❗ This fact sheet contains information regarding The Sims 4. Any and all information gathered for this article has been confirmed as factual, unless otherwise stated.
❗ Features of the game can and will change over time, and such changes will be documented below. When new information is revealed, we will update the fact sheet accordingly.
❗ This Fact Sheet was created using information from fan sites and official sources worldwide. Special thanks to Rincon Del Simmer for compiling a ton of graphics for the game.
❗ Our Sims 4 Fact Sheet, is just that. A list of facts. It is not a “wiki”. If you want a source for specific information, ask & we shall provide.
Click here to purchase The Sims 4 Via Origin
Game Summary
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.
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 collectables, 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.
The Sims 4 Frequently Asked Questions
Sul Sul! Maxis and Electronic Arts today announced that The Sims 4 is currently in development at The Sims Studio for release on PC and Mac in 2014. 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. We know you all have many questions and we’re listening. Send them through to this post and we’ll do our best to respond as often as we can. Just know that we’re not quite ready to spoil all surprises yet, so keep an eye out for more information to come.
For now, here’s a list of some commonly asked questions that we wanted to share with you today.
Q: What can you tell us about The Sims 4?
A: 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.
The Sims 4 is the highly anticipated life simulation game that lets you play with life like never before. Create new Sims with intelligence and emotion. Experience all new intuitive and fun creative tools to sculpt your Sims and build unique homes. Control the mind, body, and heart of your Sims, and bring your stories to life.
Q: How do I stay up to date with the latest info on The Sims 4?
A: Head on over to www.TheSims.com/TheSims4 and sign up for our newsletter to learn more!
Q: When will The Sims 4 be available?
A: The Sims 4 will be available worldwide in 2014.
Q: What platforms will the game be available on?
A: The Sims 4 will be available for PC and Mac.
Q: What will The Sims 4 be rated?
A: The Sims 4 is not yet rated by the ESRB, PEGI or other rating systems. We will update the website once we’ve received our rating.
Q: Will there be an online component for The Sims 4?
A: There will be additional fun and social gameplay elements for players who choose to go online (more to come on that later on) but the core game is designed to be played offline. It’s up to the player to choose how they want to play.
Q: Will The Sims 4 require a persistent online connection?
A: You will not require a persistent online connection to play The Sims 4.
Q: Does The Sims 4 require the Origin™ client to play?
A: You will need an EA/Origin account to install the game. Once installed, you don’t need to be online to play.
Q: We noticed that the fans were amongst the first to receive this announcement, why did you go that route?
A: The Sims has always been about the fans. There are millions of them across social networks and it’s passion that keeps The Sims alive. It’s their creativity and devotion to The Sims that fuels our creativity, so it’s natural that we’d come to them first with the big news.
This is just the beginning for our fans. We’re bringing a select few into our inner circle and they’ll get special access to the development team and will have visibility into key parts of the game as it develops.
Q: Who are some of the people that are making The Sims 4?
A: The Sims 4 is currently in development at The Sims Studio in Redwood City, and the team making the game is comprised by veterans whose experience dates back to the inception of the franchise. We have folks like Robi Kauker, Lyndsay Pearson and Kevin Gibson who have been with the series since the beginning. Others such as Ray Mazza and Samantha Miceli have been with the team since The Sims 2. We can’t wait to introduce you to more of the team.
Q: What do the eyes in the image mean?
A: They say that the eyes are the window into the soul. Let’s just say that these eyes are a window into the future of The Sims 4. Stay tuned for more!
Q: What are the minimum hardware requirements for The Sims 4?
A: We are working to make the game accessible to as many players as possible. We will let you know once we’ve locked in the specs.
Q: Are you still developing content for The Sims 3?
A: Yes. We have a brand new world, Dragon Valley, coming out at the end of May. We have The Sims 3 Island Paradise shipping on June 25 and we have a Future-themed expansion arriving in Fall 2013. Beyond that, we continue to create content for The Sims 3 Store.
Q: Will I be able to bring any of my Sims or content from The Sims 3 into The Sims 4?
A: The Sims 4 is built upon an entirely new technology. The content from The Sims 3 will not be transferable to The Sims 4.
The Sims 4 Release Date: September 2nd, 2014
• North America: September 2nd
• EU/AUS: September 4th
• UK: September 5th.Electronic Arts announced that The Sims™ 4 will be shipping in 2014 worldwide. In development at Maxis’ The Sims Studio, The Sims 4 brings all new ways to play with life; powerful new creative tools, all-new Sims with enhanced emotion and intelligence, and a gaming experience where players control the mind, body and heart of their Sims to bring their stories to life like never before.
“The Sims franchise has the best fans in the world and their passion and enthusiasm is at an all-time high,” said Rachel Franklin, VP and General Manager of The Sims Studio. “Those millions of voices will fuel our development process, helping The Sims 4 to be the most ambitious and the best game our studio has ever made. We can’t wait to see our fans reaction when The Sims 4 comes out in 2014.”
The Sims is one of the best-selling and most beloved franchises in the history of gaming. More than four years after its launch, The Sims 3 continues to be played every day as players exchange their creativity, stories and life’s moments across an array of social networks to an audience in the multi-millions.
The Sims 4 Game Editions
Life of the Party Digital Content: Gather ‘round the Flaming Tiki Bar in spectacular party costumes.
The Sims 4 Digital Deluxe Edition ($69.99) – The Digital Deluxe bundle is an Origin Exclusive Bundle, available only in Digital form. The exclusive bonuses for this bundle are: “Life of the Party Content”, “Up All Night Content”, Origin Exclusive Content, and the Digital Soundtrack.
Life of the Party Digital Content: Gather ‘round the Flaming Tiki Bar in spectacular party costumes.
Up All Night Digital Content: Party till dawn with a laser light show, hot new parties, outfits, decorations and recipes.
Digital Soundtrack: Groove to the music of the game.
Awesome Animal Hats
Origin Exclusive Digital Content: (Info Pending)
The Sims 4 Premium Edition ($79.99) (Exclusive retailer edition) – The Premium Edition bundle comes in physical form by retailers. The exclusive bonuses for this bundle are: “Life of the Party Content”, “Up All Night Content”, Creator’s Guide Hardcover Book, and the Digital Soundtrack.
Life of the Party Digital Content: Gather ‘round the Flaming Tiki Bar in spectacular party costumes.
Up All Night Digital Content: Party till dawn with a laser light show, hot new parties, outfits, decorations and recipes.
Creator’s Guide Hardcover Book: A hardcover guide that teaches you to become a Sims master creator, and also includes art from The Sims 4.
Awesome Animal Hats
The Sims 4 Collector’s Edition ($ N/A) – The Sims 4 Collector’s Edition has only been officially announced in Australia, Europe and the UK. North America does not currently have a Pre-Order for this edition.
Life of the Party Digital Content: Gather ‘round the Flaming Tiki Bar in spectacular party costumes.
Up All Night Digital Content: Party till dawn with a laser light show, hot new parties, outfits, decorations and recipes.
Creator’s Guide Hardcover Book: A hardcover guide that teaches you to become a Sims master creator, and also includes art from The Sims 4.
Digital Soundtrack: Groove to the music of the game.
Plumbob USB by Steel Series
Awesome Animal Hats
Origin Pre-Load
For those of you purchasing The Sims 4 via Origin’s download client, you can begin pre-loading the game on August 29th at 1pm Eastern. For more information on Origin’s Pre-Load feature, click here.
❗ When your game is in “Pre-Load” state, you will be able to download the game (to a certain percentage) ahead of the release date. This will save you time on release day, allowing you to install and play quickly, rather than downloading for the majority of the night.
❗ Digital pre-load on Origin begins August 29th at 10am Pacific, 12pm Central, and 1pm Eastern.
❗ Digital game release on Origin begins on September 1st at 9pm Pacific, 11pm Central Time, and on September 2nd at 12am Eastern.
Origin’s Great Game Guarantee
If you’re thinking of pre-ordering The Sims 4 via Origin, and are not happy with the game come release, you’ll be happy to know that Origin has added The Sims 4 to their “Great Game Guarantee” program.
Prima Guides
Amazon.com has officially listed for pre-order The Sims 4 Standard & Collector’s Edition Prima Guides. Prima Games has already confirmed both a physical and digital guide for The Sims 4.
♦ Hardcover with premium treatment and materials. (Collector’s Edition Exclusive)
♦ Additional pages include Q&A, “Behind-The-Scenes’ and “Making of” content with the game developers. (Collector’s Edition Exclusive)
Accomplish Your Goals- Bring your stories to life. We’ll teach you how to achieve all of your Sims’ aspirations through interactions, socialization, careers, skills, and events.
Control All New Sims- Learn how the new emotional states are influenced by other Sims, events, memories, and even the clothes and objects you choose. Emotions and improved intelligence empowers your Sims to experience richer stories and more possibilities.
Bring Your Creations To Life- The new Build Mode is incredibly fun, powerful, and intuitive. We’ll show you examples, tips, and tricks that will help you create the most amazing structures ever, from mansions and nightclubs to museums and parks.
Earn Amazing Rewards- Discover how to unlock new outfits, objects, and traits. With our in-depth guide, you’ll be able to uncover all the collectibles and learn how to unlock all the achievements.
Purchasing The Sims 4
The Sims 4 is currently available for Pre-Order by a number of retailers worldwide. To find the right retailer for you, check out the “Where to buy The Sims 4” retailer list. The list is created by fans across the globe, so feel free to add to it!
Pre-Order Promotions (NA)
Retailers in the United States are running special promotions for players who pre-order The Sims 4 directly through them. Incentives include anything from bonus content to gift cards.
• Walmart’s Pre-Order Promotion
• Target’s Pre-Order Promotion
The Sims 4 System Requirements
REQUIRED: Internet connection required for product activation.
OS: Windows XP (SP3), Windows Vista (SP2), Windows 7 (SP1), Windows 8, or Windows 8.1
PROCESSOR: 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon 64 Dual-Core 4000+ or equivalent (For computers using built-in graphics chipsets, the game requires 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.0 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-62 or equivalent) MEMORY: At least 2 GB RAM
HARD DRIVE: At least 9 GB of free space with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content and saved games
DVD-ROM: DVD ROM drive required for installation only
VIDEO CARD: 128 MB of Video RAM and support for Pixel Shader 3.0. Supported Video Cards: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 or better, ATI Radeon X1300 or better, Intel GMA X4500 or better
SOUND CARD: DirectX 9.0c Compatible
DIRECTX: DirectX 9.0c compatible
INPUT: Keyboard and Mouse
SimGuruGraham confirmed that The Sims 4 will utilize a 32-bit executable. This means that if you have a 64 bit operating system, the game will only access 4GB of memory (RAM), even if you have more.
I asked about this recently. We won’t have a 64 bit exe; it’s fairly uncommon for games. Our lead ENG explained to me why Sims 4 wouldn’t particularly benefit from it and it sounded quite reasonable, but I’m not comfortable enough discussing tech to try and repeat his explanation.
Development Stage
As of June 2014, The Sims 4 is in the “Beta” stage of development. There have been no official updates on the game’s development stage since.
Game Engine & Technology
During the EA Press Conference at Gamescom 2013, Maxis confirmed that The Sims 4 is being built on an all new (yet-to-be-named) Game Engine, and is coupled with the all new “SmartSim” Technology. You need not fear that any old ways are part of this new series.
The Sims 4 “Beta” & The Sims 4 Demo
Hackers will do just about anything to get you to download malware onto your PC, and that includes creating fake “The Sims 4 Beta” sites to lure you in.
Please beware of any sites claiming to have a beta version of The Sims 4 available for download, as they are nothing more than a scam. At this time, there are absolutely no official beta trials for the game.
Official The Sims 4 Demo
If you would like to try The Sims 4 Create-a-Sim Demo for yourself, EA is now accepting requests from those who are interested. Head over to TheSims.com homepage and enter your information in the Demo Box to the right.
If you are selected to participate, you will receive an email invitation at some point in the next two weeks. According to the signup box, spots are limited so not everyone will get in.
First of all, I want to say thank you to the players who have been helping us test the early trial experience of The Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo over the past week. We have received lots of really useful information which is helping us to polish our game, and we have seen how much fun you have been having creating your Sims.
We have also seen how many of you want to join in and help us with the ongoing testing. I am pleased to tell you that we are now inviting anyone who is interested, to sign up for the chance to be invited into the early trial experience.
