The Sims 3

To crib from Sinead O'Connor, nothing compares to The Sims. It's the bestselling PC gaming series ever. It's also kind of a paradox. You don't shoot guns. You're not fending off an alien invasion. The hellmouth hasn't cracked open, leading to Mars or Silent Hill or wherever. And after two installments and oodles of expansions, it's about to lure us back for thirds: The Sims 3 ships for Windows and OS X systems next Tuesday, June 2nd.

The Sims 3 executive producer Ben Bell phoned me earlier to chat about the franchise, his favorite features in the new game, and how it's pioneered online self-expression and creative content exchange.