Симс 4 компания разработчиков

Maxis: Creating A More Inclusive Gaming Experience

Electronic Arts Inc., Maxis

Apr 13, 2023

Maxis: Creating A More Inclusive Gaming Experience

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The Sims 4
Cover art since 2019
Developer(s)	Maxis[a]
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Director(s)	Michael Duke Berjes Enriquez Jim Rogers Robert Vernick
Producer(s)	Kevin Gibson Grant Rodiek Ryan Vaughan
Designer(s)	Eric Holmberg-Weidler Matt Yang
Artist(s)	Magnus Hollmo Samantha Miceli Steven Ross
Writer(s)	Danielle von Mayrhauser
Composer(s)	Ilan Eshkeri
Series	The Sims
Platform(s)	Windows OS X PlayStation 4 Xbox One
Release	Windows NA: September 2, 2014 EU/AU: September 4, 2014 UK: September 5, 2014 OS X WW: February 17, 2015 PlayStation 4, Xbox One WW: November 17, 2017
Genre(s)	Social simulation
Mode(s)	Single-player

The Sims 4 is a social simulation game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It is the fourth major title in The Sims series, and is the sequel to The Sims 3 (2009). The game was released in North America on September 2, 2014, for Windows, an OS X version was released in February 2015, and PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions were released in November 2017. The game was moved to a free-to-play model on October 18, 2022, monetized by the purchase of various paid downloadable content packs that have been developed since its release.

Like previous titles in the series, The Sims 4 allows players to create and dress characters called «Sims», build and furnish houses for them, and simulate their everyday lives. The game introduces a newly developed custom game engine, with improved character creation and housebuilding tools, as well as deeper in-game simulation with the new emotion and personality systems for Sims.

Development of The Sims 4 began as an online multiplayer title, but plans were shifted to a single-player experience following the negative launch reception of Maxis’ SimCity in 2013. In the months leading up to the game’s release, Maxis revealed that several features present in prior The Sims main titles would be omitted at launch, citing insufficient development time and technical complexity; this was received negatively by players. The Sims 4 received mixed reviews from critics upon its initial release, who praised the game’s visual design, improved AI simulation for Sims, and the simplified building tools, but criticized the lack of content compared to prior The Sims titles, frequent loading screens, and missing features.

The Sims 4 has been commercially successful, topping the all-format video game chart in 2014, and has received over 70 million players worldwide as of 2023, making it the most popular game in the franchise. Development of the game has been supported with numerous paid downloadable content packs, namely thirteen expansion packs, twelve game packs, and several stuff packs and kits. The most recent expansion pack, The Sims 4: Growing Together, was released on March 16, 2023. Free content updates introducing and expanding major features have also been released, such as swimming pools, more character customization options, more building tools, and gameplay scenarios. A new The Sims installment, under the working title «Project Rene», is currently in development.

Gameplay[edit]

The Sims 4 is a social simulation game, similar to preceding titles in the series. There is no primary objective or goal to achieve, and instead of fulfilling objectives, the player is encouraged to make choices and engage fully in an interactive environment.^[2][3] The focus of the game is on the simulated lives of virtual people called «Sims», and the player is responsible for directing their actions, attending to their «needs», and helping them attain their desires.^[2] Though not mandatory, objective-based gameplay is available if the player desires, with each Sim having lifelong aspirations, and «wants and fears» personal goals that are generated based on current gameplay.^[2][4]

Simoleons (§) are the unit of currency used in the game, and Sims communicate in a fictional language called Simlish.^[5] Sims have six needs: hunger, bladder, hygiene, social, fun, and energy — these needs are drained as the Sim progresses through an in-game day, and are refilled by various household items and furniture. Sims primarily make money by getting a job, or selling crafted items such as paintings and garden produce,^[2] and Sims need to develop skills for jobs and crafting items; for example, Sims in the Culinary career track need to be proficient in the Cooking skill. The game includes a comprehensive list of cheats, such as infinite money and hidden gameplay options.^[6][2] Paid downloadable content (DLC) packs expand the number of features, objects, worlds, and gameplay options available to play with.^[7]

The OS X and Windows versions of The Sims 4 include extensive modding support, as in previous main The Sims games.^[8][9][10] There are two types of player-developed mod content: script mods and custom content — script mods typically modify gameplay behavior or add gameplay mechanics;^[11] custom content encompasses cosmetic items including custom hairstyles, makeup, clothing, and furniture.^[8][12]

Create-a-Sim[edit]

Create-a-Sim is the main interface for creating a Sim in The Sims 4, where individual Sims and families can be created and placed in the game world. Sim facial and bodily features are adjusted by directly selecting and manipulating the respective area; selections of pre-made facial features are also available.^[13] Sims have eight life stages: newborn, infant, toddler, child, teen, young adult, adult, and elder — all life stages can be created in Create-a-Sim, with the exception of the baby life stage. Toddlers were absent from the original game release, but were added via an update in 2017.^[14] The newborn and infant life stages were added to the game via a March 2023 update, replacing the baby life stage.^[15][16]

Each Sim has three personality traits, and an aspiration containing its own special trait.^[3] Traits determine the personality of a Sim, and significantly affect a Sim’s behavior and emotions. Aspirations are lifelong goals for Sims, each containing a list of tasks to be fulfilled in gameplay; Sims get a reward trait when completing an aspiration, which give them a boost when performing actions relevant to the aspiration. When creating a new Sim, a personality quiz option automatically generates a personality and aspiration for the Sim.^[2] The «Play with Genetics» function allows players to create siblings, children, and parents of household Sims, inheriting facial features, and physical traits such as skin tones, hair colors, and eye colors from the selected household Sims. Added in a 2021 update, «likes and dislikes» determine aesthetics and activities preferred by each Sim, and can be assigned in Create-a-Sim or developed in gameplay.^[17]

Occult Sims are introduced in various expansion packs and «game packs», these occults include aliens, vampires, mermaids, spellcasters, and werewolves; some occults can be directly created in Create-a-Sim.^[18] Cat and dog pets are introduced via the Cats & Dogs expansion pack, and can be created in the «Create-a-Pet» mode within Create-a-Sim, or adopted during gameplay.^[19] Gender options for Sims were expanded in a 2016 update, allowing for greater freedom of gender expression. With this update, hairstyles and outfits can be worn by any Sim of any gender, and pregnancy is now possible regardless of gender.^[20][21] The diversity of skin tones in the game was greatly expanded in a 2020 update, following strong player demand;^[22][23][24] skin tones were divided into warm, neutral, and cold tones, and the ability to adjust the saturation and opacity of skin tones and makeup colors was introduced.^[25][26]

Preferred pronoun options for Sims were added in a 2022 update, developed in collaboration with the It Gets Better Project and GLAAD; Sims can have preset pronouns, such as he/him, she/her, or they/them, or players can customize their own set of pronouns for their Sims.^[27] Another 2022 update added the ability to select a Sim’s sexuality, as well as their means of expressing attraction, either romantically or sexually.^[28] The update additionally enables a Sim to have flexible sexuality, with changes possible later as the character progresses during gameplay.^[28]

Build mode[edit]

Build mode is the main interface for constructing and furnishing houses and lots in The Sims 4. Buy mode, the interface for purchasing house furnishings in previous games, is merged into Build mode.^[29] In Build mode, players purchase furniture and appliances for Sims such as televisions, showers, beds, and fridges, with each of them having a set function, ranging from fulfilling a need or raising a skill or simply being decorative. Some locked or hidden items may be unlocked through the progression of career levels or cheats.^[30] Players can also construct buildings and design interior layouts from scratch, then save their custom buildings and lots into the in-game library.^[3] Entire rooms and buildings can be resized, moved, and duplicated, along with all objects placed within the room.^[31] Alternatively, selections of pre-made furnished rooms and buildings are available.^[2] Players can build on and customize every lot on the world map, and can only build within the boundaries of each lot. Bodies of water can be constructed, such as decorative fountains, swimming pools,^[32] and ponds.^[33] Interior construction options include doors, archways, half-walls, wall coverings, and floors.

When constructing a building, buildings can have up to four floors, walls of a building floor can have three different heights, buildings foundations with adjustable heights can be added, and windows can be moved up or down vertically along a wall. Additional construction options such as basements, L- and U-shaped stairs,^[34] ladders,^[35] and floor platforms were added in later updates.^[36]

Worlds[edit]

A world is a collection of several neighborhoods, each containing several residential or community lots available for players to customize and build upon. Sims can visit any lot located in any world, regardless of which world they reside in, and Sims from other households can be seen as non-player characters roaming within worlds. Lots can be visited directly by Sims from the map view, with the exception of ‘secret’ lots, which can only be accessed through interacting with special gameplay objects, or as work locations for some careers.^[37] Unlike The Sims 3, The Sims 4 does not support open worlds, and travelling between lots and worlds triggers a loading screen. However, neighborhoods allow some open world functionality by allowing Sims to interact with gameplay objects placed within the neighborhood’s boundaries.

