 22 second sample of Part of Me, a song with a pop rock influence, which is a common genre for Perry's songs.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Perry is artistically involved in her projects, especially in the writing process. Since she could play guitar, she would start writing songs at home and present it to her producers. Perry is mostly inspired by specific moments of her life. She said it is easy for her to write songs about heartbreak.^[13] Most of the themes in One of the Boys deal with heartbreak, teen adventure, and "puking into toilets".^[18] Perry's mother reportedly told British tabloid Daily Mail that she dislikes her daughter's music, calling it "shameful and disgusting".^[11][95] Perry said her mother was misquoted and told MTV that it was false information.^[95] Her songs "Ur So Gay" and "I Kissed a Girl" have received negative reactions from both religious and gay sectors.^[95] The songs have been respectively labeled as being homophobic and promoting homosexuality, as well as "lez ploitational".^[11] Musicians Pink, Kathleen Hanna and Beth Ditto criticized "I Kissed A Girl" as offensive to the LGBT community.^[96][97][98] MTV mentioned criticism suggesting that Perry is using "bi-curiosity" as a way to sell records.^[95] Perry responded to the controversy surrounding "Ur So Gay": "It's not a negative connotation. It's not, 'you're so gay,' like, 'you're so lame,' but the fact of the matter is that this boy should've been gay. I totally understand how it could be misconstrued or whatever ... It wasn't stereotyping anyone in particular, I was talking about ex-boyfriends."^[99] Perry has written several songs for other singers, including Ashley Tisdale ("Time's Up"), Selena Gomez & the Scene ("Rock God" and "That's More Like It"), Kelly Clarkson ("Long Shot" and "I Do Not Hook Up"), Jessica James ("Bullet" and "Girl Next Door"), Lesley Roy ("Slow Goodbye"), and Kady Malloy ("Wish You the Worst").

Public image[link]

Perry is known for her unconventional style of dress.^[16] It is often humorous, bright in color, and reminiscent of different decades, and she frequently uses fruit-shaped accessories, mainly watermelon, as part of her outfits.^[92] Perry's transformation into an artist began with fashion, inspired by American film actress Dominique Swain's portrayal in the 1997 film Lolita.^[18] She defines her fashion style as "a bit of a concoction of different things".^[16] Her fashion has caught the attention of designers.^[11][92] In June 2008, a publicity photo that showed Perry posing with a switchblade was criticized.^[100] The picture was defended as only an effort to give Perry a "sexy, harder edge".^[100] The criticism leveled at her was mocked by Perry who subsequently posed with a spoon instead.^[101] She was ranked 7th in Rolling Stone's global Queen of Pop poll in July 2011.^[102] Perry is also a gay activist. According to Dosomething.org, Perry had stated "I am a gay activist and I say that proudly. I voted no on Prop 8 (California’s Nov. 4, 2008, amendment declaring that marriage is defined as a union solely between a man and a woman), of course."^[103]

Personal life[link]

Russell Brand, Perry's estranged husband

Perry has had relationships with Gym Class Heroes frontman Travie McCoy, whom she met in a recording studio in New York,^[21] breaking up in December 2008;^[104] Relient K frontman Matt Thiessen, with whom she worked on her album Teenage Dream^[105] and British comedian Russell Brand.

Perry first met Brand in the summer of 2009 when she filmed a cameo appearance for Brand's film Get Him to the Greek. Although the cameo ultimately did not make it into the final cut of the movie, Perry later noted that the "scene called for me to make out with him...And on the way down the stairs after the scene, I was hopping like a bunny. I hop like a bunny when I'm happy".^[106][107] Perry and Brand began dating after meeting again several months later in September 2009 at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, where Brand, as host, remarked, "Katy Perry didn't win an award and she's staying at the same hotel as me, so she's gonna need a shoulder to cry on. So in a way, I'm the real winner tonight."^[108] The couple became engaged in December 2009 while vacationing in India.^{[109][110][111]} At the time, Perry stated that she had plans to take dual British citizenship. "One of the first things I'll do is apply for dual citizenship. I'm not too sure if I have to take a test as I've not had time to look into it. But England is like my second home".^[112] In an August 2010 interview with Rolling Stone, Perry also noted that, "I am sensitive to Russell taking the Lord's name in vain and to Lady Gaga putting a rosary in her mouth. I think when you put sex and spirituality in the same bottle and shake it up, bad things happen."^{[113][114][115]} Perry and Brand married on October 23, 2010, in a traditional Hindu ceremony near the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan, India, the same location where Brand proposed.^[116][117]

After 14 months of marriage, Brand filed for divorce from Perry on December 30, 2011, in Los Angeles, citing irreconcilable differences.^[118][119] The announcement of the divorce followed media speculation that the couple was having marital problems, including an Us Weekly report that they had got into a "massive fight" and spent Christmas 2011 on opposite sides of the globe, with Perry in Hawaii and Brand in London, both without their wedding rings.^[120][121] After Perry and Brand reached an agreement on financial issues, a judge granted the divorce request in February 2012; however the divorce will not become effective until July 2012, as California law requires a six-month interval from the initial filing.^[122]

Discography[link]

• Katy Hudson (2001)
• One of the Boys (2008)
• Teenage Dream (2010)

Tours[link]

Filmography[link]