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I really hope we have 5 more years left.

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  • ScobreScobre Posts: 20,665 Member
    edited January 2020
    LiELF wrote: »
    Okay, that's more around what I was thinking. (I had originally typed 25% and changed it.) I was underestimating to avoid bloating the numbers (or being accused of doing so) because I couldn't remember exactly what last year's report had given for figures. I only remember it being over a billion.

    Thanks for clarifying! :smile:
    Oh don't worry I'm a numbers girl and my focus was accounting so reading things is like eye candy for me. I take factual information over opinion any day. Thanks for clarifying that too. I'm one of those rare breed of Simmers that is ok with not being perfect and being proven wrong. ;)

    Going off of Quarter 2 of the previous year's prepared remarks it says,
    "Live services net bookings were up 6% year on year, to $328 million, a new Q2 record.
    The increase was driven by FIFA, Madden and The Sims 4, offset by the effects of the
    transition from FIFA Online 3 to FIFA Online 4 in Asia. The Sims 4 live services are in their
    fourth year, continue to perform very strongly, and are on track to grow 20% over fiscal
    2018."

    "We anticipate net bookings for the quarter to be $1.725 billion. This is down 12% year-onyear, primarily because we had two extra launches in Q3 last year - Need for Speed Payback
    and The Sims 4 for consoles."

    So still profitable despite the setbacks of Sims 4 being released on console expenses.

    Source: https://s22.q4cdn.com/894350492/files/doc_financials/2019/q2/Q2-FY19-Prepared-Remarks.pdf
    “Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller
  • davina1221davina1221 Posts: 3,656 Member
    edited January 2020
    No, I actually think it's ending soon and TS5 will be announced next year to be released some time in 2021. EA is already moving TS4 out to Steam (and by extension, other digital stores like Humble Bundle that sell Steam keys) like it did with TS3 when its run was ending.

    I'm excited at the thought of TS5 coming soon! I really hope TS5 is amazing - I promise, EA, that I will throw so much money at you if it's a true successor to TS1-TS3!

    Actually it was addressed that the Sims4 wouldn't be like past games and it wasn't ending anytime soon, by the answers that the Sim gurus said on Twitter ECT and was reposted on the forums by other Simmers. I got the impression of years by their flat out answers. And also Sims5 threads are part of rumor and speculation section.

    As for on subject, I agree that Sims4 should continue 5+ years and more if it means rounding it out. I didn't want Sims4 and many who were vocal about it during Sims3, now don't want it and want to move on yet again. If 5 fails to meet expectations, then they will request 6. If there are no open worlds, then it adds nothing but rebuying packs we already have. I don't even want to consider Sims5.
  • AquaGamer1212AquaGamer1212 Posts: 5,417 Member
    Absolutely not, I seriously hope there is a team working on a brand new, much better engine for the Sims (whatever it’s gonna be called next). It’s clear this engine has limitations and I think they should think of those when making a new one.
    ts4_blossom_meadows_world_icon_gif_fan_art_by_hazzaplumbob-d.gif

  • Fonxi121994Fonxi121994 Posts: 457 Member
    edited January 2020
    5 more years of The Sims 4 would probably meant the death of the franchise so no. Maxis needs to move on and develop a true Sims game, with a capable engine and fresh ideas.

    They've been basically selling the same basic ideas since 2004. Same basic concept. I bet there're basic AI algorithms in The Sims 4 that come from The Sims 2 or even The Sims...
    The changes came slowly at first. Most didn't realize, or didn't care, and accepted them. They chose a comfortable life.
  • Lady_BalloraLady_Ballora Posts: 784 Member
    I agree 100% with Fonxi-5 more years of Sims 4 will kill the franchise. 5 more years of half-baked packs doesn't sound like it would be any fun at all....let Sims 4 end someime next year,and let people move on to Sims 5. If Sims 5 is well-fleshed out like Sims 1-3 were,then nobody will be yelling for a "Sims 6".
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  • LiELFLiELF Posts: 6,439 Member
    I really don't expect the game to go for five years, but I do think it will go for another 2-3 because there are still content demands and I don't think Sims 5 is anywhere near ready.

