It’s October 18th, and that means that the Behind The Sims Summit will take place. Electronic Arts and Maxis will be sharing more details about what’s to come for The Sims 4. They will probably announce new expansions.
But that’s probably not all!
Rumors suggest that there will be another important announcement. According to experts in the game-scene, The Sims 5 will be announced during this online event.
We’re not completely sure whether or not this is true. The only way to figure this out is by watching the livestream. You can watch it via YouTube, Twitch and Steam. It starts at 10:00 AM PT / 19:00 CEST / 18:00 BST.
Are you ready for a possible announcement of The Sims 5? Do you think the game will be coming soon? Needless to say, we’re really curious!
P.S. Starting today, The Sims 4’s base game will also be free to download. The game is available for free on PC, Mac, and console.
You may have noticed that there are rumors about The Sims 5 popping up all over the place. Many of them are just fake news. Sometimes we come across something that may not be fake. Our colleagues at Sims Community shared some very interesting news about the fifth generation!
PlayStation Magazine UK, the official PlayStation magazine, came up with a list of games that are expected to be released in the future. The interesting thing is that they have also listed ‘The Sims 5’, as you can see on the image below:
According to PlayStation Magazine, The Sims 5 will be released soon
According to the magazine, the game will come to PlayStation 5 (PS5), as can be seen on page 29. However, this doesn’t mean that it will not be launched on PC, Mac, Xbox Series X or possible other platforms. PlayStation Magazine also mentions that Maxis and The Sims Studio will be responsible for developing the game and that Electronic Arts is the publisher.
According to PlayStation Magazine, we have to wait a bit more for the official release of the game, as it shows that it will take 12 months or more. They didn’t list an official release date, but it’s quite sure that it will not happen in 2020.
Usually there is about a year between the official announcement and the actual release of a new Sims generation. This would mean that the fifth generation will not be launched before the summer of 2021, simply because there hasn’t been an official announcement yet.
PlayStation Magazine also shared that The Sims 5 will include online features, such as interactions and competitions. This seems to be correct, as the CEO of Electronic Arts, Andrew Wilson, shared earlier in 2020 that the fifth installment will contain elements that are based on The Sims Online. Unfortunately, this game was shut down in 2008. But… maybe there is a chance that it will return?
For now, we just have to wait for the official announcement of the game by Electronic Arts and Maxis!
Many Sims fans are looking forward to The Sims 5, the fifth installment of the successful simulation game The Sims. The Sims 4 is the latest installment of the popular life simulator and was released on the 2nd of September 2014. However, we all know that this game is coming to an end. Considering that each Sims generation lasts for about 4 or 5 years, it could mean that the fifth generation will arrive quite soon already! In this article, we will talk about the possible release date.
The Sims 5 won’t happen if The Sims 4 fails
But first of all: will there be a The Sims 5 game at all? Grant Rodiek, a producer on The Sims 4, said – back in 2014, right after The Sims 4 came out – that the release of the fifth generation all depends on the success of the fourth generation. If that game fails to succeed in terms of sales, there won’t be a The Sims 5 game at all.
“We’re not working on Sims 5. We’re not thinking about Sims 5. If Sims 4 isn’t successful, there won’t be a Sims 5.” – Grant Rodiek
This statement resulted in a lot of anger, disappointment, and sadness in the Sims community.
Is The Sims 4 successful or not?
Grant Rodiek’s statement raises the question whether The Sims 4 is a successful game or not. There have been many discussions on this topic online, especially on the official The Sims forums. One of them is called “The Sims 4 is still a success”. Some other topics highlight the opposite, like “Is this enough proof that The Sims 4 is a flop?”. Both topics are a few years old by now, but the discussion about the success of this game continues.
Popular game news site Kotaku published an article (without a clear source for this claim and without any numbers to support this claim) in 2015 where it was claimed that:
“Neither SimCity nor the recent release of The Sims 4 performed very well, according to a person familiar with goings-on at the studio.”
Supposedly, 5 million The Sims 4 copies have been sold, which has been widely discussed in these forum topics.
Based on these forum discussions, it is difficult to say whether The Sims 4 is a successful game or not. ESA, which reports about sales of PC games sales, has listed the game twice as the top selling game in 2014 (which was also highlighted by popular game news site GameSpot) and in 2015. Furthermore, famous site Digital Spy showed that in September 2014, right after The Sims 4 came out, it became the first PC game to reach the top of the Chart Track chart since 2012. This shows, to a certain extent, that the game actually is a successful based on sales. However, no numbers are included and digital downloads are not included either.
