Seems like Sims 3 steam sale going on now. https://store.steampowered.com/search/?term=sims+3

Seems like Sims 3 Steam sale on now. https://store.steampowered.com/search/?term=sims+3

Lol but I just got the basegame! I want to play just that for a while before I know for sure that I want the expansions, but it's so cheap right now! I. Don't. Know. What. To. Do!

You should get them all! Or at least World Adventures and Ambitions.

Get them all, you don’t have to install them immediately :D

Holy shit, literally every EP & SP for $66? I think that's the best price it's ever been listed at. EA is REALLY trying to get back on the sim's community's sweet side after the Wedding Stories disaster huh?

Yes, but you have to add in another $10 for the base game for those who don't already have the Steam version of it.

It should be noted that attempts to analyze EA's motives and apply things like logic and psychology there have historically only led to success and enlightened happiness in a very few instances.

Very tempted to complete my TS3 collection on Steam, so I don't need Origin anymore and 1.69 patch.

Seems like Sims 3 Steam sale on now: https://store.steampowered.com/search/?term=sims+3

This seems like a good deal, but I already have most of the expansion packs on Origin. If I buy the complete collection, will my mods and stuff still transfer over to Steam?

You will have to reinstall. It is the one thing I am dreading atm And some mods might require a different version, because TS3 is on a different version on Steam.

Yeah, I just noticed.

Is there a way to convert the files of my store stuff backwards to 1.67?

There's no functional in-game difference between 1.67 and 1.69. The things that need tending to/being aware of when switching platforms from Origin to Steam are:

-- All store content including store worlds will need to be downloaded again from the store for use on the Steam platform. Not repurchased if the same store user account is to be used, just re-downloaded.

-- Core Mods (e.g., NRaas ErrorTrap, XCAS Full version) require a specific 1.67/Steam version to avoid the core version mismatch startup warning. If you can click through the warning each time (if it actually appears, it doesn't for everyone), then no harm will be done. The core version warning thing was important for those on patch levels 1.63 and prior or core mods developed specifically for the earlier patch levels. There aren't very many TS3 core mods in popular usage to worry about. See this page for a list (scroll down a bit).

--Other than that, all mods work (or don't work) exactly the same on either patch level.

-- Some third party utilities are not going to work on Steam installs because of .NET and program file install location issues. Examples include EasyCASP Editor and Kuree's SaveCleaner (v2.x, but v1 still works), but those that don't never worked on 1.69 either. Editing and creation tools like S3PE and TSRW work the same on both platforms because they don't care how the game is actually installed in order to function.

Quick question, can somebody confirm that Steam once again displays the product keys for Sims 3 EPs so that we can use them in Origin? I've heard/read different opinions.

I own the Sims 3 BG on both Steam and Origin, and want to buy Island Paradise and Into the Future on Steam during this sale, but only if I can bring them over to Origin (where I already have store content and three more EPs).

For a while there the answer was yes, but each customer needed to have a chat with EA's Customer Service in order to get the provided Origin codes to work. It used to be more seamless or automatic than that, but apparently some kind of rampant code piracy was getting in the way.

What I'm not sure of is if this extra step is still the case or if getting the Origin codes to work has become any smoother lately, meaning over the past few moths or so.

Thank you for answering @igazor! I didn't exactly look forward to talking/writing to Customer Service, but bought the EPs anyway just now, after checking whether Steam displays the product keys or not. I don't remember when exactly, but sometime last year or the year before Steam wouldn't even display the product keys anymore.

Anyway, turned out putting the keys in in Origin works again, no chat required.

Good to hear. I think we were hoping/expecting the added inconvenience to be short-term, but we just didn't know how short.

I find it interesting that there have suddenly been a lot more TS3 disc copies in secondhand stores... I wonder if people are "completing their collections" with digital versions now that it's so inexpensive!

