The Sims 3 Delayed until June

One of EA's hottest franchises will need to bake for another three months before its rabid fan base can eat it up.

Those who had planned to get their virtual families under way with The Sims 3 at the end of February will have to wait a little longer. On Wednesday, Electronic Arts announced that the release date for the hotly anticipated title has been bounced back three months to June 2.

EA didn’t offer much of an explanation for the delay in its official press release, choosing instead to dismiss it in a cloud of PR flare. “The June launch combined with the break-through game the team is building gives us the perfect runway to create awareness for The Sims 3," said Russell Arons, Vice President of Marketing for EA. “The Sims 3 will be the original IP summer blockbuster of 2009 as we build off the success of the best-selling PC franchise of all time to create awareness with both loyal Sims fans and new players.”

Sliding launch dates weren’t the only bad news for EA this week, either. The company also announced losses of $641 million during the third quarter, and that it will lay off 1,100 workers, along with closing 12 facilities worldwide.