Some unreliable sources – which have been mentioned a lot in forum discussions – claim different sale numbers. VGChartz, for example, shows 3,6 million sales as of September 2017. However, this number doesn’t include digital downloads, which makes it unreliable. Another source, Wikipedia, shows that the game has sold 5 million copies. It is not clear whether downloads are included in this number or not. Moreover, Wikipedia uses a rather vague Twitter discussion by SimScraper and SimGuruNinja as the source for these numbers. Wikipedia also mentions that their sales list can never be seen as complete.
Another producer on The Sims 4, Lyndsay Pearson, joined the discussion on sales numbers. She said in the Brazilian tv show GloboSat the following:
“Yeah, it’s definitely more than that! We don’t really track specific numbers but there are millions of players who are playing The Sims 4.” – Lyndsay Pearson
In May 2017 Electronic Arts announced its quarterly financial results, showing that the monthly active users of The Sims 4 increased by 33% in the fourth quarter of 2017’s fiscal year, which is the period between January and April 2017. Forbes wrote about this too. These numbers show solid growth.
So when is The Sims 5 coming?
If we’re looking at the release pattern of earlier Sims generations, it is clearly noticeable that each generation lasts between 4 years and 7 months and 5 years and 3 months total. We at DownloadSims5.com made a simple calculation. If we look at the months between each generation (55 months between The Sims and The Sims 2, 56 months between The Sims 2 and The Sims 3, and 63 months between The Sims 3 and The Sims 4) and calculate the average duration of each generation, the average lifespan becomes 58 months. The Sims 4 came out on the 2nd of September 2014. Adding 58 months to this could mean that The Sims 5 will be released in July 2019.
However, it doesn’t seem likely that Electronic Arts and Maxis will release The Sims 5 in the middle of the summer. Based on our overview, it is clearly visible that most Sims games were right launched before or after summer.
It seems very likely that the fifth generation will be launched somewhere between June and September 2019. We’re expecting at least a digital download version of the game and perhaps a physical version too.
Generation
Release date
Days between generations
Months between generations
The Sims
4th Feb 2000
The Sims 2
14th Sep 2004
1684 (between The Sims 1 and 2)
55 months
The Sims 3
2nd Jun 2009
1722 (between The Sims 2 and 3)
56 months
The Sims 4
2nd Sep 2014
1918 (between The Sims 3 and 4)
63 months
The Sims 5
2nd Jul 2019* (estimated release date)
1764* (estimated days between The Sims 4 and 5)
58 months* (estimated months between The Sims 4 and 5)
We’ll just have to wait until Electronic Arts and Maxis officially announce the game! We do think that The Sims 5 is in the works. Developing a game takes a long time! We can’t wait for the official announcement!
We will update this website as soon as we know more details.
What do you think: When will The Sims 5 be released?
Now we’re curious: When do you think The Sims 5 will come out? Will it be 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, or perhaps even later? Let us know your thoughts by voting below!
Digital all the way or physical games? For those who aren’t convinced yet about downloading games, we’ve made a very useful list. Here are 9 reasons why you should download The Sims 5 when it comes out (which could be in 2019 already)! Perhaps this will make you change your mind!
1. Not all new games will be released as a physical copy anymore
When the first ever The Sims game came out, it was only available as a physical copy, which was also the case for The Sims 2. However, when The Sims 3 arrived things were changing drastically. The Sims 3 was not only released as a physical game anymore. It was also released as a digital download, available on Origin and through other web shops.
The Sims 4 focuses more on downloads than physical disc games. As such, many The Sims 4 games have only been released as a digital download version on Origin or on other online web shops. Many Stuff Packs and Game Packs have not been released as a physical copy. Electronic Arts and Maxis, the companies behind the Sims series, are focusing more on digital versions where you receive a multi-digit game key (code) in order to redeem, install, download and play a game.
It is very likely that this trend will continue when The Sims 5 comes out. This could mean that there won’t be any physical games anymore or that Stuff Packs, Game Packs, and Expansion Packs will only be available as a download. This is bad news for those who prefer and collect disc games over downloads. Digital-only seems to be the new standard.
