The Sims collectively, considering both mobile and PC iterations, hummed along dutifully predetermined tracks these past few weeks. As summer in the western hemisphere lurched into an unofficial autumn, The Sims as a franchise delivered few surprises as a whole. The Sims FreePlay plugged along with its regularly scheduled Inner Child’s Play treehouse quest and introduced the new School’s out live event. The Sims Mobile Game Changers unveiled new purchasable packs, two new Wumples quests, and an unexpected pair of free offerings to celebrate the new Sims 4: Journey to Batuu game pack, which released September 8th. It is, presumably, the quiet before the storm, a lull in groundbreaking news before the holiday season arrives. Fresh news is most assuredly on the horizon. The SIms FreePlayFreePlay wrapped up its latest Sim Chase only to dip back into a fan-favorite quest: Inner Child’s Play. This quirky quest guides the player through an adorable storyline involving a child’s birthday party, a semi-helpful but fabulously dressed witch, and a hapless friend named Crystal, who struggles to wrangle a houseful of hungry children. The player earns a treehouse for completing this quest, a prize that players can use for both adults, teens, and preteens. Most notably, FreePlay began its fresh live event: School’s Out. During this event, the player makes mountains of craftable materials such as pottery, glassware, jewelry, and candles. The player trades these items for various themed prizes. During “School’s Out,” players earn prizes like school desks, science lab stations, new flooring, brightly colored school doors, vending machines, a principal’s desk, and far more. As a grand prize, Simmers earn a fully built, full furnished school building. FreePlayers can stay tuned for the return of “Mean Curls,” which repopulated into the game September 9th, and the newest Sim Chase, which begins September 15th. The Sims MobileOn August 25th, Sims Mobile Game Changers confirmed what mobile Simmers witnessed earlier as a leak: the introduction of the newest Sweet Treat Showdown — Cultured Kitchen. Beginning August 31st, this event offered mobile players various kitchen accoutrements such as new counters, islands, womenswear, bread loaves, and similar clutter material. The grand prizes for successfully opening all prize boxes are a countertop pizza oven, a seriously smart fridge, and cutely curled side style for women. Game Changers also churned out news about two new purchasable packs. The first pack, Kitchen Essentials, popped September 5th for $7.99 USD. It included:
The highly anticipated Labor of Love pack will trigger for players September 16th. Costing $9.99, the pack offers:
Furthermore, Wumples #36 and #37 also dropped. In return for a grueling five day to-do list, Wumples the bunny offers Simmers the Very Voguish Vase and the Perfect Perfume on September 6th, and the Sitting and Staring doll alongside the Forget me Knit plush doll on September 21st. Finally, with just days before the release of Sims 4: Journey to Batuu, Sims Mobile offered its players two free Star Wars themed packs. The first, an adorable stuffed version of The Child, affectionally deemed “Baby Yoda,” was actually a rerun of the earlier May 4th offering. The second pack featured a dancing DJ R-3X, a droid-shaped stereo. It also offered two lightsaber wall lights in six different colors. The Sims 4Plagued by the stalwart discontent of their players, the Sims 4 developers were relatively quiet these two weeks. The overall reception for their newest Star Wars pack has been mixed, with many well-known Game Changers openly mocking the move as “niche” at best and foolishly timed at worst. The franchise rolled toward the release date with little fanfare, not even a guru-led livestream, and it quietly released September 8th without a hitch.
Sim Guru Lyndsay took to Twitter once more to address player grievances, assuring them that although babies, drivable cars, and farming will not be in the upcoming expansion pack, that change, good change, is coming. Devs announced weeks ago, of course, that improved skin tones would enter the game this fall in a patch. With the holidays coming up, Maxis is also due to release a brand new expansion pack. Players have already begun to speculate on the contents. That’s all for now, but change is in the air, friends. Keep it locked here for more Sims news! Stay safe, love your loved ones, and happy Simming.