The Sims 4 includes three worlds in its base game: Willow Creek and Oasis Springs contain pre-made houses, community lots, and Sim families, while Newcrest is a sandbox world only containing blank lots free for players to build upon.^[2] Additional worlds are included in the game’s expansion packs and «game packs», with the added world usually being a core feature of the pack. These worlds frequently borrow inspirations from real-life locations; for example, Island Living introduces a tropical world named Sulani, Jungle Adventure introduces a Latin American-inspired vacation world named Selvadorada, Snowy Escape introduces a mountainous Japan-inspired world named Mt. Komorebi, and Cottage Living includes a rural England-inspired world named Henford-on-Bagley.^[7][38]

New gameplay features[edit]

The Gallery is an online content exchange that allows players to upload, share, and download custom-made Sims, Sim households, rooms, and buildings;^[2] it is accessible directly in-game, or online via The Sims 4 website. The Gallery was later made available to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game in 2020.^[39]

Emotion is a new gameplay mechanic, building upon the mood system of Sims in previous titles; emotions can be affected by in-game actions, events, and social interactions with other Sims.^[40] Positive and negative moodlets (a type of buff) influence the current emotion of a Sim, and can directly impact Sim actions and behavior, such as increasing the efficiency of gaining skill points.^[41][2] There are several types and intensities of emotions, such as happy, sad, and angry; some high-intensity emotional stages introduce a probability of emotional death.^[42] The multitasking system is a new gameplay mechanic allowing Sims to perform multiple actions at a single time, such as having a conversation with other Sims while cooking.^[41]

Development[edit]

Development of The Sims 4 began as an online multiplayer title, under the working title of «Olympus».^[43] Maxis intended to incorporate online multiplayer gameplay elements, as part of publisher Electronic Arts’ (EA) plan to release more online multiplayer titles. EA labels president Frank Gibeau stated in 2012, «I have not green-lit one game to be developed as a single player experience. Today, all of our games include online applications and digital services that make them live 24/7/365.»^[44] However, these plans were changed following the negative launch reception of Maxis’ SimCity in March 2013, which was plagued with widespread technical and gameplay problems relating to the game’s mandatory network connectivity.^[45][46] As a result, «Olympus» was reworked to a single-player experience, and released as The Sims 4.^[47][43] The release version of the game only requires an internet connection during the initial installation process, for game activation with an Origin account.^[48] Additionally, development of The Sims 4 was affected by layoffs at EA Salt Lake in January 2014, which was assisting in development of the game; remaining EA Salt Lake employees working on the game were transferred to Maxis’ Redwood Shores, California studio.^[49][50]

The Sims 4 uses a newly-developed proprietary game engine, marketed as «SmartSim».^[51] In conjunction with this engine, Maxis focused on developing the new Sim emotion system for The Sims 4, as well as more expressive and complex Sim animations, describing Sim behavior in previous The Sims titles as «robotic» in comparison.^[52] Development of walking animations and facial expressions centered around better illustrating the emotions of Sims in gameplay, as well as making social interactions between Sims appear more natural and lifelike.^[41] British neoclassical composer Ilan Eshkeri composed the game’s orchestral soundtrack.^[52] This included over 140 brief sound effects to accompany various «key emotional moments» for Sims, such as encountering a fight, a first kiss, a wedding, or a toilet breaking. Compared to previous The Sims titles, The Sims 4‘s soundtrack was designed to emphasize the impact of Sim emotions during these gameplay events.^[52] Eshkeri cited difficulty in composing music for the game due to its sandbox nature, contrasting it to his previous works with film scores. All music was recorded at the Abbey Road Studios in London, and performed by the London Metropolitan Orchestra.^[52]

Omitted features[edit]

In the months leading up to the game’s release in September 2014, Maxis revealed that several gameplay features present in previous The Sims titles, such as swimming pools and the toddler Sim life stage, and family trees would not be included in The Sims 4.^[53][54] Some gameplay features introduced in The Sims 3, such as open worlds and the «Create-a-Style» color customization feature, were also excluded from the game.^[55] These announcements sparked criticism among players, who expressed dismay at the exclusion of «core» The Sims gameplay elements, particularly swimming pools and toddler Sims, with fans signing a petition created on the Change.org website in response. Some speculated that the aforementioned features were intentionally left out to be re-introduced in future paid DLC.^[53][56][57]

Maxis issued a statement responding to player criticism, specifying that they had to allocate development resources to the newly developed game engine, technologies, AI simulation system, as well as the revamped Create-a-Sim and Build modes, as reason for the omitted features.^[57][56] They contended that «it was not possible for us to include every single feature and piece of content we added to The Sims 3 over the last five years», but clarified excluded features could be re-introduced in the future via game updates or DLC.^[53][58]

Release and marketing[edit]

On May 6, 2013, Maxis confirmed that The Sims 4 was in development, and would be scheduled for release in 2014.^[59] The Sims 4 was unveiled via gameplay demos and release trailers in August 2013 at Gamescom.^[60] Several trailers were released on YouTube in May 2014; a Create-a-Sim trailer revealed the variety of Sim customization options;^[61] a Build mode trailer showcased the new interface and building tools.^[62][63] Game footage was shown at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) on June 9, 2014, and the game’s North American release date of September 2, 2014 was announced, to be released on Windows.^[63][64] A free playable demo of the Create-a-Sim feature was made available for download on August 12, 2014.^[61][65]

Released alongside the standard edition, the digital-only Deluxe edition of the game includes bonus gameplay objects and clothing, and a digital copy of the game soundtrack; the Premium edition additionally includes a hardcover book containing game tips and artwork.^[66] An OS X version was released on February 17, 2015.^[67] PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions were released on November 17, 2017, co-developed with Blind Squirrel Games; in contrast to previous The Sims entries on consoles, the console versions of The Sims 4 do not exclude content or DLC packs compared to the OS X and Windows versions.^[68]

Collaborative promotions[edit]

A Sims-themed gaming headset, mouse, and «Plumbob» USB light designed by SteelSeries were released alongside the game’s launch in 2014, with the peripherals having built-in LED lights that change according to the playable Sim’s mood.^[69] Maxis announced a collaboration in 2019 with Italian luxury fashion house Moschino; the collaboration includes a collection of pixel art clothing inspired by the franchise, and a Moschino-themed stuff pack titled Moschino Stuff.^[70] A reality competition TV series, The Sims Spark’d, premiered on TBS from July 17, 2020, to August 7, 2020, featuring twelve contestants from popular YouTube channels in the Sims fan community; contestants were tasked with gameplay challenges within The Sims 4, to create characters and stories following the challenge’s themes and limitations.^[71]

The «Sims Sessions» in-game music festival was a limited-time event hosted from June 29, 2021, to July 7, 2021, and was accessible within a special area in the game world.^[72][73] Singers Bebe Rexha, Glass Animals frontman Dave Bayley, and Joy Oladokun recorded Simlish versions of their songs «Sabotage», «Heat Waves», and «Breathe Again», respectively, for their in-game performances during the event.^[72][73]

Reception[edit]

The Sims 4 received «mixed or average reviews» reviews from critics upon its release, according to review aggregator site Metacritic.^[74] Reviewers frequently criticized The Sims 4‘s lack of features and missing content compared to previous titles, particularly The Sims 3‘s «Create-a-Style» color customization tool, open worlds, and gameplay elements from its expansion packs; reviewers also noted encountering frequent loading screens and some glitches.^{[55][83][84][78]}

Jim Sterling of The Escapist described the gameplay as «boring», and described The Sims 4 as «shrunken and sterile».^[85] Kallie Plagge of IGN was disappointed by the lack of «cool objects» in place of missing content, and noted a lack of furnishing options in Build mode compared to The Sims 3.^[80] Nick Tan of GameRevolution describes the game as a «case study for loss aversion», noting frustration among Sims fans due to the missing features and content, concluding that the game is «woefully incomplete».^[77] Reviewers speculated that the notable lack of content is in lieu of features for potential future paid DLC packs, and is an intentional financial decision by EA.^[85][80][82] Lee Cooper of Hardcore Gamer concluded that the game is «a glorified freemium app with multiple expansions on the horizon that should have been part of the core-game.»^[79]

