EA today released a blog, revealing some key details about “The Sims 5”: the code name of this work is Project Rene; the body is free and no subscription, but will sell content and combo packs; to provide single-player and multiplayer gameplay; support for mobile devices; and will coexist with the “Sims 4”.
Lyndsay Pearson, VP of Creative for The Sims series, said, “We intend to make Project Rene free to download, which means that when it’s ready and fully open to our players, everyone will be able to join and play Project Rene first without needing to subscribe or purchase core gameplay and energy mechanics.”
“We want to make it easy for you to invite your friends to join, and that means opening up invitations to everyone.”
She added: “We’re developing this game in different ways and moving forward with everyone, which means there will be many different stages of development, potentially including everything from closed invites and a small open beta to a massive early experience.”
“Yes, when Project Rene is ready, it will be available for free download.”
She added that Project Rene will not be as comprehensive as The Sims 4, which has been expanded several times with new content since its release in 2014.
“We wanted to focus on creating a colourful and cohesive gaming experience from the start, so it definitely won’t have =things you already have in The Sims 4, but we will be adding new experiences and content to Project Rene over time.”
She explained, “In addition to the usual updates to the core game, we’ll be selling content combo packs, but we want to change that mix a little bit. So, let me give you an example here. In The Sims 4, the only way to experience the weather you wanted was to buy seasons. Now, in Project Rene, we might offer everyone a basic weather experience for free. Then, you can also purchase a pack that focuses on winter sports, such as activities like ice dancing or snowman building contests.”
“Meaning that in the future we could also use wind, rain or clouds as other themed packs. It’s too early to be definitive about where we’ll draw the line, but it’s important to us to reduce those barriers to play and offer the widest possible shared system to everyone, because that feels like the strongest possible foundation.”
She added: “Project Rene and The Sims 4 will continue to co-exist. We plan to support both, and we will continue to bring more exciting content to The Sims 4 for the foreseeable future.”
In April, EA announced that The Sims 4 “reaches more than 70 million players worldwide,” and EA CEO Andrew Wilson said last week that the company plans to significantly increase its focus on a handful of big online games over the next few years.
The publisher will “disproportionately” invest in “large online gaming communities” such as EA Sports FC, Apex Legends and The Sims, which Wilson believes have “exponential growth” potential. Wilson sees “exponential growth” potential in these areas.
