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Ghosts, pools, Darth Vader coming to The Sims 4
Hoping to appease fans upset that The Sims 4 lacks a number of features that have long been a standard of the series, publisher EA has outlined plans to add a host of new content to the virtual life simulation over the next few months. In the October update, The Sims 4 will receive costumes based on iconic Star Wars characters, as well as new ghostly forms for your deceased Sims. According to EA, these ghosts will behave much as they did prior to death, but the manner in which they died will grant the apparition wholly new behaviors. Those ghosts will come in handy once the November update arrives, as the mortality rate of your Sims is expected to skyrocket once pools are finally added to The Sims 4. Then, in December, EA and developer Maxis plan to introduce new career paths that are slightly less likely to result in your Sims drowning in the backyard. There's no word on when exactly these updates might be released, but they will each be free additions, requiring only that players log onto EA's Origin digital distribution service to download each update. [Image: EA]
The Sims 4 review: Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end
The Sims 4 is an accessible introduction to the world of virtual megalomania, with an intuitive interface and plenty to explore for series newcomers. But, let's be clear up front: Loyal players of The Sims 3 should stick with that game for a couple of more years, as they will be woefully underserved by what this latest installment in the franchise currently has to offer. As with all the prior iterations of The Sims, this game is the base upon which many, many expansions will be built. I'm going to avoid discussing what's "missing" or speculate on what's coming, and instead focus on what's in the game right now.
Seinfeld, Friends casts reunite in The Sims 4 custom content
No one told me life was gonna be this way. Talented The Sims 4 custom content creator IanRoach has duplicated a series of familiar sitcom settings using EA Maxis' life sim franchise as his canvas. Search for Origin user "ian8000" in The Sims 4's Gallery feature and you'll find a faithful recreation of Jerry's apartment from the '90s comedy series Seinfeld, letting you reenact your favorite nihilistic moments with pre-created doppelgängers of Jerry, Kramer, George, and Elaine. Friends fans, meanwhile, can download the show's full cast and five locations ripped straight from the series, including Monica and Rachel's apartment, Joey and Chandler's apartment, Ross's apartment, Phoebe's apartment, and coffee house Central Perk. If the screenshots here and here leave you speechless, don't worry -- I'll be there for you (like I've been there before). IanRoach has also created environments inspired by Arrested Development and The Golden Girls, if you're interested (hint: you are). [Image: EA Maxis / IanRoach]
Maxis producer: If Sims 4 isn't successful, there's no Sims 5
EA isn't thinking about the next Sims game at all, but the future of the series hinges on The Sims 4 performing well, Maxis producer Grant Rodiek said on the official Sims forum (cache here). "We're not working on Sims 5," Rodiek said. "We're not thinking about Sims 5. If Sims 4 isn't successful, there won't be a Sims 5." This isn't an absolute credo, however – when another fan asked for clarification on that statement, Rodiek said, "It's not all or nothing, per se, but something has to pay for 5." The Sims 4 topped the UK charts last week. We've been playing it as an MTV's Real World simulator, with members of the Joystiq staff living together, cooking for each other, working and building rocket ships.
The Sims move in to No. 1 in this week's UK charts
As Jess explains to Alexander in the Joystiq house, it's absotively positutely no surprise the new UK No.1 is The Sims 4. With Destiny not yet on shelves, EA's The Real World simulator has no other major new releases to oppose it, and even if it did, we're talking about a series that's sold over 175 million units to date. What'll be more interesting is seeing how long it can stick in the top ten, and how much it can match the longevity of previous entries. Chart Track notes price promos helped Watch Dogs boost back up to second, but maybe the most telling story lies outside the top ten. The first Danganronpa debuted at just 42nd back in February, as you might expect for a niche Vita game. Half a year on and its sequel, Goodbye Despair, breaks into the top 40 at 29th, which superficially looks like decent improvement. As ever, you'll find the full top ten (as well as this week's music video) below the break.
EA's anti-piracy efforts douse Sims 4 in thick pixel coating
Thanks to hidden anti-piracy measures, those who pirate The Sims 4 will find themselves staring at a pixelated mess instead of the colorful, virtual life simulation, reports Player Attack. The blurring appears harmless enough at first. When a Sim steps into the shower or otherwise disrobes, the game censors the virtual nudity by applying a blob of thick pixels. Normally this would vanish once the Sim is dressed, but EA's anti-piracy measures ensure that any illicitly obtained copies of the game instead cause the censorship blur to expand, eventually covering the entire screen. The end result is the messy swirl of pixelated colors that you can see above. The discovery of EA's clever anti-piracy strategies has not gone unnoticed by pirates, many of whom have taken to the game's official forums (link may not work as EA's forums have been displaying errors all morning) to complain about their "broken" copy of the game. Despite the complaints, EA tells Joystiq that it has no plans to aid those players unable to enjoy their pirated copies of The Sims 4. Instead, the publisher urges affected players to purchase their own copy of the game which should lack the telltale pixelation. [Image: EA]
Sims 4 Real World: Recognizing your Joystiq in The Sims 4 [UPDATE: Relive the stream!]
