The Sims 3: Showtime hits the stage in March

The next Sims 3 expansion is set to open up a new field of career opportunities for the game's digital denizens, as Electronic Arts today announced The Sims 3: Showtime for the PC and Mac.

Set for release in March, The Sims 3: Showtime will let sims experience the rise to fame as a singer, acrobat, magician, and DJ. Those sims will need places to ply their trade, so EA is including the ability to create custom venues with props and special effects that will directly affect a player's performance.

Those sims will also be able to take their act on the road, thanks to new social elements being built into the game. Using the SimPort feature, players will now have the ability to send their sims into a friend's world to perform, capture key moments, and earn achievements that can be displayed and shared via new in-game social posts, news feeds, and e-cards.

Preorders for The Sims 3: Showtime will net players the Ultimate Stage venue. For more on the original game, check out GameSpot's review of The Sims 3.