We have some good news and some not so good news. Starting with the latter, and as you may have read in our headline, Electronic Arts has scrapped plans to release The Sims 5. Considering the number of players (80 million according to EA) and the countless fans that The Sims 4 has, it might seem totally crazy, but as you will see, those are precisely the reasons behind this decision.
Although The Sims 4 It was launched as a numbered installment in a distant September of 2014, and gradually evolved into become a gaming platform: The jump to free-to-play in September 2022 consolidated this reality, so that its monetization stopped being based on the copies sold and began to rely on packs, expansions and experiences aimed at fostering the fantasies of its community.
Which brings us to the really interesting part: who has decided not to launch? The Sims 5 And what is going to happen in The Sims 4? For EA, the tenth anniversary of The Sims 4 It is also the beginning of a new era for The Sims.
The 80 million reasons why we won’t have a The Sims 5
Kate Gormanvice president of EA and general manager of the franchise, believes that launching a fifth installment would throw overboard everything built in a The Sims 4 which has just turned 10 years old. According to the company itself, and as an illustration, so far in 2024 the Simmer community has spent more than 2.4 billion hours playing The Sims 4. That’s a quick statement. From here on, the good news begins, but also the disappointment for those who were expecting something new.
Is not releasing The Sims 5 a risky move? The vision behind the initiative is that the release of a new numbered installment would follow the trend of the previous ones and would be a replacement rather than a relief. In statements a VarietyGorman argued for continuing to rely on The Sims 4 and, in the process, ensured that all the progress and achievements made over these ten years would not be lost.
“The way to think about it is that historically, The Sims franchise started with Sims 1 and then Sims 2, 3, and 4. And they were seen as replacements for the previous products. What we’re really working on with our community is this new era of The Sims.
We’re not going to be working on replacements for previous projects; we’re just going to be adding to our universe. With that, you’ll see more ways to experience ‘The Sims’ across different platforms, different ways to play, transmedia, and a lot of great offerings within this universe.
So, without a doubt, we will continue to support The Sims 4 more than ever. We will continue to deliver expansion packs, updates, and fixes. But what this means is that the way we’re going to do things going forward is a little bit different. It’s really exciting and it will make The Sims 4 the most expansive iteration of The Sims yet.”
With that established, the new big plan is to gradually convert The Sims 4as a gaming platform, in what is expected and what is desired to offer a The Sims 5 which, for now, is not in development. This will enable experiences and content demanded by players equivalent to those that would be added to a new numbered release without paying the price of losing what has been achieved, the expansions acquired and starting a game from scratch.
So what is it that comes to The Sims 4 And what are the short and medium term plans for the saga?
What we know about Project Rene, the highly anticipated multiplayer game for The Sims
One of EA’s new priorities is multiplayer integration. A delicate move, but also a real turning point for The Sims 4 in its ten years of existence. The name to keep an eye on: Project Rene.
What we do know about Project Rene is that it’s one of the experiences EA is working on, and its main function is to offer a totally new world in which players can share and make friends. A social space or something more? The good news is that testing to shape the idea will begin very soon.
EA’s plan to shape The Sims multiplayer kicks off in the fall of 2024, where a trial of the project will be offered via invitation (it is possible to request it through the EA platform) although, as expected, no concrete dates or specifics have been given on when and how it will be implemented. In any case, a great step for the players and the franchise.
The Sims 4 and The Sims Labs Creation Kits are here!
As we discussed, The Sims 4 has become a gaming platform and one of the goals set by Electronic Arts is to give more participation and resources to the players. To do this, two important initiatives have been taken:
- On the one hand there are The Sims 4 Creation Kitswhich will be available in November 2024 and will enable the player community to create new collections with unique styles that will then be published by The Sims development team.
- In addition, through The Sims Labs fans and players will be encouraged to test new ideas, different products, systems and features for The Sims franchises. Kind of like an Insider program.
In the end, both initiatives seek to improve both satisfaction for future projects and initiatives of the saga and to give more voice and participation to the players themselves. And, we will not deny it, it will be interesting to try out for the first time what is to come with a view to the future. Even if it is not The Sims 5.
Do you play too much Sims? The Creator Program is here… and you might be interested
The initiative is almost self-explanatory: The Sims will promote their own official creator programso that those who create content related to the franchise (original creations, live streaming, actions on social networks, etc.) will be able to register and obtain content and packs for the game before its launch, free styles, the ability to get in touch with The Sims team for interviews and, of course, collaboration opportunities among other activities.
What type of creator is sought? According to the official website It is not necessary to be an expert in The Simsbut you do need to have the desire to get into this world, which opens the door to those who want to start.
We’re looking for people who regularly create original Sims content across social media and a variety of people who could be new additions to The Sims, including those who create mods, custom content, or support communities across platforms. Whether you’re a more established voice or an emerging one, we invite you to apply and join us.
The Sims 4 has a very loyal community of players, so offering a portal to turn that passion (or obsession) into an opportunity to experience each new feature in something even more special is a very interesting move. And opening the door to all those interested who simply want to get to know the game and know how to handle themselves in front of a camera is even more interesting.
It’s official: MGM is bringing The Sims to the big screen
Electronic Arts has been trying to shape a Sims movie for years, and at the beginning of this year the river rang and, definitely, it was water: Amazon MGM Studios, the studios that produced the Fallout series, will take the multi-million dollar license and put it in the hands of Kate Herron (who has directed six episodes of Loki), who will direct and adapt the story together with Briony Redman.
And beware, the film will be produced by the very same Margot Robbie (Barbie, no less) through its production company LuckyChap. In any case, the film is in progress and formally announced, but Electronic Arts has kept the surprises and details for the celebration of the The Sims 25th Anniversary.
Preparations begin for The Sims 25th anniversary
The first installment of The Sims It was launched in 2000 and EA is already working on it. Behind The Sims in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the franchise. For now, the first date will be in January 2025, when an episode of the franchise will premiere. Behind The SimsHowever, big announcements are expected, including the aforementioned news about the film The Sims and those initiatives that are beginning to be liked in the programs in which fans participate.
The Sims franchise is coming to Nintendo Switch, but not how we expected
Announced in the latest Nintendo Direct, Switch will receive on November 19, 2024 two classic titles from the EA franchise in a pack that seeks to captivate lovers of cozy games: MySims: Sofa and Blanket Collectionwhich includes MySimswhich was released in 2007 for Wii and Nintendo DS; and its sequel MySims Kingdom.
Logically, this collection has been adapted to the new Nintendo console by adapting to the controls and enabling the use of the touch screen, but that does not mean that right now the Nintendo consoles are the only ones on which it is not available. The Sims 4Is this a probe by EA? What is clear is that its game proposal will delight those who have dedicated countless hours to Animal Crossing.
At iGamesNews | When Katy Perry, Jason Derulo or Oreja de Van Gogh sneaked into The Sims to sing in Simlish
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