Stella Artois partners up with The Sims 4 Creators

Jovan

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February 2, 2023

Beer Company “Stella Artois” partners up with The Sims 4 Creators for a new Mod Pack!

We’ve received an email from the PR of Stella Artois, announcing an exciting collaboration with The Sims 4 Creators!

HeyHarrie and Devon Bumpkin have contributed to the upcoming Sims 4 Unfiltered Mod Pack, releasing on February 8th. The Mod Pack along with upcoming Gallery Creations have been done in collaboration with Stella Artois, a popular Beer brand.

We’ll talk more about this interesting collaboration. Until then, read the full PR release:

SIP A STELLA ARTOIS UNFILTERED AU NATUREL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE SIMS

Enjoy a pint of beer in The Sims as Stella Artois launches Unfiltered mod pack – best enjoyed au naturel.

Stella Artois x The Sims 4 Mods — Stella Artois x The Sims 4 Mod Pack

2^nd February 2023: In celebration of its naturally unfiltered beer, Stella Artois is entering The Sims! Allowing players the ability to live life au naturel while enjoying a refreshing virtual pint of Stella Artois Unfiltered.

The tongue in cheek Stella Artois ‘Beer, au Naturel’ TV advert tells the story of a picturesque European town. Additionally featuring inhabitants that live as naturally as the beer they drink, totally comfortable in their own skin. From this, Stella is making this a virtual reality for Sims players, with the world’s first playable TV advert.

Over half of Sims players (55%) admit that getting naked is one of their favourite activities when playing the game. On the other hand 44% said they feel shame when playing in the nude. By launching the Stella Artois Unfiltered mod within the game, the hope is to encourage players to liberate themselves. Of course, with a delicious pint of Stella Artois Unfiltered au naturel for maximum enjoyment.

Launching their ‘Play, au Naturel’ day on 8th February at 6pm, the brand will go live on multiple Twitch streams together with some of the biggest gamers in the UK. This will be the first-time gamers will be able to engage with a TV ad this way. Sims enthusiasts will get a first look at the ‘au naturel’ world inspired by the picturesque fictional French village featured in the advert – which was created in collaboration with expert Sims creator Devon Bumpkin and mod creator Hey Harrie. Viewers will be able to dive into every aspect of the town – from its villagers to their houses – and ‘’Play, au Naturel’’, with the chance to win limited-edition prizes by tweeting a screenshot of their nude Sim enjoying a Stella Artois Unfiltered with the hashtag #PlayAuNaturel.

Devon Bumpkin, creator of the Stella Unfiltered world in The Sims, says: “I’ve loved bringing the Stella Artois Unfiltered beer, characters and backdrop to the virtual world of The Sims. Having your character naked in the game is something lots of people find enjoyment in! Now players can make their characters enjoy a refreshing pint of Unfiltered au naturel, as it was intended, thanks to the collaboration with Stella Artois. I can’t wait to reveal this to Sims fans and see them bring it to life as they play.”

Sims fans can experience the full world of the Stella Artois Unfiltered village, with local characters available to download. Local characters will be including the protagonist waiter in the buff, and other naked residents. Along with these new characters and location to build their own world in, Sims players will be able to download a Stella Unfiltered mod pack which will include: a Stella Artois Unfiltered Chalice, bottle of Stella Artois Unfiltered beer and a branded beer tap for their own bar.

Meg Chadwick, Stella Artois Senior Brand Manager, said: “We’re so excited to be able to give gamers the opportunity to experience our naturally unfiltered beer in a virtual world – where they too can be as naked as the beer we’ve created. We hope that our Unfiltered characters, scenes and mods will be the go-to virtual choices for those Sims players looking to enjoy a Stella Artois Unfiltered in their natural state.”

For players looking to taste the unfiltered way of life while playing Sims, the brand will be offering 20% off 4-packs of Stella Artois Unfiltered beer! The 4-packs will be available to order via Getir across the UK. With this, players can mirror their Sim and simultaneously enjoy an ice-cold Stella Unfiltered beer in real life and virtually. The promotion goes live on 8th February to coincide with the Live Streams of Play, Au Naturel. It will run until 14^th February, giving you plenty of time to live up your “Au Naturel” life!