All you have to do is provide your email (the one linked to your Origin account) in The Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo box on the home page. Spots in the early trial experience are limited and not everyone will be invited in. If you are selected to participate, you will receive an email invitation with full instructions at some point in the next two weeks.
Please see our FAQ for more information on The Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo.
We look forward to getting your feedback.
– Rachel
SimGuruHydra has posted information over on the official forums regarding some frequently asked questions about the upcoming The Sims 4 Create a Sim demo.
Hi Simmers!
If you’re playing the early trial experience of The Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo, we hope you’re having a lot of fun with it! Have questions about the demo? We hope this FAQ answers them. Any feedback about the demo you would like to share? Please post here.
Q: What is The Sims™ 4 Create A Sim Demo?
A: Create smarter Sims with unique personalities and distinct appearances in The Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo. Experience the powerful Create A Sim and directly manipulate your Sims with tactile precision to create the most unique and detailed Sims yet. Share your Sims on the Gallery or Facebook, then download them directly into The Sims 4 when the game launches in September 2014 and bring your Sims to life. The Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo will be released worldwide later this summer.Q: How do I get into The Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo?
A: An early version of The Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo is available now, by invitation only for some of our fans. This is a trial experience that we are using to test our key functionality in advance of the worldwide release of The Sims 4. As a result we will be doing periodic maintenance on our servers.Q: How much does The Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo cost?
A: The Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo will be available at no cost to you.Q: Does The Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo require an Origin account to play?
A: Yes, The Sims 4 Create a Sim Demo is available from Origin and you will use the Origin client to download and install the demo. Once installed, you don’t need to be online to play the demo.Q: Does The Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo feature all of the content from the base game?
A: The Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo features a sampling of content from The Sims 4 base game.Q: Is there a Mac version of The Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo?
A: We are currently focused on the PC version of The Sims 4. We have no additional information regarding Mac at this time.Q: Where can I provide feedback for the early trial experience of The Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo?
A: We welcome your feedback! Head over to our forums and let us know what you think. Share your feedback here.
Q: Can I tell my friends about the early trial experience of The Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo?
A: Yes! While this early trial experience is by invitation only, we encourage you to share your creations with your friends and family using the Facebook share functionality.Q: How do I stay up to date with The Sims 4?
A: The latest information for The Sims 4 can be found at our website. You can also keep up to date by following @TheSims on Twitter or by Liking us on Facebook.
TheSims.com
The Sims on Twitter
The Sims Official FacebookQ: What are the system requirements for The Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo?
A: The following system requirements only apply to The Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo. The system requirements for The Sims 4 base game will be released at a later date.MINIMUM: OS: Windows XP (SP3), Windows Vista (SP2), Windows 7 (SP1), Windows 8, or Windows 8.1 (64 bit versions are preferred)
CPU: 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon 64 Dual-Core 4000+ or equivalent
Dual Core and SSE 2 required
For computers using built-in graphics chipsets the game requires 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.0 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-62 or equivalent
RAM: At least 2 GB
HARD DRIVE: At least 1.2 GB of free space with at least 0.5 GB additional space for custom content and saved games
VIDEO: 128 MB of Video RAM and support for Pixel Shader 3.0
SUPPORTED VIDEO CARDS: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 or better, ATI Radeon X1300 or better, Intel GMA X4500 or better
DIRECTX: DirectX 9.0c compatible
INPUT: Keyboard and mouse
Official Website, Social Media & Forum Boards
The Sims 4 comes complete with its own website and social channels for players who want to stay up-to-date with news and discussions.
♦ The Sims 4 Forums on TheSims3.com
SimGurus on Twitter
There are many awesome folks working on The Sims 4, and many of them have made themselves available via Twitter. If you have a Twitter account, be sure to follow them for info bits on the game.
Although they do share information on the game when they can, chances are they won’t be able to answer all of your questions until they are allowed to discuss it.
❗ Not all SimGurus are on Twitter ❗
♦ Aaron Houts (Build Designer)
♦ Amy Unger Totte (Gameplay Engineer)
♦ Azure Bowie-Hankins (Producer)
♦ Bruce Wayne (Lead Development Director)
♦ Graham Nardone (Producer)
♦ Grant Rodiek (Producer)
♦ Jill Johnson (Producer)
♦ John Berges (Build/Gameplay Designer)
♦ Kevin Hogan (Senior Development Director)
♦ Lyndsay Pearson (Lead Producer)
♦ Magnus Hollmo (Art Director)
♦ Marion Gothier (Animator)
♦ Martin Bilello (Audio Engineer)
♦ Rachel Franklin (Executive Producer)
♦ Ray Mazza (Creative Director)
♦ Kelly Riley (Lead Animator)
♦ Ryan Vaughan (Producer)
♦ Sarah Holding (Producer)
♦ Shannon Copur (Senior Producer)
♦ Stephanie Tran (Producer)
♦ Trevor Lindsey (Gameplay Engineer)
Message From The Sims 4 Team
Because you took the time to decode this message, #TheSims4
— Rachel Franklin (@SimGuruRachel) May 13, 2013
May 23, June 18, July 9 #TheSims4 — Lyndsay Pearson (@SimGuruLyndsay) May 13, 2013
, remember these days. #TheSims4
— SimGuruSteph (@SimGuruSteph) May 14, 2013
here’s why we love you: #TheSims4 — Jill Johnson (@SimGuruJill) May 13, 2013
Your creativity captivates us, your enthusiasm inspires us #TheSims4
— Aaron Cohen (@SimGuruAaron) May 13, 2013
We’re making this game for you, because of you. #TheSims4 — Kevin Hogan (@SimGuruKevin) May 14, 2013
Thank you for being the greatest fans in the world #TheSims4
— Grant Rodiek (@SimGuruGrant) May 14, 2013
Official Announcement (May 6th, 2013)
On May 6th, 2013, EA and Maxis revealed that The Sims 4 was in development, and set to release in 2014. The initial announcement was made via telephone conference to numerous fans of the series, and the official public announcement was released later that day. Below is the audio and press release revealed during this call.
Transcript
Maxis and EA today announced that The Sims™ 4 is currently in development at The Sims Studio for release on PC and Mac in 2014. 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. As a thank you for the support of the more than 30 million fans that share and discuss stories about The Sims across global social networks, we held a special VIP briefing this morning where several of the world’s top fans were among the first to hear the news about The Sims 4. They got to speak with the creative team for The Sims 4 and will have special access to the development team. 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.
Pre-Gamescom Guru Hints
#TheSims4’s big reveal is coming! Join us on Thurs, 8/22 at 8AM PDT for #TheSimsLB live from Gamescom 2013!
♦ Flowers in hair, check. Flamingo with an Evil Trait and scary stare, double check! What’s with the island themed decorations? RSVP for the EA Gamescom Press Conference to find out! ♦ Via EA Russia (Horrible Translation) – In Maxis do not apply their problems. But then what of the night raised their representatives? Write in the comments on that in the game The Sims 4 suggests this picture.
♦ Fashionistas and fashion victims will feel like cover models in The Sims 4! Even if you can’t match your shoes with your belt, join us during the EA Gamescom Livestream on August 20th to learn more. ♦ Every portrait painted with love – is, in fact, a portrait of the artist himself – Oscar Wilde.
♦ There are objects, then there are Sims 4 objects! ♦ So much to do in The Sims 4, you’ll have to do some of it at the same time. ♦ There’s more Sims 4 teasers coming and a chance for you to chat!
♦ There’s no part that’s out of reach in The Sims 4! If you could customize your look for the press conference on August 20th, what would your Sim wear? ♦ Sims are the clay upon which you will form your greatest creations!
Gamescom Press Release (August 20th, 2013)
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Life just got better. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) today announced the first details forThe Sims™ 4, the next-generation of the hit life simulator franchise launching in 2014. The Sims 4 gives fans an entirely new way to experience the excitement and delight of life’s moments. Built on a brand new technology platform, The Sims 4 empowers players to create and control an entirely new generation of Sims like never before. Through powerful new creative tools and dynamic, emotion-rich gameplay, every relationship is interwoven to create a ripple effect that shapes the life journey of the Sims. The world debut gameplay trailer for The Sims 4 is available to view at www.TheSims.com. “Over 10 years ago, we created a genre, now we’re taking our most revolutionary step forward by focusing on the heart of the franchise, the Sims themselves,” said Rachel Franklin, VP and Executive Producer for The Sims 4. “The magic of The Sims has always come from the combination of the player’s creativity and the Sims’ free will, and in The Sims 4 we’re taking this further by unlocking more possibilities and deeper gameplay opportunities. The Sims 4 is the bold leap for the franchise where each Sim now has a rich emotional center that drives meaningful social interactions. Your ability to affect the mind, body and heart of these new Sims brings your stories to life in a way that is more personal than ever before.” The Sims 4 brings all new ways to play with life. Built on the foundation of a brand new technology platform, the nuance and delight of being human come together to create more intelligent, more emotionally rich and more relatable Sims. These Sims have evolved into beings whose every action is informed and affected by interactions and emotional states. Because players are in control of life’s triumphs and failures, life’s moments make stories richer, Sims more relatable and their homes more personal. Pair these revolutionary new Sims with brand new creative tools that are powerful, agile and tactile, and the result is a provocative new gameplay experience that powers a new era for The Sims. The Sims 4 combines revolutionary Sims with powerful creative tools and all-new emotion-based gameplay, to reinvent The Sims experience. Built on the foundation of brand new technologies that Maxis calls SmartSim, The Sims 4 is the most intelligent, relatable and personal life simulation ever. For the first time, player choice shapes not just a single moment, but the entire life journey of the Sims. For more than a decade, The Sims has entertained millions of people across the globe and has left an indelible footprint on the interactive world. A world-renowned interactive entertainment phenomenon, The Sims has sold 175 million units to date and continues to enhance its rich multi-platform portfolio with offerings that inspire creativity and reach one of the most passionate audiences in interactive entertainment. Tell Stories That Span a Lifetime – Life is incredibly rich and multifaceted. The Sims offers players personality and aspirations that emulate the beauty of life but, for the first time, in The Sims 4, Sims are now emotionally aware. They are capable of experiencing a range of emotions that have a direct impact on the way the game is played. In The Sims 4, player choices influence the gameplay not just in this moment but down the line. Just like in real life, these choices have a cascading effect that shapes the entire life journey of their Sims. Connect with Sims on a New Level – Players are in control of a new wave of Sims, brimming over with intelligence and unique characteristics. The result of this enhanced intelligence is new Sims that behave and react more naturally than ever before. Stories unfold dynamically as Sims socialize, multitask, and engage with each other on a new level. Creativity for All – Rebuilt from the ground up to be more powerful and intuitive, the tools in The Sims 4 will change the way players bring Sims and their homes to life. With Create A Sim, players reach into the game, sculpting Sims by hand; it’s like playing with clay, but less messy. The new Build Mode gives players all the control they want with new tactile features that allow them to build homes by simply dragging and dropping rooms. It’s easier and faster for players to create the homes they want. These tools have been designed to allow players to create with speed and flexibility.
The Sims 4 at Gamescom 2013 (Fan Site Edition)
Fans from across the world gathered in Germany for the reveal of The Sims 4, and we have a list to prove it! Click here to check out all the previews!
Pre-Alpha Screenshots (Gamescom 2013)
The Sims 4 Photobomb at Gamescom 2013
The Sims 4 Logo
Original Logo
Updated Logo (7/23/13)
Updated Logo (6/11/14)
Concept Art
During a 2013 Live Broadcast, we were introduced to Lead Concept Artist of The Sims 4, Albert Truong. Albert gave us a first look at the design of The Sims 4 “Sim”, and a short backstory into the creation of these new Sims.
Ryan: Why don’t you take us through what went into this concept sketch? Albert: These characters, what we’re trying to go for, is a little bit of a sexier, cooler, design, a little more appealing. Something more on the painterly effect, but we didn’t want to go towards a realistic thing and get into an uncanny valley. Well these are Sims were making, so they gotta look good. We’ve put a lot of thought into the color and design of the characters, a lot of lightning for the characters, and a little bit of story telling as well. For instance, if you take a look at her, she’s probably a teen rockstar or a musician trying to get into a band or something. We pulled a lot of inspiration from animated films, from american illustrators, to get that pseudo painterly effect. And we’re hoping that all of these come together, to show the fans something they have never seen before in any of the other iterations of the Sims.
