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The Sims 4

Revision as of 19:31, 8 June 2019 by Simmietime (talk | contribs) (→‎Expansions, Updates, and DLCs)
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The Sims 4
The Sims 4
Fourth main title in The Sims series

Featured Article The Sims Wiki's Featured Article for September 2014.
The Sims 4
TS4 official boxart
Smarter Sims, Weirder Stories
Development
Developer(s) Maxis, The Sims Studio
Publisher(s) Electronic Arts
Ratings CERO: C
ESRB: T [1]
ACB: M [2]
PEGI: 12
Federal Law of Russian Federation: 18[3]
Series The Sims
Release date(s) Microsoft Windows
NA September 2, 2014[4][5][6]
GB September 5, 2014
EU September 4, 2014
JP September 4, 2014
AUS September 4, 2014
macOS
INT February 17, 2015
Xbox One, PlayStation 4
INT November 17, 2017
Technical information
Platform(s) Windows, macOS
Mode(s) Single-player
System requirements Minimum system requirements on TheSims.com
Game features
Genres Life simulation
Creatures Sim, Ghost, Grim Reaper
Worlds Oasis Springs, Willow Creek, Newcrest
Related pages
Patches and updates
Cheats
Shortcuts
4
TS4
Sims 4
TS4 Icon

The Sims 4 is the fourth installment in The Sims franchise. Like the previous games in the series, The Sims 4 focuses on creating and controlling a neighborhood of virtual people, called "Sims". The Sims 4 boasts an overhauled and intuitive Create a Sim, updated building tools, and deeper, more complex Sims through the addition of emotions and new traits.

The Sims 4 was released in North America on September 2, 2014,[4] and in other places worldwide shortly thereafter for PC. A Mac version of the game was announced at the same time but a release date was not specified until early 2015. It was released on February 17, 2015, several months after the PC version.[7] Console versions of The Sims 4 were released on November 17, for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.[8] This is the first time the full base game and content packs are available for consoles, unlike previous iterations in which a watered down version of the game was used.

Official description

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.

Features[9]
  • 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 collectibles, 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.

Game features

Create a Sim

Main article: Create a Sim#The Sims 4
Sims_4_-_Character_Customisation_E3_2014

Sims 4 - Character Customisation E3 2014

One of the most groundbreaking aspects of The Sims 4 is its intense character customization options

Create a Sim is revitalized, making it more intuitive, flexible, and detailed than in previous games. Sims' physical features are customized by clicking-and-dragging on different parts of the body. It is described as being like clay by multiple people in the community. Overall body size and amount of muscle are adjusted by sliders, but the size and shape of individual body parts can be adjusted individually, allowing players to make Sims with unique body shapes. Sims' facial features are also customized by the same click-and-drag mechanic. There is also a "detail mode," which allows more precise modification of certain facial features. All changes made to one side of the body or head are automatically made to the opposite side.

Emotions

Main article: Emotion

Sims in The Sims 4 have more emotional depth than in any previous game in the series. A Sims' emotional state affects which actions they perform and how the actions are performed. One Sim's emotions can affect other Sims around them. Sims in extreme emotional states can even be killed by their emotions. The emotions that a Sim can or will experience are affected by their moodlets, traits, and life stage.

In-game Gallery

Main article: Gallery

The gallery is an in-game exchange feature, allowing players to share their Sims, families, and buildings with other Sims players. Players can add their creations to the gallery, or pull other player creations into their game quickly. The gallery is fully integrated into The Sims 4; everything added to the game through the gallery is immediately playable, without the need to restart the game. An internet connection is required to access the gallery. The console versions of The Sims 4 do not have the gallery.

