The Sims 5is yet to be announced, and based on the results ofEA’s latest quarterly earnings callwith its investors, it could still be a while off. EA’s the next fiscal year will continue to focus on the success of live-service games such asApex: Legends,FIFA, and predecessor,The Sims 4. However, that doesn’t mean the highly anticipated life simulation sequel isn’t already in early stages of development consideringThe Sims 4originally released for PC back in 2014, before being ported to PS4 and Xbox One in 2017.
The Sims 4wasn’t always the juggernaut that it’s slowly become; in fact, at launch it was critically panned for having a severe lack of content and depth, particularly compared toThe Sims 3. After years of ongoing expansions, updates, and game packs, that’s all been turned around by developer Maxis, creating a strong foundation for where the future of the franchise could go. Whenever EA is ready to unveilThe Sims 5, there’s a lot to be learned from the failures and successes ofSims 4,and its expansionswould be a pretty good place to start.
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Careers, Seasons, and Pets
One ongoing trend with the entire franchise that needs to stop is the use of expansions for selling basic features that should’ve been in the base game from the start, repeatedly.The Sims 2,The Sims 3, andThe Sims 4all released major expansions that added weather seasons, the ability to have animals as pets, and more careers to choose from.The Sims 5should look at the reception toThe Sims 4at launch and build a robust and deep base game with all the features players would and should expect. If consumers feel like they’re getting a complete experience and value for their money, the game will perform far better and bring in newcomers. Lesson #1: No more expansions for basic features.
Get Fun and Silly With Expansions
On the back of that,The Sims 4did a great job of adding new weird and wacky features in a number of its updates and, and that’s what they should be used for. EA and Maxis should use expansions to either make giant sweeping changes to the core gameplay similar to MMO’s likeWorld of WarcraftandDestiny, or offer something new, exciting, and out of the ordinary, without being afraid to get a little silly sometimes. Realm of Magic, StrangerVille, and Vampires are great fun game packs,whereas expansions like Seasons and Island Livingoffer unique and different experiences that players wouldn’t normally expect.
Build on New Foundations
Longterm fans of the series would know that the overall experience ofThe Simshas changed a whole lot since its inception. From here, it’s time to start looking at what amodern next-generationThe Sims 5would look like.The Sims 4’s Dine Out game pack lets players build their own restaurant, creating their own menus and even employing staff. While the core gameplay and focus need to stay the same, there are new avenues that could be built out (potentially with expansions); expand on multiplayer and online, a deeper story progression mode, and looking beyond a family to a street, town, or suburb. Imagine a world where a single-player narrative existed that could allow players to start building business, running a town as mayor, or focussing on their own family on a street that’s full of their friend’s houses.
Pop-Culture Collaboration
In October 2014,The Sims 4released an update that gave players a handful of newStar Warscostumes that their characters could wear. Fast forward to 2020, in a world full of live-service games, content seasons, and pop-culture collaboration across franchises, and suddenlyThe Sims 4looked ahead of its time. With EA’s focus on live-service games and supporting games for longer to have a guaranteed income stream,The Sims 5will likely be going in that direction regardless. Look at whatThe Sims 4has already done with pop-culture franchises likeStar Warsand turn that into regular events like theFortnite-Star Wars crossoverlast year.
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EA confirmed back in 2018 that it would continue supportingThe Sims 4with brand new content through 2021, meaning that the inevitable next-generation sequel at least another two years away.The Sims 4’s ninth expansion, Eco Lifestyle has been revealed by EA and will be released worldwide for PC and consoles on July 06, 2025. Eco Lifestyle introduced a brand new location called Evergreen Harbor and tasks players with making decisions that will benefit the community and environment, making for a better, more sustainable eco-friendly world.
The Sims 4is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
