One thing that is starting to bother me is the lack of technological progress throughout the generations of sims. I know this maybe a difficult task to do, but perhaps there is someway technology and history can advance. This could make the time machine functional instead of just a rabbit hole too. This could make for a really interesting expansion pack. Grandpa remembers the olden days when gas was a nickel. The younger adults are busy partying at the new clubs that open up through the years. It'll be a blast, but how could they achieve such things?

This would work better as a spin off (like Medieval) than an EP... because this sounds like Generations and Late Night's lovechild.

You know, i was thinking about this the other day. I've been through 4 generations now and am on the first 2 Generation 5 children. I realized that, although over a 100 of years must have passed, the same technology is around. However, I do have my variation. The neighborhood has advanced a shitload. Expecially the houses and such. And even when my neighborhood exploded I preserved a lot of the modified houses (I did the interial design profession) and lots. Overall, I think the thread of generations isn't too bad if you make it that way. I mean, for all of Generation 3, I used little to no technology, because the heir's husband was a technophobe and the heir was a bookworm anyways. Now I'm moving into a generation (4) where everything is rich and in the prime, and I think it's time to have a million kids again to spread out the wealth, because the game gets boring if theres nothing to aim for (because your rich).

But back on topic, I like the idea, but I almost feel like it's improbable. MAYBE a spinoff could be cool, like Erry said.

Sounds a bit like games like Age of Empires. It's a cool concept to see time in this way but I doubt we'll be seeing it in TS3. Maybe in a spin-off, like Erry has mentioned, or maybe in the Sims 4? EA look stuck for ideas for TS3 at the moment, so maybe something like this can differentiate it from all the other games before it.

It would require a LOT of new items, to keep the game relatively diverse. You'd need a whole new set of items for each new 'age', plus that runs up the problem of how far into the future they allow it to go, you can literally have an infinite amount of time from your first generation of sims, so what would happen when you're on your last set of items, is the game stuck in that particular future timeframe forever? I guess they could loop back around to the first generation although that would be a little bit weird.

I'm guessing the end age would be something vague like "future" rather than "22nd Century". The future doesn't end but the 22nd Century does eventually.