On the positive end, reviewers praised the game’s improved graphical quality, intuitive Build mode and Create-a-Sim tools, the Sim emotion and multitasking systems in gameplay, and the Gallery feature.^[83][78][86] Plagge of IGN commended that she did not need to micro-manage Sims’ interactions with the multitasking system.^[80] Cooper of Hardcore Gamer described the new Create-a-Sim as a «veritable hodgepodge of options», despite the omission of Create-a-Style.^[79] VanOrd of GameSpot praised the visual and audio design, and expressed the combination of the emotion and multitasking systems as a «sheer delight».^[78] Tan of GameRevolution lauded the «unbelievable» animation quality, intuitive game interface, and better performance and stability compared to previous The Sims titles.^[77] Chris Thursten of PC Gamer highlighted the ability to download lookalike Sims of real-life celebrities via the Gallery, and noted that the emotion system «changes the feel and flow of the game».^[82] Alexander Sliwinski from Joystiq commended the new search function in Build mode.^[81]

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game, released in 2017, received additional criticism for its controller-based game controls, as well as various bugs, glitches, and performance issues.^{[75][76][87][88]}

Sales[edit]

The Sims 4 has received over 70 million players worldwide across all platforms as of April 2023, with the game gaining 16 million players since becoming free-to-play in October 2022, making it the most popular game in the franchise.^[89] It has also generated over $1 billion of total revenue as of 2019, including DLC pack sales.^[90] At its release in 2014, The Sims 4 was the first PC game to top the all-format video game charts since Guild Wars 2 (2012).^[91] In 2018, EA reported that all expansion packs combined had sold over 30 million units.^[92]

Post-release[edit]

In response to players’ complaints about missing features, Maxis pledged to introduce additional content and features to The Sims 4 via free updates.^[93] This includes features from past The Sims main titles that were excluded at launch such as swimming pools,^[93] genealogy, toddler Sim life stage,^[94] and basements. Other major features added in updates include the Newcrest sandbox world,^[95] gender customization in Create-a-Sim,^[21] gameplay scenarios,^[96] terrain manipulation tools,^[97] «Neighbourhood Stories» gameplay storytelling system,^[98] a «wants and fears» goal system,^[4] and an infant Sim life stage.^[99] EA affirmed their commitment to long-term support of the game for «ten years, fifteen years, or more» in 2021, citing a «shift across the entire games industry to support and nurture our communities long-term».^[100] As of 2022, free content and feature updates for the game continue to be released regularly.

An update released in July 2022 alongside the High School Years expansion pack inadvertently introduced several glitches to the game, enabling incestual relationships between family members, and rapidly aging Sims.^[101][102] The development team acknowledged the glitches on Twitter and resolved them in an August 2022 update.^[103][104]

EA announced in September 2022 that The Sims 4 base game would become free-to-play on all platforms, starting from October 18, 2022.^[105][106] This makes The Sims 4 the fourth free-to-play entry in the series, following The Sims Social, The Sims FreePlay, and The Sims Mobile.^[106] For a limited time, existing players who had purchased the game previously were entitled to a free copy of the Desert Luxe Kit, a DLC pack containing a small variety of furniture and Build mode items.^[105]

In an October 2022 livestream, Maxis announced a partnership with mod distribution website CurseForge, to provide an official distribution platform for The Sims 4 mods and custom content.^[107][108] Maxis also revealed in the livestream that a sequel to The Sims 4 is in development, under the working title of «Project Rene», and showed footage of potential game functions, such as co-op multiplayer in Build mode and cross-compatibility with desktop and mobile platforms.^[109][110]

Downloadable content packs[edit]

Paid downloadable content (DLC) packs for The Sims 4 have been released since 2015; there are four categories of DLC packs: expansion packs, «game packs», «stuff packs», and «kits».^[2][111] Expansion packs are the largest content packs, primarily focusing on major new features relevant to a theme. Game packs are similar to expansion packs, but include a smaller amount of content. Stuff packs are minor DLC packs only containing a small number of furniture and clothing items. Kits are the smallest DLC packs, with each kit exclusively focusing on either furniture or clothing items.^[112] Critic reviews for expansion packs and game packs have received «generally favorable» to «mixed or average» reception, according to Metacritic.^[113]

Expansion packs[edit]

Game packs[edit]

Issues[edit]

Star Wars: Journey to Batuu, the ninth game pack for The Sims 4, was announced on August 27, 2020. The pack announcement was received negatively by players, who felt it de-prioritized community-requested features and content for the game, with some speculating it was a contractual obligation given EA’s ownership of the Star Wars video game franchise.^[127][128] Prior to the pack’s announcement, an independent poll by Digital Spy asked players what themes they would like to see in future The Sims 4 content packs; Star Wars came in last out of twenty-one possible choices.^[129] Maxis issued a statement in response to the negative player reception, revealing development updates on selected community-requested features and upcoming content, and cited issues during development with «foundational technology» when developing these features.^[127]

My Wedding Stories, the eleventh game pack for The Sims 4, was announced on February 8, 2022. The day after the pack announcement, Maxis stated that they will not release the pack in Russia, citing video game laws prohibiting content promoting homosexuality as a societal norm.^[130][131] After strong backlash and feedback from Russian players, Maxis reversed their decision and released the pack in Russia, unaltered and unchanged, citing that they «reassessed their options».^[132][133] However, since March 2022, Electronic Arts has suspended all video game sales in Russia, due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[134]

Additionally, after My Wedding Stories‘s release on February 23, 2022, it received criticism from players and reviewers for its numerous bugs and glitches, which render the game’s headline wedding event feature unplayable.^{[135][136][137]} This included Sims not walking up and down the aisle correctly, guests showing up in improper wedding attire, and guests performing inappropriate activities during the wedding ceremonies.^[135][137] The pack received an aggregate critic score of 62% on Metacritic, the lowest for a The Sims 4 game pack to date.^[138] Maxis later released an update to address some of these glitches on March 31, 2022.^[139][140]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

В ноябре The Sims 4, наконец, добралась до PS4 и XBO. Серия, созданная легендарным геймдизайнером Уиллом Райтом, существует уже семнадцать лет и до сих пор уверенно лидирует в своем собственном жанре. При этом далеко не все знают, что первые идеи The Sims Райт пробовал развивать еще в далеком 1991 году, но тогда обстоятельства обернулись против него.

Еще при создании своей первой игры, Raid on Bungeling Bay, Райт обратил внимание, что создание уровней для нее его затягивает гораздо больше последующего игрового процесса. Неудивительно, что он стремился все больше и больше наполнять этот мир, и хотел заставить его функционировать самостоятельно.

Raid on Bungeling Bay уже вышла, но Райт продолжал работать с дизайнером уровней, добавляя на карту разные элементы, оживляющие сеттинг. Со временем этот сайд-проект в виде симулятора города превратился в самостоятельное демо под названием SimCity.

Издатели встретили демо скептически и не верили, что SimCity может добиться успеха, ведь в ней не было какой-либо конкретной цели. Райт пытался объяснить, что его проект должен завлекать самим процессом, вроде того, как дети возятся с игрушечной железной дорогой и кукольными домиками. И все же он получил отказ.

Спасение пришло в лице Джеффа Броуна, предпринимателя, который мечтал пробиться в индустрию видеоигр. Броун был впечатлен проектом Райта, и вместе они основали компанию Maxis и выпустили SimCity в 1989.

Спустя три года и миллион проданных копий, SimCity можно было смело назвать хитом. Maxis поняли, что нашли свою нишу, и в последующие годы выпустили несколько игр, разделяющих идею оригинальной SimCity. Среди выпущенных тайтлов были SimEarth, SimAnt, SimCity2000 и SimFarm.
В 1991 году с Райтом произошло несчастье, его дом сгорел в массовом пожаре, после чего семья разработчика была вынуждена обустраиваться заново в новом доме. Тогда в голове у Райта появилась идея воссоздать этот процесс в игре, в которой вместо очередного города игроки будут управлять подобием кукольного домика.

Сначала Райт планировал разместить в игре виртуальных людей, симов, только для того, чтобы игрок мог послушать отзывы о проделанной им работе по оформлению дома. Однако после того как он поработал над SimAnt, которая, по сути, представляла собой симулятор муравейника, геймдизайнер решил, что также как и у муравьев, у симов должна быть более значимая роль в игре.

После того, как все его идеи были собраны в одну концепцию, он начал разрабатывать прототип с небольшой командой, но далеко продвинуться они не сумели. У Maxis начались финансовые трудности, что в итоге привело к покупке студии компанией Electronic Arts. Новое руководство восприняло идею Райта с большим энтузиазмом, и геймдизайнер, наконец, получил необходимое финансирование и команду.

The Sims (2000)

В 2000 The Sims вышла на PC. Игрок мог выбрать готовую семью симов или же создать своих персонажей, определяя помимо внешности, каким они будут обладать характером. На выданные двадцать тысяч симолеонов, игрок мог купить дом и обставить его вещами первой необходимости, или же построить себе жилище с нуля самостоятельно.