Screenshots
Renders
Trailer, Gameplay Demos, & Broadcasts
The Sims 4 Arrival Trailer features “I’m Alive” by Michael Franti & Spearhead
The Sims 4 Stories Trailer features “Unbelievers” by Vampire Weekend
IGN: How To Create Your Perfect Sim in The Sims 4
IGN: Building A Family With The Sims 4’s New Genetics Tool
The Sims 4: Smarter and Weirder Official Gameplay Trailer
The Sims 4 Easter Eggs
The Sims team updated The Sims 4 Arrival Trailer with all new “Easter Egg” type annotations. These annotations have links to unlisted videos about The Sims 4, and there are a total of 24.
#1 – Channel Surfing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aJCiZzeC1U #2 – Awkward Family Dinner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_ddgioVaPo #3 – Tragic Clown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGCV8hVgGpo #4 – Melty Grilled Cheese Sandwich: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLVtwyWfuEM #5 – Bella Goth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APMSjbvw80I #6 – Grim Reaper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkh8jrzL81s #7 – The Rancher and The Llama: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_aN3cWrgB8 #8 – Intergalactic Space Dance Party: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SPX4cvSZGg #9 – Social Bunny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLMlJOaF1bs #10 – Garden Gnome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGF2svjDa2c #11 – Freezer Bunny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkiIQJ3ISLU #12 – Rubber Ducky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL25RnKpWhM #13 – Smooth Talking Llama: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYDIe7TfES4 #14 – Llama Crush: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNlYkGurqpk #15 – Spit Takes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za6cOgn1BNE #16 – Turtle Fever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoL-ZsNOuXY #17 – ASDF Poster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FE8IJ84gVc #18 – Freezer Bunny II: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIwanGPu7Xc #19 – Don’t Run With Scissors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKmYoqJ-C0U #20 – Goth Girl Loves Pop Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kuKTikUE3A #21 – Social Bunny Soiree: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpqV_UYU0dQ #22 – Spaceship Ahoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRIv14QbxFg #23 – When Pigs Fly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DjrzxDwG_k #24 – Wugglesworth Schnuggles Bear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dl11RpmKOQ
Community Blog: Getting to Know SimGuruRyan
Hey everyone! My name is Ryan Vaughan and I‘m a producer for The Sims 4. A lot of you might be wondering what the heck a producer does day-to-day. How do I spend my time in The Sims Studio? And, maybe what my favorite food is? This is my opportunity to let you get to know me and the role I play on The Sims 4 team a bit better. First, let me say that I’ve actually been working on The Sims for more than six years! It’s gone by pretty fast, but when you truly love what you do, it’s inspiring to come in on a daily basis and have a lot of fun. Don’t get me wrong, all jobs come with their own challenges, but working on The Sims has been incredible. In The Sims Studio, a producer works with all the different members of the team. We work with artists, computer engineers, designers, QA, other producers, you name it! In the simplest terms, we help keep them on track, hit their schedules, and make sure the game is the best that it can be. Simple task right? It’s actually a lot more than that.
One of the most important jobs of a producer is to ensure that specific features evolve and change from their original design when they don’t end up fitting correctly into the game. We ensure that game features like Create A Sim (which we talked about last week) and Build Mode work in a way that feels right. Games are made of many different parts and finding a balance is one of our most important goals. Now that I mentioned them, I have to tell you that one of the things I’m most excited about in The Sims 4 is the brand new Create A Sim. Being able to directly manipulate the way my Sim looks (without using sliders) is something I’ve always wanted from the very first time I played The Sims. I cannot wait to finish this game so everyone can enjoy how much fun it is now to create Sims. I’m also constantly tracking the status of projects, playing the game, and working with my various cross-partner team members. A lot of my job, you see, is being a support system to the team. If a developer has an issue that’s keeping work from getting done, it’s up to a producer to either find a way to get it done, or to find the right person to get it done. People who are good problem solvers make great producers! My life is not all work. I have a beautiful family that I come home to every night. These moments where I’m unwinding is where I derive a lot of my stories for how I play The Sims. In fact, watching my son build houses out of blocks the other night reminded me a lot of how the new Build Mode works – constructing houses by building individual rooms and shapes. I relish those moments of watching real life at home and then recreating them when I come to work. That about sums it up. Hope you had a chance to get to know me a bit better. Oh, and by the way, my favorite food is pizza – no question about that! Follow me on Twitter @SimGuruRyan.
Interview with Designer Nick Corea
Wow! I can’t believe it’s already September. Hard to believe that it’s already been three weeks since we were in Germany revealing The Sims 4 to the world! My favorite reveal to date has been the unveiling of the completely rebuilt The Sims 4 Create A Sim which we showed off at gamescom. In case you missed the news, it’s now more powerful and intuitive than ever before and allows you to create Sims in any likeness you wish.
I personally can’t wait to create friends and family members with more authenticity and accuracy than I’ve ever been able to achieve before. And lest I forget to mention the wonderful and amazing things I’ll make them do for my in-game Sim. I’m already imagining my in-game family and friends cooking dinner for me and abiding by the wants and demands that I will place on them. Mwahaha. I know there are tons of questions out there about Create A Sim from fans, so I decided to ask Designer Nick Corea to sit down and give me the what’s-what on what makes Create A Sim in The Sims 4 so new and exciting. SimGuruRaeEliz: So what’s new about this Create A Sim and why should we be excited? Nick Corea: One sentence: You get to the fun faster! SimGuruRaeEliz: OK, so what does that mean? Corea: Simple. It means that Create A Sim has been completely revolutionized. Gone are the days of detached sliders. There’s no more guess work while inching a slider along to try and perfect that Grecian nose or master those big doe eyes. Now you can shape and mold your Sim just like an artist, by pushing and pulling directly on a Sim’s body and face. It is as if you are the artist and your mouse is your paint brush. SimGuruRaeEliz: Can you walk us through the process of creating your own Sim in the new tool? Corea: You get started in Create A Sim by selecting from a range of body shapes and faces. Once you’ve found a Sim that fits your vision, the real fun begins. Nearly every point on a Sim’s body and face can be fine-tuned. Imagine being able to look in a mirror and push and pull on your foot to create a desired foot size. It’s that easy. SimGuruRaeEliz: Wait! Foot size? Corea: Yes! The Sims 4 now allows you to adjust the size of your Sim’s feet. There are tons of new points on a Sim that can be directly manipulated. Some of our favorites include: chest, shoulders, thighs and, you guessed it, feet! In addition to the new manipulation points that can be adjusted on Sims, you can now select different facial structures for your Sims’ faces – allowing you to create Sims that authentically represent different ethnicities. It’s now easier than ever to sculpt the Sim of your imagination. SimGuruRaeEliz: Or my future digital boyfriend? Eh!? TMI? Ok, but surely there’s more to it than that though. What about outfitting your Sim? Corea: Well, we’ve been listening to your feedback and we’ve added a lot of great new ways to customize your Sim’s style and fashion. For example, in The Sims 4 you can add a hat to whatever hairstyle you like. Yep! No longer will your Sim be stuck with a hatless hair-do. SimGuruRaeEliz: As a Simmer who has her share of bad hair days, I am beyond elated. Corea: Simmer down there, SimGuruRaeEliz. There’s more to share! Additionally, we’ve added some really cool tech that improves the pairing of your Sim’s boots and pants. Now, skinny pants will be tucked into boots! And if you love those boots but want to dress your Sim in flared pants, those pants will automatically adjust to cover the boots to create a desirable look and style for your Sim. SimGuruRaeEliz: If only my fashion was that easy to fix. Where’s my Create A Sim in real life? Corea: We’re working on it! SimGuruRaeEliz: With all this talk of new, new and more new, I’m curious if anything stayed the same. Is there is still an option to set traits and quickly create pre-made Sims? Corea: Selecting your Sims’ traits is definitely still in The Sims 4. But there’s more than just that! In Create A Sim, you can now select a Sim’s walk style to go along with their personality, or not –you decide. Pre-made Sims still exists but have been improved. There’s a new feature called ‘Smart Randomization’ where individual parts of the Sim can be randomized. For instance, if you love everything about your Sim but are having trouble picking the right hair, you can now freeze all areas of your Sim except the hair and scroll through a series of options until you find the right one. SimGuruRaeEliz: One last question for you. What’s your favorite part of Create A Sim? Corea: There’s no question about it! I’m the most excited about being able to directly manipulate my Sims –it’s so easy and fun! Oh and the broad range of ethnic diversity is also something I’m very excited about as well. And I can’t wait to see what players are going to do with the facial structures. Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Nick. You took the words right out of my mouth! We know you have a ton of questions about Create A Sim so be on the lookout for when we reveal more information on a Sims’ lifecycles and their genetics. And get excited because makeup and accessories are now smarter, too! Now to find a way to create a ‘Smart Randomization’ in my real life. Anyone want to help a fellow Simmer out?
Q&A With Ryan Vaughan
We unveiled The Sims 4 at our gamescom press briefing – to give you an insider’s look, we sat down with producer Ryan Vaughn to tell us a little more about this PC favorite and what the Sims team will be doing this week here at gamescom. Q: What is the biggest difference in The Sims 4 compared to The Sims 3? A: It all starts with the biggest innovation in The Sims 4, the Sims themselves. Our Sims have evolved into emotionally aware beings whose every action is affected by what they’re thinking and how they’re feeling. Now you get to play with the mind, body and heart of the Sims. Our second big feature is a new set of technologies we’re calling SmartSim. This has allowed us to make the most intelligent and relatable life simulation ever. And finally, we’ve completely rebuilt our creative tools to be more intuitive, more powerful, and much more fun to play with. For the first time you reach into the world and shape your Sims by hand and build your homes room-by-room with ease. Q: Sims have now been around for over a decade. How do you keep it interesting for (very passionate!) fans? A: It’s funny you ask that, because it’s actually the fans that continue to drive our excitement about The Sims. It is their undying passion that energizes us, and their continued devotion that inspires us to create the kinds of games and content that we want to play. We’re constantly surfing the forums, checking in with them on Twitter via our @SimGuru accounts and looking for their feedback so that we can deliver the experiences they’re looking for. Keep it up, guys, we’re listening! Q: So, what’s going on at SimsCamp this week? Tell us more! A: We’ve invited top fans of The Sims from around the world to converge at SimsCamp to get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at The Sims 4. In addition to being amongst the first people in the world to play with Create A Sim, they’re the first to go behind the curtain to see how all of the pieces of our game come together. Q: What is the feature you’ve waited for the most to show off while at gamescom? A: The Sims themselves. These are revolutionary new Sims with emotional centers that behave and react more naturally than ever before. Every one of their actions is affected by their emotional states that lead to richer, more meaningful gameplay. Q: How long have you been a Simmer yourself and what makes you love this franchise? A: I started working on The Sims in 2007 when I was lucky enough to land on The Sims 2 team, but I’ve been a Simmer since the beginning. My favorite part about The Sims is that it’s a blank canvas. We give players all of these creative tools and they use them to tell their own unique stories. For me, I love to build homes. So it actually really excites me that we’ve completely revamped our Build tool. It has all of the power that I want, but it’s tactile and flexible so that I can make great homes with ease.
The Sims 4 Create-a-Sim Community Blog
Ever since I first started playing The Sims, I craved the ability to sculpt my Sim as if it was clay. I wanted to stretch noses and tug cheeks; I wanted to imagine a face in my mind, and bring it to life in the game. Instead of simply shaping my Sims’ faces with sliders, I wanted a more personal and intimate experience. I doubt I’m the only one who feels this way, which is why I’m so excited to tell you more about Create A Sim in The Sims 4! The features I have always dreamed of have now become a reality. In fact, our new Create A Sim tool has been completely rebuilt from the ground up to be more tactile and intuitive than ever before. With The Sims 4, you can actually grab onto Sims directly and adjust the way they look with a simple click of the mouse. You can now click on a Sim’s body and drag and pull it to directly manipulate their look and shape. You can start by selecting from a series of our pre-made facial and body types. Then dive in to sculpt your Sim’s face and physique by expanding and scaling to get the most custom looking Sims yet. Next, enter Detail mode which allows you to get much more advanced in manipulating each feature of your Sim. Zoom in on your Sim’s eyes, ears, nose, chin and mouth to adjust and tweak their smaller features. This tool finally brings you the ability to recreate virtually anyone – your family, friends or even yourself with much more precision and ease. This awesome new way of creating Sims, in my opinion, brings a much more personal experience to the game.
