Summary
Since its inception,The Simsfranchise has dominated the industry. There have been very few games that have been able to capture the magic of the life sim genre, and as the years have gone by,the popularity of Maxis' franchisehas only grown. Even with all of that, it has seemingly become stuck in its ways in recent years. Instead of forging ahead with a new entry in the franchise, the series has been entirely focused onThe Sims 4, but that will only be able to last for so much longer.
There was a time whenThe Simsgames would launch every couple of years with spin-offs filling those gaps. That seemed to have been the trend forever, butThe Sims 4has changed all of that. Now, players have been exploring the same life sim since 2014, with only a mobile game releasing during that time. While all the support has been great to see, it may finally be time forThe Sims 4to rest so that the fifth game can rise in its place.
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The Sims 4 Will Not Be Around Forever
The Sims 4 Has Received So Much Support
After the success ofThe Sims 3, fans were very excited to see where the next entry would take the franchise. This next game was supposed to take the series to new heights by introducing even more customization options, delivering an even better-looking experience, and improving the actual simulation aspect immensely. While it may have been able to do all of that,The Sims 4also seemed to lack a lot of what made the previous titles special. However, instead of dropping the experience, the studio committed to supporting it for years to come.
Since release,The Sims 4has had 14 expansion packswith a 15th on the way, plus 12 game packs, countless stuff packs, and even more kits. All of this content has helped build upon the strong foundations of the game to deliver a life sim like no other. Because of that, the game has been able to amass over 70 million players worldwide, which has made it the most popular entry in the franchise. This also means that the game has generated over $1 billion in revenue, so it is easy to see why Maxis has been supportingThe Sims 4for as long as it has.
The Time Will Come to Move On to The Sims 5
Whilethe success ofThe Sims 4is great to see, some fans have also been clamoring for something new from the franchise for years. As of now, this will be the longest break between mainlineSimstiles since the first game launched in 2000. There have also been zero spin-off titles to break up that time outside a mobile game. The entire focus of the series has been on this fourth entry, which has led to an exciting experience, but also means that those who do not really enjoy this iteration have been stuck with it. Additionally, video game technology has changed drastically since 2014, so the game may have a few cracks.
Luckily, Maxis is hard at work on developing a sequel underthe codename Project Rene. Not much is known about the project just yet, but it will likely expand the life sim franchise in even more ways. Its release will also mean that the years of support forThe Sims 4will likely come to an end so that Maxis can focus on this next title. But before that happens, it seems like the studio may have a couple more DLC packs up its sleeve.
The Sims 4has had the longest post-launch support of anySimsgame and has received more DLC than the other three combined. Even though the studio has made the base game free-to-play, there seems to be a massive financial barrier for anyone looking to jump into the game in 2023. So, a fresh slate like Project Rene may be exactly what the series needs right now. If anything, it will finally give fans something new to play after almost 10 years.
The Sims 4
WHERE TO PLAY
Unleash your imagination and create a unique world of Sims that’s an expression of you. Download for free, and customize every detail from Sims to homes and much more. Choose how Sims look, act, and dress, then decide how they’ll live out each day. Design and build incredible homes for every family, then decorate with your favorite furnishings and décor. Travel to different neighborhoods where you can meet other Sims and learn about their lives. Discover beautiful locations with distinctive environments and go on spontaneous adventures. Manage the ups and downs of Sims’ everyday lives, and see what happens when you play out scenarios from your own real life. Tell your stories your way while developing relationships, pursuing careers and life aspirations, and immersing yourself in this extraordinary game, where the possibilities are endless