Build mode

The_Sims_4_Build_Mode_Official_Gameplay_Trailer

The Sims 4 Build Mode Official Gameplay Trailer

The Sims 4 features a revitalized, room-based build mode. Rooms are placed down and then stretched in all directions until they reach the desired size and shape. Rooms and entire houses can be picked up and moved around the lot, including all objects, floor and wall coverings, doors and windows. The Sims 4 improves upon the blueprint mode of The Sims 3, allowing players to place down fully-furnished rooms in a variety of styles; these rooms can then be resized, moved and adjusted as well. Players can also upload their rooms to the Gallery or download rooms from the Gallery to add to houses.

Several pre-existing build mode features have also been updated. Walls and half walls now have one of three different heights, set on each individual level of a building. Windows placed on walls can be moved up or down vertically along the wall. Windows can be automatically added to rooms, then adjusted by the player as needed. Columns automatically stretch or contract to match the height of the walls on a particular level, and can be added to railings without the use of the moveobjects cheat. Foundations are no longer treated as separate levels on a building. Foundations can be added to or removed from a building, even if the building is already built, and the height of the foundation can be adjusted.

Worlds and neighborhoods

Main article: World

In The Sims 4, the classic concept of neighborhoods has been replaced with worlds. Each world consists of multiple distinct neighborhoods. Sims can be in any or all neighborhoods within a world at a given time, but the player can only fully control interactions and actions within whichever neighborhood is loaded at the time. Sims outside the loaded neighborhood can still be controlled to a limited degree. Players can switch between which neighborhood is loaded, though this brings up a loading screen.[10]

The Sims 4 was initially released with two worlds—Oasis Springs and Willow Creek. An additional free world, Newcrest, was added in a subsequent base game patch.

Most expansion packs of The Sims 4 introduced new worlds to the game. Get to Work introduced Magnolia Promenade, which is a standalone neighborhood and not a full-sized world.[11] Get Together came with Windenburg, a European-inspired world. In City Living, San Myshuno was included—a city that has a variety of apartments. It is the first world that has named neighborhoods, though they are more commonly referred to as districts. Cats & Dogs introduced a coastal world called Brindleton Bay. In Get Famous, a Los Angeles-inspired world called Del Sol Valley was introduced. It is mainly created for players to experience the acting career included in the pack and watch their Sims rise up in fame.

A number of game packs for The Sims 4 also came with new worlds, albeit mostly smaller than the expansion pack worlds. Vampires included Forgotten Hollow, a one-neighborhood world created primarily for the game pack's new life state, vampires, to live in. StrangerVille introduced StrangerVille, a desert-like residential world inspired by the American midwest. Outdoor Retreat and Jungle Adventure included the vacation-only worlds of Granite Falls and Selvadorada, respectively.

The Sims 4 contains many references to worlds in The Sims 3 despite being in a parallel universe. One example would be for a Sim to receive a postcard from Sunset Valley, which is a world in The Sims 3.


Expansions, Updates, and DLCs

Expansion Packs

Like previous entries in the The Sims series, expansion packs have also been released for the game. So far, six expansion packs have been released with one in development.

The first expansion pack is called The Sims 4: Get to Work and was released in March 2015. It combines some elements from The Sims 2: Open for Business and The Sims 3: Ambitions where Sims are able to run their own business and command the Sims during work. The careers (returning from previous titles) include Doctor (Medical), Detective (Law Enforcement), and Science.

At Gamescom 2015, Rachel Franklin announced The Sims 4: Get Together, along with its official trailer. The expansion focuses on socialising your Sims and acts as a spiritual successor to previous The Sims games, including The Sims: Livin' Large and The Sims 2: Nightlife.

On September 13, 2016, the trailer for the third expansion pack called The Sims 4: City Living was released. The expansion itself was released on November 1, 2016. The pack features some spiritual elements from The Sims 2: Apartment Life and The Sims 3: Late Night. Sims can rent apartments, sing karaoke, and go to festivals.

On August 21, 2017 at Gamescom, Lyndsay Pearson announced the fourth expansion pack called The Sims 4: Cats & Dogs, that was released on November 10, 2017. It combines some elements from The Sims: Unleashed, The Sims 2: Pets, and The Sims 3: Pets where Sims are able to own cats and dogs, along with the ability to build and manage vet clinics.

