This study deals with the initialization of three-dimensional wave field computations. We carry out such simulations with an HOS model developed at LMF-ECN since 2002 and based on the work of West et al. (1987) and Dommermuth & Yue (1987). In such models, initial conditions for three-dimensional realistic sea state computation are obtained by linearly distributing energy density spectrum. This however implies a relaxation of the non-linear effects as proposed by Dommermuth (2000) for bi-dimensional monochromatic wave train and Tanaka (2001), over several tenths of wave periods. The present work tests those former initialization methods and exposes an alternative initialization based on a non-linear three-dimensional approach. Non-linear interaction processes are both accounted in the spectra of elevation and potential of velocity, in accordance with the formulation of Dalzell (1999) at second order in wave steepness. Non-linear energy calculation is then addressed and the efficiency of the methods as well as their possible impact on properties and statistics of the wave field are investigated.