So, what are your thoughts on this collaboration? Join the conversation below! Don’t forget to browse the Sims 4 News for more updates like this!

The Sims 4 Console: Crashing & Controller Issues Report

Jovan

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February 2, 2023

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The Sims 4 Console: Crashing & Controller Issues Report

Console Players have started reporting issues with The Sims 4’s latest update.

The Sims 4 got a new update on January 31st across PC and Consoles, adding New Content and Bug Fixes for the game. Although PC players reported no huge stability issues after the update, Console players on the other hand did!

The Sims Direct Communications quickly released a statement acknowledging the issues. You should expect a Hot Fix in form of either an Update or SDX Drop soon to resolve both issues.

Console Simmers!

We are aware of & currently investigating the console crashes taking place since the latest update.

We’re also collecting feedback on the console controller changes, so please feel free to share your experiences here on AnswersHQ.

– The Sims Direct

You can submit your report about Controller Issues in this EA Help thread!

The Sims 4 Console Issue: Crashes

Plenty of Sims 4 Console players have reported issues with their The Sims 4 game crashing completely. Although the source of this crash issue is currently unknown, some players report their game crashing after entering Live Mode. The crashes in question are generally unpredictable and vary from person to person.

Until the hot fix solution releases, there is an official workaround at EA Help that you can try to prevent this from happening. The solution isn’t the best considering it requires you to do a Power Restart of your Playstation / Xbox Console. Still, it’s the only one until the Hot Fix comes out.

Console Controller Feedback Issue

The latest update for the game has brought in new ways to customize and utilize User Interface controls. Unfortunately, the same update took away some of them, with players reporting losing certain controls and functionality when playing.

You can read full reports on this issue on EA Help. Expect fine tunings and fixes officially in your game soon!

Have you experienced any of the mentioned issues? Join the conversation!

Countdown to the reveal of The Sims 4 Growing Together

Growing Together

Jovan

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February 2, 2023

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Countdown to the reveal of The Sims 4 Growing Together

The premiere of The Sims 4 Growing Together is in a few! Find out what you should expect.

It’s been quite a few busy days in the Sims Community! From the first episode premiere of Behind The Sims to the reveal of the next Expansion Pack, there’s quite a few events that are taking place this week!

Today, we’re celebrating the reveal of The Sims 4’s next Expansion Pack – Growing Together! In case you’ve missed out on the news, the first details about the next EP have already surfaced. Showcasing Key Features, Cover Art and more from the next expansion.

The Sims 4 Growing Together Reveal

The fun doesn’t stop here! The Sims Team still has a lot of surprises in store for players with their reveal trailer. Rumored to be 2:15 in length, the upcoming Trailer for The Sims 4 Growing Together will showcase many new features. Including San Sequoia (New World), Gameplay, Items. Oh, and Infants too!

The premiere of The Sims 4’s 13th Expansion Pack is set at 8AM PT / 5PM CET. To make things easier for you we’ve included a handy countdown below. As soon as the timer turns zero you should expect the reveal trailer to start premiering!

[janky target_time=”1675353600″ color=”#8d0094″]

There’s a lot more that goes into reveals of new Sims 4 Expansion Packs than just the trailer. Stay tuned on Sims Community for a whole day of news and updates on upcoming features coming with Sims 4 Growing Together!

Are you excited for the upcoming Expansion Pack? Join the discussion with other community members and let us know what you think!

The Sims 4 Infants: Everything We Know So Far!

SnarkyWitch

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February 1, 2023

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The Sims 4 Infants: Everything We Know So Far!

Get an in-depth look at features coming with The Sims 4 Infants Update!

At the last Behind The Sims Summit in October of 2022, we found out that a new life stage called infants would be coming to The Sims 4 in “early 2023.” We were shown a very brief clip of an infant crawling across the floor and then being picked up by their caregiver. Since then, The Sims Team has been tight-lipped about infants. We had no more information about them for quite a while. Naturally, this left Simmers wondering if and when we would ever see more of the infants.