We have also added new facial archetypes that let you to create distinct faces for the first time. In the past, it was challenging to create Sims that captured unique facial differences from around the world. Now, you have the ability to adjust the underlying bone structure of your Sim’s face, which gives you the power to create Sims that carry varied and distinguished looks. You can use it to create anyone from around the world! As every The Sims player knows, creating characters is more than skin deep. Create a Sim is not just about how your Sims look, it’s also about who they are on the inside. Like in previous Sims games, you select traits to manipulate personalities. But now, in The Sims 4, personality has a deeper impact on how your Sims interact and who they eventually become with the introduction of Emotions. Emotions affect everything your Sims do and how they react in various situations, which creates a new found synergy when combined with traits in The Sims 4. I’ve always loved the “Insane” trait, for example, and the effect of combining this trait with emotional states can lead to even wilder gameplay outcomes. We’ve added in some new traits to the game, such as my personal favorite, the “Bro” trait. This trait combined with emotional states can spark a new “bromance” for your Sim. In The Sims 4 it’s tons of fun to play with the various ways Traits work with emotions to bring smarter Sims and weirder stories to your game. However, traits and emotions alone do not dictate the entire personality of your Sim. We’ve added in all new Walk Styles to really bring out your Sim’s individuality.. It’s amazing how much personality these Walk Styles bring to your Sims. The new styles help insinuate a level of confidence, humility or humor in your Sims starting in Create A Sim and carries forward to how they move in the game. This feature adds to an important underlying theme in Create A Sim: it is not just about how they look, Create A Sim is about bringing your Sims to life in a brand new way. Speaking of bringing things to life, we’ve greatly improved our genetics system. As before, you can create two Sims and try for a baby. Their baby would splice their DNA together and their baby would grow up to have features representative of both their Mother or Father’s looks. Now, right in Create A Sim, you are able to mash-up the looks of two Sims to preview what their child will look like. Better yet, you can then manipulate the look of the child if you aren’t satisfied with the results. You can also create family members based off of just one of your Sims’ genetics! Want to give one of your Sims a brother, done! Or provide them with a kid sister, check! The improved genetic functions are dynamic, open ended and really fun to play with. Like I said, this is the Create A Sim I always wanted, and I’m excited to share it with you when the game hits this fall.
Community Blog: Building Anticipation for The Sims 4
“Flexible. Fast. Fun. Forgiving.” These are the guiding principles that the design team at Maxis used when we conceived Build Mode for The Sims 4. Everything we’ve added, and everything we adjusted, serves to make the builder’s experience not only easier, but more fulfilling. How did we do it? Here is a quick rundown of what builders have to look forward to with the new Build Mode in The Sims 4.
APPROACHABLE In The Sims 4, players finally have the Build Mode we’ve always wanted to make. We’ve completely rebuilt the system from the ground up to be both easy to pick up, and non-punishing to experiment in. The whole experience is more powerful, more tactile, and frankly, more fun. The core difference in this new Build Mode is how quick and easy it is to make changes on the fly. You can pick up any architectural element (such as a wall, staircase, roof, or even an entire room), stretch it, rotate it, and move it without having to delete and start from scratch. Foundations, normally a very tricky element to get right, can be added at any time during the building process; just select one of eight heights and the entire structure adjusts to the change in an instant. JUST A CLICK AWAY Did designing an entire house from scratch seem intimidating or time consuming in our previous games? The new Build Mode enables players to realize their vision faster than ever before. With a single click of the mouse, you can do things like put windows on an entire room, or change all the fences on a deck. You’ll find numerous new functions just like these which will make the entire building process less repetitive, yet just as powerful. Want to build even faster? We’re introducing a brand new feature called Styled Rooms. Browse through the Styled Rooms section of the Build Mode catalog and you can find bathrooms, bedrooms, and many other room types that have been pre-built and furnished just for you. Simply select a room out of the catalog, and place it wherever you want it to be. Not only will you see it fully furnished right away, but you will still have complete control of its customization. You can stretch and rotate it, repaint it, or rearrange the furniture yourself. We’ve seen styled rooms used by beginners and advanced users alike; either as a quick way to slap a beautiful house together, or as a starting point for decorative inspiration. HOME IMPROVEMENT We’ve done an in-depth study of building in our earlier games (and are avid builders ourselves), and have made it a point to improve as many of the minor inconveniences as possible. We’re sure our expert builders will notice these improvements immediately, while new players will find that the system just does what they want it to! Object placement is much more intuitive. To give a few examples: chairs can be centered on the sides of tables, even if they don’t line up with the grid, and columns can now be placed directly into fences and walls. You’ll also have increased control of wall object placement. In The Sims 4, you can place wall objects like windows, paintings, and TVs anywhere vertically on the wall (and your Sims will actually crane their necks to look at that TV you cruelly placed near the ceiling)! We’ve added entirely new architectural features to play with; details such as spandrels, friezes, pilasters, and other fancy sounding words will take your building to the next level. Every part of each roof can be stretched to create a variety of heights, curves, and eaves. There are also three different wall heights to choose from, and you can adjust each floor to have a different wall height! This is a lot of fun to play with, and helps to make buildings much more realistic and unique! Maybe you’ll utilize the high walls on the first floor for a grand entrance, then add a loft on the top floor using the low wall height. The options are endless, and we can’t wait to see where your creativity takes you! Quite simply put, we are ridiculously excited to finally offer this level of detail and control for our players in Build Mode.
The Sims 4: Neighborhoods, Weird Moments & More
Wow, what an amazing couple of weeks! E3 is always a crazy time for us in The Sims Studio – but with a game as big as The Sims 4, that week in Los Angeles was an absolute blur. Over the last 7 years working in The Sims Studio, I can safely say that I’ve never had so much fun showing people a game as I just did with The Sims 4! The Sims demos are always a unique experience – because it’s a real live simulation – and we never quite know exactly how our Sims will react to the stories we’re telling. And this is even more true with our all new Sims in The Sims 4 – their unique personalities and rich emotions produced some absolutely hilarious, sad, and wild moments at E3 that were, quite frankly, unexpected and unplanned. Whether it was when a stinky Sim knocked over the trashcan and started rummaging through the trash while we were trying to show off one of our new Neighborhoods, or when a bride-to-be came into the gym absolutely distressed and crying while we we’re talking about the new Fitness Skill, the game itself showed off its magic without us prompting it.
And to be totally honest, this is why I am so excited about The Sims 4. For me, playing The Sims has always been about those special moments where something unexpected – something sad, hilarious, or intriguing – just happens. In The Sims 4, these moments have been taken to a whole new level! I’ve never felt so compelled to just sit back and watch what Sims are doing out in the neighborhood – they’re extremely expressive and I can’t help but wonder what each of their stories are. Did that bride in the gym get left at the altar? Was the stinky Sim looking for lost treasure in the garbage can? I cannot wait to see the stories you guys tell and encounter when the game launches in September. Now I know you guys still have TONS of questions, and a few concerns as well, about this brand new Sims experience. I totally get it! Many of you have committed countless hours and feelings to your Sims over the last 14 years and you have the right to feel anxious about how this new game is different. So I wanted to spend some time clarifying some of the smaller (yet still important) details about the game – things that don’t often come out in big interviews or demos, but are still significant to any Sims experience: • First and foremost, you the player have complete control over your Sims – and now their emotions. Just like in previous Sims games, you’ll have the ability to select different levels of autonomy for your Sims so you get the level of control you’re most comfortable with. And rest assured, we’re doing an absolutely massive amount of tuning to make sure emotion gameplay enhances the experience for you storytellers and machinima artists, rather than creating a new obstacle. • Build Mode truly is the most powerful, and fun, Build Mode we’ve ever created. While it’s not possible for us to include every single feature and piece of content we added to The Sims 3 over the last 5 years, we’ve added features that you’ve asked for and that offer a whole new intuitive and fun way to build. These are features like Wall Height Adjustment, Dynamic Foundation Sizing, and Smart Windows! And though pool building won’t be available in September, we do have a new Fountain Tool so you can create sophisticated landscapes. Whether you were a novice builder in The Sims 3, or an experienced pro, I really think you’re going to love The Sims 4’s build mode. • When it comes to connecting with other players online – The Sims 4 is the game you want it to be. You can browse other players’ creations or share your own directly from the game to the all new Gallery, or you can turn it off with a click of a button. While we’d love for you to check out what the world of The Sims community has to offer (you make amazing things!), making the game that you want to play and giving you control is our priority. • We are also very excited about our new Create A Sim! You probably guess this since we’ve been showing it off everywhere. We’re particularly proud of our new Genetics system, where you can create relatives from any other Sim. It’s like a game in itself! As for ages, we have babies, children, teens, young adults, adults and elders. With our new personalities, you can really feel how their individuality plays out in the gameplay. We can’t wait for you to try it. • We also have beautiful Neighborhoods! Did you know that for the first time ever in The Sims, your Sims will be able to not only travel between Neighborhoods, but also between entire Worlds without having to start a new game!? This is something that I always wanted in The Sims 3, and I’m so excited to finally have it in The Sims 4. Neighborhoods and Worlds will be separated by a short load screen, but for the first time you’ll be able to live in one world and work (or play) in another! All of your Sim’s personality, accomplishments, and relationships stay with them as they travel around the best play-space we’ve ever created in a The Sims game. I know that this quick blog can’t possibly answer all of your questions about TS4, but I hope it fills in some of the areas you’ve been wondering about. You can see we’ve made some key decisions to focus on new aspects of the game – things like our all new Sims, vibrant neighborhoods, and powerful creative tools – just a to name a few. And 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. The future of The Sims 4 is bright! In the short time between now and September, I look forward to talking to you more and answering as many questions about The Sims 4 as possible. More importantly, I sincerely can’t wait for you to try what we’ve built and play out your stories in this brand new Sims universe.
The Sims 4 Community Blog: Familiar Faces
The Landgraabs are back, still living it up as the richest family and staking their claim in Oasis Springs. We’ve brought Malcolm back during those awful awkward teen years, complete with a dastardly snobby attitude. Though Geoffrey is trying his best to be the good natured father Malcolm needs, will Nancy’s scheming ways lead Malcolm down a darker path? Either way we’re sure this historic family will provide lots of fun and mischief in The Sims 4.
Then we have the Caliente household with our two favorite sisters Dina, Nina, and their mother, who has been re-imagined as the attractive and vivacious Katrina. Katrina has ignored her better judgment and let the infamous womanizer Don Lothario mooch his way into her house and quite possibly her heart. Don’s eyes are on Katrina for now, but how long will it be before Nina and Dina are lured in by his charm? Will Nina decide to steal Don away from her mother? Will Dina finally earn enough money to get her own place and get away from all the craziness? All we know is that it won’t be long before sparks start flying! Johnny Zest is an ambitious new character we like to introduce. Disowned from the Landgraab family when he dropped out of school, he now hopes to find his own fame and fortune as a standup comedian. He’s learned the hard lesson that when the Landgraabs cut you off, they cut you off all the way! Living in a trailer, blessed with the Landgraab looks but without the name or the money; will he make it to the top to show mom and pop he had what it takes all along? We’ll leave the fate of this black sheep in your capable hands. Finally we’ve got a new batch of youths known as the Roomies. Your typical sitcom setup with ‘J’ (Jameson) the body building hunk, Gavin the gentleman muser, Mitchell the couch potato bro, and Zoe, that girl next door who is actually right where she wants to be, having fun with the friend-zoned boys. No matter which familiar face you play with, we are convinced this cast of characters will add a quirkiness to your game that only The Sims can bring!
The Sims 4 Community Blog: Welcome to Oasis Springs
Hi Simmers! I am here to tell you more about the vibrant worlds where you and your Sims will be creating your own unique stories in The Sims 4. We start out in Willow Creek which is very green, bountiful and should feel a little familiar to longtime fans. We wanted to pair Willow Creek with something completely different and that world is Oasis Springs. Oasis Springs packs a little visual punch with rocky landscaping, evoking those fond memories for players of Lunar Lakes and Lucky Palms. You’ll find it’s not just the landscapes that are distinct, even the home styles are unique to each world.