I purchased the complete collection for Steam, It's missing Katy Perry's Sweet Treats, but I don't think anyone's complaining.

Anyway, I can't get my Store stuff to work in Steam. I downloaded it all, it says it's there, but when I start the game, it's not there. What gives?

Sorry, wait a minute. What I meant was, and I could have stated this more clearly, is that the store content needs to be re-downloaded and re-installed through the Launcher. Any existing ebc files in your DCCache folder from an Origin/disc installation will not work (this is where your store content gets installed, ebc is store content while dbc is CC).

I'm so glad I found this thread! I was given the Sims 3 Starter Pack a few months ago and have been hoping to get another expansion pack or two as soon as I can find them on sale, but I've been worried about exactly these questions.

If I understand correctly,
(A) Buying them on Steam WILL give me keys I can use on Origin?
(B) But only if I buy the Steam version of the base game? (Which I already have) Or was that comment above referring only to whatever bundle deal was available at the time?

The Starter Pack CDs I was given refused to install and forced me to download Origin instead. Since I don't have Internet at home, having to stay logged into Origin in the background is pretty annoying; heck, even if I did have Internet, I'd still despise having a Big Brother app monitor me.

So if buying it on Steam will allow me to avoid that, it might be worth switching to Steam even if it means buying the base game and expansion I already have. On the other hand, Steam is its own Big Brother app. Some of the Steam games I have require Steam to be running in the background, and some of them don't. Does their version of Sims 3 require the background login? If so, then there'd no point in switching, and I might as well stay with Origin.

I'm hoping to get at least Ambitions and hopefully Supernatural sooner rather than later, probably from the Steam summer sale. I'd rather put anything else off until I can be sure of getting the best price; would it be worth waiting until the next EA sale? Do they have a predictable schedule for big sales?

Also, argh! I was looking for this information about Steam sales just a couple weeks ago -- looks like I just missed both the last two sales! Oh well, I hadn't fully confirmed which expansions I want most yet then anyway. But at any rate, this thread is very very welcome! And thank you, so much, @Enki, for mentioning your results here, so I don't have to leap without knowing for sure. :-D

You cannot purchase any EPs or SPs from Steam unless you are also purchasing or already have the Steam version of the base game. The Steam store just won't sell it to you. So yes, many players end up with an extra base game license they don't need as well as duplicate packs. The good news is that, when things are working as they should, each base game (and WA, this one only) license even if surplus can be used to obtain 1,000 store points at the TS3 Store as that very old promotion is still being honored.

If someone has long-term plans for TS3, I think it's worth it to uninstall the Origin version and install the Steam version instead rather than cashing in on more Origin keys. Steam delivers 1.67, which means a Launcher Bypass to TS3w.exe can still be used to start the game without either the Launcher or the Steam client even running. I only go the Launcher route when I have some sims3packs to install or manage, which is hardly ever. Steam "thinks" I've played a grand total of four hours of TS3 over the years or something like that, which is of course absurdly low.

Am sure the community over there is all buzzing in the hallways over how I've never really taken the time to play this game once they see my Steam profile...nah, nevermind I'm sure no one really cares. I certainly don't!

The sales on both platforms can never be totally counted upon to appear on regular schedules. Steam used to be more reliable with it's Summer and Winter extravaganzas or Madness or whatever they call them, but then we went 2 years during which TS3 was never on sale we think mostly because Steam was heavily promoting TS4 at the time (but who really knows).

Thanks, @igazor! I don't actually mind the launcher -- for now -- but am sure it will eventually start to bug me. And playing without either Steam or Origin is VERY appealing. I'll have to look up that launcher bypass another time.

Darn it. Steam Summer Sale starts today (lasts for two weeks), and Sims 4 is included ($5 for the base game, expansions 30% to 50% off) but Sims 3 is NOT included in the sale. :-(

Seems like Sims 3 Steam sale going on now: https://store.steampowered.com/search/?term=sims+3