EA and The Sims released the official trailer yesterday for the new Sims 4 Expansion Pack: Eco Lifestyle. This is the first expansion pack for The Sims 4 to come out since last November 2019, when Discover University was released.
As soon as the trailer dropped, opinions instantly began surfacing. If you hadn’t already guessed it, simmers are quite torn on what to think about the new addition coming on June 5th! Although we don’t know all the details of what this new expansion pack has in store, I wanted to gather opinions from the community based solely off the information we currently have for the pack. So I kicked off the discussion with this question:
Hey Simmers! Since the trailer dropped for #EcoLifestyle I would love to get your opinions on the pack based purely off what we currently know. Also your thoughts in general of where TS4 seems to be going!Respond on this thread & it could be in a future @TheSimCommunity article!
— The Property Sims (@thepropertysims) May 6, 2020
I received many responses from all varieties of sims fans. To provide a safe space for discussion, I made sure to not provide my own opinion. This article is completely unbiased, and will purely provide the responses from simmers who participated in commenting on this tweet.
Based off those who responded, it seems the largest consensus is that many players don’t agree this should be a full Expansion Pack. More like Eco Lifestyle should have been designed as a Game Pack, like Strangerville.
I’ve never been so torn about a pack lol. I’m not a fan of this pack being an expansion, because i can’t see it being worth $40. However, there are SO many cute items for builders, and I applaud Maxis for creating a pack about helping our planet. But… why’s it not a game pack?
— Bailey (@beeleyyt) May 6, 2020
I think it sound really exciting and it seems to be a cool theme, however i am still holding on to my opinion that it should’ve been a game pack
— OopOliverOliverOliverOliver (@Oliver42954961) May 6, 2020
As a vegan I love the theme, I’m just confused at how this is EP worthy from what they’ve shown. It feels like they’ve added a new look with some new gameplay to items we already have. I really want to love it though
— TheYorkieLad (@TheYorkieLad) May 6, 2020
Others are concerned about the amount content for the price of the pack. That, along with the thought that much of what the trailer showed seemed to many that it was “recycled” (no pun intended) content from past packs.
It looks like they took the left overs from other packs and smashed them into this one with a new skin.
— Mary Olsen (@MrsMOlsen) May 6, 2020
I genuinely do not think there is enough content in this game to justify the cost of it. It is just recycled themes from past content.
— Tina🍜 (@vibrant_circus) May 6, 2020
its recycled tiny living, island paradise and strangerville for $40
— jaya 🙂 (@jayasdumb) May 6, 2020
Cool concept but not to be used for an expansion pack. It’s literally the same as cleaning up Sulani, just set in a city.😑😣
— Agnieszka (@agnzaa) May 6, 2020
Although there looks to be a lot of controversy around Eco Lifestyle, for those who are excited about the new EP you’re definitely not alone! There’s a lot of enthusiasm for the sustainability aspect and being able to help with a real-life issue in game.
i personally love the idea of a eco pack! i think that it’s great that the sims team is trying a new approach at something new. hopefully the pack is as promising as it looks!
— Shane 🏭➡️🏡 (@shanesims05) May 6, 2020
I’m so excited for this pack I love the vibe I live for the build items/aesthetic and also love how it emphasizes community interaction
— 👑Prince⭐️ (@thedemidonut) May 7, 2020
-but some good came out of it. like all of the new features of multitasking, vibrant worlds, cas and easy build mode – But I think towards the end it’ll be one of the best sims games
— Acidlure (@acidlure) May 7, 2020
I love the look of the expansion from what we have seen so far, the concept is wonderful , love the direction the Sims 4 appears to be heading , off the grid in Sulani with a nod to conservation , Tiny living and now Eco lifestyle , I’m here for it all ❤️
— PugOwned Plays the Sims (@PugownedS) May 6, 2020
Since this pack has already created lots of mixed feelings, I wanted to see what some simmers thought could have been a better EP, or to just voice their opinions on what they’d like to see for TS4 in the future.
As sort of a “Part 2” to my earlier post – if you don’t think Eco Lifestyle is what the community wants in an expansion pack – what would have been better? What is an expansion pack that would have made you more content?
— The Property Sims (@thepropertysims) May 6, 2020
It’s no surprise that some players want to see something more along the lines of TS3: Generations, or something entirely new (but long awaited and asked for) like a Farming pack. There are also some Sims fans who wish that the effort being put into new packs would instead go into current gameplay and packs.
As for farming It would be nice to have a little management system like crops, fruits, veggies, meat, etc having that in TS4 would of automatically sold me
— Acidlure (@acidlure) May 7, 2020
Maybe like generations but with a twist, approaching traditions, cultures… not necessarily religion, but something that includes a lot of gameplay and differentiation between households 💐
— Guildu (@thesimssul) May 6, 2020
I’m not really concerned about packs, I don’t want painting over the cracks, I’d rather they put things into the base game like story progression, meaningful relationships, shopping for groceries and clothes. I can’t even begin to think of how much they’ll monetise TS5
— Tacos (@Tacos2sc) May 7, 2020
Regardless of divided opinions, The Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle is coming out on June 5th! What are your thoughts on the new addition to TS4? Let me know below in the comments below. Please be thoughtful, and respectful, when voicing your opinions!
Dag, dag for now!