You’ll find objects available in Oasis Springs that you can’t find in Willow Creek and vice versa. Let’s say you want to make a tasty vegetable soup; you’ll find carrots in Oasis Springs but you’ll have to venture to Willow Creek for onions. To achieve the perfect dish you’ll have to visit the different worlds to bring your ingredients together, and it’s easy to do. Willow Creek and Oasis Springs have five neighborhoods each. New homes or even venues can be built on each lot within these neighborhoods, allowing you to personalize the world to fit the stories you want to tell. There are also public spaces within these neighborhoods where Sims can explore, socialize, play, and even host a lovely cookout. Each world will have two neighborhoods already set up with venues, so as soon as you get into the game, you can take your Sims out for a night they won’t soon forget. We’ve made the neighborhoods much livelier, populated with more Sims, all with their own unique personalities. You never know what is going to happen. You can be fishing in the neighborhood creek, when suddenly the lovely Bella Goth jogs by with Don Lothario conveniently not far behind. You might also find Malcom Landgraab passed out on a park bench after a night of terrorizing the locals, while the local children enjoy a good laugh in the nearby park! These curious little stories tell themselves and really help to make your Neighborhoods come alive. Parks and outdoor spaces are also really important to how you tell your stories in The Sims 4. The park in Oasis Springs has scenic valleys with lots to explore, including an absolutely gorgeous desert landscape perfect for a BBQ amongst the picnic benches and grills. In fact, the park is so big, we had to add another bathroom so your Sims didn’t suffer from Bladder Failure and ruin a good grilling time! The desert isn’t all about food, frolicking and sand. Amongst the rocky edges you may even find an old water pump, long forgotten, but brimming with unexpected life. With so many unique things to do and explore it’s a good thing you now have the ability to seamlessly jump back and forth between worlds. If you remember, in The Sims 3 you couldn’t take your Sim from one world to the other or have relationships with Sims living in different worlds. Now if you’re living in Willow Creek but your Sim wants to visit the mischievous Malcom in Oasis Springs you can do that just as easily as seeing your neighbor down the street. Say you like more of a dry heat and want to move to Oasis Springs? No problem! Your Sim’s relationships, skills and jobs will go along with them. It’s a completely fluid experience. So there you have it; new worlds and wide open spaces. With so many new possibilities you now have the power to create your own unique stories. We hope you will have as much fun exploring Oasis Springs as we had making it!
The Sims 4: Magazine Articles
❗ Click the magazine covers to view articles. Please note that some magazines are international.
Game Developer’s Conference 2014
Check out the entire “Concurrent Interactions” class straight from GDC’s Vault. Just in case the PDF is removed from GDC’s website, or is restricted to members only, I have uploaded it to Mediafire for your convenience.
❗ Please note that all in-game photos from this class are from ALPHA Software Session Name: Concurrent Interactions in The Sims 4 Speaker(s): Peter Ingebretson, Max Rebuschatis Company Name(s): Electronic Arts (Maxis), Electronic Arts (Maxis) Track / Format: Programming Overview: In real life, people often do several things at the same time, but games typically limit agents to performing actions sequentially. For The Sims 4, we developed a system for authoring interactions that allows simulated people (called Sims) to express multiple concurrent behaviors. Interactions are largely data-driven and are defined in terms of constraints, which specify the state a Sim must be in to perform the interaction. Constraints are used to test whether interactions are compatible, and to drive decisions that Sims make about whether, how and where to perform an interaction. This system allows Sims in The Sims 4 to convincingly eat, watch TV, chat with other Sims, express emotion, and perform many more behaviors simultaneously. We believe that this powerful and simple technique could be applied to a similar effect in your game too.
Check out the entire “Multi-Actor Behavior Sequencing” class straight from GDC’s Vault. Just in case the PDF is removed from GDC’s website, or is restricted to members only, I have uploaded it to Mediafire for your convenience.
❗ Please note that any in-game photos from this class are from ALPHA Software Session Name: Multi-Actor Behavior Sequencing in The Sims 4 Speaker(s): Brian Bell Company Name(s): Maxis Track / Format: Programming Overview: As online gaming continues to surge in popularity, simulation complexity increases rapidly and aggressively multi-core platforms become the standard, decoupling game presentation from simulation becomes increasingly important. For The Sims 4, we’ve developed a novel model for rendering high-fidelity synchronized behaviors involving multiple actors, even when driven by a simulation that runs at highly variable and/or low-frame rates, and which potentially communicates with the renderer over a high/variable latency connection. Historically, such products have often made significant compromises, either by requiring their simulations to run at real-time rates, and forcing extremely rigid synchronization, or by limiting visual quality in critical areas like character animation. Our solution addresses all of these, and is capable of scaling across a variety of game types by offering a core framework for individual game teams to extend and customize.
Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014
The 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo will take place June 10th to June 12th, and EA has officially confirmed The Sims 4’s presence at the show. Executive Producer, Rachel Franklin, confirmed this news via Twitter.
Hey Simmers. Confirming all the rumors. Yes, The Sims 4 will be at E3. — Rachel Franklin (@SimGuruRachel) April 23, 2014
Who, What, Where, Why
Event: E3 2014
Where: Los Angeles Convention Center
When: June 10th – June 12th
Official E3 Social Media: Twitter, Facebook, E3Insider.com, Instagram
E3 Exhibitor List: Click Me!
Why: Because video games
Press Conferences – Watch live on SimsVIP!
All press conferences that take place during E3 2014 will be live streamed right here on SimsVIP. We’ve included a list of times for each of the five press conferences, with the most common time zones listed next to each event.
For those who miss the live press conference broadcasts, replays will be available for your convenience.
Monday June 9th:
- Microsoft – 6:30am(HST), 9:30am(PDT), 10:30am(MST), 11:30am(CDT), 12:30pm(EDT), 5:30pm(BST), 2:30am(AEST – June 10th), 4:30am(NZST – June 10th)
- Electronic Arts – 9:00am(HST), 12:00pm(PDT), 1:00pm(MST), 2:00pm(CDT), 3:00pm(EDT), 8:00pm(BST), 5:00am(AEST – June 10th), 7:00am(NZST – June 10th)
- Ubisoft – 12:00pm(HST), 3:00pm(PDT), 4:00pm(MST), 5:00pm(CDT), 6:00pm(EDT), 11:00pm(BST), 8:00am(AEST – June 10th), 10:00am(NZST – June 10th)
- Sony – 3:00pm(HST), 6:00pm(PDT), 7:00pm(MST), 8:00pm(CDT), 9:00pm(EDT), 2:00am(BST – June 10th), 11:00am(AEST – June 10th), 1:00pm(NZST – June 10th)
Tuesday June 10th:
- Nintendo (Online Press Conference) – 6:00am(HST), 9:00am(PDT), 10:00am(MST), 11:00am(CDT), 12:00pm(EDT), 5:00pm(BST), 2:00am(AEST – June 11th), 4:00am(NZST – June 11th)
RECAP: SimsVIP @ E3 2014
• The Sims 4: EA’s E3 Press Conference (June 9th, 2014)
• E3 2014: SimsVIP’s Sims 4 Interview with SimGuruGraham
• The Sims 4: Walk Styles in CAS
• The Sims 4 Includes Auto-Save Feature
• The Sims 4: Hairstyles & Highlights in CAS
• The Sims 4: Maternity Clothes Are a Thing of the Past
• The Sims 4: Creating My Simself at E3
• The Sims 4: Aspirations & Traits (List)
• SimsVIP Exclusive: Green Skinned Sim (Screenshot)
• The Sims 4: New E3 Show Floor Trailer
• The Sims 4 @ E3: More Create-a-Sim Footage
• The Sims 4: More Random CAS Footage
Create-a-Sim Intro
One of the biggest features in The Sims 4 is the new Create a Sim mode. Forget about sliders to customize your Sims, because you can now edit them by grabbing and dragging their bodies and faces with the cursor. The classic sliders will not make an appearance, and the only way to create Sims is by direct manipulation (except for the Fitness and Heaviness sliders).
Create-a-Sim
Camera Controls
Randomize
Body Modifiers & Pre-Sets
Muscle & Fat Sliders
Face Modifiers
Detail Edit Mode
Outfits
How Filters Work
Styled Looks
Personality
Adding Sims
Add a Genetic Sim
Relationships
Manipulation Points
Create a Sim includes more than 10 body manipulation points, as well as some other points unlocked when the Sim is on their side. The following manipulation points are available in CAS:
| • Shoulders | • Forearms |
| • Torso/Waist | • Breasts (Lift and Size) |
| • Hips | • Feet |
| • Thighs | • Posture |
| • Shins/Calves | • The “Tookhes” aka: Bootay! |
| • Upper Arms | • Stomach Size (Hello Beer Belly!) |
Sims also have 10 facial manipulation points (Standard Mode)
| • Head Width | • Lip Size, Shape, Height, Width |
| • Eye Size, Shape, Height, Width | • Chin Size, Shape, Height, Width |
| • Neck Width | • Cheek Size, Shape, Height, Width |
| • Eyebrow Height | • Jaw Size, Shape, Height, Width |
| • Nose Size, Shape, Height, Width | • Facial Profile (Pull Full Facial Profile, Nose, Mouth, Jaw) |
Clicking on the Detailed Mode button, another 16 face manipulation points are unlocked.
| • Forehead | • Nasal Tip |
| • Upper Eyelid | • Cheek Bones |
| • Eyebrow Arch | • Lip Crease |
| • Lower Eyelid | • Upper Lip |
| • Eye Pupil Size | • Lower Lip |
| • Nasal Bridge | • Jaw Bones |
| • Nasal Base | • Cheek Jowl |
| • Nasal Flares | • Chin |
❗ Sims will remain symmetrical when customizing their looks in CAS. This means that if you change one side of the face, the other will follow suit.
Pre-set Faces and Bodies
If you don’t like spending too much time creating Sims, there are a range of available presets to load and select in a single click. Thanks to the potential of the new CAS system, Maxis will be able to provide a variety of faces representing different ethnicities and their “typical” features.
There are also specific parts of the face you are able to choose from…
Fitness and Heaviness Sliders
As mentioned above, the only sliders that remain are those that allow us to choose the overall shape of the body of our Sim. This part of the CAS interface can be found to the left of a Sim.
Although these sliders might be similar to the ones in The Sims 3, they have a different use this time around. With the ability to modify the body directly with the mouse, each position of the Sim opens new possibilities when customizing. While we can quickly modify the body of our Sims with these two sliders, now we are also granted the ability to take charge and use the manual modeling to further adjust each body part (within limit of course). This opens an array possibilities when editing the shape of our Sims bodies.
Once in game, Sims will lose weight if they work out regularly and eat healthy, but they’ll gain weight if they eat junk and become a couch potato. Yes. We can now choose whether to eat healthy or not, which means we will know in advance whether it adversely or positively affect a the Sim’s health.
❗ Sims will not react negatively or positively when gaining or losing weight
Age Groups
The Sims 4 Will include the following age groups: Infant, Child, Teen, Young Adult, Adult, and Elder. Toddlers will not be present in The Sims 4 Base Game. Infants will grow into Children, similar to how The Original Sims was set up. EA claims they did not want to shoe horn Toddlers in the game, so they will possibly be released at a later date.
In the recent CAS video by IGN, it appeared that Teenage Sims would be the same height as their adult counterparts. In a post over at Mod The Sims, SimGuruGraham confirmed that Teenage Sims will in fact be the same height as Adults & Elders, and also mentioned that this leaves the door open for a Pre-Teen life stage.
Hey folks – just dropping in really quickly. I didn’t realize teen height was still being debated; thought it was fairly clear from the pictures and recent videos. Yes the teens are the same height as the adults. They have lighter frames than their adult counterparts, less curvy figures, and a bit more youthful pudge (not pudding) added to their faces.
I was commenting with one of our designers just this morning how it leaves the door open for pre-teens nicely. Don’t know if that will actually happen – toddlers would certainly be the first priority for us when considering how to expand the game.
Image by: kikinekosenpai
Basics
❗ Please note that information in this subsection is based on information from The Sims 4 Create-a-Sim Demo (June 2014).
The Basics panel allows you to edit:
- First Name and Last Name: You can also use the name randomizer.
- Gender: Male or Female.
- Age: There are a total 5 life stage icons were shown, but it’s been confirmed that the final version will feature 6 life stages: Infant, Child, Teen, Young Adult, Adult and Elder. Toddlers are not going to be present in The Sims 4 Base Game.
- Traits: You will be able to choose three traits for your Sims in CAS, with an additional bonus trait added by selecting an Aspiration for your Sim.
- Aspiration: Aspirations are goals your Sims can complete. Choosing an aspiration gives you an additional bonus trait in CAS, and also give Sims a reward trait for completing said aspiration. You can check a list of confirmed Aspirations in the next section of this Fact Sheet.