    Some of you seriously need to adjust your demands to be more realistic. Calling for an early end to Sims 4 because you want Sims 5 sooner yet insisting that Sims 5 contains more depth of gameplay and can live up to it's predecessors is extremely contradictory. If Sims 4 were to end early to push out Sims 5 before it's finished, you are going to end up with another sloppy game.

    So you can either find the patience to wait it out and let them complete the next game, or you can rally up the masses to get EA to push it out prematurely and relive the Sims 4 debacle all over again.

    It reminds me of a scene in The Hobbit film. The Dwarves, Gandalf and Bilbo start their long journey to the Lonely Mountain and they are traveling through the woods when it begins to downpour. Dori the Dwarf, looking miserable, calls out to Gandalf the Wizard, "Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" Gandalf gives a little eyeroll and a sigh and calls back, "It is raining, master Dwarf. It will continue to rain until the rain is done!"

    #Team Occult
  • KaeChan2089KaeChan2089 Posts: 4,944 Member
    LiELF wrote: »
    I really don't expect the game to go for five years, but I do think it will go for another 2-3 because there are still content demands and I don't think Sims 5 is anywhere near ready.

    Some of you seriously need to adjust your demands to be more realistic. Calling for an early end to Sims 4 because you want Sims 5 sooner yet insisting that Sims 5 contains more depth of gameplay and can live up to it's predecessors is extremely contradictory. If Sims 4 were to end early to push out Sims 5 before it's finished, you are going to end up with another sloppy game.

    So you can either find the patience to wait it out and let them complete the next game, or you can rally up the masses to get EA to push it out prematurely and relive the Sims 4 debacle all over again.

    It reminds me of a scene in The Hobbit film. The Dwarves, Gandalf and Bilbo start their long journey to the Lonely Mountain and they are traveling through the woods when it begins to downpour. Dori the Dwarf, looking miserable, calls out to Gandalf the Wizard, "Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" Gandalf gives a little eyeroll and a sigh and calls back, "It is raining, master Dwarf. It will continue to rain until the rain is done!"

    ^-^ Just commenting seeing you are a person of culture as well <3

  • auroraael14auroraael14 Posts: 988 Member
    LiELF wrote: »
    I really don't expect the game to go for five years, but I do think it will go for another 2-3 because there are still content demands and I don't think Sims 5 is anywhere near ready.

    Some of you seriously need to adjust your demands to be more realistic. Calling for an early end to Sims 4 because you want Sims 5 sooner yet insisting that Sims 5 contains more depth of gameplay and can live up to it's predecessors is extremely contradictory. If Sims 4 were to end early to push out Sims 5 before it's finished, you are going to end up with another sloppy game.

    So you can either find the patience to wait it out and let them complete the next game, or you can rally up the masses to get EA to push it out prematurely and relive the Sims 4 debacle all over again.

    It reminds me of a scene in The Hobbit film. The Dwarves, Gandalf and Bilbo start their long journey to the Lonely Mountain and they are traveling through the woods when it begins to downpour. Dori the Dwarf, looking miserable, calls out to Gandalf the Wizard, "Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" Gandalf gives a little eyeroll and a sigh and calls back, "It is raining, master Dwarf. It will continue to rain until the rain is done!"

    Except that no one knows how long the sims 5 has been in development it's just a bunch of guesses. For all, we know it could have been in development since they launched the sims 4 (they started the sims 3 base game as soon as the sims 2 launched).
    Check out my gallery for house builds! Username: aejp24
  • elelunicyelelunicy Posts: 2,004 Member
    edited January 2020
    Except that no one knows how long the sims 5 has been in development it's just a bunch of guesses. For all, we know it could have been in development since they launched the sims 4 (they started the sims 3 base game as soon as the sims 2 launched).

    Except we do. One of the former SimGurus leaked on Reddit that they didn’t start working on TS5 after TS4 was shipped.

    JheUkhB.png

    This was posted in early 2018. EA started posting job listings to work on a new Sims game in late 2018, so we can assume they didn’t start working on TS5 until late 2018. By early 2019, SimGuruGrant was transferred to work on a new game in Maxis. Around the same time SimGuruLindsay also changed her twitter handle from “Executive Producer on The Sims 4” to “Executive Producer on The Sims”. That’s pretty much the confirmation that TS5 development had started by that point.
    qidpmcvgek8y.png
  • AquaGamer1212AquaGamer1212 Posts: 5,417 Member
    elelunicy wrote: »
    Except that no one knows how long the sims 5 has been in development it's just a bunch of guesses. For all, we know it could have been in development since they launched the sims 4 (they started the sims 3 base game as soon as the sims 2 launched).

