| Main centres: | 1-3 business days |
| Regional areas: | 3-4 business days |
| Remote areas: | 3-5 business days |
In earlier Sims games, players interact with a household of virtual computer people. In The Sims 3, players interact with an entire neighborhood. Instead of playing each family discretely on its individual lot, players can now take their characters anywhere in town -- to a friend's house, out to a restaurant, to a favorite park, or even to work. No matter which Sim the player is currently following, however, all the characters in the neighborhood are active whenever the game is being played. Events that take place on the other side of town can have an effect on situations all across the neighborhood, just as the player's characters may influence the rest of the community with their actions (or inaction). Sims are now quick to pull out their mobile phones and keep one another informed, even if only about the latest gossip.