2. Downloading is much easier
It’s so much easier to download games compared to going to a store. Downloading games through Origin or other platforms is so easy nowadays! It only takes a few clicks to buy, activate, download, install, and start the game!
Excitement about a new release will be gone when you figure out that your local physical store hasn’t received the game yet, or all games have been sold out. Then you have to wait even longer and visit the store again. Sigh! And what if there are huge waiting lines outside the store? We at DownloadSims5.com know how frustrating this can be! Downloading games will avoid this inconvenience. Save yourself the hassle of worrying about the availability of games.
Digital downloads are usually available directly after midnight. Downloading is so easy, even a child can do it! Moreover, no discs are required. You can play the game right away. No need to get off that comfy couch to switch discs. Easy peasy!
3. No need to wait for your post-delivery anymore
Imagine if you have to wait for your game after it finally officially comes out! Will the mail carrier deliver your game package today? Will it be tomorrow? Or perhaps after the weekend? Is it delayed again? Too bad! Delayed parcels are very common these days.
You won’t have this problem with digital downloads. They are usually available right after midnight. Immediate digital delivery is one of the primary advantages of downloading games. You will receive your serial key within a few minutes, which allows you to activate, download, install, and play the game directly. Moreover, downloading saves you a lot of time!
4. Downloading is often cheaper: save a lot of money
Digital games are often known as expensive, but in reality they are oftentimes actually much cheaper in comparison to physical games. You can save a lot of money by checking out deals and sales! Some web shops and platforms are expensive. Origin, for example, is one of the more expensive platforms. However, Origin has some huge sales throughout the year.
Many web shops – which are not related to Electronic Arts or Maxis – are selling Sims games with huge discounts at any time. This makes it possible to download Sims games for a much lower price in comparison to recommended prices by Electronic Arts and Maxis.
But why are digital downloads often cheaper than physical games? Several reasons can be named:
First of all: digital downloads are not manufactured, which means that they don’t require packaging;
Furthermore, digital copies don’t have to be transported or shipped, so there are no shipping costs;
Another important reason is that digital games don’t need to be stored in stores, warehouses or other buildings, so companies can save money on property rent;
Running and maintaining a web shop and server for digital distribution of games is cheaper in comparison to physical stores;
No salesperson is needed to sell games in-stores, so the labour cost drops drastically;
Finally, many web shops are buying huge gaming stocks. The more they buy, the cheaper it gets, which makes it possible to drop prices for games and sell it for a lower price.
Probably there are more reasons to find. When The Sims 5 comes out, it is likely that the game will be available via different web shops and platforms, so you can purchase it for a reduced price. It is not clear yet if the base game for The Sims 5 will be cheaper compared to The Sims 4 base game. One thing is for sure: there won’t be a free The Sims 5 download version because Electronic Arts and Maxis need to earn money as well.
5. Disc drives are becoming less common
New laptops, notebooks, and other computers are getting thinner and lighter. Many computer manufacturers are planning to wipe out physical disc drives in the future. Because of this, digital downloads are gaining popularity.
The latest Mac desktop computers and MacBooks by Apple, for example, don’t have a CD/DVD drive anymore. This is also the case for many new Windows PC’s, laptops, and notebooks by Microsoft, ASUS, Acer, HP, Lenovo, MSI, and Dell. It is likely that consoles, such as PlayStation, Xbox, and Wii, will not have disc readers in the future anymore.
Blu-ray drives, DVD drives, and CD drives are becoming old-fashioned. This trend will continue, whether or not you like it. This could mean that – in just a few years – no laptops or notebooks with disc readers will be sold anymore. This makes it extra difficult to play physical games.
6. More space for other things
The more physical games you have, the more physical space they require. This can especially be a problem when you’re living in a small house or apartment, where space is limited. Storing games can become a big problem when you have an enormous collection. Despite the nostalgia and beauty of the boxes with paper instruction booklets and cases, boxed games take up much room. They are just sitting around collecting dust.
This physical space can be used for other purposes when digital downloads are used instead. Storing games in a digital library is much more efficient and convenient as well.
7. No damaged, scratched, or broken discs anymore
Are you still using physical game copies? Maybe you have had some scratches on your discs, or maybe you have even had broken discs. CD’s and DVD’s are fragile media. Disc readers often can’t read damaged or scratched discs. And that’s frustrating!
Switching to digital downloads solves this problem. No scratches and broken discs anymore!