- Walk Style: Choose from Default, Perky, Snooty, Swagger, Feminine, Tough, Goofy, Sluggish, and Bouncy..
- Voice Style: The Voice manipulator comes with different styles and pitches. The pitch of a Sim’s voice is manipulated through a slider, while the voice style comes in three flavors for both male and female Sims. Developers confirmed that they are using a wide range of voice actors to give players a variety of voice tunes.
- Male: Clear, Warm, Brash.
- Female: Sweet, Melodic, Lilted.
Traits & Aspirations
The following is a list of confirmed Traits and Aspirations to date:
Traits |
|||
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• Romantic |
 |
• Outgoing |
 |
• Bookworm |
 |
• Creative |
 |
• Genius |
 |
• Active |
• Insane |
• Bro“This trait combined with emotional states can spark a new “bromance” for your Sim.” |
||
• Hopeless Romantic |
• Glutton |
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• Materialistic |
• Hates Children |
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• Hot Headed |
• Mopey |
||
Aspirations |
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• Renaissance Sim |
 |
• Friend to the World |
With the introduction of Aspirations, Sims can now unlock additional Traits related to their Aspirations. These extra Traits can be unlocked in Live Mode.
Bonus Traits |
|||
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• Gregarious
|
 |
• Quick Learner
|
Technical Enhancements
- Smart Randomization: You can now select specific facial features that you want the game to randomly select for you. Choose from: Body Shape, Body Size, Face, Skin Tone, Hair, Facial Hair, Voice, Clothing or All. Select and uncheck the ones you want to randomize, and the game will do just that. This means that Sims will not generate with any features that do not match. Clothing included. A name randomizer will also be available on the Basics panel.
- Smart Hat and Boot Placement: Have you always want to put your favorite hat on a hairstyle, or take off that pesky hat from your favorite hairstyle? Well now you can. The Sims 4’s hairstyles and hats are now separate now separate “items”. And what’s better, the game will recognize where it should hide the hair and avoid those ugly clipping effects when a 3D model “invades” another one. This method will also work for boots – the game will choose if pants should be tucked into the boots or not.
Customization Options
Create a Sim includes several preset colors for skin, eyes, eyebrows and hair:
- 18 Skin tones
- 13 Eye colors
- 8 Eyebrow colors
- 18 Hair/Facial Hair colors
Each clothing asset has multiple default color styles.
The Sims 4 WILL NOT include the Create a Style Tool from the Sims 3. This is true for both Create-a-Sim and Build Mode. Color wheels are also not included in the game. What is yet unknown is whether or not we can choose different colors for hairstyles (roots, tips, etc…).
SimGuruGraham’s Statements on Twitter
“I don’t want to mislead people; we said at Gamescom that CaST isn’t in, straight from the mouth of the dev team.” (Sep. 16th 2013)
“Hi Alicia – it’s a great tool, I agree. It’s something we’ve confirmed won’t be in Sims 4 I’m sorry to say, but I hope some of the other aspects of Build and Create a Sim that we’ll unveil will help spark your creativity!” (Dec. 22nd 2013)
“Color selection will work like it did at Gamescom (with more colors to choose from since then).” (May 22nd 2014)
Hairstyles
❗ The game includes facial hair. It is unknown if it will also include body hair.
❗ Hairstyles are divided into three categories: Short, Shoulder-length, and Long.
Here you can find all of the hairs, hats and head accessories included in The Sims 4 Create a Sim Demo. To make it easier to view the items included simply click the section you wish to view. Please note that The Sims 4 CAS Demo does not include all the CAS assets available with the Base Game.
Additionally, you can change the colors of highlights, but only to colors available in the panel up top. Check out some screens and a short video of highlighted hairstyles.
Facial hair available for males:
Here you can find all of the male facial hairs included in The Sims 4 Create a Sim Demo. To make it easier to view the items included simply click the section you wish to view. Please note that The Sims 4 CAS Demo does not include all the CAS assets available with the Base Game.
Clothing
Here you can find all of the clothing items and shoes included in The Sims 4 Create a Sim Demo. To make it easier to view the items included simply click the section you wish to view. Please note that The Sims 4 CAS Demo does not include all the CAS assets available with the Base Game.
Styled Looks
To make things easier when choosing outfits for your Sims, there is a default preset outfits selector called “Styled Looks”. This lets you choose a full outfit for from any clothing category (clothes, shoes and accessories) with a few clicks. There are several presets for each clothing category, and each one is available in several colors.
Accessories
The Accessories feature is much better than it was in the past. You can mix and match jewelry as you wish and the jewelry is now completely separate from clothes.
Since we now have the new Smart Hat Placement technology, hats now have their own section in Create a Sim. Eye glasses are also included for Sims.
In The Sims 3, some necklaces were attached to the outfit, while in The Sims 4 it’s not happening anymore. –Jill Johnson, Create a Sim Producer
Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, gloves, stockings and socks are included in CAS as separate accessories. These are some of the accessories to be included in Create a Sim:
Makeup
The Sims 4 includes several types of makeup options for female Sims: Eyeshadow, Eyeliner, Blush and Lipstick; there’s also face painting for both genders. Each type of makeup has a default color selector, just like clothes (no color wheel).
Tattoos
Tattoos are included with The Sims 4 Base Game, coupled with the ability to add more than one on your Sim’s body. Color swatches are also included, and allow you to select from multiple colored tats.
Build/Buy Mode
Build Mode in The Sims 4 has been redesigned from the ground up to allow players of all experience levels to quickly and easily build and edit a home for your Sims. It will be very easy for players to build a house with a wide range of new tools.
Most of the old tools will still be available for the experienced builders, or those wishing to experiment. Even with the easier to use features it will still be entirely possible to create unique looking houses.
Building Blocks
The player will be able to place a simple room down and start building from there. Initially there will be arrows on each of the walls which allows builders to click on one of the walls and drag it out, making for a longer room. There will be a number of room shapes available for the builder to start building with. Drop an extra box down and you will have another room to pull and push to make a variety of different shapes.
The new system in The Sims 4 has been vastly improved over the similar system in The Sims 3. Previously the game would ‘ignore’ a room and if you tried to extend an extra section to wrap around that room it would push the all rooms connected along the wall back. In The Sims 4 this won’t happen. Instead the game will allow the builder to stretch a particular section of wall down and around the original room, keeping it intact.
Movable Rooms and Buildings
An entire room, along with its windows, doors, floor, wall coverings and furniture, can be picked up, moved and rotated by the builder. So, if the builder decided that they didn’t like the where the kitchen was placed, but didn’t want to completely redo everything, it will now be much easier to move the room elsewhere with all items and decor intact. Any enclosed room can be picked up an moved too.
Much like how entire rooms can be moved, an entire building can be picked up and placed elsewhere on the lot.
Styled Rooms
In The Sims 3 it was possible to place an entire room down at once with Blueprint Mode. In The Sims 4 this feature returns with benefits and many improvements. The builder can place fully furnished rooms quickly and adjust the shape of the room using the move and pull feature. You can choose from any of the color pre-sets available.
Wall Heights
The height of walls in the game can be set to three different heights. The height of the walls are carried across an entire floor. The wall coverings on walls which have had their height altered will adjust automatically so they do not look out of place. The wall height is controlled by a simple button.
Wall & Floor Covering
Walls and floors can be decorated on a per-room or per tile basis. There is also the ability to filter out the wall and floor coverings based on colors, so if you are looking to have a particular color scheme in place for a room, you can filter the selections to show only those colors.
Foundations
The way in which foundations work in The Sims 4 have been completely redesigned. It is now possible to include a foundation on a lot after the house has been completed. This means that if you have made the perfect house for your Sims, and right at the end you realize you forgot to include a foundation, you won’t need to rebuild the entire house.
It is also possible for you to not only have a foundation, but easily choose how high you want it from one step to eight steps high. In addition to changing the height of a foundation, builders will also be able to change the style of the foundation walls too. In The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 foundations would count as a single floor (removing said floor from the maximum allowed numbers). In The Sims 4, foundations will not occupy a ‘floor’, so the maximum number of floors (currently three excluding the roof) can still be added on top of the foundation.
Fences
Fences are getting a significant upgrade in The Sims 4. Fences can be either straight (diagonal included) or curved. The builder won’t be able to create a curved fence of any design, but the curved designs available in the game will still allow for many different looks to their builds. Rounded fences work both inside and out.
The game will not see fences as ‘walls’ when it comes to painting. The game will ignore the fence and continue to paint all exterior and interior walls. Fences can also be easily replaced, so you won’t need to delete the entire fence in order to change the style.
Columns
Columns in The Sims 4 will now adjust to match the height of walls on the same floor. Columns will also snap to railings automatically without the need to use cheats.
Windows
Multiple windows can be automatically added to a room simultaneously with a single click. If items are already placed on a wall (such as a lamp or painting), the game will automatically adapt and move the window elsewhere. Once the windows are placed, you can also adjust the vertical height.
Roofs
Similar to the push and pull when creating a room for your homes, The Sims 4 introduces the ability to mold and shape the roof as you please. You can also curl in the edges (including the eaves!) or mold them out to create an awesome pagoda roof.
What allows this type of movement on the roof, is that they are no longer drawn onto the home, but instead individual shapes you can place to fit. You can use multiple textures, create different roof shapes, and tug and pull the roof to any length you desire all on the same home.
It is now also possible to change the color of a roof individually and not as a whole. So, the builder may wish to build a gazebo looking structure in the back yard with a different style and design to the roof of the house. The edges of roofs can also have their trim edited to create more visual styles. When a room has its shape altered by the ‘push and pull’ feature, roofs already placed above it will also be readjusted to better fit the new shape.
Pools
The Sims 4 Base Game will not ship with Pools. EA confirmed this news via a community blog back in June, and we have no further confirmation of when we may see this feature return.
Miscellaneous Improvements
• Architectural Details – To further allow for the customization of builds in The Sims 4, architectural details can be added to the building to help complete its look and style. These include columns, trim along the roof, edging and spandrels.
• Time of Day Lighting – There are three lighting pre-sets to allow the player to see how the building will look at different times of day, not just ‘day’ or ‘night’. The player can now chose to view the house at either Day, Dusk or Night.
• Landscaping – The look of the terrain can be edited with various ‘paints’ to add areas of dirt, different textures of grass and terrain paint with flowers. A wide variety of trees, flowers, bushes and rocks will also be available for use to landscape the outside with.
Buy Mode
Magazine Mode is The Sims 4’s version of buy mode. This mode is set up like a furniture catalog, where you can see exactly what the room decor looks like before you place it. Have you ever looked a room setup and said to yourself “Wow, I want that exact room in my home!”? Well with The Sims 4, you can literally place a decorated room, as it looks, into your home. There’s even an option to preview what a room looks like before placing it, by hovering over the room in your home with the selected style set. (Eliminates the headache of place and delete)
One major improvement with The Sims 4, is that new objects have precedence over what is already placed. If you have a couch in your living room, placing a different one over it would automatically sell off the old couch.
Another addition to The Sims 4, is the ability to place lots of objects on the wall freely. With the elimination of the grid system, you can place all types of objects on the wall, without the fear of them intesecting or taking up the next object’s space. We are also getting vertical wall placement from the start, which is a plus.
• The sledgehammer is still in game
• The eyedropper is still in game
• You can use ALT for free placement and rotation on objects
• Mirrors have a true reflection
• Vertical placement of paintings and mirrors is included in base game.
• Depreciation on buy objects in still in game
• Some shrubs and trees will have a “swaying” effect
Interactive Objects
Below is a list of currently known objects within the game that Sims can interact with.
• Cars (It is currently unknown how Sims will enter the cars)
• Voodoo Doll
• Cow Plant
• Cupcake Making Machine 
• Violin 
• Piano
• Guitar
• BBQ Grill
• Rocket
• Punching bag
• Treadmill
• Basketball court
• Telescope
• Microscope Set
• Chess
• Easels
Gameplay Details
Built on the foundation of brand new technologies that Maxis calls SmartSim, Sims will interact better with their environment, as well as multitask and express various emotions. This new technology will also allow for improved routing, as well as more realistic animations and socialization.
Worlds
Willow Creek, the first confirmed world for The Sims 4, is a New Orleans inspired world divided into six individual neighborhoods. Oasis Springs, a desert themed world, is the second confirmed world for The Sims 4 Base Game. Only one neighborhood and lot in the world can be active at one time.
