The Sims 5 is yet to be announced, and based on the results of EA's latest quarterly earnings call with its investors, it could still be a while off. EA's the next fiscal year will continue to focus on the success of live-service games such as Apex: Legends, FIFA, and predecessor, The Sims 4. However, that doesn't mean the highly anticipated life simulation sequel isn't already in early stages of development considering The Sims 4 originally released for PC back in 2014, before being ported to PS4 and Xbox One in 2017.
The Sims 4 wasn't always the juggernaut that it's slowly become; in fact, at launch it was critically panned for having a severe lack of content and depth, particularly compared to The Sims 3. After years of ongoing expansions, updates, and game packs, that's all been turned around by developer Maxis, creating a strong foundation for where the future of the franchise could go. Whenever EA is ready to unveil The Sims 5, there's a lot to be learned from the failures and successes of Sims 4, and its expansions would be a pretty good place to start.
Careers, Seasons, and Pets
One ongoing trend with the entire franchise that needs to stop is the use of expansions for selling basic features that should've been in the base game from the start, repeatedly. The Sims 2, The Sims 3, and The Sims 4 all released major expansions that added weather seasons, the ability to have animals as pets, and more careers to choose from. The Sims 5 should look at the reception to The Sims 4 at launch and build a robust and deep base game with all the features players would and should expect. If consumers feel like they're getting a complete experience and value for their money, the game will perform far better and bring in newcomers. Lesson #1: No more expansions for basic features.
Get Fun and Silly With Expansions
On the back of that, The Sims 4 did a great job of adding new weird and wacky features in a number of its updates and, and that's what they should be used for. EA and Maxis should use expansions to either make giant sweeping changes to the core gameplay similar to MMO's like World of Warcraft and Destiny, or offer something new, exciting, and out of the ordinary, without being afraid to get a little silly sometimes. Realm of Magic, StrangerVille, and Vampires are great fun game packs, whereas expansions like Seasons and Island Living offer unique and different experiences that players wouldn't normally expect.
Build on New Foundations
Longterm fans of the series would know that the overall experience of The Sims has changed a whole lot since its inception. From here, it's time to start looking at what a modern next-generation The Sims 5 would look like. The Sims 4's Dine Out game pack lets players build their own restaurant, creating their own menus and even employing staff. While the core gameplay and focus need to stay the same, there are new avenues that could be built out (potentially with expansions); expand on multiplayer and online, a deeper story progression mode, and looking beyond a family to a street, town, or suburb. Imagine a world where a single-player narrative existed that could allow players to start building business, running a town as mayor, or focussing on their own family on a street that's full of their friend's houses.
Pop-Culture Collaboration
In October 2014, The Sims 4 released an update that gave players a handful of new Star Wars costumes that their characters could wear. Fast forward to 2020, in a world full of live-service games, content seasons, and pop-culture collaboration across franchises, and suddenly The Sims 4 looked ahead of its time. With EA's focus on live-service games and supporting games for longer to have a guaranteed income stream, The Sims 5 will likely be going in that direction regardless. Look at what The Sims 4 has already done with pop-culture franchises like Star Wars and turn that into regular events like the Fortnite-Star Wars crossover last year.
EA confirmed back in 2018 that it would continue supporting The Sims 4 with brand new content through 2021, meaning that the inevitable next-generation sequel at least another two years away. The Sims 4's ninth expansion, Eco Lifestyle has been revealed by EA and will be released worldwide for PC and consoles on June 5, 2020. Eco Lifestyle introduced a brand new location called Evergreen Harbor and tasks players with making decisions that will benefit the community and environment, making for a better, more sustainable eco-friendly world.
The Sims 4 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.