Why Sims 4 Needs a New Game Pack Now More Than Ever

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home November 16, 2024 30 Views 7 Min Read
Why Sims 4 Needs a New Game Pack Now More Than Ever

Excitement had been ramping up in the fan base of Maxis’ premier life simulator franchise, The Sims, regarding Project Rene and the advancement of the series. However, some hopes were dashed when Electronic Arts recently detailed their official plans for the franchise moving forward, and The Sims 5 was conspicuously missing from the list. Since late 2022, Project Rene was expected to carry the franchise’s torch into the future, but it seems there were some misunderstandings along the line that EA has now taken steps to clear up. In light of these new developments, and with no plans for a follow-up installment to The Sims 4 for the time being, it’s time for the developer to turn its attention to fleshing out its current outlook by adding more game packs to The Sims 4.




Considering it’s been over a decade since The Sims 4 made its debut, it was a reasonable expectation for EA to have a new title in the works and gradually phase the current game out after its release. That’s one of the reasons Project Rene‘s announcement was assumed to be a codename confirmation of The Sims 5. However, it has turned out that Project Rene is the developer’s latest foray into the multiplayer gaming scene — the heir apparent, kind of — to earlier games like The Sims Online and The Sims Freeplay. Since Project Rene is a standalone experience and The Sims 5 doesn’t exist yet, EA needs to make up for that absence with more comprehensive packages for The Sims 4 soon.

dress to impress the sims 4 logo

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Electronic Arts Needs to Pay Attention to the Finer Details in The Sims 4


The theory that EA was working on the next installment of the series wasn’t solely born from the expanding timeline gap in release dates, or even speculation after substantive Project Rene leaks made the rounds in late 2022 and again last year. Much of its logical reason lies in the fact that the developer has focused on largely superficial changes in the past couple of years, releasing EPs and Stuff Packs with some regularity. Game Packs have been left behind in the process, with no new releases in about two and a half years now.

Some would argue that EPs have replaced the need for Game Packs, with the six expansions since the last GP (Werewolves) bringing brand-new worlds to The Sims, along with a set of unique scenarios. For instance, the most recent EP addition, Life and Death, added some flair to the Sim afterlife and gave the option of pursuing a Grim Reaper career for players with a morbid preference. However, the main difference between Expansion and Game Packs lies in the level of thematic detail they contain.


Game Packs’ Thematic Focus Makes Them a Priority Area Going Forward

Where expansions tend to introduce entirely new gameplay systems and a host of build/buy options, game packs don’t lose focus on their niche. Dine Out, as a case study, brought the experience of restaurants to The Sims 4, including details like regular day-to-day operation and management of waiting staff. With this in mind, it’s disappointing that Electronic Arts has not revisited the category in such a long time. This could be due to the difference in pricing between EPs and GPs, with EPs costing significantly more on average, potentially explaining the recent stance of leaving Game Packs in the background for the time being.


However, since Project Rene has no definite release date yet, and there are no concrete plans for The Sims 5, Electronic Arts needs to switch up its strategy. Game Packs used to be released yearly before the inexplicable hiatus, and more than ever, players will need a consistent infusion of new content as an incentive to keep playing The Sims 4. The current expansion pack schedule of multiple packs a year is quite a help, but game packs could further accentuate the developer’s efforts. Building niches like cars, which has been a long-requested feature, with a top-down approach could do wonders for The Sims 4, making game packs a necessity in Electronic Arts’ arsenal going forward.

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