Thanks to The Sims fansite SimsVIP, we now have loads of new information regarding The Sims 4 like when the Origin pre-load will be up and other information about gameplay.
If you're getting the digital version of the game on Origin, the digital pre-load on Origin begins on August 29th at 10 am Pacific, 12 pm Central, and 1 pm Eastern. However, this does not mean you get to play the game right away. This feature only allows players to fully download the game beforehand so that they can access and play it right away when it comes out on September 1st and September 2nd for various time zones.
In other posts, it was also clarified that there will always be one active lot in each neighborhood and world. The fansite was also able to get their hands on information from the official Sims Magazine of Germany:
"Since the Sims characters is now driven by DNA, CAS now has a new feature (our favorite): The family genetics. When creating a new Sim you can do that like you always did and start at the beginning or use the new functionality and randomize children of two existing Sims – finally hair color isn’t the only thing that kids inherit from their parents. They actually resemble them. In the same way you can create parents and siblings. Your family actually looks like certain physical features are passed on," the post detailed.
There are also two new screenshots of the game as well:
The Sims 4 officially releases on PC, Mac, and Linux on September 2, 2014 in North America.