From the Joystiq House confessional: SIMS 4 JESS CONDITT: Alexander is a mostly good roommate. He's really clean and he cooks well, but I wish he'd stop stealing my clothes. I mean, yesterday I noticed my favorite sequined club dress was missing, and then I find it under his bed. He said it was "a laundry accident," but that dress is definitely dry-clean only! Sequins, remember? What happens when a video game website moves into a single imaginary house in The Sims 4, stops being polite, and starts getting real? If The Sims 4 Real World: Joystiq is anything to go by, it gets rough pretty fast. Everything's going a-okay until Jess Conditt (@JessConditt) sets herself on fire grilling up dinner and Susan Arendt (@SusanArendt) and Alexander Sliwinski (@Sliwinski) have to use up not one but two extinguishers. Refilling those things isn't free! Oh, it is? What if they're used for pranking people? That question and more will be answered when Alexander and Anthony John Agnello go on a full tour of The Sims 4 live at 4PM EST right here on Joystiq.com. Want to hang out and chat with us? Watch at Joystiq.com/Twitch or over on our Twitch channel. Joystiq Streams broadcasts live every Tuesday and Thursday on Joystiq.com/Twitch, but if you want to catch all our surprise streams and get in on free game giveaways, make sure to follow us on Twitch. Meanwhile, if you want to hang with the Joystiq crew in The Sims 4, it's super easy! Play as Susan Arendt, Jess Conditt and Alexander by searching "Joystiq" in the new gallery option. [Images: AOL, Electronic Arts]
Death kills parents, robs cradle in Sims 4
Here's a tragic – yet heartwarming – tale from The Sims 4, as shared with me by the game's Executive Producer, Rachel Franklin:
Coveting my neighbor's house in The Sims 4
I played several hours of The Sims 4 and barely uncovered what it has to offer. There's been a lot chatter about what's missing from The Sims 4, but I think there's already a lot to learn about EA's latest round of cheeky life simulation. "We really invested in the Sims," said Rachel Franklin, VP Executive Producer on Sims 4. "They have big personalities." That seems clear: The latest Sims emote in such exaggerated, wonderfully animated fashion that only an alien could fail to read them. Even when Sims don't react as you would expect, it can lead to fun results. For example, one of my Sims was making breakfast and he set the stove ablaze. His roommate came in like a champ with a fire extinguisher, killing the flames while another roommate squirmed in terror. The Sim who set the fire, however, simply watched with an air of calm and annoyance. As if to say, "You're ruining my fire. You're RUINING. MY. FIRE."
Sims 4 'Create a Sim' demo is live now [Update]
The Sims 4's Create a Sim demo is available right now, this very second, currently and immediately via TheSims.com. EA showed off the Create a Sim feature during its Gamescom press conference this morning. Be on the lookout for our own hands-on preview of The Sims 4 later today. Update: Here's our Sims 4 preview, and check out the trailer for Create a Sim below.
The Sims 4 gets 'weird' in latest trailer
For a clip entitled "Weird Stories Official Trailer" the above footage from The Sims 4 depicts an exceedingly dull, staid Sim whose most impressive achievement is making pancakes for two. EA's description of the sadsack above as the "most least interesting Sim in the world" indicates that he's a spoof of the bearded fellow in those omnipresent Dos Equis commercials. Where the beer company depicts its hero as a rugged adventurer, the embodiment of The Sims 4 lives an oppressively boring life. The tagline "Smarter Sims. Weirder Stories." attempts to remind viewers that chronic, crushing blandness is only one avenue available to Sims 4 players, though the closest to "weird" we see in this video is our protagonist leaving the gym in a dour pout to the dismay of a half-naked stereotype. The Sims 4 makes its debut on September 5, at which point players will have a chance to demonstrate just how strange things can get in EA's latest virtual sandbox. Even without babies and swimming pools, we're sure the Internet masses can come up with some weird things for their Sims to do. [Image: EA]
Sims 4 trailer is emotional, features topless selfies
< The Sims 4 will feature emotional moppets who can use their new-found sense of self to build skills faster within the game. Or, you know, they could just have so much "confidence" they spend the day taking shirtless selfies while grandma watches.
