Ahh, . What a beautiful name for a game and/or experience that we know so little about. Over the last year, EA and Maxis have been teasing the future of , with a handful of updates revealing the existence of the game known as .
Initially, reports around this title indicated it would be a successor to , potentially titled , and it would expand the franchise’s gameplay in mind-blowing new fashion. But as we now know, this isn’t the case at all. While EA and Maxis have remained fairly vague on what exactly is, there are at least some tidbits we know for sure.
Here’s everything confirmed about the game so far. Is secretly ? Let’s start with an obvious one. No, is not .
This has been definitively answered by EA and Maxis in with . The team has stated will be a “complementary experience to all things” in , and it will exist alongside current and upcoming projects, including . “It’s a complementary experience to all the things – it’s not a linear experience,” Kate Gorman Revelli, franchise vice president and general manager said.
“There’s a lot we’ll be seeing in the playtest, but the core piece to know what is – we’re really looking at a way to make playable together.” Based on Gorman Revelli’s interview, there is really only one thing we know for sure about , which is..
. will be a multiplayer experience Per Gorman Revelli’s comments, actually has a focus on allowing players of to connect in an online space. “If you want to play that kind of multiplayer experience, that’ll be what you look for in the things we’ve talked about ,” Gorman Reveli said.
It sounds mightily like this game will be a sort of reimagining of for the modern era, complete with refreshed gameplay and customisation. Already, EA and Maxis have revealed an array of features for the game, including , and new, . Given recent trends, might actually turn out to be EA and Maxis’ attempt at refreshing the metaverse, but hopefully it will be a purer version than other recent NFT and Web3-focussed attempts.
Why is there no ? EA and Maxis have seemingly moved away from plans to create , with a new franchise roadmap revealing will remain the “foundational experience” in the years ahead. While there are a number of major game projects in the work, they won’t be numbered entries in the series – rather, they will allow for new gameplay experiences. Per Gorman Revelli, plans for have been put on hold indefinitely, as EA wants players to be able to maintain their gameplay and progress from .
“The way to think about it is, historically, franchise started with and then , and . And they were seen as replacements for the previous products,” Gorman Revelli . “What we’re really working with our community on is this a new era of .
We are not going to be working on replacements of previous projects; we’re only going to be adding to our universe.” What are the main features of ? So far, EA and Maxis have publicly announced a few major features for : the ability to connect with other players in an online world, customise furniture, and have Sims show off fiery emotions. As detailed by developers , will reimagine emotions as visual tools for players, with individual Sims able to share fiery and expressive feelings.
These will inform their body posture, facial expressions, and overall temperament. It appears there will be some emotional over-exaggeration in this game, to ensure players understand what’s going on with their Sims, and how conversations are going. This will be important as Sims travel around and meet new people, in what appears to be more open neighbourhoods.
A brief prototype clip of a city locale implied will feature more lively worlds, with neighbour Sims seemingly following their own work schedules and routines. In February 2023, EA and Maxis also confirmed the game will allow players to build apartments and spaces together. “Players can design an apartment together, opening up new ways to play, tell stories, and build dream creations,’ EA and Maxis said in .
‘ is a place for you to explore life with and also share a wide variety of experiences with trusted friends, if you want, when you want.” So far, these have been the only features discussed by EA and Maxis. A playtest for will take place in Spring 2024 [SH] As announced during a recent media blitz, will be tested in a small, invite-only session in Spring 2024 [Southern Hemisphere].
This will give “an early look at a multiplayer experience that explores joining friends and other players at a shared location.” Players keen to jump in can sign up to be selected for playtesting, . We expect many of the features previously announced will be accessible in this playtest, although it’s unclear whether gameplay and/or impressions will be shared with the public following these tests.
Will be free to play? Yes, will be free to play. This was in September 2023. “You will be able to join, play, and explore it without a subscription, core game purchase or energy mechanics,” .
“We want playing to be super easy for you to invite or join friends and experience new features, stories and challenges.” How will be monetised? EA and Maxis have announced the game will grow and change over time, and its monetisation will be in the form of content packs, as with other games. “We want to be strong and cohesive from the start.
While it won’t begin with everything you have in we plan to add new experiences and content to over time,” . “Beyond regular updates to the core game, we will sell content and packs, but we plan to change this up a bit. For example, basic weather may be added to the core game for free, for everybody.
And in the future, a pack for purchase may be focused on winter sports with activities like ice dancing or a snowman building competition.” “It’s important that with we lower barriers to play and give all players the broadest shared systems because that feels like the strongest foundation for us to grow from.” When does launch? At this stage, EA and Maxis have not announced anything firm about the release date for .
It’s been in development since at least 2022, and much of this development has been secretive. It’s unclear how far along the game is, and when we can expect firmer details. With a playtest happening in Spring 2024 [Southern Hemisphere], we can assume features are shaping up enough to be accessed by the public, but that doesn’t tell us much about what’s to come – and we shouldn’t speculate so early in the process.
We’ll likely learn much more about in future, so it’s best to keep an eye on the EA and Maxis (and the ) for more news..