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The wheels of the Sims universe quietly turned this week. There was little to no earth shattering news from any of the three Sims realms, but as we near the end of August, rest assured that this relative silence is but the calm before the storm. Sims FreePlay continued its Influence Island exploration, Sims Mobile wound down Sweet Treats, and Sims 4 developers dropped some cryptic teasers, some of which may not have been intentional. Sims FreePlay After an exciting new feature roll out, the Sims FreePlay developers largely watched over player experiences with Influence Island. Monday, August 17th, developers unveiled a probing quiz in order to measure player wishes for future updates. The quiz posed a variety of different themes players could choose from, including magical school themes, fitness themes, minimalist themes, maximalist themes, and many more. August 18th, SimGuruAlana acknowledged a troublesome glitch that caused player games to crash when opening Influence Island. After assuring players that this would not occur for Influence Island season 2, several players scoffed, voicing their displeasure for the new game mechanic entirely. Sim Chase #18 begins August 21st, featuring school-themed items such as bleachers, hoops, scoreboards and more. Sims Mobile All is quiet on the Sims Mobile front as the current Sweet Treats, Dream Garages, winds down. Players gear up for the newest Wumples, which populates in-game on August 23rd and features a unicorn-shaped piggy bank, a "friend-shaped" plush monster, and ten fashion gems as a prize. The end of August nears, so players should expect a new slew of announcements from the dev team soon. The Sims 4
Sims 4 developers have had their hands full juggling the latest rounds of speculations on Twitter. They released a small bug-squishing patch which addressed gameplay issues such as: Sims obsessively knitting, pets refusing to eat without command, duplicating Dine Out foods, non-klepto SIms stealing from their own lots, the disappearance of "green world' phenomenon like the aurora borealis, and more. But Wednesday, August 19th, SimGuruGeorge released a confusing tweet. The tweet read "Wednesday," and accompanied a picture of three Sims in Moschino gear. The male Sim in the forefront, dressed in a blue sweatsuit, appears stylishly pensive. "Do you pronounce the 'n' in "Wednesday?" George posed to his followers. Simmers speculate that a game pack announcement could drop next Wednesday, the last Wednesday of August. If that were not enough, SimGuruNinja, caught explaining the difference between Sims 4 Parenthood and Sims 3 Generations as packs, may have inadvertently raised the hopes of Simmers everywhere for a Sims 4 generations pack. Ninja explained that Simmers shouldn't look too deeply into his tweet, but that players should never count anything out. That's all for now, but stay tuned for more updates, which are assuredly on the horizon. Stay safe, wash your hands, and happy Simming. It is no secret that the Sims 4 development team is incredibly astute when it comes to cryptic teasers. The weeks before any major pack drop developers drop strange, enticing, and weirdly suggestive tweets to throw the Sims Community into a speculative tizzy.
After a strangely quiet week of little to no Sims 4 updates, SimGuruGeorge tweeted a render of a male Sim wearing the Moschino sweat suit and looking pensive. Behind him are two more Sims, also wearing Moschino gear, Alongside this rendering, George wrote “Wednesday,” and then asked if Simmers pronounce the “n” in the notoriously misspelled word. What does this all mean? Simmers await the next game pack, but could there be a secret fashion stuff pack on the way? Is it just post to throw us all off their future pack/farming pack/Star Wars pack scent? What do you think? Tell us in the comments below, and happy speculating! The Sims franchise reacted to increasing pressure from not only the world state at large but also its vehemently vocal fanbase this week in all facets of its industry. From annoying bugs in Sims Mobile, to fresh event models in Sims Freeplay, and finally the revamping of Sim skintones in Sims 4, the franchise seems to be burning the midnight oil to appease its players. The Sims FreePlaySims FreePlay, in particular, responded to player desires by including two fresh features to keep their builders building and their players playing. On August 10th, FreePlay underwent a massive update which brought a deluge of new features to the game. The first of these was L-shaped rooms. Gone are the days when Sims FreePlay builders created grand shapes out of the standard rectangular rooms. After undergoing a pricey quest, Simmers gain the ability to make rectangular rooms into L-shaped rooms. Why is this significant? It allows builders to better demarcate living areas in their builds without having to physically build another room. An L-shaped room could be used as a living room in one stem and a dining room in the next, an arrangement common in real life. But this was not all that FreePlay announced this week. The Firemonkeys team presented an uncommonly united front as they announced the giant "School's Out" update, over a month's worth of events in which players can participate to win school-themed prizes: steel water fountains, bleachers, goal posts, cafeteria serving stations, and far more. The grand prize for the live event, which pops in player devices September 3rd and runs for ten days, is a fully furnished school building. But not even this is the end of the FreePlay story. Responding to player frustrations over the immensely unpopular Sim Chase, FreePlay added a new game facet to their mobile franchise: Influence Island. A quirky, refreshing take on "Survivor" style game shows, Influence Island plunks player Sims onto a sun-soaked, sandy island populated not only with coconut trees but also celebrity Sims. The challenge encourages player Sims to wield their powers of persuasion to lure these celebrity Sims -- think Bella Goth, Izzy Fabulous, and Santa -- to their side through lying, cheating, swindling, flirting, and all kinds of questionable cajoling. Winning over celebs earns the player Sim network tokens, a currency used in the gift shop to spin for prizes. After claiming all of the "common" prizes, players can then spin for "rare" prizes, all of which are, again, school themed. Of course, players will need to contend with an antagonist on Influence Island, who plots to influence the celebrity