On May 24, 2018, the fifth expansion pack, The Sims 4: Seasons, was announced to be released on June 22, 2018. It adds weather, seasons, holidays and a new botanist profession. The pack includes some returning elements from The Sims 2: Seasons and The Sims 3: Seasons.

On October 9, 2018, the sixth expansion pack, The Sims 4: Get Famous, was leaked through Origin with a release date of November 16, 2018. It adds a celebrity system, an acting career and a new world catered towards film making and famous Sims. This pack features some spiritual elements from The Sims: Superstar, The Sims 3: Late Night and The Sims 3: Showtime.

The seventh expansion pack, The Sims 4: Island Living, was accidentally leaked by EA on June 7, 2019. It focuses on relaxation, island life, and acts as a spiritual successor to The Sims 3: Island Paradise with elements of Vacation Island from The Sims: Vacation and Twikkii Island from The Sims 2: Bon Voyage.

Game Packs

New to The Sims 4 are "game packs".[12] Game packs are generally smaller than full expansion packs, but have more content than stuff packs.[13] So far, seven game packs have been released, with one in development:

Stuff Packs

As with previous The Sims titles, stuff packs have also been released for the game. So far, fourteen stuff packs have been released.

Free Packs

Free Packs are content packs available on Origin to download for no additional price. Only one free pack has been released for the game.

  • The Sims 4: Holiday Celebration Pack is a free downloadable add-on that features festive decorations and clothing which was originally released on December 16, 2014. Since then it has been updated four times with extra content, for the Holiday seasons in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Patches

Main article: The Sims 4/Patch

The Sims 4 receives game updates through Origin. Game updates may consist of bug fixes, minor additions, and new features. Some patches are notable for including major additions or features to the game.

Create a Sim demo

On July 7, 2014, Rachel Franklin (SimGuruRachel) announced the debut of The Sims 4 Create a Sim Demo.[14] Starting on July 8, a limited number of Sims players were given early access to the demo. A week later, on July 15, the public was able to sign up for access to the demo, though not everyone who signed up received access. On August 12, the demo was made public and available to everyone, through Origin.[15]

The demo allows players to create only young adult Sims, and features the body sculpting tools in the base game Create a Sim. The demo also gives access to the Gallery. Sims created by other players or by Maxis can be downloaded into the demo and adjusted, and players can add their own Sims to the gallery as well. Sims created in the demo are exportable to The Sims 4.

Other Information

  • The Sims 4 is set in a new time period and has no continuity to previous games.[16] However, some Sims from previous games (such as the Goth family) appear; the timeline for The Sims 4 therefore exists in an "alternate universe" from the timeline of the first three games.[17]
  • The Sims 4 had an autosave feature.[18] (Removed in Patch 50.)
  • Toddlers did not initially appear in The Sims 4 base game.[19] The life stage was completely left out of the game, and was not combined with the baby stage.[20] However, they were added in with the January 12, 2017 update after two years of the game's initial release.[21]
  • Swimming pools were not included in the base game,[19] however, they were re-added in Patch 7.
  • The Sims 4 is playable in a single player offline mode and the core of the game is intended to be played offline. The game doesn't require a constant internet connection.[22][23] However, the Origin client is required in order to install the game,[24] and an internet connection is required to access the in-game content Gallery.
  • Voice-over content in the game is completely new; there are no recycled Sim voices from previous games.[25]
  • The Sims 4 uses a new game engine that bears little to no resemblance to the engine used in The Sims 3.[26]
  • The soundtrack for The Sims 4 is composed by English film composer Ilan Eshkeri.[27]
  • The Sims 4's original loading screen was changed in a patch.
  • The Sims 4 receives free content updates every month, with the exception of January.[28] However, in January 2017, a free update brought in toddlers to the game.
  • Similarly to the previous games, players can add custom music to the game. Base game radio stations are: Alternative, Pop, Romance, Blues, Classical, and Retro.

