Summary
There have been several rumors surroundingThe Sims 5, but the latest news reveals that it may not be what fans expected after all. With almost a decade having passed since the most recent game in the series,The Sims 5has been expected to be the next step forward forThe Sims. However,The Sims 5is still likely a long ways away, whileProject Renecould turn out as an entirely differentSims-related property. With news still being fresh, there isn’t a lot to work off of, but there’s plenty of reason for fans to speculate.
If nothing else,The Sims 4’s latest Stuff Packrelease shows how much longevity games in the series have.The Sims 4was released in 2014, and there has been a series of content updates being released for it ever since. The game becoming free to play last year likely only increased its already-substantial playerbase, while paid content packs continued to provide revenue. That said, after nine years, it’s no surprise that players would be wondering what’s next for the series. Even thoughThe Sims 4has expended a lot, the next game in the series can provide more drastic improvements, explaining the anticipation.
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The Sims' Latest Project May Not Be the Sequel That Was Expected
For some time, fans have known ofMaxis and EA’sProject Rene, which was assumed by many to be a codename forThe Sims 5. After all, it was described as the next step forThe Simsfranchise to take, so one could naturally assume that it was going to beThe Sims 5, just not officially announced as such yet. Considering that among the details mentioned were improved customization options, which is a general benchmark for newSimsentries, it felt like a fair appraisal to make. Recent revelations aboutProject Renecould point towards a new direction, though.
Among other details that were shared in recent days, the latestupdate onProject Rene’s developmentmay prove that the game won’t beThe Sims 5after all. Most notably, it was stated that the game is not intended to replaceThe Sims 4, but instead exist alongside it. This could be taken as an indication that rather than being the next mainline entry,Project Renewill be more like a spin-off. Instead of being the next numbered entry, it could be a distinctly different game built off a similar formula.The Simshas done spin-offs before, andProject Renejust may be the latest.
One major hint towardsProject Rene’s new direction could be the idea ofonline multiplayer inThe Sims. According to the developers, one ofProject Rene’s planned innovations is incorporating multiplayer elements intoThe Sims, and there are a few ways that such a move could go. On the basest level, players could potentially share designs, items, and even Sims with each other.Project Renecould also go even further and let two players play in the same in-game neighborhood, or even the same household. Rather than a direct sequel,Project Renelooks to beThe Sims' version of an online multiplayer game.
WhileProject Rene’s aim looks more clear now, there is still a lot to be uncovered.More news regardingThe Sims 5will makeProject Rene’s place in the series more clear, as well as the sequel’s own release date. In fact, it’s still possible forProject Reneto be renamedThe Sims 5in the future, or to any other title. As it stands,Project Reneseems much more likely to be a spin-off that will takeThe Sims' experience in a new direction.Project Renemay not beThe Sims 5, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t be interesting.
