Life simulation game enthusiasts can expect more virtual social interaction – or chaos – as new Sims in the upcoming game, The Sims 4, display greater intelligence and express more emotions. Scheduled to be unleashed on Sept. 2, this fourth version of the popular game gives even more life and complexity to the lives of the virtual characters.

"The Sims 4 is the only game where new Sims with unique personalities open up deep, rich, and sometimes weird possibilities in the stories you create," the Sims 4 official website says. "For the first time, it's not about what they are, it's about who they are, and they come to life through our brand new creative tools that are powerful, tactile, and easy to use."

The open-ended game play begins with the player creating a character or Sim – selecting its physical characteristics, its personality, and its aspirations. The player then controls every decision the Sim makes, such us preparing food, looking for a job, buying new furniture, and generally trying to keep it healthy and happy. The player needs to develop the Sim's skills so it will move up in its virtual world. But "life" can become complicated – food can get burnt, pipes can burst, and money can dwindle. And to make the Sim's life even more complex, it has to socialize with other Sims, all with their own personalities – and they can get into a fight or fall in love.

In an interview with The Guardian, Rachel Franklin, the executive president of Maxis said, "The Sims is a social experiment. People are fascinated with human life... we want to know and understand it."

Maxis is the developer of the game series.

Pre-orders for The Sims 4 are now being accepted. The game requires at least 9GB of hard disk space, plus 1GB for saving games, and at least 2GB memory. The PC also needs to be powered by a 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon 64 Dual-Core 4000+, or equivalent. The company also specifies that computers with built-in graphics chipsets must have a 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.0 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-62, or equivalent.