Development

Announcement

On Monday, May 6, 2013, Maxis confirmed that it will be released on Mac and PC in 2014.[29] The original game announcement reads:

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.

Gamescom Reveal and Leak

The Sims 4 had a major reveal, including a trailer, at Gamescom on August 20, 2013 (14:00 UTC) and a further preview on August 22, 2013 at (15:00 UTC) containing a live gameplay demo. The preview was shown at EA channel in Twitch, instead of streaming via TheSims channel on YouTube.

Meanwhile, SimsCamp was an event planned for late August, 2013 in Cologne, Germany. It was centered around 'The Sims 4' reveal at Gamescom. Many well-known fansites and personalities (called the "YibSims", meaning best friends in Simlish) were invited to be part of the event. They had the opportunity to ask questions and play the game for the first time.[30]

Before the Gamescom reveal, multiple fansites created articles which leaked the game's previews and information, which was found on the servers running on thesims.com website.[31] There were many renders leaked as well and the leak also included an article from PC Powerplay, a gaming magazine.

The reveal was presented by Rachel Franklin, the executive producer on The Sims 4. She explained "SmartSim", a feature which enriches emotions for the Sims. In the game, the Sims' emotions are affected in many ways, for example, relationships, furniture, etc.

She also showed "creative tools", like the familiar Create a Sim and Build Mode, which was reinvented to make them "intuitive, powerful and flexible". She also showed new and returning objects like a voodoo doll, a violin and a punching bag. At the end of the reveal, she stated that the official website for The Sims 4 was ready, and pre-orders for Limited Edition and Digital Deluxe could be made.

Release information

The game was to be released early in 2014, but the date was pushed back to late 2014.[5] At the 2014 E3, an official North America release date of September 2, 2014 was confirmed.[4]

Notes

  • The Sims 4 was released for OS X on February 17, 2015, over five months after the Windows release of the game. The Sims 4 was the first game in the series since The Sims 2 and The Sims Stories to have separate release dates for Windows and OS X.
  • Unlike The Sims 3 and The Sims Medieval, digital versions of The Sims 4 will work on OS X, but not DVDs. This is the opposite of The Sims 3, where DVD versions could be played on OS X, but digital versions could not, although this was changed when Origin came out on Mac in 2013.
  • The Sims 4 is the first base game to require activation with Origin.
  • The price of The Sims 4 ($60 to $80)[32] is higher than The Sims 3 (originally $50 to $70; currently $20) making it slightly more expensive. However, The Sims 3 can cost up to $340 or more, if all the current game and store content is bought.
    • With the Premium Edition costing $80, it is the most expensive The Sims title released, beating The Sims 3 Collector's Edition at $70.
  • The Sims 4 is the second game in the series to include more than one neighborhood/world in its initial release, after The Sims 2. The original release of The Sims only included Neighborhood 1, and the original release of The Sims 3 only included Sunset Valley.
  • Pools, toddlers, basements, ghosts, family trees, repairmen, nannies, gardeners, Latin radio station, and hip-hop radio station were not initially in the game, but were added in subsequent patches or content packs.
  • The Sims 4 is the only game in the series to not currently feature burglars, firefighters, and R&B radio stations.
  • Like The Sims, The Sims 4's PlumBob is opaque (non-transparent).
  • With patch 34, The Sims 4 became the first game in the series to feature gender customization as well as the option to have all types of clothing and hair types be available for use by both genders.

Gallery

The graphics of these screenshots are of early pre-production of The Sims 4 codenamed "Olympus" from 2010.
The game's final graphics differ greatly from these images.