• World – The world is split into 6 playable neighborhoods, but is not an “open world” like The Sims 3. Only one individual neighborhood can be active and played at one time.
• Neighborhoods – There are 6 confirmed neighborhoods in Willow Creek. Five neighborhoods have up to five lots within them (both residential and community), and the sixth neighborhood is a large park called Magnolia Blossom.
• Lots – There can only be up to 5 lots in each neighborhood, and only one active lot loaded at a time.
• Public Spaces – Public spaces are the open areas of a neighborhood that are not part of a lot. In The Sims 4, public spaces in each active neighborhood will be fully loaded at all times, and Sims will be able to roam these areas of the world freely.
Loading Screens
Loading screens in The Sims 4 have a stylized Plumbob in the center, with text strings passing through at the bottom. According to Gurus, loading screens will take less than 30 seconds of your time, and only appear when traveling between worlds, neighborhoods, and lots.
The following is a simple yes/no on which travels trigger loading screens:
• World to World: Yes
• Neighborhood to Neighborhood: Yes
• Lot to Lot: Yes
• Switching between Sims on two different lots: Yes
• Public Space to non-active lot: Yes
• Public Space to active lot (and vice versa): No
Traveling with Sims & Aging
Active Sims can travel to any neighborhood/lot in the world, and you as the player can follow right along with them. If you have more than one Sim in your household, you can send them all to other parts of the world without you. When switching between two Sims on different lots, you will incur a loading screen.
Sims outside the active neighborhood can still be controlled to a minimum using a new system called “away actions”. To quote SimGuruGraham, you can “choose other specific Sims for them to socialize with, you can build specific skills, can sleep, can have them maintain their needs…things like careers have their own set of away actions that are more relevant to their work.”
Quote from Graham: You can send Sims off to different neighborhoods, different lots, they’ll continue simulating in the background, so wherever they are, if they’re not active on your lot at that time, time is still passing. If you go somewhere and then come back after a few hours, that time will have passed, so they’re still thinking, they’re doing their life simulation and actually, there’s some small little ‘away actions’ is what we’re calling them, that you can start to have actions for your Sim while they’re away, so you can give them little tasks to do while they’re gone doing their own thing.
Aging: We have two different options in game, if you want to enable automatic aging for your own Sims, for played households, or if you want to enable it for all the NPCs in the world. So you can have your own Sims automatically aging and let everyone else just not age, that’s totally an option.
The entire world can age, that’s an option and that’ll all happen no matter if you’re loaded there or not, they’re going to continue to age. The difference there between played households and NPC households? Played households are families that you have played so I can jump between my household and another household and they can both be aging if I want them to, or I can turn that back off, that’s kind of where the distinction is.
A preview from PC Gamer talks a bit more about the “artsy” style of the games:
The game’s art style has shifted, too, away from view as to what Maxis Bostonian towards an atmospheric Southern style look featuring multi-level gallery houses That recall New Orleans. The world is still dazzlingly vibrant, but the color palette is being managed Carefully: I see concept art for a night-time neighborhood drenched in deep purples and oranges, Set off with dark green foliage. It’s an atmospheric image, and that’s not something I’ve Associated With the series before.
We also do not know much about community lots and other buildings in the world. However, Prima Games have confirmed Museums, Nightclub, and Parks.
Bring Your Creations To Life– The new Build Mode is incredibly fun, powerful, and intuitive. We’ll show you examples, tips, and tricks that will help you create the most amazing structures ever, from mansions and nightclubs to museums and parks.
Oasis Springs – Your Sims can build their home in the middle of a desert The Sims 4 will have another environment to compliment the lush Willow Creek neighborhood, and this one’s more on the parched side. The recently unveiled Oasis Springs district is set in the middle of an arid desert, and has the look of suburban Las Vegas.This locale is filled with desert-themed charm, complete with set-pieces like cactuses and shed-sized air conditioners (and is that a Western-motif diner I see in the background?). You can still build lovely homesteads with plenty of modern comforts. You’ll likely have tons of fun in this…wellspring? Fountain? Watering hole? It’s right on the tip of my tongue…
Emotions
• Emotions are a temporary state for Sims that will open new gameplay options depending on their current emotion.
• Color does not have an impact on a Sims emotion, but certain objects can impact their emotions.
• Some (not all) emotions will have a visual impact on Sims, so they will express various facial expressions or have a different walk style depending on their current Emotion.
• ‘Negative’ Emotions (such as Angry, Depressed or Sad) are not bad for gameplay as they will offer up new gameplay options depending on a Sims current Emotion.
• Sims can die of extended exposure to certain Emotions.
• Emotions will have an impact on a Sims ability to learn skills and how they can express themselves with art, music and writing.
• Moodlets will act as buffs for emotions. Their value is cumulative and can become an Emotion if their value is high enough.
• There are 15 Emotions in the game.
• Each life stage has unique emotions.
• All age groups are able to enter into an Emotional state.
• Sims who are feeling Confident can “Pee Like a Champion”.
The Sims in The Sims 4 will have a completely new ‘Emotion’ system. This new system will allow Sims to not only ‘feel’ emotions, but also express them in a realistic manner. There are 15 new emotional states for Sims, ranging from Depressed, Furious, Happy, Flirty and Focused to name a few. The new emotional system will inject some randomness into how the game can be played. For example, if a Sim were to wake up in a grumpy mood, this could cause the player to change the normal morning routine to put the Sim back into a ‘neutral’ or Happy state.
There is a sort of ‘tier’ system involved with the emotion system. Sims won’t just suddenly become Happy or Depressed. Rather, interactions will push them towards that state. So It could go from Depressed to Sad to Neutral to Happy. Over time, and without player intervention, the Sims emotional state will gradually return to the ‘neutral’ state. The emotional state will also change how a Sim looks. So Sims who are sad will have a sad facial expression, a quivering lip, walk slouched and slower. An angry Sim will walk around stomping their feet and clenching their fists.
Another interesting aspect of Emotions is that they can cause your Sim to die. Unlike in previous games in The Sims series where death could happen by random events (like a Murphy bed or vending machine falling on a Sim), deaths in The Sims 4 will be less random and will be more under the players control. Emotions (which are under the players control) can lead to death if the extremes are maintained for too long. Sims who are in a near constant state of anger may lead to their early demise. The same is true for Sims who are nearly constantly happy, this can kill them too.
The following Emotions have been confirmed in The Sims 4:
• Embarrassed
• Energized
• Confident
• Inspired
• Hysterical
• Focused
• Bored
• Depressed
• Happy
• Sad
• Furious
• Angry
• Flirty
• Cranky
• Passionate
Needs
Needs will be in The Sims 4. They will retain their signature ‘bar’ appearance too. Comfort and Environment will not be returning.
Multitasking
Sims will now have the ability to multitask while performing everyday interactions and activities. While multitasking has been implemented in previous The Sims games, their systems were extremely watered down. Sims could chat while on the sofa or read a book while relaxing on a bed, but they wouldn’t really do a lot more than that. It meant that for Sims to socialize while performing a certain action, Sims had to be doing that action at the same time. While eating, Sims will be able to eat, drink and have a conversation at the same time.
Another addition to cooking will be the ability to hold conversations while a Sim continues to cook. In previous games if you wanted your Sim to chat with another Sim while both were using the treadmills in a gym you would have to cancel that interaction and interrupt the other Sim. This isn’t the case in The Sims 4, instead your Sims will be able to perform a large variety of interactions with another Sim while both continue to use the treadmills.
Memories
The Memory System in The Sims 4 will be far more integrated than that of The Sims 3, and more in depth than in The Sims 2. The Memory that the Sim gains will vary depending on which Emotional state the Sim was in at the time.
The player will also have much more control over the memories granting the ability to assign emotional significance to the event itself. This will allow the player to put how they felt about a particular event into the game itself, such as being happy about a wedding, being happy about the birth of a new baby or being sad at the death of a much loved Sim.
Not everything has to be major events in your Sims life for the player to make a new memory of something, you could choose that making a cup of coffee first thing in the morning was the best thing to happen to your Sim. A normal system will be in place to capture memories for players who might not want to be as involved in the Memory system.
Animations and Routing
Another area of The Sims 4 which will see vast improvements over previous games in the franchise will be the animations and routing of the Sims. SmartSim will allow for Sims to move in a more fluid, realistic manner and will help stop Sims from looking stiff while routing.
Gone are the days when Sims will stop in their tracks when changing their destination. Now they will show a new animation system which will allow them to change direction smoothly and while they continue to walk. Sims will also be able to perform better in tight places, Sims will no longer bottleneck at doors and smaller spaces between items. Instead they will intelligently move and swerve around other Sims.
There is not much more detail to into regarding animations, however, click here to read our full animations preview from Gamescom 2013.
Socialization
With a new game engine, added Emotions, and improved animations, comes a new way for Sims to socialize. Sims will be more sociable than ever before with their new abilities to hold conversations while performing a wide variety of tasks.
In social situations Sims will intelligently and actively get involved in a discussion. Not only will they participate in the conversation, but they will also move and rotate their body to face the Sim currently talking. Not all Sims involved in the conversation will have to be seated, some will even remain standing while they get involved in the conversation. Sims will also be free to join or leave the conversation at any time without it disrupting other Sims.
This new feature will allow Sims to build either a standard friendship with other Sims, or develop a brief romance with another Sim they have only just met, allowing them to WooHoo with a newly met Sim without having to build up a relationship with them.
Social Events
New to The Sims 4 will be a Social Event system which allows you to set up specific events for your Sims to socialize in. Social Events can be a ‘Singles Party’ which invites unmarried Sims within the neighborhood, or maybe you want to invite you Sims’ colleagues and boss over to build your relationship with them to improve your Sims job performance and get a promotion.
Your Sims’ profession will also allow them to unlock other Social Events, so if a Sim is a chef, they can throw and attend dinner parties with their boss to climb their career.
Whims and Aspirations
Since The Sims 2, our Sims have been able to express both short and long term goals (Wants and Aspirations in The Sims 2) and (Wishes and Lifetime Wishes in The Sims 3). In The Sims 4 this system will return, but it will be different to how we know it from previous games.
In The Sims 4, Wants and Wishes will take the form of ‘Whims’ and will appear as thought bubbles that will appear as Sims are out and about in the world performing everyday tasks. Whims can be anything from mixing a drink, to playing a game of chess. By fulfilling these whims, your Sim will accumulate Lifetime Happiness points which allows the player to spend on rewards.
Alongside Whims are Aspirations. Aspirations are long-term goals that your Sim wishes to achieve. A Sims Aspiration can be a number of different things from mastering a certain skill or career. Once a Sim fulfills their Aspiration, they are able to have another one take its place. This allows Sims to have multiple Aspirations over their life. On completion of an Aspiration, a Sim will also gain a corresponding Aspiration Trait that accompanies that Aspiration. For example, a Sim who aspired to become a master chef will unlock a cooking-based Aspiration Trait.
Skills
A staple of The Sims series has been the ability of our Sims to build skills in everyday tasks to improve their lives. In The Sims 4 the skills will return. How a Sim builds their Skills will depend on a number of factors within the game, including their current Emotional state. Angry Sims will run faster on the treadmill which builds their Athletic skill at an accelerated rate.
The list of confirmed Skills included in The Sims 4 are:
• Athletic
• Cooking
• Gardening
• Guitar
• Hacking
• Mixology
• Painting
• Piano
• Violin
• Woodworking
• Writing
Careers
In The Sims 4 all careers will feature 10 levels within it. When a Sim gets a promotion in their career they will unlock a new item for use in their home which relates to their profession. Making a return from The Sims 3 are ‘Opportunities’ where Sims can complete a certain goal to help them in their current career.
The new Social Events system will also play a role in helping Sims get a promotion. Careers will also have branches, much like the way that careers could branch in The Sims 3. How a Sim performs at their job will be influenced by the environment and their current Emotion.
The careers that will be in the game include (Not complete):
•Astronaut
• Chef
• Stand-up Comedian
Deaths
Making sure you monitor a Sim’s emotional state is very important. Emotions can be become serious enough to where your Sim’s life is at stake. Sims who are depressed, angry, or furious for an extended amount of time, will throw a terrifying tantrum and end up passing away. These “emotional deaths” are a result of long term exposure to specific emotional tiers.
EA also stated they will be eliminating more of the “random” deaths, (ie: meteor and satellite deaths), and including more of the realistic type of deaths. Walking down the street and having a meteor kill your Sim is not something you have control of, therefor random.
