I'm sure you were wondering if EA was going to make another iteration of the Sims franchise.

Oh, silly, of course they are! Sims 5 seems to be in development and it might even run on a over-charged potato.

Anyway-this article is discussing the potential of working in EA for this, and other things to be coming.

https://simscommunity.info/2021/03/...mq5wj9wF5hI9F-g

I like the sound of non-linear simulation experience. With all the recent talk about it would have a story mode or be like the life/pet stories and whatnot, that non-linear makes me hopeful that it'd have a "freeplay" mode as well. Idunno.

I always enjoyed the console port of the first Sims' Get a Life and Bustin Out's appropiately named Bustin Out mode. A non linear story could be pretty fun, especially if it begins with your character's mother yelling at them to wake up.

Subscription based features? No thank you.

Looking at how The Sims 4 went, I don't have big expectations for the 5th.

Hard pass from me , udderly uninterested.

"non-linear simulation experience"

Eh? I think I'll have to ask my brainy Knowledge Sims what that means.

@AndrewGloria I asked Sim Sample about the "non-linear simulation experience", and he said 'Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so. Now pass the vodka.'

“Narrative experience” sounds like we are going to have Ron Howard talking to us! My sims games are already like an Arrested Development episode.

I don't like the sound of 'competitive Mode', but I did like the Sims 2 Stories series. I just hope they allow us to build or change the world the sims live in, like we could in Sims 2 and 3. That was what was missing from Sims 4 for me, if I can't design the neighbourhood I can't get immersed in it.

I don't mind the way they did the "what will they do now?" scripted story points in TS2 - that's fine. It gives you a way to play out some fun scenarios if you've never played the game, or ideas for stories, or possibilities for how you want to play the various families - you can try to follow the storylines, or do things your own way with the original families. Or you can completely ignore the scenarios and do your own thing, even scrap the original neighborhoods and build your own. It's even fun (for a bit) in the Story games. Some scripted storymode can work.

But after a while you get tired of it and want freeplay. In TS3 and TS4 (especially TS4) all the "stuff you have to do to progress in task X, Y and Z" get extremely tedious when you've done them over and over a few times and realize it's basically the same set of tasks. There's only so many times it's fun to mop up floors or chat with coworkers when all you want to do is to get a couple promotions to be able to actually do something fun in a job, and aspirations get very tiresome the second or third time around.

I feel it's been going downhill lately, and the whole "competetive mode" or "Narrative experience" or "non-linear simulation experience" (what even is that?) sounds like something I may not want in a Sims game. If they add those, they'd better do a good job of it. I also hope options I don't want can be turned off, because however well it's done, at some point it will get tedious.

Besides, I want regular freeplay mode as the default, or I ain't getting near that thing...

I'd imagine that "non-linear simulation experience" means that it isn't a straight forward simulation game and thus, doesn't have a predestined goal in mind, allowing the player to do whatever they want. This makes me question... isn't that what the series does anyway...? It's a sandbox. It's a "non-linear simulation" anyway so what are they on about?

I enjoy Sims 3, but I tried and tried to get into Sims 4. I own it...but I just can't get into it. Even with some expansions (though not all, I eventually gave up). Competitive mode? I don't know, I don't have high hopes with the way Sims 4 went but i'll keep an eye on it, on what happens with it. I might give it a shot. But i'm not holding my breath.

(Wikipedia)

Sooo... do we have to expect even more not-so-random and badly made chaos, then?

I like some unpredictable behaviour from the sims, but the kind that makes them seem a bit more alive and like they actually have a functional personality.

It might just be that they are saying that it won't have a linear story or linear progression through levels, as many other games feature them.

Also, why not just call the thread "Sims 5 rumours/news"?

I made the thread just to post that it was even happening. I personally think it will be:

1). Subscription based
2.) Smart phone only play
3.) Exceedingly primitive (think Sims 1 with no free will at all)
4.) Nickle and dimeing the players every single time they log in to play
5,) The very last game in the series

I mean, they're really sucking out the marrow on this series. There's literally nothing they haven't boiled to a burnt pot in order to make profits at the expense of Sims players.
They know their audience.
They also call them "Suckers" and laugh at them in private.
"How much more can we take them for this next game?"

The profit margin is huge.
Also-there are whisperings about it becoming competitive. Think pixels in a race to dig holes.
Along with cross platforming:


It will be Sims Online with WFW matches!

I recently read this article over here discussing the development issues with TS4: https://simsvip.com/2021/01/30/the-...-of-the-sims-4/. It offers a non-biased opinion of the development of TS4 highlighting that it was initially developed to be an online game yet the focus was entirely switched after the catastrophic failure of the SimCity reboot. Fortunately, it seems that EA learnt their lesson and will be developing a game that may have optional online functionality which may be something of interest to a certain community of players. This article also highlights some of the management practices involved and with the information provided in the article above, it seems that they are at least attempting to hire professionals who can narrow the game's focus.

