February 4, 2000 introduced the world to The Sims, which is now one of the best-selling video games of all time. At the time of its release, it was hard to predict that a game about controlling other people’s lives would do so well, and now there are dedicated fans and players all over the world. With such a dedicated playerbase, it’s not surprising that The Sims fans want to band together to support the franchise and celebrate its “birthday.” This year, for The Sims’ 21st birthday, it seems like something pretty special is in store - but players have to wait until February 25 to see the surprise.
Interestingly enough, The Sims 4 doesn’t have a great reputation when it comes to celebrating big moments for the game and its success. In recent years, the attempts at a celebration have been big swings and misses, but it seems like the developers might be making up for their past missteps with this upcoming surprise. Players aren’t sure on the details, but it’s been confirmed that The Sims has collaborated with 21 different Custom Content (CC) creators to make something extra special for The Sims’ birthday. With this in mind, it’s easy to make a few guesses about what’s upcoming for The Sims 4.
The Sims’ 20th Birthday
When The Sims franchise turned 20 last year, many players were expecting some sort of celebration for the game. Turning 20 is a big milestone, and definitely not one that a lot of games can make while still being relevant and not dated. Players didn’t seem to get their hopes up too high, but had an inkling of an idea that just maybe the developer would do something special to commemorate the franchise turning 20.
Players did get something, but it wasn’t anything they anticipated. As a special celebration for players, the developer added a surprise update to the game that added a hot tub. The 20th anniversary of The Sims gave players an update to The Sims 4 containing a regular hot tub. To say it was disappointing would be an understatement.
Adding insult to injury, the hot tub added to the game didn’t even reference old Sims items of the past. It could have been more forgivable if the hot tub had been heart-shaped, referencing an old item in The Sims 2, but it wasn’t. In a way, the new hot tub was a nice addition to the game because it allowed all players access to a hot tub without needing to buy the Perfect Patio Stuff pack. On the other hand, it angered some players that those who didn’t buy the pack that explicitly advertised hot tubs now had access to something that they’d had to purchase.
What Could Happen for The Sims’ 21st?
Turning 21 in America, where The Sims originated, is typically a big deal because it means the person is finally of legal drinking age. While this fact will probably have little to do with the upcoming birthday update, The Sims even mentioned pouring a “Simsmapolitan” to mark the occasion. Given the bar set from last year’s Sims festivities, there seems to be nowhere to go but up.
Partnering with CC creators could potentially bring some very exciting things to the game, especially items that players have been requesting consistently. No one knows what exactly will be revealed on February 25, but it would be very cool if the next Sims 4 patch included things like bunk beds, which CC creators have made a few different ways. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but the developers partnering with CC creators for this event can only spell big things happening on February 25.
The Sims 4 is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.