    Except we do. One of the former SimGurus leaked on Reddit that they didn’t start working on TS5 after TS4 was shipped.

    JheUkhB.png

    This was posted in early 2018. EA started posting job listings to work on a new Sims game in late 2018, so we can assume they didn’t start working on TS5 until late 2018. By early 2019, SimGuruGrant was transferred to work on a new game in Maxis. Around the same time SimGuruLindsay also changed her twitter handle from “Executive Producer on The Sims 4” to “Executive Producer on The Sims”. That’s pretty much the confirmation that TS5 development had started by that point.

    Hmm 🤔🤔 We can’t be too sure though.
    ts4_blossom_meadows_world_icon_gif_fan_art_by_hazzaplumbob-d.gif

  • OEII1001OEII1001 Posts: 3,682 Member
    edited January 2020
    As someone who is not areal simmer and all-around un-person, I welcome continued development of The Sims 4. I tire of the cycle. The Sims 2 introduced what a Sims game is all about, and then immediately The Sims 3 was released and I waited for those things from the previous title to be integrated. Then once that was done we saw The Sims 4 and then had to begin the process again. Personally, and I say this as an unwelcome aberration who should have no right to speak, I am tired of it. I don't want to buy the packs for The Sims 2 for a fourth time. Let the game continue as is. My wallet will breathe a sigh of relief.
  • LiELFLiELF Posts: 6,439 Member
    OEII1001 wrote: »
    As someone who is not areal simmer and all-around un-person, I welcome continued development of The Sims 4. I tire of the cycle. The Sims 2 introduced what a Sims game is all about, and then immediately The Sims 3 was released and I waited for those things from the previous title to be integrated. Then once that was done we saw The Sims 4 and then had to begin the process again. Personally, and I say this as an unwelcome aberration who should have no right to speak, I am tired of it. I don't want to buy the packs for The Sims 2 for a fourth time. Let the game continue as is. My wallet will breathe a sigh of relief.

    I agree for the most part. While my favorite was Sims 2, I didn't like Sims 3 at all and get more enjoyment from Sims 4, although there are still several things that I feel really need work. But starting over means losing my Vampires and Spellcasters and all the other things I really appreciate, and there is absolutely no guarantee that Sims 5 will repeat the things I like, and if anything, it's more likely that they won't repeat the Occults the way they are now, or do StrangerVille, or anything else because they'll be doing something new.

    In the end, it's always a blind chance with a new base game and a lot of money to recapture what was built previously. However, if and when it does come, if I really, really like what I see, I might try to play both.
    #Team Occult
  • auroraael14auroraael14 Posts: 988 Member
    edited January 2020
    elelunicy wrote: »
    Except that no one knows how long the sims 5 has been in development it's just a bunch of guesses. For all, we know it could have been in development since they launched the sims 4 (they started the sims 3 base game as soon as the sims 2 launched).

    Except we do. One of the former SimGurus leaked on Reddit that they didn’t start working on TS5 after TS4 was shipped.

    JheUkhB.png

    This was posted in early 2018. EA started posting job listings to work on a new Sims game in late 2018, so we can assume they didn’t start working on TS5 until late 2018. By early 2019, SimGuruGrant was transferred to work on a new game in Maxis. Around the same time SimGuruLindsay also changed her twitter handle from “Executive Producer on The Sims 4” to “Executive Producer on The Sims”. That’s pretty much the confirmation that TS5 development had started by that point.

    There is nothing on there to prove he even worked for the sims. He didn't state anything that we already didn't know at the time. It could have been anyone. We just can't take this one persons word especially since there is no proof or facts to back it up.

    As for people changing their positions, this usually happens after the team has been working on the project for a few years.
    Post edited by auroraael14 on
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  • ChampandGirlieChampandGirlie Posts: 2,482 Member
    Thanks for sharing that information about earnings. When I read that, I see that Sims is one of the core products of EA and is a strong part of their earnings package for investors. It's also a live service and they see their live services as profitable. If they are sensible, they won't try to mess that up.

