The Sims developer Maxis is kicking off the brand new yr with an replace on what its complete deal is, after loads of rumors and considerations about the way forward for the franchise. Ans as part of that, it appears to be teasing the “subsequent evolution” of single-player PC and console The Sims video games…at the same time as its long-touted “subsequent era” of The Sims, Undertaking Rene, is relegated to a mobile-only social spin-off.
This comes from a prolonged weblog publish on the EA web site, by which Maxis speaks at size about its philosophy round The Sims within the coming yr. Most of it’s fairly mission statement-y, however within the center, we get a glimpse of what is deliberate for the way forward for The Sims.
For 3 years now, Maxis has been teasing one thing known as Undertaking Rene. Initially billed as the way forward for The Sims that will exist throughout PC and cellular, EA however refused to name it The Sims 5. Since 2022, there have been a number of closed playtests, and the suggestions has progressively soured as Undertaking Rene more and more began to appear to be a fairly primary cellular sport. In the meantime, whereas The Sims 4 neighborhood stays sturdy, there hasn’t been a lot dialogue on what The Sims 5 may appear to be, or if the console and PC base ought to even count on something new in any respect. As just lately as final August, EA Leisure president Laura Miele insisted that it would not be “player-friendly” to launch one when the neighborhood had already invested a lot money and time into The Sims 4.
Which is why the wording on this weblog publish is each thrilling and nerve-wracking as a The Sims fan. The publish separates out its plans for “The Sims” on PC and console, and Undertaking Rene. For PC and console, Maxis reaffirms its dedication to new content material for The Sims 4, and provides that “Single-player PC and console experiences will all the time be part of our future, with greater than half of our world growth staff devoted to The Sims 4 and the following evolution. Extra information within the coming months!”
That wording, “the following evolution,” is large. Whereas it isn’t precisely “The Sims 5,” it is the primary crumb we have gotten in years that we would see one thing like one ultimately. What’s much more promising is that EA is designating Undertaking Rene as a social, multiplayer sport that is mobile-first. That is disappointing for individuals who had been hoping Undertaking Rene could be an thrilling new future, but it surely feels like that is nonetheless going to exist in some trend alongside regardless of the precise new evolution is.
Nonetheless, Maxis has a tough street forward. Miele is appropriate that one of many largest points with a brand new The Sims sport is that gamers have spent tons of cash already on enlargement packs for The Sims 4, and traditionally model new The Sims video games have felt woefully function incomplete after they launch with no such packs. That was the case with The Sims 4, which launched to comparatively weak opinions as gamers adjusted to the shock of options they’d come to get used to – pets, interactive youngsters, climate – all of the sudden gone, till a brand new paid enlargement pack was launched.
It might behoove Maxis to determine all this out, as a result of The Sims 4 is over a decade outdated now, and beginning to present its age. What’s extra, quite a lot of potential rivals have come out of the woodwork lately, together with Krafton’s inZOI and the indie Paralives, each in early entry.
The latest The Sims 4 enlargement pack was Journey Awaits, which launched in October of final yr.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Acquired a narrative tip? Ship it to rvalentine@ign.com.