Что же касается волновавшего в свое время издателей отсутствие четкой цели в игре, то идеи Райта сработали на 100%. Хотя симы и могли принимать свои решения, именно игрок контролировал каждый аспект их жизни. Получившаяся песочница не наскучивала и даже привлекала обычно не задействованную в индустрию, женскую аудиторию. Как и задумывалось, в The Sims нельзя было победить, но варианты проигрыша все же имелись. При определенных обстоятельствах симы могли сгореть при пожаре после неумелого обращения с камином или, например, утонуть, заснув в бассейне. Не говоря уже о том, что симы могли испортить себе жизнь, разрушив дружбу с соседом или потеряв работу.

Главной задачей игрока было следить за тем, чтобы основные восемь потребностей их персонажа, как можно больше находились на зеленой стороне. От этого зависело настроение сима и его желание выполнять команды игрока.

Большим фактором в игре были деньги, о которых нельзя было забывать. Утром симы должны были идти на работу, а в свободное время развивать навыки, необходимы для движения по карьерной лестнице, что со временем принесет большие деньги, которые игрок мог потратить, например, на элементы декора. Или же, как и поступала солидная часть игроков, можно было избежать этого процесса и использовать читы на деньги. Таким образом, игроки могли сосредоточиться на постройке дома своей мечты, как когда-то и задумывал Райт. Вот только, превратив The Sims в симулятор архитектора, игроки часто теряли интерес к дальнейшему проживанию в этом идеальном месте со всем необходимым. Все же ключевой составляющей The Sims были сами симы, а не дома, в которых они проживали.

Симы могли дружить и заводить врагов, а могли пожениться и завести ребенка, который становился взрослее через определенное количество игровых дней.

Что касается озвучки, то здесь Райт рассудил, что если персонажи будут говорить на английском, их реплики быстро надоедят игрокам. В результате чтобы избежать этой проблемы, а заодно сэкономить на локализации игры в разных странах, был создан специальный язык «simlish». Райт пригласил актеров, специализирующихся на импровизации, и попросил их сочинять на ходу абсолютный бред, который запомнить было совсем непросто.

The Sims ждал оглушительный коммерческий успех и в 2002 году она красовалась в самом топе продаж, а к 2005 году количество проданных копий дошло до 16 миллионов. The Sims со временем обогнала Myst, и стала самой продаваемой PC-игрой за все время.

Несмотря на свои амбиции, Райт был крайне удивлен успехом игры, половиной игроков которой оказались женского пола. The Sims стала для них настоящим хобби, на которое они тратили куда больше времени, чем мужская часть игроков.

Между прочем, The Sims могла выйти на год раньше, но Райт, вдохновленный игровым сообществом тайтлов id Software, хотел добиться такой же вовлеченности игроков. Разработчики потратили дополнительное время, чтобы убедиться, что после выхода тайтла у игроков будут инструменты для создания своего контента, которым можно обмениваться с другими людьми.

Чтобы интерес к The Sims не угасал, после выхода игры Maxis начали выпускать дополнения, содержащие помимо огромного числа элементов новый геймплейные механики. Самым популярным из них стало The Sims Living Large, которое приобрело около 50% владельцев оригинальной игры.

В 2002 Уилл Райт попытался привнести в полюбившийся людям геймплей, элемент, о котором многие игрок могли только мечтать. The Sims Online предложила игрокам ходить друг к другу в гости и соревноваться дизайном домов в реальном времени. Однако на деле оказалось, что игроки проводят больше времени за наращиванием скиллов, нежели за общением. Кроме того проблемой стало отсутствие возможности создавать свои предметы, что отвернуло от игры солидную часть любителей оригинала.

The Sims 2 (2004)

Вторая часть внесла достаточно много изменений в серию и прежде всего, перевела ее в полноценное 3D. Характеры симов стали сложнее. Теперь, помимо удовлетворения их базовых потребностей, игроку необходимо было учитывать их желания и страхи, что делало знакомый геймплей еще увлекательней.

Появился детальный конструктор персонажей с проработкой внешности, которая передавалась ребенку симов вместе с чертами характеров родителей. Вообще в The Sims 2 был сделан довольно большой упор на симуляцию полноценной семейной жизни симов с новыми этапами жизни и построением семейного древа.

Критики обожали The Sims 2. Maxis, продав первый миллион за десять дней, добралась до отметки в четыре миллиона до конца года. Как и в случае с первой частью, Maxis возлагали большие надежды на дополнения, которых за четыре года компания успела выпустить восемь штук. Но если часть дополнений включали в себя в первую очередь новые предметы, то другие смогли существенно разнообразить геймплей.

К примеру, University добавило новый жизненный этап. Вместо превращения из подростков во взрослых, симы теперь становились девушками и юношами, и отправлялись в университет получать образование, жить в общежитии с однокурсниками и развлекаться на дискотеках.

Open Business дала возможность попробовать организовать свое дело, Seasons ввела в игру времена года, изначально планировавшиеся для основного релиза.

В случае с The Sims 2 голод игроков на новый контент рос не по дням, а по часам, в результате чего Maxis решила выпускать Stuff Packs, в которых предлагали игрокам тонну новых вещей, в том числе мебель от Ikea и одежду от H&M.

The Sims 3 (2009)

Maxis прекратила работать над серией еще в 2006 году, когда была создана студия The SimStudio исключительно для работы над The Sims. Райт напоследок разработал в Maxis успешную Spore, прежде чем покинул компанию в 2009.

В этом же году состоялся релиз The Sims 3. На этот раз разработчики усовершенствовали и разнообразили все основные механики игры, но главным новшеством для серии стал открытый мир, а точнее открытое соседство. Теперь вы могли перемещаться между районами и домами без каких либо загрузочных экранов, и жизнь протекала в реальном времени. Более того, игрок мог выбрать опцию, при которой все симы района жили бы своей жизнью, рожали детей и умирали без вашего вовлечения в процесс.

Среди дополнений особенно выделилось Into the Future, которое предлагало переместить вселенную симов в будущее с летающими автомобилями и роботами.

The Sims 3 стала еще одним успехом компании, которая продала миллион копий игры всего за неделю.

Стоит отметить попытку разработчиков воссоздать The Sims в сеттинге средневековья в виде The Sims Medieval. Однако на этом разработчики не остановились и добавили RPG-элементы в игру. Видимо, чтобы ничто не отвлекало от управления королевством, разработчики сократили количество потребностей симов до двух: голод и энергия. Также были убраны разные этапы жизни персонажей и возможность создавать свои предметы интерьера.

The Sims 4 (2014)

После проблем с перезапуском SimCity, для которой от игроков требовалось постоянное подключение к интернету, Electronic Arts поняла, что нужно вернуть The Sims. Для этого Maxis была соединена с The SimStudio и вскоре была анонсирована четвертая часть франшизы.

Главной фишкой The Sims 4 стала проработанная система эмоций симов, позволяющая им реагировать на окружающих их персонажей и происходящие с ними события. В остальном разработчики постарались довести детализацию всеми любимых механик до идеала. Конструктор симов позволял буквально скальпелем вырезать внешность сима, а постройка и декорирование домов стала максимально удобной и интуитивной. Вдобавок создание собственного контента на этот раз было реализовано в самой игре.

К сожалению, чтобы реализовать все вышеперечисленное, разработчики отказались от разных элементов, с которыми игрокам совсем не хотелось прощаться. Так, из серии были убраны бассейны, дети раннего возраста, и самое обидное — открытый мир со школами и магазинами. И хотя некоторые элементы вернулись в последующих дополнениях, многие игроки все равно воспринимают The Sims 4 не более, как обрезанную третью часть. Четвертая часть получила непривычно низкие оценки, но, несмотря на это, игровое сообщество серии остается довольно активным и по сей день.

***

Конечно, помимо основных частей, существует еще бесчисленное количество спин-оффов, вроде MySims, но они представляют собой развлечение больше для хардкорных фанатов линейки.

На данный момент нет конкретного подтверждения от разработчиков, но по интернету пошли слухи, что The Sims 5 может выйти в 2019. Изначально Maxis довольно ясно дала понять, что разработка пятой части будет напрямую зависеть от успеха The Sims 4. И, несмотря на ряд недостатков последней, ее продажи были далеки от провала. Так что, вполне возможно, творение Уилла Райта получит еще одно достойное продолжение.