    Live services are created by people voluntarily continuing to pay for more content which is what is happening in TS4. At least the DLC is all optional but not completely required to play the game. Maybe releasing a pared down basegame in 2014 was part of the plan all along. At this point, I don't care that much about how the basegame was back then given that I was on hiatus from the series at that time.

    There is a risk involved in switching to a new basegame especially if it involves starting over with essentially the same content as before. Maybe what will ultimately make sense is some sort of upgrade that combines existing players and new players. It's also possible that the game will ultimately switch into different modes such as Supernatural, Family Play and others that poll well based on large scale community support.

    Content such as the SPs and GPs probably help to continue funding the live service. When I read that sheet that was shared, I thought, "Wow, that company has a lot of overhead." It's expensive to develop games. It's also interesting that PC gaming is so strong for them and that mobile gaming is mostly shrinking. I wouldn't have predicted that. It looks like the cross-platform engagement that we are seeing is part of their future strategy. Consoles and PCs are profitable for them.

    Anyway, it looks like Sims is a major component of their portfolio so I don't think they are going to want to shelve it. Shutting down a live service is risky. If anything, I think that ultimately an "upgrade" will make the most sense. Selling a new minimal basegame might be risky. Whether they call it Sims 5 or make some upgrade that in some way connects to the current live service rather than shutting this one down, I think that makes more sense.
    Champ and Girlie are dogs.
  • painting_trees89painting_trees89 Posts: 27 Member
    I'm going to have to agree that starting over seems like a bad idea right now. It takes forever (and a ton of money) to build up each collection and when we start over from the beginning we barely have a collection at all. I pretty much build things all the time, more often than I actually play the game. The only way I might be down for this is if we could make the Sims 5 more interactive, like if we could play online together somehow that would be awesome, otherwise I'm gonna have to say no.
  • LeGardePourpreLeGardePourpre Posts: 15,175 Member
    edited January 2020
    @elelunicy wrote: »
    Around the same time SimGuruLindsay also changed her twitter handle from “Executive Producer on The Sims 4” to “Executive Producer on The Sims”.

    At the same time The Sims Mobile was transferred to The Firemonkeys... I guess she leads the mobile part too.

    For years The Sims Studio ignored The Firemonkeys and now Maxis Monthly includes The Sims TV (The Sims FreePlay and The Sims Mobile).
    @elelunicy wrote: »
    By early 2019, SimGuruGrant was transferred to work on a new game in Maxis.

    "SimGuruGrant is still working on a number of important and awesome Maxis things."

    Maybe TS5 but it could also be anything else, a spin-off, The Sims Online, a new Sim game (SimAnimals 2 ?).

    Post edited by LeGardePourpre on
  • logionlogion Posts: 4,712 Member
    Well if expansion packs take 1-2 years to make, then they are right now making the last expansion pack for the sims4 if they plan to release their next game in 2021.
  • LiELFLiELF Posts: 6,439 Member
    logion wrote: »
    Well if expansion packs take 1-2 years to make, then they are right now making the last expansion pack for the sims4 if they plan to release their next game in 2021.

    That seems even less likely now. They just released a survey today asking players for their preferences on possible future content, including "revisiting" older packs to develop further or make adjustments. If new packs have to be planned way ahead and take many months to years to finish, we could be looking at closer to 2022 for Sims 5 at this point if none of these concepts are even in production yet.
    #Team Occult
  • logionlogion Posts: 4,712 Member
    LiELF wrote: »
    logion wrote: »
    Well if expansion packs take 1-2 years to make, then they are right now making the last expansion pack for the sims4 if they plan to release their next game in 2021.

    That seems even less likely now. They just released a survey today asking players for their preferences on possible future content, including "revisiting" older packs to develop further or make adjustments. If new packs have to be planned way ahead and take many months to years to finish, we could be looking at closer to 2022 for Sims 5 at this point if none of these concepts are even in production yet.

    Yes, that survey had some really good questions that could hint at a personality overhaul but I wonder if they will really have time to make it. Maybe they will make sims4 content even in 2022. But I find it odd that some things like personality overhaul would be implemented so late.