Sims 4 gameplay walkthrough reveals Premium membership
EA and Maxis have a new trailer for The Sims 4, and it contains at least one surprise; though maybe not the sort of surprise you're happy to see. During the 20-minute gameplay walkthrough - which you can check out below the break - we see a the image above, which advertises a "Premium" membership for The Sims 4. In case you're having difficulty reading the screencap, here's the text: "The Sims 4 Premium. Save on new packs with early access and exclusive items. Become a Premium member to get early access to three new packs, with exclusive items. Your Sims can throw a spooky costume party, camp in the great outdoors, and toast to the new year in style." The Battlefield series has had Premium memberships for awhile now, and there have historically been Premium editions of Sims games, but a membership would be a first for series - if it comes to fruition, that is. Ryan Vaughan, producer on the game, states at the beginning of the gameplay demonstration that everything seen is unfinished and thus, subject to change before release. To see the full trailer, click that handy "Continue Reading" button.
EA addresses exclusion of toddlers and pools in The Sims 4
The Sims 4 producer Rachel Franklin addressed fan concerns in a recent blog post, explaining why the latest game in the series lacks previously introduced features like pools and the toddler life stage. Franklin explains that The Sims 4's redesigned technology base required the team to focus on new features, rather than trying to get lower-priority legacy mechanics up and running. "The bottom line is that when we sat down and looked at everything we wanted to do for this game, all the new tech we wanted to build into it, the fact was that there would be trade-offs, and these would disappoint some of our fans," she notes. "Hard pill to swallow, believe me, but delivering on the vision set out for The Sims 4 required focus. Focus on revolutionizing the Sims themselves." Franklin continues: "So, rather than include toddlers, we chose to go deeper on the features that make Sims come alive: meaningful and often amusing emotions; more believable motion and interactions; more tools in Create A Sim, and more realistic (and sometimes weird!) Sim behavior. Instead of pools, we chose to develop key new features in Build Mode: direct manipulation, building a house room-by-room and being able to exchange your custom rooms easily, to make the immediate environment even more relatable and interactive for your Sim." A fan-issued petition seeking the return of pools and toddlers in The Sims 4 recently topped 15,000 signatures. The Sims 4 will launch for PC and Mac platforms on September 2. [Image: EA Maxis]
The Sims 4 will lack toddler life stage, death by pool at launch
Sims series producer Ryan Vaughan has revealed new details about the upcoming burn-the-house-down-when-you-try-to-make-spaghetti simulator, The Sims 4. Unfortunately, this new information brings to light what won't be in the game. In The Sims 4, human larvae will metamorphose quickly, as the "Toddler" life stage that was first introduced in The Sims 2 will not be part of the game when it launches this September. Swimming pools have also not made the cut, meaning that ... wait, swimming pools won't be available at launch? But how will we murde- ... entertain our guests if there's no pool from which to remove a ladder? "While we recognize that some of you will be disappointed that pools and toddlers won't be available when The Sims 4 Base Game launches in September, you should know that we're building an incredibly strong foundation that is capable of fulfilling every one of your desires in the years to come," Vaughan wrote. "Disappointed" is certainly the word: one Sims fan has created a Change.org petition, which as of writing has nearly 7,000 signatures. [Image: EA]
Sims 4 from the E3 floor
Checking out the Sims franchise early at any major event is like watching someone else play with your dolls ... I mean, action figures. You watch the presentation, listen to the salient bullet points and all you want to do is push the guy off the computer and just play the game. The Sims 4 is another refresh of the 14-year-old franchise that includes a little something new, something old and adds stuff that makes the Sims blue.
The Sims 4 debuts September 2 [update: trailer]
EA has another entry in its fan-favorite virtual life simulation series The Sims en route to PC. Though EA offered scant new gameplay details on The Sims 4, the publisher did reveal a September 2 release date.
Watch EA's E3 2014 press conference right here [Update: It's over!]
Find out what new games are coming from EA with us on our liveblog and in video form on this page. The action begins at 12:00 p.m. PT (3:00 p.m. ET). The publisher's E3 2014 press conference in Los Angeles will feature games like Dragon Age: Inquisition and Battlefield Hardline, spotlight the latest entries in the Madden, FIFA and NHL series, and maybe dish out some fresh information on the next Mass Effect game from BioWare or Mirror's Edge 2. Update: Show's over, folks! Feel free to check out all of EA's big announcements and rewatch the press event above. [Image: Electronic Arts]
Sims 4 trailer reveals potential Real World: Joystiq housing options
Previously on Real World: Joystiq - The team found out how it'll create its virtual representations with the wide palette of customization options (minus chest hair, apparently) for our Sims 4 house coming this fall. Today we get to take a look at the domicile customization options. Hmm, is the Joystiq house classic, modern or a total mess? We don't care, as long as it has reliable internet.
Real World: Joystiq coming this fall to The Sims 4
This is the true story (true story!) of what happens when Joystiq editors are picked to live in a Sims 4 house and have their lives streamed on Twitch. To find out what happens, when colleagues stop being polite and start getting real. The Real World: Joystiq, coming this fall to The Sims 4.