Today’s Behind The Sims livestream did not disappoint when it comes to infants! We got tonnes of new information and lots of new footage. The Sims Team even spoiled us with behind-the-scenes development for infants! We have all of the information shared today right here for you!

When are we getting infants in The Sims 4?

Before today, the only thing we had to go on was “early 2023.” This likely meant the first quarter of 2023, so anytime between January and March of 2023. We had nothing more specific than that. Today, we finally have a date!

Simmers can expect infants to arrive to The Sims 4 on March 14th, 2023! So mark your calendars and get your legacy saves ready for lots of cuteness in March!

Infants in CAS

Infants will be fully customizable Sims in CAS with many of the same clothing, hair, and physical feature options as older Sims. The livestream showed off a variety of tops, bottoms, full body outfits, and shoes for infant Sims. Infants will also be able to wear cute hats, sunglasses, and some other accessories.

Simmers will even be able to customize their teeth! Choose between no teeth, tiny baby teeth, or just a couple new teeth poking through the gums. What’s more exciting? We were shown birth marks in CAS for infants! We will be able to apply birth marks to different areas of an infant’s face. No word yet on whether birth marks will be made available for older Sims, too, but it would make sense. Not everyone’s birth marks disappear as they age.

Infants will be propped up in a small inflatable infant seat while in CAS. When editing the back of the infant, they will crawl to pull themselves up over the seat so the player can see all parts of the infant better.

Infants will have their own set of adorable baby traits; however, we didn’t get to see exactly what those traits are and how they function. It’s nice to know that infants will have their own unique personalities, though.

Infants in Gameplay

Most of what we know about infants in Live Mode comes from in-game footage shown during the livestream. As always, take these clips with a small grain of salt; we have been misled by promotional footage in the past. Still, we’re pretty confident that all of the following info is accurate and will be a feature of infants in The Sims 4.

Sims will be able to breastfeed their infants just like they currently do with babies! We can see a Sim breastfeeding her infant in the gameplay footage. This is wonderful to see and a great step forward in normalizing breastfeeding!

Sims will be able to spoonfeed their infants in a high chair from what looks like a baby food jar. There is a hilarious clip of an infant with food smeared all over their face opening their mouth for a bite. Well, The Sims Team certainly captured how messy infants are!

Of course, those infants will need cleaning up after those messy meals so Sims can also bathe their infants in the bathtub. Infants will sit in a special infant bath seat while in the bathtub. There is a very cute clip of a Sim booping her infant’s nose while giving them a bath.

Messy Infants!

Sims can also play peek-a-boo with their infants in The Sims 4 but the infant might not always find it as amusing as their caregiver. The infant in the livestream looked quite annoyed with the adult Sim’s silly game. Speaking of annoyed infants, they can be pretty mischievous, too! We saw an infant bite their caregiver’s finger in the livestream! And yep, they can pee on your Sims, too, making both infant and adult filthy. How realistic!

The developers talked a lot about mobility with infants, too. Infants will have clumsy, overexaggerated movements since they’re just starting to develop motor skills. They will fall backwards onto their bums a lot, roll around on the floor, and lie on their backs. Caregiver Sims will have a lot of mobility when it comes to carrying infants, too. They will be able to sit or stand while holding an infant, carry them places, and can even hand an infant to another Sim. They can read to infants and burp them, too.

The Sims Team made sure to include interaction between infants, toddlers, children, and pets! Dogs and cats will interact with infants for players who own Cats & Dogs. Toddlers and children will also be able to interact with their infant siblings.

Infant Objects in The Sims 4

Along with the Sims 4 infants, we caught a glimpse of several new infant-themed items. The playpen seen in the first clip is seen again in the livestream. There is a variety of cute nursery décor, such as a box of wet wipes, wicker baskets filled with towels and stuffed animals, and a wall shelf with baby books displayed in it. We also get a pretty good look at an infant crib with a hanging baby mobile above it.