Sims against the hero Sim. Players must guess, gamble, and take plenty of well-measured risks in order to outwit the rival Sim at his own game. More Sims FreePlay news included the return of Sim Chase. There are two new ones this month and a rerun of a third. Sim Chase #18 populates in-game August 21st and is aptly named "Sports Day Stoush." The second SimChase of the month is called "School Scuffles," beginning September 15th. The rewards for both of these chases will be school-themed. At the end of the month, on September 26th, players will contend with Sim Chase #4, Teen Retreat. Freeplayers may also look forward to a new Maternity pack, an award for completing a maternity quest between August 30th and September 7th. Players can also look for the beloved "Inner Child's Play Quest" on August 31st, the Mean Curls hobby event on September 9th, and the Urban Furniture hobby event September 23rd alongside the Holiday High-Rise live event, also on September 23rd. Check out Simmer's Digest online for detailed walkthroughs of all these events in the coming weeks. The Sims MobileSims Mobile had a moderately active week as Simmers wound down their Sweet Treats efforts and stuffed their new garages with tools, beanbags, and foosball tables, all while speculating about possible car updates in the future. The last update did leave a few players reeling; alongside the stunning camera and fourth floor changes came a host of new bugs, the most needling of which was the disappearance of Eco Retreat salvaged wood walls. Players sent their Sims to their humble eco paradises only to find their walls bare and white. To appease players, Firemonkeys compensated them with extra simoleons on August 12th. The Sims Mobile Gamechangers dropped a smattering of information to round out the Mobile updates for the month, introducing two new purchasable packs and the final Wumples event for August. The first pack, populating in-game on August 13th and offered for $6.99, will include a caged bunker light, a Lively Linen closet, Shadowboxed tools, a Monumental canyon poster, Garage essential shelving, 6,000 simoleons, and a squat bookshelf hilariously called "that's a Lotta-man Books." Predictably, the Sims Mobile team trotted out another pack meant only for female Sims-- the Casa de Comfy pack, outfitted with a prim and plush bathrobe, sleepytime pajamas, sleepytime slippers,a branded and brave sweater, and a two-tone crew neck sweater alongside 9,000 simoleons. This pack triggers on August 24thand will cost $8.99 USD. Wumples leaps back into action on August 23rd. In exchange for a five foot long to-do list, Wumples awards the player this time with a unicorn piggy bank, a horse-like plushie, and ten fashion gems. The Sims 4But there was perhaps no greater news this week than that which occurred in Sims 4 circles. There is no doubt that we all live in tumultuous times. In light of horrific police brutality, the silencing of protestors, and the on-going systemic oppression faced by people of color worldwide, the need for racial justice, the cry for change, has never been more clear, never been more loud. Communities everywhere know that humanity stands on the cusp of monumental change, the arc of our history bending toward justice, and that change should involve every corner of our lives: even our video games. August 11th, SimGuruLindsay took to Twitter to address what hundreds of players have loudly advocated for for years: improved skin tones.
For a long time, darker skin tones in the Sims 4 were strangely blotchy, ashen, with undertones closer to blue or purple than the rich reds and yellows of actual people of color. In a game which has long touted its reputation as a game of equality, of inclusion, and life-simulation, this was a glaring oversight. Gamers took up the cause with a fiery new vigor: they interrupted Twitch streams, hijacked Twitter announcements, and advocated loudly on all social media platforms. Of course, talented modders like the indefatigable Xmiramira have not only spoken up about this oversight but also remedied it with widely-used skin mods. But now, with the blindingly stark light of racial injustice thrown on every facet of our lives, the Sims can no longer look the other way. SimGuruLyndsay promised that they have heard the concerns of their player base. The Sims 4 team, after conferring closely with experts and stakeholders, has pledged to correct the skin tones in an upcoming fall patch. Change will come, listeners, but only if you reach for it. Until next time, stay safe, stay sane, and never stay silent. And as always, happy Simming. List of Live EventsIt’s only early August, but Sims FreePlay is ready to go back to school! The evening of August 8th, the Sims FreePlay Gamechangers announced a new series of live events that will appear in game with the newest August 10th update. All event prizes follow the seasonal, back-to-school theme, offering a grand prize of a large school building. This building comes decked out with a paved parking lot, an assembly room, a principal’s office, wide staircases, a cafeteria, and far more. Alongside the school-themed events, FreePlayers will have the chance to complete a special quest which unlocks L-shaped rooms! After speaking with Lee the mechanic at the nightclub, Simmers can complete her short quest to unlock these versatile rooms. Check out the example below from GirlWhoGames! In addition, a slew of school-themed SimChases and live events will pop into the game alongside this update. Check the list Salix Cat created to know when your favorite arrives!
Here at Simmer’s Digest, we’ll cover all of the events in depth. Stay tuned for helpful infographics and time-saving articles! School’s still out for summer, but we’re here to school you anyway! Happy Simming! I was pleasantly surprised today at the release of a trailer for a new stuff pack coming out January 21st for PC/Mac. Check out the Trailer below...Maxis had the fantastic Maxis Monthly stream today revealing that this December 23rd we will continue to vote on the community voted theme pack. Below are screen shots of the artist renderings of the possible build and buy mode styles from the live stream Artist Renderings of possible theme feelGranny ChicCozy Craft Work ShopDIY DelightIn other NewsComing in 2020 console players will be gaining access to the Gallery, and PC players will be able to download and access console players creations as well...that's right, cross platform Gallery coming in 2020
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