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The Sims 4
Smarter Sims, Weirder Stories
Development
Developer(s)	Maxis, The Sims Studio
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Ratings	CERO: C ESRB: T [1] FPB: 13 ACB: M [2] PEGI: 12 Federal Law of Russian Federation: 18[3]
Series	The Sims
Release date(s)	Microsoft Windows NA September 2, 2014[4][5][6] GB September 5, 2014 EU September 4, 2014 JP September 4, 2014 AUS September 4, 2014 macOS INT February 17, 2015 Xbox One, PlayStation 4 INT November 17, 2017
Technical information
Platform(s)	Windows, macOS
Mode(s)	Single-player
System requirements	Minimum system requirements on TheSims.com
Game features
Genres	Life simulation
Creatures	Sim, Ghost, Grim Reaper, PlantSim
Worlds	Oasis Springs, Willow Creek, Newcrest
Related pages
Patches and updates
Cheats

The Sims 4 is the fourth installment in The Sims franchise. Like the previous games in the series, The Sims 4 focuses on creating and controlling a neighborhood of virtual people, called «Sims». The Sims 4 boasts an overhauled and intuitive Create a Sim, updated building tools, and deeper, more complex Sims through the addition of emotions and new traits.

The Sims 4 was released in North America on September 2, 2014,^[4] and in other places worldwide shortly thereafter for PC. A Mac version of the game was announced at the same time but a release date was not specified until early 2015. It was released on February 17, 2015, several months after the PC version.^[7] Console versions of The Sims 4 were released on November 17, 2017, for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.^[8] This is the first time the full base game and content packs are available for consoles, unlike previous iterations in which a watered down version of the game was used.

Official description[edit | edit source]

Smarter Sims. Weirder Stories

The Sims 4 is the highly anticipated life simulation game that lets you play with life like never before. Control smarter Sims with unique appearances, personalities, behaviors, and emotions. Experience new levels of creativity when you sculpt Sims with the powerful Create A Sim and design beautiful homes with tactile, room-based Build Mode. Use The Gallery to browse, share, and download new content without ever leaving your game. Control the mind, body, and heart of your Sims and explore your new gameplay possibilities in vibrant neighborhoods that bring your stories to life.

Features^[9]

• Smarter Sims – Create and control smarter Sims with unique appearances, personalities, and emotions in The Sims 4.

Create unique Sims and customize their appearance, fashion styles, personality traits, skills, careers, and walk styles. For the first time, Sims both feel and express emotions. Your Sims experience a range of emotional states driven by your actions and influenced by other Sims, events, and objects within the game. Emotions offer you more choices and give you the opportunity to create gameplay moments with even more possibilities. Enjoy how your Sims interact and express their distinct personalities in social settings within the game.

Create and control the mind, body, and heart of your Sims and bring your stories to life like never before in The Sims 4.

• Powerful, Creative Tools – Create A Sim and Build Mode are more powerful, intuitive, and fun than ever before. You have the control to sculpt Sims with tactile precision. Effortlessly construct the home of your dreams with the all new, room-based Build Mode.
• Vibrant Neighborhoods – Experience new gameplay opportunities brought to life within vibrant and dynamic neighborhoods. Choose among beautiful and diverse lots for your Sims to build their homes and explore activities. Expand your social circle and interact with other Sims in the neighborhood and hang out in community parks and venues.
• Rich Rewards – Earn new objects, outfits, and traits by completing events, discovering collectibles, and unlocking achievements.
• Share Your Creations – The Gallery allows you to browse, share, and download new content without ever leaving your game. Get inspired by rich content created by The Sims community and add new experiences to your game.

Game features[edit | edit source]

Create a Sim[edit | edit source]

Create a Sim is revitalized, making it more intuitive, flexible, and detailed than in previous games. Sims’ physical features are customized by clicking-and-dragging on different parts of the body. It is described as being like clay by multiple people in the community. Overall body size and amount of muscle are adjusted by sliders, but the size and shape of individual body parts can be adjusted individually, allowing players to make Sims with unique body shapes. Sims’ facial features are also customized by the same click-and-drag mechanic. There is also a «detail mode,» which allows more precise modification of certain facial features. All changes made to one side of the body or head are automatically made to the opposite side.

Emotions[edit | edit source]

Sims in The Sims 4 have more emotional depth than in any previous game in the series. A Sims’ emotional state affects which actions they perform and how the actions are performed. One Sim’s emotions can affect other Sims around them. Sims in extreme emotional states can even be killed by their emotions. The emotions that a Sim can or will experience are affected by their moodlets, traits, and life stage.

In-game Gallery[edit | edit source]

The gallery is an in-game exchange feature, allowing players to share their Sims, families, and buildings with other Sims players. Players can add their creations to the gallery, or pull other player creations into their game quickly. The gallery is fully integrated into The Sims 4; everything added to the game through the gallery is immediately playable, without the need to restart the game. An internet connection is required to access the gallery. The Gallery was added to console versions on January 16, 2020. Subscriptions are not required to access the Gallery; only an EA account is required. Console players are freely able to share content with PC and Mac players, and vice versa.

Build mode[edit | edit source]

The Sims 4 features a revitalized, room-based build mode. Rooms are placed down and then stretched in all directions until they reach the desired size and shape. Rooms and entire houses can be picked up and moved around the lot, including all objects, floor and wall coverings, doors and windows. The Sims 4 improves upon the blueprint mode of The Sims 3, allowing players to place down fully-furnished rooms in a variety of styles; these rooms can then be resized, moved and adjusted as well. Players can also upload their rooms to the Gallery or download rooms from the Gallery to add to houses.

Several pre-existing build mode features have also been updated. Walls and half walls now have one of three different heights, set on each individual level of a building. Windows placed on walls can be moved up or down vertically along the wall. Windows can be automatically added to rooms, then adjusted by the player as needed. Columns automatically stretch or contract to match the height of the walls on a particular level, and can be added to railings without the use of the moveobjects cheat. Foundations are no longer treated as separate levels on a building. Foundations can be added to or removed from a building, even if the building is already built, and the height of the foundation can be adjusted.

Creatures[edit | edit source]

• In The Sims 4, ghosts exist after a Sim has died. They will float around either possessing objects, spooking Sims, or acting out based on how they died. They also can acquire abilities in death based on how they died; such as a ghost who died by fire can start fires when angry. Ghosts can be revived through a multitude of ways through ambrosia, book of life, etc.
• Aliens are introduced in The Sims 4: Get to Work. They can be naturally found by venturing in the scientist career, exploring Sixam, or creating them in Create a Sim. Aliens have an assortment of abilities such as erasing minds, empathizing, and even transmuting metals, crystals, and elements. Aliens have a human form in order to blend in human society and can be caught as an alien by other Sims.
• Vampires are introduced in The Sims 4: Vampires. Sims can be turned into a vampire by vampires who have the «Vampire Creation» perk or can be created in Create a Sim. Vampires have a large array of powers and abilities through their own powers menu. but at the same time they have to acquire weaknesses to balance out. Vampires can train and learn from other vampires to rise in the ranks and become even more powerful.
• Dogs, Cats, Foxes, and Raccoons are introduced in The Sims 4: Cats & Dogs. Pets count as a part of the Sim’s household, unlike The Sims 3: Pets and more like The Sims 2: Pets, they cannot be controlled.
• Skeletons are introduced in The Sims 4: Jungle Adventure. Skeletons are mostly NPC’s however Sims can temporarily become skeletons via relics found within the tomb.
• Rodents are introduced in The Sims 4: My First Pet Stuff. There are multiple rodents and can be tended to by Sims, they can be given special treats to add features or make them less intelligent. They also can cause rabid rodent fever which can cause death in Sims who are bitten.
• Mermaids are introduced in The Sims 4: Island Living. They are naturally found in the world of Sulani, but Sims can become mermaids thorugh «Mermadic Kelp» or can be created in Create a Sim. Mermaids flourish in the water and have many water based abilities as well as the ability to hypnotically effect other Sim’s emotions through siren songs.
• Spellcasters and Familiars are introduced in The Sims 4: Realm of Magic. Sims can become spellcasters through the three sages in the Magic Realm, through magical lineage, or created in Create a Sim. Spellcasters are magically imbued Sims who can cast spells, concoct potions, and grow in their own ranks and perk system much like vampires. Familiars are magical creatures that aid spellcasters in duelling and spellcasting as well as can protect them from death.
• Servos are introduced in The Sims 4: Discover University. Students that reach level 8 of their robotics skill can build one, it then joins the active sim’s household. Its name, traits and color can all be customized. They have fewer needs and are efficient in gaining skills; they are however, afraid of water (including rain) and will turn into a pile of scrap should they encounter water for too long.

Worlds and neighborhoods[edit | edit source]

In The Sims 4, the classic concept of neighborhoods has been replaced with worlds. Each world consists of multiple distinct neighborhoods. Sims can be in any or all neighborhoods within a world at a given time, but the player can only fully control interactions and actions within whichever neighborhood is loaded at the time. Sims outside the loaded neighborhood can still be controlled to a limited degree. Players can switch between which neighborhood is loaded, though this brings up a loading screen.^[10]

The Sims 4 was initially released with two worlds—Oasis Springs and Willow Creek. An additional free world, Newcrest, was added in a subsequent base game patch.