There are lots of new toys we haven’t seen before. An infant can be seen playing with dolls inside some kind of playhouse. There’s a rattle-like toy and some other new toybox toys. We can see an infant playing with the base game toddler blocks, too.

Unfortunately, what we didn’t see were baby carriers, strollers, or changing tables. This doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t be in the game. It just means we did not see them in the livestream today.

Sims 4 Infants: Behind-The-Scenes

The Sims Team shared a lot of info with us about how they brought infants to life in The Sims 4! We got to see a lot of early development footage and concept art!

Deciding how to display infants in CAS was a challenge at first; the infants went through many different design concepts in CAS to figure out how to display them in a way that was realistic but also easy for Simmers to customize. We even got to see a hilarious photo of some of the scarier bugs involved in the process.

One of the animators talked about how she tried to make sure the infants moved with a sense of intense focus and purpose. Infants in real life are just starting to explore how their bodies move and work, so small tasks require lots of concentration. We were shown an early concept of an infant climbing up a step to showcase this.

Ear-splitting screeching? No thank you!

The audio director shared some of the challenges in getting the infants’ voices just right. They needed to sound cute and endearing, even when they were screaming and crying. Crying babies sounding cute probably isn’t too realistic but this is still a video game. People play it to have fun, not to listen to the same ear-splitting child screeches that they hear in their everyday lives. So it makes sense that The Sims Team didn’t want the infants to sound grating or annoying when they cried.

As for character creation, the senior character designer discussed how it was important to him to make sure that players were totally in control of their infants’ appearance. He wanted infants to be completely customizable from head to toe in their hair, clothes, accessories, and physical features. They have a wide number of CAS options because of this.

That wraps up everything we know about infants so far! As always, we will continue to share new information with you as it comes to light! If you missed the livestream today, you can check out the replay right here!

And for more Behind The Sims coverage, check out our full category!

Everything new in The Sims 4’s Latest Update

ThatSimsLady

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February 1, 2023

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Everything new in The Sims 4’s Latest Update

In a true Sims fashion, the latest update brings more representation in CAS! And Light Switches in Build!

The January 31st update was not what many people were expecting, but included many CAS assets that allow many Simmers to create Sims that look more like themselves. Here’s what the update included!

Medical Wearables

The Medical Wearables Category is now available in The Sims 4! You can find these in the Body and the Face Accessories categories within CAS (Create a Sim).

To access them, select the Sim’s face and then, accessories. In there, you’ll find a Medical Wearables category. These are available for both ears separately and one version for both ears. There are fifteen different color options.

You can find a second Medical Wearables category by selecting a Sim’s body, then selecting the Body category. These glucose monitors can be worn by Sims child age and older. They are located on the right and left arm or the lower abdomen.

Hearing Aids Preview — Hearing Aids for Aduilts

01 31 23 8 04 20 PM — Hearing Aids for Toddlers

January 31st New Update Items: Medical Wearables — Glucose Monitors in Body Category

Top Surgery Scar

Many simmers are excited that this Sims 4 Updated added Top Surgery Scars!

To place a top surgery scar on your Sim, click on a Sim’s body and then the Body category. If you want to apply them to different life stages, scars can be added to male teens and older, both masculine and feminine frame Sims.

January 31st New Update Items: Top Surgery Scar — Sim created by EroSims / Top Surgery Scars

Binders and Shapewear

Something that many people wanted added to The Sims 4 were Binders and Shapewear. The January 31st Sims 4 Update adds these two new assets which can be found in the tanks section under tops and are available to teens and older. It is important to note that the Binders function as shirts and cannot be worn under clothing. They also do not have a binding function, unfortunately. In the underwear section, a shapewear asset was added and it can be used by all sims.

Light Switches

No longer restricted to the Bathroom Clutter Kit, light switches are now part of The Sims 4 Base Game! Unfortunately, they are not functional.

Future Sims 4 Content?

