'Sims' become almost, but not quite, human

The Sims 3, which hit stores on Tuesday, allows players more control over the Sims characters and their environment than ever! No, you can't make them have graphic intercourse (at least, not without a hack). But as the ads make clear, you can play God in nearly every other conceivable way. "We really felt like the ability to create human beings, to give them a soul, if you will, was really exciting," says Electronic Arts executive producer Benjamin Bell, "so we wanted to come up with some ways that people could define the personalities of their character."