EA announced a new Sims game for both PC and MAC: The Sims Medieval.
That’s not a new expansion pack, but a stand alone game (like The Sims Life Stories) set around medieval theme. It will ship the next spring.
Despite of  the title, this game is a bit more different than the original one, with a lot of rpg and strategic gameplay.
Sims are customizable and can also have children.
We have to build a medieval reign, manage various characters (kings, queens, magicians, knights, merchants, bards, spies…), make armors, trade goods and complete missions.
The player can choose the ambition and the guideline of his reign, deciding for an imperialistic domain, to pay attention to population needs and so on…

It’s a new way to “live” The Sims, that will be appreciated both by habitual players and people that like games like World of Warcraft, Dragon Age and Anno.

Below you can read the official announcement and see the first screenshots.

"We are delighted to announce The Sims™ Medieval, a new game currently in development that places the popular Sims™ characters from The Sims™ game into the Middle Ages and brings players robust, compelling gameplay never seen before in the history of The Sims. For the first time, players can create heroes, venture on quests, build and control a kingdom, and play every Hero Sim ™ character in the land. Creativity will soar as players tell stories like never before full of drama, romance, conflict, and comedy.

The Sims Medieval offers players a chance to build up a medieval kingdom, controlling characters from all walks of life, from Kings and Queens, to Knights and Wizards, Blacksmiths and Bards. It provides a host of storytelling possibilities in the form of quests, from crafting a legendary sword to arranging a royal wedding, to protecting the kingdom from an evil sorcerer, to finding the fountain of youth. Every quest plays out differently depending on which Hero Sim the player is controlling.

Players can choose to customize every new Hero that comes to the kingdom, including selecting their traits and their fatal flaw. Players get close to their characters, not only sending them on epic quests, but also making sure they carry out their daily responsibilities such as healing the sick, trading for exotic goods, or forging armour - what happens to their Sims is up to the player. The time of romance and chivalry is back with The Sims Medieval. More details can be found at http://www.thesimsmedieval.com. Out Spring 2011."