    I'm pretty sure any developer would wonder if it would not be better to add better personality to their next game than going back and changing an 8 year old game.
  • safersavioursafersaviour Posts: 507 Member
    Makes sense. Games are expected to have much longer life cycles than in previous eras. Gone are the days where all the blockbuster releases were complete out of the box. Now we have oodles of DLC rolled out across years and years, along with patches, and preorder bonuses and so on and so forth. GTAV is has the 5th highest current player count on Steam as I type this - that game came out in 2013.

    For sure, this is a double-edged sword, and broken games are released too often, under the guise of 'we'll fix it later', but EA is super-high on the idea of games as a service, and TS4 serves them very, very well. Unless Paralives hits massive sales milestones (which it won't), or TS4 pack sales utterly dissolve (unlikely), I don't see a TS5 being worth it for EA.

    On a more subjective note, the idea of new, experimental packs does interest me. Much more than having to buy a base game and slowlly slot in each of its 'standard' features all over again.
  • keekee53keekee53 Posts: 4,328 Member
    Well I was sort of ready for it to end but then they announced Sims 5 will be online and now they can keep making content for this game or at least improve some stuff. If they put this game online it will be the death of the franchise for me anyway.
  • RamblineRoseRamblineRose Posts: 814 Member
    I hope Sims 4 has another 5 years as well. The game can be improved, added onto there are tons of ideas out there for sims games. I also look at it this way if S4 lasts another 5 years, hopefully Sims 5 will be really well developed.
  • Lady_BalloraLady_Ballora Posts: 784 Member
    I hope Sims 4 has another 5 years as well. The game can be improved, added onto there are tons of ideas out there for sims games. I also look at it this way if S4 lasts another 5 years, hopefully Sims 5 will be really well developed.


    I don't think that would be a very wise decision on EA's part...making games last for TOO long usually results in people completely abandoning the game as it goes on and on and on and on and on. I have a feeling that if Sims 4 lasts for ANOTHER 5 years,people will keep leaving the fandom and moving on to other games. On top of that,the game engine will break sooner or later..if Sims 4 cannot handle open world or a full team for a soccer match,then how will it be able to handle 5 more years of content being piled on top of it?I imagine after 1 or 2 more years,the Sims 4 engine will finally break and EA will not be able to fix it. If Sims 4 had been built on a really strong engine,then I could see it lasting for another 5 years.I think Sims 4 will end in late 2020 or early 2021,MAYBE sometime in 2022 IF the weak game engine doesn't break,then Sims 5 will be launched.

    Why do you hide inside these walls?
  • LiELFLiELF Posts: 6,439 Member
    I hope Sims 4 has another 5 years as well. The game can be improved, added onto there are tons of ideas out there for sims games. I also look at it this way if S4 lasts another 5 years, hopefully Sims 5 will be really well developed.


    I don't think that would be a very wise decision on EA's part...making games last for TOO long usually results in people completely abandoning the game as it goes on and on and on and on and on. I have a feeling that if Sims 4 lasts for ANOTHER 5 years,people will keep leaving the fandom and moving on to other games. On top of that,the game engine will break sooner or later..if Sims 4 cannot handle open world or a full team for a soccer match,then how will it be able to handle 5 more years of content being piled on top of it?I imagine after 1 or 2 more years,the Sims 4 engine will finally break and EA will not be able to fix it. If Sims 4 had been built on a really strong engine,then I could see it lasting for another 5 years.I think Sims 4 will end in late 2020 or early 2021,MAYBE sometime in 2022 IF the weak game engine doesn't break,then Sims 5 will be launched.

    You do know that a game engine is not an actual engine, right?

    Sims 4 isn't missing open world because the game engine is weak, it doesn't have open world because it purposely wasn't designed for it.
    #Team Occult
  • SimKonfettiSimKonfetti Posts: 1,361 Member
    I've played since sims 1 and sim city before... But never played so much as sims 4. It's my favourite for live mode play. It runs fine for the game style I play in. I've tried going back to older ones but I just can't get into them after playing 4.

    I am not sure at this point I would ever "upgrade" to 5 as I fear it'd be more similar to 2 or 3 which just aren't that fun for me anymore.

    May I ask what your playstyle is? Just out of curiousity.
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