External links

Official
Community

References and notes

  1. ↑ "The Sims - FAQ - Official Site". thesims.com.
  2. ↑ "View Title". classification.gov.au.
  3. ↑ "Russia hangs adults-only rating on The Sims 4". Ars Technica.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Confirmed: The Sims 4 To Release September 2nd, 2014 - SimsVIP". simsvip.com.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 EA: The Sims 4 Coming Fall 2014 (SimsVIP)
  6. ↑ Tach, Dave (October 22, 2013). The Sims 4 delayed to fall 2014 worldwide release window.
  7. ↑ EA's 'The Sims 4' Now Available for Mac. Mac Rumors.
  8. ↑ "Official Announcement: The Sims 4 Coming to Xbox One and PS4 in November".
  9. ↑ The Sims 4 on Origin
  10. ↑ SimVIP interview with SimGuruGraham at E3 2014, at SimsVIP.com
  11. ↑ Graham Nardone (SimGuruGraham) on Twitter: "@Liamer01 It's a new neighborhood, not an entire "world". In terms of size, it's in-line with other neighborhoods in the game..." Retrieved 5 April 2015
  12. ↑ "Just what is a Game Pack?" by SimGuruGrant at TheSims.com. Retrieved 20 December 2014
  13. ↑ TS4: Outdoor Retreat Q&A with SimGuruGrant on SimsVIP.com
  14. ↑ "The Sims - What’s Out and What’s In - Official Site". Retrieved on 2 October 2014.
  15. ↑ "The Sims 4: Create-a-Sim Demo Now Available! - SimsVIP". Retrieved on 2 October 2014.
  16. ↑ Sarah Holding on Twitter: "@Tensimoles @TrueSkarrr The timeline got pretty crowded with TS1, TS2, and TS3, trying to fit another game into the timeline would be tough.". Retrieved on 2 October 2014.
  17. ↑ Sarah Holding on Twitter: "@Tensimoles @TrueSkarrr I would call it an alternate universe...it was the most flexible way for us to keep all your favorite Sims in TS4.". Retrieved on 2 October 2014.
  18. ↑ "The Sims 4 Includes Auto-Save Feature - SimsVIP". Retrieved on 2 October 2014.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Neighborhoods, Weird Moments, and More on TheSims3.com
  20. ↑ Graham Nardone on Twitter: "@_lovcat_ @TheSimsBoi Babies and Toddlers were not combined. We know they're distinctly different and didn't want to shoehorn them in.". Retrieved on 2 October 2014.
  21. ↑ https://www.thesims.com/en_GB/news/sims-4-adds-toddlers
  22. ↑ The Sims 4 Official Q&A by SimGuruHydra (SimsVIP)
  23. ↑ Maxis Announces The Sims 4 (PC & MAC 2014) (SimsVIP)
  24. ↑ The Sims 4 General Information - EA Help
  25. ↑ Rachel Franklin The Sims 4 Audio Tweet
  26. ↑ "The Sims 4: Game Engine & SmartSim Technology - SimsVIP". simsvip.com.
  27. ↑ Keith Stuart. "The Sims 4: how composer Ilan Eshkeri brings emotion to the screen". the Guardian.
  28. ↑ Free Content Updates in The Sims 4 Starting…Now! Also, Gnomes. TheSims.com. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  29. ↑ Maxis Unveils The Sims 4 (EA.com)
    The Sims 4 in development for PC and Mac (EA.com)
  30. ↑ SimsCamp Event (SimsVIP)
  31. ↑ THE SIMS 4 LEAKED SCREENS + INFO (SimsCommunity)
    Note: This article may show content which may not be included on the final release or be shown at Gamescom.
  32. ↑ "The Sims 4 for PC Download | Origin Games". Origin. 24 January 2015.
  33. ↑ BeyondSims Video Posting (BeyondSims)
  34. ↑ Patrick Kelley, EA Employee Portfolio
  35. ↑ "Primeiras Imagens do The Sims 4 na GAMES!". osgamesea.com.
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Featured Article
This article is a Featured Article. Its layout and content is an example of excellence on The Sims Wiki.

Dates featured: September 2014.

"The Sims" Chronology
Preceded by
The Sims 3: Into the Future
October 22, 2013 		The Sims series PC games Followed by
The Sims 4: Outdoor Retreat
January 13, 2015


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