These clothes were found by LuniverSims and the image was found in Sims 4 Studio. All the clothing is available to see and edit within Sims 4 Studio, but we were not able to find it in the game! Hopefully, in a future Sims 4 update or SDX we’ll be able to access them.

You can find the full list of Sims 4 Update Patch Notes right here!

Which of these additions to the game is your favorite?

The Sims 4 Growing Together: Features, Screens and more!

Growing Together

Jovan

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February 1, 2023

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The Sims 4 Growing Together: Features, Screens and more!

First information about The Sims 4 Growing Together is HERE!

We just discovered a huge leak for The Sims 4’s upcoming Expansion Pack – Growing Together!

The leak of the upcoming Expansion Pack has surfaced on a German web store called cw-mobile. We’ve explored the page thoroughly and found some exclusive findings!

Let’s begin:

The Sims 4 Growing Together Box Art

The german version of the upcoming Expansion Pack’s Boxart has surfaced! Showcasing the new world San Sequoia and The Michaelsons having family fun outside. Also, KIDS RIDING BIKES!

EP Features & Description

There’s a whole description and key features included with The Sims 4 Growing Together! Check them out below.

Please note that the following features have been translated from ~~German language through Google Translate~~. Some details may vary after the official English announcement.

Small Update: The Description and Key Features have been natively translated by @HausNando! The segment below has been updated with more accurate text.

The Sims 4 Growing Together Description

Strengthen family bonds, form friendships or enmities, and discover the true you with The Sims™ 4 Growing Together Expansion Pack*! The way your Sims form relationships with other Sims – from family members to new acquaintances – is now more diverse and deeper. Both planned events like slumber parties and unexpected milestones like a midlife crisis impact your Sims and their relationships.

Long-Lasting Impact

Important decisions and milestones help defining your Sims personality. Unlock and change personality traits throughout Sims lives when going through a midlife crises , new family members move in and more. Finding yourself is a lifelong experience.

Social Dynamics

Sometimes Sims just fit together like a pot to a matching lid. Your Sim can meet another Sim at a party with whom they have instant chemistry – or who they despise at first sight. Your Sim now has preferences that determine which Sims they are compatible with and which encounters can result in becoming enemies.

Family Bond

Relationships between related Sims are meaningful and complex. As they move through life together, they will experience both dramatic and bonding moments that impact the family dynamics and family member relationships.

Perfect For Families

Located at a bay, San Sequoia once was a small fishing village that has developed into a vibrant city. Here you’ll find quiet suburbs, a bustling recreation center, a tight-knit community and an influential family – the Robleses.

New Screenshot!

A new Screenshot Preview has also leaked, showcasing the new world, gameplay and items. Take a look!

The Sims 4 Growing Together - Screenshot Preview

Order Bonus

The Sims 4 Growing Together EP will also come with a special order bonus! If you get the pack by April 27th you’ll also receive some exclusive items, shown below:

When is Sims 4 Growing Together releasing?

UPDATE: The release date for The Sims 4 Growing Together has surfaced on saturn.de! The next Expansion Pack for The Sims 4 is releasing March 16th, 2023.

Huge thanks to @AustrianSimmer for the tip!

Don’t let the dates mentioned above fool you – ~~the release date for the Growing Together Expansion Pack still remains unknown~~. Considering that the Infants Update is releasing March 14th, expect a release date closer to that.

What are your thoughts on The Sims 4 Growing Together? Join the discussion and stay tuned for more updates coming soon!

Name of The Sims 4’s New Expansion has Leaked

Jovan

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February 1, 2023

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Name of The Sims 4’s New Expansion has Leaked

“Growing Together” is the title of The Sims 4’s 13th Expansion Pack!

It didn’t take much time for the next Expansion Pack for The Sims 4 to leak on the internet!

During Behind The Sims, EA and Maxis have teased a big reveal happening February 2nd. Which is the full announcement of The Sims 4’s upcoming Expansion Pack!

