Summary
One of the creative leads working onThe Sims 5has confirmed in an interview that the developers are interested in adding multiplayer features to the game, which is still in the early stages of development. Fans of theSimsfranchise have been eagerly awaiting a new entry in the series for many years, with the last major release beingThe Sims 4back in 2014.
The history of multiplayer functionality in theSimsfranchise extends back to theill-fated experiment ofThe Sims Online, released in 2002 and quietly shut down due to a lack of players in 2008. In the nearly two decades since, Maxis has developedThe Simsas a solely single-player franchise, although some ambitious fans have attempted to add multiplayer functionality to the games via mods. Multiplayer mods forThe Sims 3andThe Sims 4have generally been popular, but theSimscommunity remains divided on whether multiplayer features should be a core part of the series.
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In a recent interview with Radio Times, the Creative Vice President for theSimsfranchise, Lyndsay Pearson, said that she and her team “definitely want to include multiplayer” inThe Sims 5.Pearson was quick to clarify that the team was not interested in “multiplayer in the big, scary ‘jump in a world full of strangers’ kind of way,” but instead more small-scale, optional interactions between friends. She cited theincredible fan creations inAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsas a major source of inspiration, calling the game “a good example of my little space, my little island, but I can invite you over.”
Pearson went on to describe many more possible sources of inspiration for the planned multiplayer features inThe Sims 5,emphasizing that the team has not yet decided what exact form these features and systems might ultimately take. The possibility of inviting other players to visit one’s custom worldNew Horizon-style is a likely approach, but Pearson said that her team was also considering some sort of social deduction gameplay inspired by thecomplex social dynamics inAmong Usand games like it.
“We definitely want to introduce multiplayer, and not multiplayer in the big, scary ‘jump in a world full of strangers’ kind of way. But literally, hey, do you and your friends want to play together?”
The confirmation thatThe Sims 5will include some degree of multiplayer functionality will be welcome news for many in theSimscommunity, but it may be a cause for concern among others. Multiplayer is one of many points of contention dividing the community, as is therumor thatThe Sims 5will be free to play at launch. Many fans are worried that an emphasis on multiplayer could diminish the quality of the single-player experience that has always formed the core of the franchise.
The Sims 4
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