In 1997, Electronic Arts decided to buy Maxis in a stock swap deal for $125 million. It was one of the best acquisitions that they made because The Sims franchise is doing very well. The original SimCity was created by Maxis itself.

Now the third installment of their strategic life-simulation game, The Sims 3 has hit the shelves in your local game retail stores today. The Sims 3 is available on the Mac, Windows, the iPhone, and the iPod Touch.

One of the biggest differences in The Sims 3 versus the previous editions is the social media aspect. You can film a video of your Sims in action, add a soundtrack, and share it on blogs and social networks.

The Sims is rated T (Teen) and works with DVD-ROMs for the Mac and Windows. The game is available in 60 countries and is available for download for $50. The iPhone and iPod Touch version of the game costs $10 on the App Store.

Electronic Arts has released several screenshots of Sims 3 for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch.  The game will feature over 10 hours of gameplay with 3D visuals.  The game will be supported by the touch feature and accelerometer.  Sim characters will be customizable just like the console and computer games.  Four mini games including fishing, gardening, cooking, and house repair will be included.  You will be allowed to develop relationships with other Sims as well.  No word on whether this game will be utilizing the new iPhone SDK or not.  Additional screenshots are below.

[via TouchArcade]