The Sims 4 - Growing Together EP Teaser — Official Teaser for The Sims 4’s next Expansion Pack

The Sims 4 Growing Together Expansion Pack

Just hours before the full reveal of the new expansion pack, the official title of it has surfaced the web. Creator @LuddySimmer reports a new YouTube Thumbnail that leaked online. Which shows a new render featuring the Michaelson Household, as well as the name!

Don’t get worried just yet. The shown Infant in the preview doesn’t mean that Infants will be Expansion Pack exclusive. As announced yesterday, The Sims 4 Infants Update will be a free one, available for everyone who owns the Base Game. There are tons of features for Infants that will be available day 1 of the update release.

When it comes to the EP, there’s a lot more that awaits us from the upcoming Sims 4 Expansion announcement!

The YouTube Premiere for the upcoming Trailer is on and scheduled for February 2nd. Set at 8AM PT / 5PM CET. We’ll have the full premiere set up today. Expect big news!

What are you hoping to see in The Sims 4 Growing Together reveal? Join the discussion below!

The Sims 4 Infants Update: Official Trailer

Jovan

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February 1, 2023

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The Sims 4 Infants Update: Official Trailer

The Sims 4 Infants Trailer is here, along with a special Behind The Scenes look!

The Sims Team has held a special Behind The Sims Livestream, where they’ve showcased new features for The Sims!

Among the new features is the long-awaited free Infants Update for The Sims 4. Adding an entirely new life stage for simmers to play with!

The Sims Team has scheduled the Infants Update for March 14th, 2023 across devices. Check out the Trailer Preview and Behind The Scenes look at upcoming gameplay!

The Sims 4 Infants Official Trailer

What are your thoughts on the upcoming Infants Update? Join the discussion below!

Everything You Need to Know from Behind The Sims!

SnarkyWitch

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January 31, 2023

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Everything You Need to Know from Behind The Sims!

We’ve got the full summary in handy point form!

Today’s Behind The Sims livestream was short but packed with lots of information regarding Project Rene, the upcoming infants update, new Sims Mobile and Freeplay content, and even a small teaser for an upcoming Sims 4 expansion pack!

With so much information being thrown at us in such a short amount of time, it’s easy to miss some important details. But don’t worry! We’ve condensed the entire livestream into a handy point-form list separated by category! If you didn’t catch something during the stream, or if you don’t have time to sit and watch it, here’s everything you need to know!

Project Rene

Early days playtesting for small groups of Simmers
Project Rene is still years away
Being developed hand-in-hand with players to create a seamless, intuitive experience
Improvements to Build/Buy. Change colours, materials, patterns, parts, size, etc. of furnishings. All of this can be uploaded and shared with other players.
Project Rene will be cross platform between PC and mobile.
Huge challenge to remove the barriers to play for The Sims but exciting. Deep dive PC experience, then a different experience on mobile. For example: create a build on PC and then select colours and templates on the go on your phone.
Grant Rodiek gave an example of being a father to a toddler and describes playing on his PC at home while his son naps. Then when he wakes up, he can take his phone with him to the park and continue where he left off.
Cross platform pay between PC and mobile is very difficult and something that still needs a lot of work but they are moving forward with it.
Project Rene will NOT be an MMO. It will have the traditional single player experience players know and love but will also have an optional multiplayer aspect to play with your friends.
Currently analyzing their recent playtest to see where things can be improved. The mobile experience needs to be more accessible and a lot of tools need to be smoothed out.
Players can expect regular progress updates on Project Rene as time goes on and there will be more information on how to become a playtester for Project Rene in the future.

Infants

Infants are coming to The Sims 4 in a FREE BASE GAME UPDATE on March 14th, 2023!
The team really aimed to surpass player expectations when it comes to babies.
Infants will be an entirely new life stage between babies and toddlers.
Infants can be held while sitting or standing, they can be breastfed, and even be handed to other Sims.
Infants move with uncoordinated, overexaggerated movements. They move with a singular focus as they learn to navigate their new motor skills.
Infants still sound cute even when crying or whining which naturally is a relief for most players.
Infants are fully customizable from head to toe in CAS. Customize their hair, clothes, accessories, hats, teeth, and even give them birth marks.
Children, toddlers, other infants, and even cats and dogs will all be able to interact with infants.
Lots of fun activities to do with infants and adorable, heartwarming moments.

