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 issues 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, Venture Rene, is relegated to a mobile-only social spin-off.
This comes from a prolonged weblog publish on the EA web site, through 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 referred to as Venture Rene. Initially billed as the way forward for The Sims that will exist throughout PC and cellular, EA nonetheless refused to name it The Sims 5. Since 2022, there have been a number of closed playtests, and the suggestions has step by step soured as Venture Rene more and more began to seem like a fairly primary cellular recreation. In the meantime, whereas The Sims 4 group stays strong, there hasn’t been a lot dialogue on what The Sims 5 would possibly seem like, 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 group 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 Venture 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 at all times be part of our future, with greater than half of our world improvement 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 Venture Rene as a social, multiplayer recreation that is mobile-first. That is disappointing for individuals who have been hoping Venture Rene can be an thrilling new future, however it seems 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 recreation 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 characteristic 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 kids, climate – out of the blue gone, till a brand new paid enlargement pack was launched.
It will behoove Maxis to determine all this out, as a result of The Sims 4 is over a decade previous now, and beginning to present its age. What’s extra, a variety of potential rivals have come out of the woodwork in recent times, 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. Bought a narrative tip? Ship it to rvalentine@ign.com.