Most expansion packs of The Sims 4 introduced new worlds to the game. Get to Work introduced Magnolia Promenade, which is a standalone neighborhood and not a full-sized world.^[11] Get Together came with Windenburg, a European-inspired world. In City Living, San Myshuno was introduced—a city that has a variety of apartments. It is the first world that has named neighborhoods, though they are more commonly referred to as districts. Cats & Dogs introduced a coastal world called Brindleton Bay. In Get Famous, a Los Angeles-inspired world called Del Sol Valley was introduced. It is mainly created for players to experience the acting career included in the pack and watch their Sims rise up in fame. Island Living has a tropical world named Sulani, a fully residential world inspired by Polynesian islands. Discover University introduces Britechester, a campus world with two rival universities. Eco Lifestyle adds the coastal world of Evergreen Harbor, a sustainable development-focused world that can change from polluted to lush with sim intervention and conservation. Snowy Escape is focused on the wintery and Japanese-inspired world of Mt. Komorebi.

A number of game packs for The Sims 4 also came with new worlds, albeit mostly smaller than the expansion pack worlds. Vampires introduced Forgotten Hollow, a one-neighborhood world created primarily for the game pack’s new life state, vampires, to live in. StrangerVille introduced StrangerVille, a desert-like residential world inspired by the American southwest. Realm of Magic introduced an alpine wooded small world named Glimmerbrook, as well as the secret world of The Magic Realm. Outdoor Retreat, Jungle Adventure and Journey to Batuu introduced the vacation-only worlds of Granite Falls, Selvadorada, and Batuu respectively.

The Sims 4 contains many references to worlds in The Sims 3 despite being in a parallel universe. One example would be for a Sim to receive a postcard from Sunset Valley, which is a world in The Sims 3.

Expansions, updates, and DLCs[edit | edit source]

Expansion packs[edit | edit source]

Like previous entries in the The Sims series, expansion packs have also been released for the game. So far, ten expansion packs have been released, with an eleventh on the way.

• The Sims 4: Get to Work
• The Sims 4: Get Together
• The Sims 4: City Living
• The Sims 4: Cats & Dogs
• The Sims 4: Seasons
• The Sims 4: Get Famous
• The Sims 4: Island Living
• The Sims 4: Discover University
• The Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle
• The Sims 4: Snowy Escape
• The Sims 4: Cottage Living

The first expansion pack is called The Sims 4: Get to Work and was released in March 2015. It combines some elements from The Sims 2: Open for Business and The Sims 3: Ambitions where Sims are able to run their own business and command the Sims during work. The careers (returning from previous titles) include doctor (medical), detective (law enforcement), and science.

At Gamescom 2015, Rachel Franklin announced The Sims 4: Get Together, along with its official trailer. The expansion focuses on socializing, partying, creating and managing clubs, and acts as a spiritual successor to previous The Sims games, including The Sims: House Party and The Sims 2: Nightlife.

On September 13, 2016, the trailer for the third expansion pack called The Sims 4: City Living was released. The expansion itself was released on November 1, 2016. The pack features some spiritual elements from The Sims 2: Apartment Life and The Sims 3: Late Night. Sims can rent apartments, sing karaoke, and go to festivals.

On August 21, 2017 at Gamescom, Lyndsay Pearson announced the fourth expansion pack called The Sims 4: Cats & Dogs, that was released on November 10, 2017. It combines some elements from The Sims: Unleashed, The Sims 2: Pets, and The Sims 3: Pets where Sims are able to own cats and dogs, along with the ability to build and manage vet clinics.

On May 24, 2018, the fifth expansion pack, The Sims 4: Seasons, was announced to be released on June 22, 2018. It adds weather, seasons, holidays and a new botanist profession. The pack includes some returning elements from The Sims 2: Seasons and The Sims 3: Seasons.

On October 9, 2018, the sixth expansion pack, The Sims 4: Get Famous, was leaked through Origin with a release date of November 16, 2018. It adds a celebrity system, an acting career and a new world catered towards film making and famous Sims. This pack features some spiritual elements from The Sims: Superstar, The Sims 3: Late Night and The Sims 3: Showtime.

The seventh expansion pack, The Sims 4: Island Living, was accidentally leaked by EA on June 7, 2019 and was officially announced during EA Play on June 8, 2019. It primarily focuses on relaxation, island life, exploring the ocean in many ways, enjoying various beach activities, and reintroduces mermaids as a playable life state. It acts as a spiritual successor to The Sims 3: Island Paradise with elements of Vacation Island from The Sims: Vacation and Twikkii Island from The Sims 2: Bon Voyage.

On October 22, 2019, EA announced the eighth expansion pack for the game: The Sims 4: Discover University. It reintroduces the college experience to the game, and adds robots, roommates, new careers, the new campus world of Britechester, where two rival universities are located, and acts as a spiritual successor to previous college-themed expansion packs from The Sims games, including The Sims 2: University and The Sims 3: University Life.

The ninth expansion pack, The Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle, was released on June 5, 2020 and focuses on sustainability, green energy, crafting and its industrial-based world of Evergreen Harbor.

On October 19th, 2020, EA announced the tenth expansion for the game: The Sims 4: Snowy Escape. It reintroduced winter aspects in a new world Mt. Komorebi. This pack features some elements of Vacation Island from The Sims: Vacation, Takemizu Village and Three Lakes from The Sims 2: Bon Voyage and Shang Simla from The Sims 3: World Adventures, as well as Mount Fuji in The Sims Online and Melbourne in The Sims 2 for console. It was released on November 13, 2020.

Game packs[edit | edit source]

New to The Sims 4 are «game packs».^[12] Game packs are generally smaller than full expansion packs, but have more content than stuff packs.^[13] So far, ten game packs have been released.

• The Sims 4: Outdoor Retreat
• The Sims 4: Spa Day
• The Sims 4: Dine Out
• The Sims 4: Vampires
• The Sims 4: Parenthood
• The Sims 4: Jungle Adventure
• The Sims 4: StrangerVille
• The Sims 4: Realm of Magic
• The Sims 4: Journey to Batuu
• The Sims 4: Dream Home Decorator

Stuff packs[edit | edit source]

As with previous The Sims titles, stuff packs have also been released for the game. So far, eighteen stuff packs have been released.

• The Sims 4: Luxury Party Stuff
• The Sims 4: Perfect Patio Stuff
• The Sims 4: Cool Kitchen Stuff
• The Sims 4: Spooky Stuff
• The Sims 4: Movie Hangout Stuff
• The Sims 4: Romantic Garden Stuff
• The Sims 4: Kids Room Stuff
• The Sims 4: Backyard Stuff
• The Sims 4: Vintage Glamour Stuff
• The Sims 4: Bowling Night Stuff
• The Sims 4: Fitness Stuff
• The Sims 4: Toddler Stuff
• The Sims 4: Laundry Day Stuff
• The Sims 4: My First Pet Stuff
• The Sims 4: Moschino Stuff
• The Sims 4: Tiny Living Stuff
• The Sims 4: Nifty Knitting Stuff
• The Sims 4: Paranormal Stuff

Kits[edit | edit source]

A new pack type called «kits» were introduced in March 2021. They are smaller and cheaper than stuff packs and feature a very small selection of objects, clothes or gameplay within a very specific theme.^[14] Four kits have been released so far.

• Bust the Dust
• Country Kitchen
• Throwback Fit
• Courtyard Oasis

Free packs[edit | edit source]

Free Packs are content packs available on Origin to download for no additional price.

• The Sims 4: Holiday Celebration Pack is a free downloadable add-on that features festive decorations and clothing which was originally released on December 16, 2014. Since then it has been updated five times with extra content, for the Holiday seasons in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
• The Sims 4: Grim’s Ghoulish Guitar Pack includes one additional guitar item for PC and Mac. Signing up for EA emails is required in order to download the pack.

Bundle packs[edit | edit source]

Bundle Packs are released periodically and include multiple titles from The Sims 4 for a reduced cost than buying them all separately. Players can also build their own bundles on Origin, consisting of an expansion pack, a game pack and a stuff pack.

• Bundle Pack 1: Spa Day, Perfect Patio Stuff, Luxury Party Stuff
• Bundle Pack 2: Outdoor Retreat, Cool Kitchen Stuff, Spooky Stuff
• Bundle Pack 3: Dine Out, Movie Hangout Stuff, Romantic Garden Stuff
• Bundle Pack 4: Vampires, Kids Room Stuff, Backyard Stuff
• Bundle Pack 5: Parenthood, Bowling Night Stuff, Vintage Glamour Stuff
• Bundle Pack 6: Jungle Adventure, Fitness Stuff, Toddler Stuff

Patches[edit | edit source]

The Sims 4 receives game updates through Origin. Game updates may consist of bug fixes, minor additions, and new features. Some patches are notable for including major additions or features to the game.