I should also mention that EA is notorious for reissuing the same game every year with very minor upgrades (FIFA/NHL games) just for mass profit. I'm curious to know the size of the team they hire as its clear with TS4 that they severely reduced the overall Sims workforce which is quite obvious with the quality and amount content released (i.e. amount of objects per pack and many small packs which should have been part of the larger expansion packs).

That's not how "learning their lesson" looks like. That's how they've been working pretty much the past 10 years or so, probably longer. They pump out games that are "upgrades" (but not really) to the previous version (I don't know how many FIFA games there are now, but isn't there one about every year or two? Can't imagine why someone would need to have all of them unless they're really hardcore about football). Or they pump out expansions to feverishly try and keep people interested long enough for them to maybe want to try out the next game that's still up in the air (Sims 4/Sims 5... I wonder just how many expansions of various kinds they're going to pump out before they announce Sims 5 is ready. If there's much more now they're going to blow up someone's computer ).

I fear that these may be true, I know we shouldn't expect them to just make a new Sims 2 but the very essence of what made the game good has been lost, I think, in the same way that SimCity (2013) was the death knell for that series. I've had almost 17 years of play from around £100 of the Sims 2, and that is not good from the viewpoint of EA, who need customers to spend money. At least we know the Sims franchise won't be another Madden...

What I enjoyed about The Sims 2 (and even the original Sims) is overall charm and passion they poured out. In addition, the overall gameplay loop with the wants and fears, combined with spontaneous happenings, and the wonderful, yet sometimes problematic, memories system.

The Sims 3 (although good in its own right) had less charm; it felt less goofy somehow, though I may be wrong, as I haven't booted The Sims 3 up in... a while, let's just say that, so I may need correcting here. It made up for it with innovation in its own right; open world, story progression, etc.

The Sims 4 feels shallow. Its gameplay is the equivalent of watching paint dry and there's nothing engaging. I'm even of the unpopular opinion that I dislike its clay-like graphic style. References to previous games are thrown in just for the nostalgic factor, with nothing meaningful to them. Its just being milked for money at this point, I reckon.

As for these rumours circulating... they don't sound good. As someone who doesn't enjoy online play, it's not something I can get behind. With how the fourth installment went, I'm not interested in The Sim 5, because clearly EA are corporates first (is that even the word I'm looking for) and publishers wanting to release 'great' games second.

Sorry for the rant here, but this has been on my chest for ages

"Will have competitive, online and “subscription-based” features"

Add loot boxes and we have a bingo.

CrystalFlame - yup, yup and yup on all three games.

Online play, subscription-based features and loot boxes are together at the top on the list of things I absolutely DO NOT want. Competitive whatitis can take a number and join them on the top (bottom?) ten list, too.

I'd add in always-online and Origin on that list, but I guess we're there already with TS4 and their newer releases. I'm so done with these (honestly, I'm more likely to stick to TS2 as long as I can get it to run on a computer - thank goodness for still having CDs, in addition to the UC)

Honestly I have no real hopes for TS5, but I guess it doesn't take that much to make a better game than TS4 (unless they actively screw it up by adding stupid features nobody wants). That whole game has mostly been an uphill ride on a unicycle with a flat tire...

Yes I agree with all that, I have no hopes for Sims 5. Just think "Sims 5 news/rumours" or something to the effect would have been the more descriptive title.

Subscription based - I will pass.
Smart phone only play - I will pass.
No free will - I will pass
Nickle and dimeing - I will pass.
Last game in the series - oh. The Sims 2 is the last game in the series to me. I will pass.

i will also pass the Vodka back to Sim Sample some time when Andrew has had enough.

Yawn. Next.

^ I've never played FIFA, but I have a couple nephews who love football and FIFA games, so... yeah. I don't get the whole team thing in football, either - the only thing they keep from year to year is the name of the team, and maybe the colors of the jerseys. The players change all the time. New year, more or less different team. I don't see the point of that...

(The only sports game by EA you'll see me playing is my PS2 Quidditch - when I can find it. Been looking for that game for ages now, I know it's in a box somewhere - that game is pretty much the same game with different jerseys once you get into it, but at least it's up in the air and there's a few skill levels, plus it works better as a PS game than IRL - pretend-playing it IRL isn't quite the same since the flying on broomsticks and self-flying balls are kind of the point of the game... )

I'm so incredibly uninterested in this game. I really dislike this current development where more and more things are becoming subscription-based. Also, how long can they go on releasing base games without seasons, pets, vacations etc. And then releasing the same expansions all over again.