The Sims is arguably as big as it's ever been, but at the same time, it's starting to feel like the franchise could use a refresh. The Sims 4 has just gone free-to-play, but in a new “Behind The Sims” livestream, EA and Maxis provided a first tease for the next iteration of The Sims, currently codenamed “Project Rene.”
We didn’t get a look at the new next-gen Sims themselves, but Maxis did hint strongly at their new direction. A much more in-depth furniture and decorating editor was shown, and Maxis promised more multiplayer options and the ability to play cross-platform between mobile and PC/consoles. You can check out the reveal of Project Rene, below.
Need to know more? Here’s the official spiel from EA and Maxis…
“The Sims team is building the next generation game and creative platform, reimagining The Sims that players know and love with even more new ways to play. The game, which is currently in its very early stages of development, has a working title “Project Rene.” This name was chosen to be reminiscent of words like renaissance and rebirth to represent the team’s renewed commitment for The Sims’ bright future. Project Rene will fundamentally evolve how Sims think and behave, how players create and customize their worlds, and innovate in entirely new ways.
To start, we are experimenting with creative tools, a key part of The Sims’ DNA, and taking a look at what has worked before and how we can offer more flexibility to help with building and decorating in-game. With Project Rene, players will have the choice to play solo or collaborate with others, and will have the ability to play their game across [multiple] supported devices.
The Sims has always evolved to reflect our players and their experiences, and we are building on that foundation to encourage creativity and the ability to tell meaningful stories. This is just a first glimpse of what the team is working on, and we will continue to share more information on the game’s development and milestones along the way.”
According to The Sims creative VP Lindsay Pearson, Project Rene will be in development for at least a “couple years,” and closed early access testing will be on the table at some point. What do you think? Ready for something new? Or is Maxis never going to be able to top the popularity and staying power of The Sims 4?