• The October 1, 2014 patch added the ghost life state and a Star Wars costume set.
• The November 4, 2014 patch added the swimsuit clothing category and swimming pools.
• The December 16, 2014 patch added two new careers, athletic and business.
• The February 3, 2015 patch reintroduced the use of family trees.
• The March 26, 2015 patch added the basement tool.
• The June 11, 2015 patch added a new empty world, Newcrest, and the custom room tool.
• The July 9, 2015 patch added half walls and lockable doors.
• The August 6, 2015 patch added dishwashers.
• The September 24, 2015 patch added a new trait, jealous, as well as the option for a Sim to «claim» a bed.
• The November 3, 2015 patch added a new repairman Service to the phone who will come to the Sims house and repair items. The patch also added 6 new items from the Halloween #TeamTreat and #TeamTrick event; 3 #TeamTreat items and 3 #TeamTrick items comprising of 2 Doors, 2 Fish Bowls and 2 Storage Chests each themed after Team Treat and Team Trick.
• The December 4, 2015 patch introduced a 64-bit version of the game. Bartenders, caterers, and masseuses can now be hired. New group behaviors were introduced. A new pool venue and pool coloring were also added.
• The February 4, 2016 patch introduced the Tragic Clown painting, gardener NPC, Grilled Cheese aspiration and kleptomaniac trait.
• The March 22, 2016 patch introduced Jasmine Holiday with the Spring Challenge and Growfruits.
• The April 21, 2016 patch reintroduced the Tragic Clown as an NPC.
• The June 2, 2016 patch expanded CAS gender customization options allowing both genders to wear any clothing and hairstyle, masculine or feminine body frame, whether they can get pregnant, and if they use the toilet standing. As well as updating and improving UI.
• The June 23, 2016 patch returned the monsters under bed feature for children’s beds as well as the feature for the child to befriend the monster.
• The July 14, 2016 patch returned nannies as a hirable NPC, and added new UI changes.
• The August 16, 2016 patch returned customisable phone skins in a variety of colours and styles. As well as, Grim’s Ghoulish Guitar if the player signed up to the Sims Newsletter.
• The September 27, 2016 patch added a new recipe «Pan de Muerto» and many new outfits and objects to celebrate the Day of the Dead.
• The October 27, 2016 patch added lot traits and the copy room tool.
• The December 1, 2016 patch added more objects to the Holiday Celebration pack, as well as new interfaces for alien Sims such as an alien icon above traits in CAS, switch between disguise and alien form within CAS, and a metal plate around the middle of their plumbob in-game.
• The January 12, 2017 patch added toddlers, loads of toddler items in buy mode, new kids toys, new teeth options, new skin colors and a new «Creepy» walk style.
• The February 2, 2017 patch redesigned the main menu and added a new celebration shirt.
• The March 23, 2017 patch added the new lot trait «Teen Hangout».
• The May 25, 2017 patch redesigned the load game menu and added 3 new ceiling lights to build mode.
• The September 12, 2017 patch added a new gallery interface, and 21 new CAS and build mode items.
• The November 7, 2017 patch added new roof styles and options, abilities to control Sim culling and the photography skill that was originally from Get to Work.
• The February 6, 2018 patch added one new female hairstyle, a new T-shirt and 10 new skin tones.
• The February 22, 2018 patch upgraded and added new reward traits, as well as a new toddler bed.
• The March 8, 2018 patch added the Noctis Lucis Caelum costume from Final Fantasy XV, due to EA’s game crossover partnership.
• The June 19, 2018 patch added glass roofs, two new clothing categories and overhauled the gardening system.
• The July 31, 2018 patch overhauled The Gallery.
• The August 16, 2018 patch added various Caribbean-inspired clothing, hair, makeup and furniture, along with sliding doors and decorative ceiling fans.
• The November 13, 2018 patch added terrain tools, updates to foundations, additional basement levels and half wall heights, the Style Influencer career, self-employment, first person camera, a brand new tutorial and new clothing to Create a Sim.
• The February 5, 2019 patch added new objects, clothing and food recipes themed around the Chinese New Year.
• The April 16, 2019 patch added three new freelance careers, new objects and clothing, and a Freezer Bunny hoodie made in collaboration with Italian Fashion House, Moschino.
• The June 18, 2019 patch added a randomize traits button to Create a Sim, a portable lounge chair, 350 new swatches for doors, stilted foundations, clothing optional and off-the-grid lot traits, part-time jobs for Sims older than teens, new interactions to swimming, new additions to fishing, and various new pride month related objects and clothing.
• The July 16, 2019 patch added more clothing and accessories to the base game, a Create a Sim stories feature that allows players to create Sims with more starting conditions, a new cheat in build mode to unlock previously inaccessible world decoration objects, and a rebrand to the entire game.
• The August 8, 2019 patch changed the new loading screen to a darker tone and added more options to photography.
• The September 5, 2019 patch added more customization options for stairs, allowing for configurations such as L-shaped and U-shaped stairs, as well as new Create a Sim and build mode content in celebration of the game’s 5th anniversary.
• The November 12, 2019 patch added the ability to stretch out columns over multiple stories as well as UI scaling, updated the Holiday Celebration Pack with more clothes for children and toddlers, and made the Hip-Hop radio station available in the base game.
• The December 12, 2019 patch added music to the alternative radio station.
• The January 16, 2020 patch added the ability to upgrade beds to upgrade their comfort and energy gain, as well as added more slots to accent tables for objects to be placed.
• The February 4, 2020 patch added a new base game hot tub and new music.
• The June 3, 2020 patch added ladders, firefighters, (base game) repo-men, an expanded inventory system, free placement of windows and doors on walls, expanded bills & utilities, an off-the-grid build mode category, and updated pre-City Living worlds to have neighborhood descriptions.
• The November 10, 2020 patch added platforms and more half walls in build mode, new music in S-Pop, sentiments, Sim profiles and vacationing in any world.
• The December 8, 2020 patch added sliders for skintones and make-up.
• The January 21, 2021 patch added the Scared emotion and retrofitted 60+ tense moodlets to be scared.
• The March 23, 2021 patch added bunk beds, two improved hairs, and extra swatches to decor art posters and paintings.

Legacy edition[edit | edit source]

On March 19, 2019, EA announced that it was ending support for versions of The Sims 4 running on non-Metal Macs and on 32-bit operating systems in June 2019.^[15] However plans for this were pushed back with no further announcements. However, on November 12, 2019, Patch 88 officially discontinued support for 32-bit and non-Metal systems, requiring all The Sims 4 content released after this date to be 64-bit or Metal compatible. The Sims 4: Legacy Edition was released on the same date — it is available only to players who run The Sims 4 on non-Metal Macs or on 32-bit PCs. All The Sims 4 content released before November 12, 2019 is compatible with Legacy Edition, but no content or game patches are compatible after that date. The Gallery, game banners, and social integrations are also disabled in Legacy Edition.

Create a Sim demo[edit | edit source]

On July 7, 2014, Rachel Franklin (SimGuruRachel) announced the debut of The Sims 4 Create a Sim Demo.^[16] Starting on July 8, a limited number of Sims players were given early access to the demo. A week later, on July 15, the public was able to sign up for access to the demo, though not everyone who signed up received access. On August 12, the demo was made public and available to everyone, through Origin.^[17]

The demo allows players to create only young adult Sims, and features the body sculpting tools in the base game Create a Sim. The demo also gives access to the Gallery. Sims created by other players or by Maxis can be downloaded into the demo and adjusted, and players can add their own Sims to the gallery as well. Sims created in the demo are exportable to The Sims 4.

Other Information[edit | edit source]

• The Sims 4 is set in a new time period and has no continuity to previous games.^[18] However, some Sims from previous games (such as the Goth family) appear; the timeline for The Sims 4 therefore exists in an «alternate universe» from the timeline of the first three games.^[19]
• The Sims 4 had an autosave feature which was removed in Patch 50.^[20] However, it’s still available in the console versions of the game.
• Toddlers did not initially appear in The Sims 4 base game.^[21] The life stage was completely left out of the game, and was not combined with the baby stage.^[22] However, they were added in with the January 12, 2017 update after two years of the game’s initial release.^[23]
• Swimming pools were not included in the base game,^[21] however, they were re-added in Patch 7.
• The Sims 4 is playable in a single player offline mode and the core of the game is intended to be played offline. The game doesn’t require a constant internet connection.^[24][25] However, the Origin client is required in order to install the game,^[26] and an internet connection is required to access the in-game content Gallery.
• Voice-over content in the game is completely new; there are no recycled Sim voices from previous games.^[27]
• The Sims 4 uses a new game engine that bears little to no resemblance to the engine used in The Sims 3.^[28]
• The soundtrack for The Sims 4 is composed by English film composer Ilan Eshkeri.^[29]
• The Sims 4‘s original loading screen was changed in a patch.
• The Sims 4 receives free content updates every month, with the exception of January.^[30] However, in January 2017, a free update brought in toddlers to the game.
• Similarly to the previous games, players can add custom music to the game.

