I think Maxis is not part of the deal anymore. Please correct me if I am wrong, but to my understanding from the little I have read EA and only EA is responsible for the development of TS3.
"Maxis" as an independent entity has not existed since well before TS1. There is no Maxis, there is only Zuul.I refuse to be stuck with EA defaults. Unless things change, there is no bloody way I'll buy TS3. As I have said already, I do like the new trait system, but I have no use of it if it is about a Sim with EA skins.
If SKINS are your only concern, they are not a realistic one, since even games that lack any ability to load custom textures at all can have the texture overridden in graphic memory by texture replacement programs.