Senior Game Designer Aaron Conners will be hosting a live preview session of the upcoming Showtime expansion for The Sims 3 on January 26th, answering questions throughout the session via live chat.

Topics of discussion include the various ways your Sims can become stars, how the new SimPort feature works, and other things to expect when the game launches in March.

The preview event takes place at 10:00AM Pacific Standard Time at the publisher's website. If you can't make it, a video of the chat will be made available at the same address.

The Sims 3 is about to get a little more social with The Sims 3 Showtime, and to prepare players for all that social goodness, the developers are going to alter the layout of each player's website to make it more Facebook-like.

With the revamped "My Page," you'll be able to share what's happening in The Sims 3 or in one of its expansions, update your Player Wall with in-game achievements, and share news and comments with friends.

You'll also be able to post to your "real" Facebook page, in case your friends aren't active Sims players and you absolutely, positively need them to know what's going on in your virtual life as well as your actual one.

Out of the Park Developments recently announced the upcoming release of OOTP 13, the next iteration of its stat-crunching baseball management series. In addition to the new rule changes and rosters for the 2012 season, the game includes a number of enhancements designed to improve on last year's OOTP 12 (review).

Perhaps the most interesting addition is the inclusion of "interactive storylines" that allow you to make decisions during your tenure as general manager. Situations will periodically pop up over the course of a season that will require you to make decisions that may affect your team's success down the road.

One example is a volatile player airing out his grievances to the media. How do you handle it? Possible options include simply ignoring it, fining the athlete for his behavior, outright releasing him, or attempting to swing a deal to another club. These interactive storylines are completely optional, of course, so if you prefer to just sim games without the drama, you can do just that.

The game, due out in April, is now available for pre-order at $34.99. Those who pre-order the game before February 15th will be entered in a drawing to win either a 32GB iPod touch or a $100 gift card to Amazon or iTunes.

The upcoming Sims 3 Showtime Expansion Pack will feature not one, not two, but three versions as part of publisher Electronic Arts' earnest attempt to confuse the heck out of buyers.

Newly announced is the Collector's Edition, not to be confused with the Limited Edition (which is what you get when you pre-order the game) or the Standard Edition (which is what you'll get if you try to save some money buy the game after its release date).

The Collector's Edition features items from pop star Katy Perry, ranging from a pink/purple hairstyle, an electric guitar, colorful costumes, fruit-themed stage props (like a giant banana or watermelon slice), and an exclusive poster to hang in your room that will almost certainly have creases in it.

There's also a downloadable bonus venue, the "Ultimate Stage," that's part of the Limited Edition version as well.

Longtime fans will recall that this is not the first time the pop star has associated herself with the hit life simulation series -- Katy's "Hot and Cold" song was recorded in Simlish for The Sims 2.

More Katy Perry collaborations are also planned for accessories, clothing, furniture, props and other downloadable doohickeys.

I can't help but wonder if the developers missed a golden opportunity to feature Lady Gaga, whose costumes could have also served as food for your Sims' pets. Oh well, at least we have fruit.

You can view the official announcement trailer on YouTube, and learn more about Showtime's features on my profile page.

Image © Electronic Arts