New 'Karma Powers' will let players to drastically influence Sims' lives, blessing them with treats including "instant beauty" or cruelly slapping them with an "epic fail," though EA warns "they may have unexpected results and karma may come back to bite."

"We're bringing players the best console and handheld game for The Sims franchise to date and are excited to offer a unique experience for all types of gamers on their platform of choice," explained executive producer Sam Player in the announcement.

The PS3 and Xbox 360 editions feature "a seamlessly integrated exchange system" for sharing content, while players on Wii score a "Life Moments" game mode to compete with their friends as well as "an all-new beach town" and adventure quests. The DS, meanwhile, has stylus-driven customisation of everything from faces to textures.

Back on PC, the second expansion The Sims 3 Ambitions is due out in Q2 2010.