What I’ve seen so far, this seems be a really interesting EP. Definitely buying it! Loving the concept and the art style in this pack, this goes so well with the Tiny Living theme from the last stuff pack and brings a lot a new concepts to the game play. I really like the idea of voting how the community space is going to look like, this brings so many new ideas to my own game play in my generations games. The new careers they hinted about in the blog post sounds interesting too, I am still kind of hoping that the maker career path would be at least somewhat interactive. But since we get a new Freelance career anyway, I don’t really mind that much either way. As a builder I am really loving the peek we got from the build&buy mode so far. And new hobby options are always welcome! I am hoping though that we will get farming and new family play options in the future though. But this pack finally brings life to the off the grid living theme we saw in Island Living pack.
THANK YOU! I too am very excited about this pack. I hate all the negative backlash it is getting when we don’t even know all the features. If you want to hate on a pack before you actually see in game footage not a rendered video made by EA then that makes me sad that people who play a game that was a HUGE part of my life growing up can be so obnoxious and so objectionable. The fact some people can get so excited about a leak that had no other backing and then riot when you don’t get what you want is RIDICULOUS! I understand that that the idea of a country livin’ pack seams cool but I personally think that if Maxis made a pack of that title it would be Country Living not country livin’. I am so excited for Eco lifestyle I am totally going to buy it at release and I feel bad on how much potential your missing out.
I think it’s cool they are trying something different with a pack. And there is definitely valid criticism I could give about the pack, like reusing some assets. However, someone on Twitter told a SimGuru that they “hoped their kid would get cancer because the pack is cancer”. It made me feel awful for the developers. I can’t help but wonder if stress from quarantine is fueling this hate.
Kerri, you’re being easily impressed with low effort and low-quality content. This is a corporate pattern, so we do know all the features. This is another insulting addition from EA. Empty incomplete base, non-personhood object no life state babies, and that insulting REPEAT hot tub anniversary update are some examples. This pack is another kind of SHALLOW gesture.
This would be like adding physically handicapped sims and that’s it. The sim insultingly just sits there in his or her wheelchair with nothing to do. Why NOT add paraplegic sports and other fun things for these type sims to do? Just an example.
You see where i’m going here? Eco friendly with its stupid smog and pollution is just like that. EMPTY NO DEPTH NO ENHANCEMENT. Just a 5 minute WOW feeling on the surface type of change. To start, why the h3ll add SMOG and more pollution when it makes NO LOGICAL sense in CURRENT Sims 4 world where we have no ENHANCING features CREATING that smog in the first place? NO REALISM at all. I guess its coming from the farts of Bob Pancakes.
There are NO non eco-friendly and eco-friendly cars, trains, airplanes, workable non rabbit hole factories and coal plants, etc. The effort is ALWAYS mediocre or below. And they rely on the targeted segment of sim demographics like yourself, to always pay money for mediocrity since yall are so easily impressed with low-quality content. This is why the game sucks. Because they DELIBERATELY LISTEN tom buyers like yall who are easily impressed and loyal to low-quality EMPTY junk like this.So that they will have an EXCUSE to why their content sucks “oh we are just listening to our consumers”. While all the other simmers who care about the quality of what we pay have to rely on the far more creative and talented modders to enjoy the gameplay.
I’m pretty excited about Eco myself. Seems like it’ll give us quite a few options for different play. I’m looking forward to it. It actually lands on my birthday, so happy birthday to me!
While I am an avid and daily Sims player (wake up, eat while, sleep during Simming LOL) it doesn’t seem to be like the creators are listening much to the community. Now, sadly (and this is probably why there is a new “recycled” EP at $40….) it doesn’t seem like the creators are listening much to the community. One recurring request I have seen dating back since we got the Sims 4 was FARMING!!! Don’t get me wrong, I am one who will continue always playing the Sims however since the creators are going to get their money regardless why not just do what the majority of Simmers request!?!?
FARMING PLEASE!!!
One more thing
LARGER LOT SIZES and MORE CHOICES FOR LARGER LOTS! I am a BUILDER rarely a player. I would love to build on more that 3 world choices at 64×64. Sorry but I am a “Larger-Than-Life” player
I’m very excited for this pack and look forward to when I can purchase it!
Not feeling it
When I first saw this trailer I was very disappointed. The ugly look of the industrial world put me off. And it does feel like the eco side of island living in a different setting. I am wondering if there is enough content to justify an expansion rather than a game pack. But it is too early to tell at this moment.
Now that I have gotten over this initial disappointment, I want to give it a chance or at least find out more before I make up my mind. This is not what we asked for but so was strangerville. I did not like the first look of that pack either and now I consider it to be a very good game pack.
After all the criticism that island living was nothing but a pretty world, it is remarkable for the team to choose for a world that can look ugly. It is an environment that we never had before in sims 4 so it adds variety. I don’t mind some recycled content. For example there seems to be a new version of the sales table from city living and jungle adventure. I don’t mind a third look for this object/function and not everyone has those packs. But I do hope we will get new gameplay as well. And we need more info to decide on that.
The pack I would have wanted more was werewolves, although perhaps in a game pack so they can be as detailed as vampires and spellcasters. Or a historical pack with alternatives for all those computers and phones, for example have my sims actually write a book instead of typing it.