Sims 3 in "constantly changing neighborhood... a much bigger sandbox"

Here. The info's taken from the US Games for Windows magazine, subs issues of which hit today. For ease:

The biggest change to The Sims 3 is that it takes place in a wide-open, constantly changing neighborhood -- a much bigger sandbox, if you will, and a much more complex simulation. The town and park you see on the cover image to the right (click to enlarge) exist in the same seamless space as your Sims' household, and what you do outside your home now matters as much as what you do within. (Yes, previous expansion packs added out-and-about activities, but they were always separate sub-games. Here, everything's completely integrated.) The game also sees a major shift in how Sims' motives are handled: Individual meters indicating bladder and sleep-deprivation levels are replaced by a new system of discrete moods, the aim being to get players off the treadmill of fulfilling primal eat-sleep-pee-repeat requirements so they can focus more on, well, going out on the brand new town.

Hit the link for more. The general embargo for Sims 3 previews comes off on March 19, as we reported this morning.