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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.
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.
'The Sims 4' turns into a pixelated mess if you pirate it
Media piracy likely isn't going away anytime soon, but a few game developers have designed clever ways to deal with it as of late. Take the newly released The Sims 4, for example. In series tradition, just before your virtual people shed their skivvies (for whatever variety of reasons), a pixelated censor cloud appears over his or her nether regions. As Kotaku spotted via Reddit, however, If you happen to illegally download the game, that tiny cloud will obscure more than just your sim's reproductive plumbing: it'll expand to cover everything onscreen. It makes the virtual ant-farm look a lot like Minecraft or Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP, if you ask us. Annoying? Perhaps, but if you're bothered by this maybe you shouldn't be illegally downloading stuff in the first place. [Image credit: nihwtf / Imgur]
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 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.
The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection free through Origin this week
After recently ending official support for the PC version of 2004's The Sims 2, Electronic Arts is now offering all Origin users a copy of The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection for free, through the end of the month. Users can redeem the expansion-bundled freebie by entering the code "I-LOVE-THE-SIMS" after choosing "Redeem Product Code" from the Games tab after firing up the Origin front-end. Downloads will remain available through July 31st at 10 a.m. PDT, so act fast if you want to add the classic human-torment simulator to your Origin library. [Image: EA Maxis]
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.
Sims 2 players get expansion-stuffed upgrade as EA ends support
After a decade of expansions and updates, EA is ending support for one of its PC big hits from the 2000s, The Sims 2. The 2004 sequel shipped at least 20 million copies across all platforms, and its 8 expansion packs didn't do too bad themselves. Maxis' life sim definitely can't be accused of living its own life unproductively. The good news is that EA is doing a solid by its players, apparently. The publisher says it's offering Origin-registered owners a free copy of the most-up-to-date version, The Ultimate Collection, which will appear in Origin in the next few days before support ends on July 22. Not only is it the latest version, but The Ultimate Collection also includes all the expansions and stuff packs, and players are able to transfer their save files across. EA says anyone who has "purchased and registered a digital copy of The Sims 2 on Origin will receive the Ultimate Collection." By the looks of it, registering the game on Origin isn't straightforward as you'll have to contact an EA Game Advisor, but it's probably worth it to lock some poor Sim in a toilet-less room with every single tool at your disposal. [Image: EA]
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.
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.
SimCity offline update launching today, some server downtime
Update 10, which brings offline play to SimCity for the first time, is launching today after successfully coming through final testing. An announcement on the EA forums reads, "Today at 6AM PT we will be releasing Update 10 with Offline play. This involves server down time and the game servers will be unavailable for a few hours." EA unveiled Update 10 and the new single-player mode back in January, after a 2013 in which the publisher came under severe criticism for implementing an "always-on" system for the city-building sim. That system backfired when servers buckled under the weight. EA has already said players can access their previously downloaded content in the single-player mode, and they can save their files locally. A new FAQ reveals players still have to sign into Origin to launch the game, but Origin can be put into an offline mode while the single-player mode is being played. [Image: EA]
SimCity offline mode update in 'final testing'
SimCity's Update 10, a patch that will allow for offline play, is in "final testing," according to a tweet posted on the game's official Twitter account. Update 10 was revealed back in January, shortly after publisher EA and developer Maxis announced that the game would also start supporting mods. The SimCity saga of server instability and poor service was one of 2013's defining moments in gaming, as well as inspiration for our newly-launched State of Service reviews. The option to play offline has been a long time coming. [Image: EA]
Maxis explains difficulties of removing SimCity's online requirement
Following word that SimCity will no longer require an Internet connection to function, lead engineer Simon Fox has posted a lengthy explanation of why it took so long for developer Maxis to strip out that much-maligned feature. "The original creative vision for SimCity was to make a game where every action had an effect on other cities in your region," Fox wrote. "As such, we engineered the game to meet this vision, setting up the player's PC (client) to communicate all of its information to the servers." Fox then addresses claims made by Maxis general manager Lucy Bradshaw that the game simply couldn't function offline. "Lucy once said that Offline wouldn't be possible 'without a significant amount of engineering work,' and she's right. By the time we're finished we will have spent over [six and a half] months working to write and rewrite core parts of the game to get this to work." To drive his point home, Fox explains that SimCity was designed from conception to periodically check in with the game's servers. This allows players' cities to communicate with one another (and transfer water, power, garbage and other utilities), as well as the entire SimCity universe. Removing this feature involves writing new code for the game to simulate this transfer of information and resources, which is why it's taken so long for Maxis to remove the online requirement. Finally, Fox thanks SimCity players for their patience. "We know you want Offline play in SimCity and we are really happy that we are finally getting ready to deliver it to you."
SimCity to receive 'impossible' offline update, gamers roll their eyes
Remember back in March of last year when SimCity launched and, because of its online play requirement, did a faceplant? And do you also remember when the game finally found its way to OS X in August and the exact same thing happened? Of course you do, because they were both huge stories. At the time, EA/Maxis apologized profusely and while gamers blamed the online play model, the company said that adding an offline mode to SimCity was "not possible." Well those developers must have been pretty busy for the past five months, because today EA revealed that SimCity would be getting an offline option in an upcoming update. Wow. In less than half a year, the company has made the impossible a reality. It's quite obvious that the online requirement was a stand-in for DRM (essentially, just a way to ensure pirated copies of the game weren't playable), but it seems EA has finally decided it might be better to just let SimCity fans play a not-broken, standalone version of the game. Hooray! The reaction to the announcement is predictably hilarious, since approximately 0 percent of gamers believed that an offline SimCity was "impossible" to begin with. EA hasn't explained how it managed to make it happen -- likely because it was never a real obstacle at all -- but if you're somehow still interested in the game after all these shady antics, your offline dreams will be fulfilled as soon as Update 10 lands.