“Meet The Family” EP

The next expansion pack was briefly teased at the end of the livestream. We see the door to a home opening. Two adult Sims, a child, and an infant wave at the camera with the heading “Meet the Family Feb 2nd”
Looks like we’ll have to wait for an announcement on the new EP on February 2nd!

The Sims Mobile

Players can celebrate the birthday of The Sims with a free disco plumbob gift
The 5th anniversary of The Sims Mobile will feature a new treasure hunt and also plenty of goodies for players to acquire. Also keep an eye out for anniversary rewards.
The upcoming Sim Festival will be a 60 day recurring event. For the 11th season, players will be getting new content inspired by Korean architecture and fashion.
A new NPC named Jenny who is an architect with a strong connection to her Korean roots. The house template for the festival pass is Jenny’s home and studio.
The house is inspired by Korean tradition with a contemporary touch.

The Sims Freeplay

New music is now available in Freeplay. Players voted on their favourite tracks from older Sims games to be added. The Sims 1 neighbourhood theme, The Sims 2 theme, The Sims 3 theme, and The Sims 4 theme are all now available in The Sims Freeplay, along with a new bonus track from The Sims Mobile.
Sims Springs will be expanded with a new desert area map that players can build from the ground up.
The new area is filled with plenty of fixer upper lots for players to update and also design to their tastes.
The grand prize for fixing up this new area is an amusement park full of rides for your Sims to enjoy.

Want to see the full livestream for yourself? Catch the replay here!

The Sims 5: Everything we know so far about Project Rene

Jovan

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January 31, 2023

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The Sims 5: Everything we know so far about Project Rene

New information about The Sims 5 and the future ahead!

In the latest Behind The Sims Episode, Maxis and EA have shared news about The Sims 5. Also known under its codename as Project Rene!

In this episode, the interviewer sat down with Grant Rodiek, a long-time producer for The Sims. Now working on the next generation Sims game!

What’s coming with The Sims 5?

In the latest interview that we’ve transcribed below, Grant shared new information about The Sims 5. Including planned features, stories about playtests and what you should expect in the future of this game!

The details shared are quite amazing and reveal, for the first time, a Sims game as it’s being developed. EA and Maxis have set out to ensure the next Sims game has a good foundation.

Check out what they’ve shared in the latest interview:

The Sims 5 Interview with Grand Rodiek

What’s going on with Project Rene right now?

Grant Rodiek: We are absolutely thrilled to finally put this experience in the hands of some of our players. Well, a smart part of the experience. What we’re doing is early days playtesting and this is just the start of an incredibly long journey. There’s a lot to do, and I’m talking years out. But, it’s exciting, we’re moving and things are finally starting to happen.

For those who are new to the gaming sphere; what is playtesting and what did you explore in the first playtest with Project Rene?

Grant: With Project Rene we want to develop this hand-to-hand with our players from the very beginning. We’re trying to take small snippets of the game, share it with a limited amoutn of people. And, find out what works, what’s fun, what’s too complicated, what needs to be revised. What we did this time is Apartment Customization. Where we took a lot of Build / Buy Mode so you can place furniture, move it around. But, you can also go deeper on individual pieces of furniture. So, for a couch, you can change the:

Colors
Patterns
Material
Part
Size

You can do this in multiplayer with other people in real time. All of your creations can be shared, uploaded, downloaded – so we can start testing our UGC backend. All of this both on Mobile and PC.

The Sims 5 Preview - Material Customization — ***Early preview of Object Customization in The Sims 5***

Behind The Sims PROJECT RENE INFANTS MORE 5 48 screenshot — ***Early preview of Object Customization in The Sims 5***

It’s a lot, and it’s been a really fun test to get started on.