Development[edit | edit source]

Announcement[edit | edit source]

On Monday, May 6, 2013, Maxis confirmed that it will be released on Mac and PC in 2014.^[31] The original game announcement reads:

The Sims franchise is fueled by the passion and creativity of its millions of fans around the world. Their continued devotion to the franchise ignites the fire of creativity of the team at The Sims Studio, driving them to continually improve and innovate on one of the world’s most successful simulation game that has sold more than 150 million copies worldwide.

The Sims 4 celebrates the heart and soul of the Sims themselves, giving players a deeper connection with the most expressive, surprising and charming Sims ever in this single-player offline experience. The Sims 4 encourages players to personalize their world with new and intuitive tools while offering them the ability to effortlessly share their creativity with friends and fans.

They say that the eyes are the window into the soul, let’s just say that these eyes are a window into our future. We can’t wait to show you more.

Gamescom Reveal and Leak[edit | edit source]

The Sims 4 had a major reveal, including a trailer, at Gamescom on August 20, 2013 (14:00 UTC) and a further preview on August 22, 2013 at (15:00 UTC) containing a live gameplay demo. The preview was shown at EA channel in Twitch, instead of streaming via TheSims channel on YouTube.

Meanwhile, SimsCamp was an event planned for late August, 2013 in Cologne, Germany. It was centered around ‘The Sims 4’ reveal at Gamescom. Many well-known fansites and personalities (called the «YibSims», meaning best friends in Simlish) were invited to be part of the event. They had the opportunity to ask questions and play the game for the first time.^[32]

Before the Gamescom reveal, multiple fansites created articles which leaked the game’s previews and information, which was found on the servers running on thesims.com website.^[33] There were many renders leaked as well and the leak also included an article from PC Powerplay, a gaming magazine.

The reveal was presented by Rachel Franklin, the executive producer on The Sims 4. She explained «SmartSim», a feature which enriches emotions for the Sims. In the game, the Sims’ emotions are affected in many ways, for example, relationships, furniture, etc.

She also showed «creative tools», like the familiar Create a Sim and Build Mode, which was reinvented to make them «intuitive, powerful and flexible». She also showed new and returning objects like a voodoo doll, a violin and a punching bag. At the end of the reveal, she stated that the official website for The Sims 4 was ready, and pre-orders for Limited Edition and Digital Deluxe could be made.

Release information[edit | edit source]

The game was to be released early in 2014, but the date was pushed back to late 2014.^[5] At the 2014 E3, an official North America release date of September 2, 2014 was confirmed.^[4]

Notes[edit | edit source]

• The Sims 4 was released for OS X on February 17, 2015, over five months after the Windows release of the game. The Sims 4 was the first game in the series since The Sims 2 and The Sims Stories to have separate release dates for Windows and OS X.
• Unlike The Sims 3 and The Sims Medieval, digital versions of The Sims 4 will work on OS X, but not DVDs. This is the opposite of The Sims 3, where DVD versions could be played on OS X, but digital versions could not, although this was changed when Origin came out on Mac in 2013.
• The Sims 4 is the first base game to require activation with Origin.
• The price of The Sims 4 ($60 to $80)^[34] is higher than The Sims 3 (originally $50 to $70; currently $20) making it slightly more expensive. However, The Sims 3 can cost up to $340 or more, if all the current game and store content is bought. However, all the content for The Sims 4 would cost a lot more than all of The Sims 3 content, with all packs costing over $1000 in most countries.
  • With the Premium Edition costing $80, it is the most expensive The Sims title released, beating The Sims 3 Collector’s Edition at $70. However, in Australia, The Sims 4 costed $80 on release while The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 costed around $99.95 on release, making The Sims 4 one of the cheapest releases of the series in Australia, although the pricing of The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 quickly dropped in price once more expansions for the game were released.
• The Sims 4 is the second game in the series to include more than one neighborhood/world in its initial release, after The Sims 2. The original release of The Sims only included Neighborhood 1, and the original release of The Sims 3 only included Sunset Valley.
• Pools, toddlers, basements, ghosts, family trees, repairmen, nannies, gardeners, Latin radio station, hip-hop radio station, and firefighters were not initially in the game, but were added in subsequent patches or content packs.
• The Sims 4 is the only game in the series to not currently feature burglars, police officers, or R&B radio stations.
• Like The Sims, The Sims 4‘s PlumBob is opaque (non-transparent).
• With patch 34, The Sims 4 became the first game in the series to feature gender customization as well as the option to have all types of clothing and hair types be available for use by both genders.
• Upon release, The Sims 4 supported Windows XP and Vista, despite support for XP finishing several months before release. However, in 2017, support for XP and Vista ceased, with players having to update their operating systems in order to continue to play. However, strangely enough, The Sims 4: Island Living, released in 2019, supported Windows XP and Vista but quickly became unsupported.
• There’s a computer game on every computer named «Sims Forever» that contains footage from The Sims, with music playing and Simlish language. Mortimer and Bella can even be seen kissing in a hot tub for one scene. It largely uses footage from The Sims: Vacation.

Gallery[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

Official

• The Sims 4 Official website
• The Sims 4 section in The Sims forums

Community

• The Sims 4 CAS Pics (SimsCommunity)

References and notes[edit | edit source]

v · d · eThe Sims series
The Sims Expansion packs Livin’ Large  · House Party  · Hot Date  · Vacation  · Unleashed  · Superstar  · Makin’ Magic Console games The Sims  · Bustin’ Out (handheld)  · The Urbz (handheld) Compilation packs
The Sims 2 Expansion packs University  · Nightlife  · Open for Business  · Pets  · Seasons  · Bon Voyage  · FreeTime  · Apartment Life Stuff packs Family Fun Stuff  · Glamour Life Stuff  · Happy Holiday Stuff  · Celebration! Stuff  · H&M Fashion Stuff  · Teen Style Stuff  · Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff  · IKEA Home Stuff  · Mansion & Garden Stuff Console games The Sims 2 (GBA  · Nintendo DS  · PSP  · mobile)  · Pets (GBA  · Nintendo DS  · mobile)  · Castaway (Nintendo DS  · mobile)  · Apartment Pets Holiday Party Pack  · Store Edition  · Compilation packs
The Sims 3 Expansion packs World Adventures  · Ambitions  · Late Night  · Generations  · Pets  · Showtime  · Supernatural  · Seasons  · University Life  · Island Paradise  · Into the Future Stuff packs High-End Loft Stuff  · Fast Lane Stuff  · Outdoor Living Stuff  · Town Life Stuff  · Master Suite Stuff  · Katy Perry’s Sweet Treats  · Diesel Stuff  · 70s, 80s, & 90s Stuff  · Movie Stuff Console games The Sims 3 (Wii  · Nintendo DS  · Nintendo 3DS  · mobile  · smartphone)  · World Adventures  · Ambitions  · Pets  · Supernatural The Sims 3 Store  · Compilation packs
The Sims 4 Expansion packs Get to Work  · Get Together  · City Living  · Cats & Dogs  · Seasons  · Get Famous  · Island Living  · Discover University  · Eco Lifestyle  · Snowy Escape  · Cottage Living (in development) Game packs Outdoor Retreat  · Spa Day  · Dine Out  · Vampires  · Parenthood  · Jungle Adventure  · StrangerVille  · Realm of Magic  · Journey to Batuu  · Dream Home Decorator Stuff packs Luxury Party Stuff  · Perfect Patio Stuff  · Cool Kitchen Stuff  · Spooky Stuff  · Movie Hangout Stuff  · Romantic Garden Stuff  · Kids Room Stuff  · Backyard Stuff  · Vintage Glamour Stuff  · Bowling Night Stuff  · Fitness Stuff  · Toddler Stuff  · Laundry Day Stuff  · My First Pet Stuff · Moschino Stuff  · Tiny Living Stuff  · Nifty Knitting Stuff  · Paranormal Stuff Console games The Sims 4 Holiday Celebration Pack  · Compilation packs  · Kits
Other games The Sims Stories Life Stories  · Pet Stories  · Castaway Stories The Sims Medieval The Sims Medieval (Deluxe Edition  · smartphone)  · Pirates & Nobles Spin-off games SimsVille (cancelled)  · The Sims Online  · The Sims Bowling  · The Sims DJ  · The Sims Pool  · MySims  · The Sims Social  · The Sims FreePlay  · The Sims Olympus (cancelled)  · The Sims Mobile

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