8. Never lose or forget discs anymore
Have you ever experienced forgetting or losing your games? Did you ever lend your disc to a friend and didn’t get it back? Or was it stolen? That’s a pity! Luckily, digital downloads are easily accessible through the game library at any time.
All you need to install and update games is an internet connection. Internet is not needed for playing most games. Digital downloads have the advantage that you don’t need to carry them around, so you won’t lose any games anymore and other won’t steal them.
9. Let’s face it: downloads are the future
Whether or not you like it, digital downloads are the future, also when it comes to The Sims 5. Downloads are already incredibly popular these days and they are gaining popularity right now. Forget about plastic discs!
According to an article on Huffington Post, digital games were outperforming physical games for the first time in 2015! This shows that the game industry is changing. In other words: digital all the way! We at DownloadSims5.com fully support this change!
Now you’re probably wondering: What on earth does this mean?
Well, it shows that it’s likely that Electronic Arts is planning on launching an official website for The Sims 5, just like they did with earlier generations. It also suggests that they are working on the next generation for real! That’s some exciting news, right?
We’ve also compared the registration details for TheSims4.com, and it shows the exact same details. It’s owned by Electronic Arts Inc. with its headquarters in Redwood City, California.
At the moment, there is no official release date information yet, but we’ll let you know when we know more!
Our colleagues over at Sims Community recently discovered a new interview with Electronic Arts’ CEO, Andrew Wilson, who confirmed that EA is actually planning on releasing the next generation Sims game. Nothing more has been confirmed yet, but it is very likely that EA’s CEO Andrew is referring to The Sims 5!
And just to be clear: this is official information, not fake news!
During the Third Quarter of FY2020 earnings call, Andrew Wilson was asked if Maxis is planning on relaunching an online version of The Sims (comparable to The Sims Online, which was released in 2002 and was shut down in 2008). Andrew’s response to this question was rather interesting as he mentioned that “Maxis is continuously thinking about The Sims for a new generation and that features from The Sims Online will become a part of that experience ‘in the years to come’.”
Andrew also said that “although they will always stay true to creation, escape, motivations and more (hinting at some of the keywords of an offline game), that they are also about to embrace a new social experience such as social interactions and competitions (which were part of The Sims Online as well) in a Sims experience in the years to come.” This quote shows that EA and Maxis are seriously looking at adding multiplayer and single-player elements to the fifth generation.
Here is the full transcript of the interview with EA’s CEO. The video with the interview can be found below the transcript!
Question: Any thoughts on relaunching an online version of the franchise given its large popularity? (which is a reference to The Sims Online)
Andrew Wilson (EA’s CEO): Great question on The Sims! The Sims will be 20 next week. That Maxis team and the team that’s been a part of Maxis over the years continue to deliver unbelievably innovative and creative content for a constantly growing Sims community globally. As we think about The Sims – again, I reference the motivations of why we play the games – inspiration, escape, social interaction, creation, self-improvement, competition. Typically what The Sims has done is really focus on fulfilling the motivations and inspiration, escape, creation, self-improvement and not necessarily focus as much as on social interaction and competition.
But a few things are in fact true over the years. One is that the Sims community continues to grow and with the broad of social platforms continue to connect with each other and share what they do – in and around the game they play. And we’ve seen that manifest in games like The Sims FreePlay, which was a more social experience for us. And we’re also seeing that the competition nature of The Sims is also rising and we’re seeing people compare and contrast. Not competition in an original sports sense, but how they create, and what they create, and how they use their imaginations, and what they’re able to build inside of these Sims universes.
As Maxis continues to think about The Sims for a new generation – across platforms and a cloud-enabled world, you should imagine while we will always stay true to our inspiration, escape, creation, self-improvement, motivations – that this notion of social interactions and competition like the kind of things that were actually present in The Sims Online many, many years ago – that they will start to become part of ongoing Sims experience in the years to come.
We are very excited. This is a game that really doesn’t have any competition in its category for delivering and fulfilling these motivations for players, and we think of the tremendous growth opportunities for us for many, many years to come.
Are you excited about The Sims 5? We hope so! Keep an eye out on our website for more news, and don’t forget to sign up for the first-ever Sims 5 newsletter.
Many people have been discussing the release date for The Sims 5 lately. The Sims 4 was released a few years ago, which means that The Sims 5 might arrive quite soon already! But when?
What do you think? Will it be 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 or later? Check out our first poll below and vote now!
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