The following deaths have been confirmed thus far:
• Death by Laughter
• Death by Hunger
• Death by Anger
• Death by Fire
• Death by Embarrassment
• Death by Old Age
Woohoo
Woohoo has been confirmed, and can be “done” in the shower, space rocket, and possibly other places. No other details are available.
Food (Incomplete List)
♦ Pancakes
♦ Scrambled Eggs
Audio/Soundtrack
Electronic Arts has officially announced that the composer of The Sims 4 Soundtrack is Ilan Eshkeri. In the newly published article over at The Guardian, details emerge about Eshkeri’s inspiration for the new music, as well as the process of recording the soundtrack at Abbey Road Studios.
Most of us have an internal soundtrack – we may not always notice it, but it is there. It could be a song we heard on the radio that haunts us for the rest of the day, or it may be something that swells up unaccountably from memory, some favourite tune brought to the surface by a waft of perfume, or familiar place. Consciously or unconsciously, we assign motion picture scores to our lives – a first kiss, a break-up, a re-union – all can be brought back by the right melody.
This is something that Maxis, the developer behind the hugely successful Sims series, has always appreciated. Ever since the original title arrived in 2000, revolutionalising the whole concept of the life simulation, music has been an important part of the experience. On the screen, virtual humans go about their lives, falling in and out of love with each other, developing their careers, having families. And for players, all of that fascinating stuff, as well as building new houses and designing fresh sims character, is accompanied by music. Sims are even able to switch on the radio, often hearing amusing versions of real-life pop songs, rerecorded in “simlish”, the game’s gibberish language.
Several well-known composers have worked on the game’s background scores, providing short stabs of music to accompany key onscreen events. That process is happening again with Sims 4, the latest addition to the series, due out this autumn. Except this time, changes in the gameplay have encouraged the studio to put even more emphasis on the impact of the soundtrack.
Continue…
Rincón del Simmer has provided the voiceless versions of The Sims 4 CAS & Build Trailers. Take a listen to the style of music included with The Sims 4.
Hat Tip: Rincon Del Simmer & Avenida Sims
Press the play button at the top, and the tracks will auto-play!
Voice Actors
Electronic Arts has made sure that the audio and voice selections in game are unique. With over half a million sound files and a complete technical overhaul, the new audio system allows for directional sound and acoustics. While the Sims may use the same words for certain things, the tone and pronunciation will change depending on emotional state. This is where the voice actors come in.
EA have confirmed a total of 9 voice actors, tripling the amount from The Sims 3, and to date we have confirmed four of the voice actors: Cia Court, Scott Whyte, Krizia Bajos, and Jessica DiCicco.
Scott Whyte is best known for his roles as Chris from “City Guys”, Leonardo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, Diablo III, or as Jazz in Transformers: War for Cybertron. It is not known yet which character(s) will feature Scott’s voice, but you can check out all his work on his YouTube Channel. (Confirmed here to have recently worked on the game with Cia Court)
Cia Court is best known as the voice of the mysterious girl rescued in Telltale’s upcoming The Wolf Among Us, as well as the voice of many Radio/TV commercials. According to Cia Court’s website, she is confirmed to be the voice of “Sofia” in The Sims 4 Gameplay Trailer. You can check out some of Cia Court’s work on her website.
Krizia Bajos is a Cuban-American actress who has appeared in dozens of commercials, games, several films and TV shows such as: “How I Met Your Mother,” “Kath & Kim,” “The Young and the Restless,” “Franklin Bash”, “Halo 4,” “GTA V”, and more recently The Sims 4.
Spanish fansite Rincon Del Simmer, found a “vine video” from back in October, where Jessica mouths off what sounds like the Simlish voice of a child. Take a listen:
Simlish Upgrade
In the 6th issue of The Sims Official Magazine, EA confirms that the “Simlish” language we all have learned to love, will be getting a pretty awesome upgrade in The Sims 4. Not only have they tripled the voice team to 9 actors, they are also expanding the language to give different age groups their own “dialect” so to speak.
THE FUTURE OF SIMLISH
As Simlish continues to grow and expand with each new entry in the series, so does the size of the group of folks working behind-the-scenes to make it an increasingly fun aspect of each game. Starting with only three voice actors in the earlier games, The Simsvoice team has now tripled to nine different actors. A bigger team makes it possible to have a much greater range of choice in how your Sim characters sound when they speak.
This ongoing expansion extends to The Sims 4, which will feature the broadest range of Simlish yet. “We’ve expanded the lexicon, created specific ‘slang’ for different Sim age groups, and placed more focus on object-specific terminology,” said Cameron. “We’ve focused harder than ever before on making each Sim sound unique, and it’s really paying off. The cohesion and attention to detail has really helped Simlish to feel even more like a real language.”
Omitted Features
Not everything will be included from the start, so we’ve compiled a list of features that will not be included in the base game of The Sims 4. The following features have been officially dismissed for the base game by the development team, but who’s to say some don’t appear at a later date?
• Seasons/Weather
• Pets
• Height Slider
• Curved Walls – SimGuruhouts explained that there are technical reasons (related to objects) behind the lack of curved walls
• Diagonal Stairs
• Death by Meteors
• Hair Animations
• Create a Style from The Sims 3
• Color Wheels
Handedness
Sims in The Sims 4 are not restricted to being “right-handed” Sims only. The Sims 4 allows animations for Sims to use both their left and right hand. Handedness is not something you can choose, but there is a chance your Sim will be left handed. The image below shows two Sims, each holding a plate of food in different hands.
Game Achievements
Although Sims game achievements have been known to be an online exclusive, The Sims 4 will include in game achievements for players who play offline. The concept is similar to achievements of The Sims 3, but we have no other details at this time.
In an IGN Sims 4 preview, the Sims team confirms that the “50 Mile High Club” achievement is unlocked when Sims “Woohoo in a Rocket Ship”.
The night ends as he finally works up the courage to pick up a girl, then takes her out for some “woohooing” in a rocket ship parked out back (Achievement unlocked: “50 mile high club”).
Integrated Exchange
The Sims team has confirmed that they have implemented a system that allows players to share creations without leaving the game. In an interview with VideoGamer.com, Ryan Vaughan reveales the following details:
Maxis is integrating a digital platform into The Sims 4 that will allow players to upload and share content with other users, the developer has told VideoGamer.com.
Talking about the idea of developing a platform similar to Diablo 3’s Auction House within The Sims 4, where players could share – and possibly even sell – their designs and lots, producer Ryan Vaughan revealed that it was “definitely” part of Maxis’ plans.
“Unfortunately we’re not going into too much detail on the sharing right now, but we are working on a way to bring all of that community, all of that sharing and connecting with people across the world into the game.
“In The Sims 3, you were doing a lot of it through the Sims website – you could upload creations and stuff. We’re bringing all of that and making the experience in the game so people are able to connect with other people and grab somebody else’s house and try it out in their own lot. We have a lot more detail to get into in the next few months but it’s definitely a big part of what we’re working on.”
Vaughan wouldn’t confirm whether players would be able to sell their designs, however, or whether everything will be shared for free.
“We’re still working on that,” he continues, “but the community for us is a really big part, we love all the creativity. Whenever we launch a game, the most exciting part is seeing how people play with it and share their creations, so it’s definitely something we’re focused on.”
Online Features
In the official Sims 4 FAQ, it has been confirmed that The Sims 4 will not require a persistent online internet connection, nor will it include any required online gameplay elements.
However, that is not to say the game will not have any online features. The game will include some additional features available to players who want to play online, but the core of the game is set to be played offline.
Q: Will there be an online component for The Sims 4?
A:There will be additional fun and social gameplay elements for players who choose to go online (more to come on that later on) but the core game is designed to be played offline. It’s up to the player to choose how they want to play.
Q: Will The Sims 4 require a persistent online connection?
A: You will not require a persistent online connection to play The Sims 4.
Premium Membership
It’s no secret that EA offers incentives to players willing to pay a fee for “exclusives” via memberships, and it seems that The Sims 4 is no exception to this business practice.
In the newly released gameplay trailer, a screen in the “gallery” reveals a Sims 4 Premium Membership, along with newly revealed exclusive content that is to be offered with said membership.
“The Sims 4 Premium: Save on new packs with early access and exclusive items. Become a Premium Member to get early access to 3 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.”
This is not the first time we’ve seen mention of a “bundle” type subscription for the game, as a March 2014 survey also revealed possible game/content bundles for a set price. Since it is not “tradition” for The Sims to have such memberships available to players, it was brushed off as nothing more than asking price for base game editions.
Official Sims 4 Merchandise
Steelseries has revealed their exclusive Sims 4 Product Line. Check out all the awesome functions and customization options available with these new collector’s items.
• Steelseries has confirmed to us that these items will be available to players worldwide.
• Pricing for each item can be found in the official Press Release
• To be notified of product pre-order availability, subscribe to Steelseries’ Mailing List
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Sims 4 Gaming Mouse (MSRP $29.99 / €29.99)
The Sims 4 Gaming Headset (MSRP $39.99/€39.99)
The Sims 4 QCK Mouse Pad ($14.99 / €14.99)
Create-a-Sim Demo Icons
Exclusive Sims 4 Album
EA Germany has teamed up with talented musicians from around the world, to create a six-song exclusive album for The Sims 4. The album titled “Simotions”, features an array of music that reflects the in-game emotions to be portrayed by Sims in The Sims 4.
The Bands Square Music – The songwriting team met by attending the same classes at the Pop Academy. Since its foundation in 2012, the trio, consisting of Matthias Heising, Jan listing, and Joschka Bender, now active in Mannheim. In addition to their extensive work as songwriters Heising, Listing, and Bender, have live and worked together in the studio with Max Giesing, Michael Schulte, Madeline Juno, and Isabell Schmidt.Amsterdamn – Damn (English for “damn”), these three guys are good! Before they even put instruments in their hands, they leave everyone and everything behind for the stage. The hot soul-rock comes is often heard in the Amsterdam Pub, where one wants to indulge in a lavish ceremony in vodka with fresh orange juice. From the beginning to the bitter end exists one word: stylish. Amster … DAMN! 
Allez!! Allez!…re-established in April 2013, and made “Glass Bead Game” that brought them back into the spotlight. They like skateboarding, 80s music, and like you, don’t want to grow up. In the basement of singer Laura in Olsbrücken parents, they gather almost every night and write songs about life. Allez! Allez! is all sneakers and leather jacket. 
Fedora – loud, fast, and energetic. A hefty dose of distorted guitars, drums, and the voice of a rock angel. At first it was just a vision – now it has become a mission. In the fall of 2011, the musicians met for the first time. Within a short time thereafter, they group recorded their first hit single. The songs reflect their musical background: from the Foo Fighters to Inter-sphere – the music is rough, honest, and loud! Curlyman – Rapping saw the light of day when the doctor blessed Curlyman with golden curls. He is Boom Bap Beatz 90s, and fresh hooks – that’s all he needs…and maybe a pretty lady who doesn’t touch his hair. Superman, Spiderman, Batman, and Ironman were born yesterday. The world needs a new hero today! And that means Curlyman’s the man. 
SONAH – SONAH is a German-language acoustic pop duo. The two singers, Tamara Olorga and Arina Tara, are not just confusingly similar, but create two very different voices with a distinctive sound. Their motto is: do it yourself, be comfortable, lean back, relax, and listen to the sound of the story. 
Project Group at Pop Academy
Four students of the Master Program at Pop Academy began this project, and also coordinated bands, selected the songs, and accompanied the CD’s growth and development.
Christine Schober, 25, comes from Bach field in Austria and has gained a lot of experience in band management and booking. She has a Bachelor’s in English and Music Education (teacher training), and has played even in a band. She is also a huge fan of The Sims.
Franka Rose, 27, works alongside teachers as an assistant within the provision of popular music at the Pop Academy. She has already completed a Bachelor’s degree in media and communications management, and also gained experience in market research and event marketing.
Catherine Eichner, 27, born in Munich, is a The Sims fan from the beginning. During her time at the academy she gained experience in the music department of a TV station, and even created a documentary.
Victor Coridaß, 26, is from Wiesbaden, a musician, and is working on his master’s degree in economics in Frankfurt. His internships and freelance work has led him into the music and event planning projects.
Sims 3 Promotional Content
The Sims team has released a promotional “Sims 4 Poster” for Sims 3 players. This content only works if you have The Sims 3 Base Game installed. Click here to download.