Starting with PC and Mobile: you guys showed that cross-platform compatibility. With The Sims being such a large game, there’s some concerns that it might be a shallower experience. How are you navigating, taking that from PC system into a Mobile device?

Grant: this is a huge challenge. But, the thing that excites us so much is that we can basically remove the barriers to play The Sims. So, what we mean by this is that you can have that deep dive at home, on your PC. Change every single thing about a piece of furniture that you can imagine, type in RGB values and changing every single part. That’s the PC experience – the true rich experience you’re used to.

But then, on the go, you can grab your phone and maybe it’s a different experience. Maybe you’re grabbing archetypes, preselecting templates or maybe grabbing the stuff you’ve already created. What this means is that you can now play The Sims, wherever you are without barriers and restrictions. We think that’s really powerful and exciting!

Interviewer: That is exciting! Let’s say I’m inspired by you now and I take out my phone, create you and take that creation of you and play with this creation of you on my PC?

Grant: 100%. The idea is that all of your information is wherever you need it to be. I have a toddler at home, so I get to game when he’s taking a nap. In this case I could be playing Project Rene on my PC at home. Boom, I hear him crying, he’s up. We’re going to go out and about in the park.

Then, I might continue what I’m doing on the park bench while he’s safely sliding. Pull out my home and continue where I left off.

The idea is that we can customize each platform to match the playstyle and the person. It’s very difficult, it’s not easy. It’s one of the challenges we’re trying to take on.

Multiplayer Experience. Where’s Project Rene landing between Multiplayer and Singleplayer?

Grant: Project Rene can be both. This is a big deal, but the reality is that we know that our players want to have that intimate, personal experience. Where they’re exploring stories and ideas in single-player. But, there are also really cool things you can do with others. Where you can share and create with the people that you want.

We think we can be both.

Objects Preview in Project Rene — ***Project Rene / The Sims 5 Preview***

Build Mode in Project Rene — ***Project Rene / The Sims 5 Preview***

One thing to keep in mind is that Project Rene is not an MMO. It is not this public shared space where everything you do is always with other people. You could play on your own, on your terms. And then again, when you want on your terms, you can invite others to come and play with you. That’s the structure where we’re pursuing. We think it’s really cool and perfect for The Sims.

What stage are we at with Project Rene? What can players expect to see?

Grant: Right now we’re really focusing on analyzing our recent playtest. So we can use that information to make the game better.

We have a long path ahead of us to make Project Rene. Right now, we need to introduce our tools to our players to a better fashion. We need to make the mobile experience more accessible. We need to continue to experiment with how we can curate and recommend User Generated Content that other players have made. To other players. All so you can make your game better.

There’s a lot to put into our current build. It’s really early days, we are trying to analyze our last test and release you what we learned and what we can do about it to make the game better. You can expect regular updates from Project Rene in Behind The Sims. We have more tests coming out, where we’re gonna evaluate different parts of the game, new snippets.

More details on that soon and how to be a part of these tests. It’s years out, early days and a long time process that we want to work with you on. We’re gonna keep talking about it and I can’t wait to share more!

What are your thoughts on the latest news about The Sims 5? Join the discussion and stay tuned for more updates on Sims Community!

The Sims 4 Infants: Our First Look

Krista

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January 31, 2023

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Cute, Adorable & Chaotic! Infants are coming to The Sims 4 March 14th.

After what has seemed like an eternity, The Sims team has finally revealed more information about Infants being introduced to The Sims 4!

Infants were originally teased to us back in October 2022, but until now, we hadn’t heard much else. However, with the announcement of a new community series aka the Behind The Sims livestreams, we knew news was on the horizon.

Cue the most adorable and chaotic trailer to ever grace The Sims franchise!

The Sims 4 Infants Update — Infant in their crib!

Coming on Tuesday 14th March 2023, Infants will be arriving in The Sims 4.

Of course, the trailer was adorable and the perfect way to introduce this new life state to the community. Not only did we get a glimpse at Infants, but we also got to take a look at how they act in normal gameplay and in Create A Sim. We also got a sneaky look at some of the new Build Buy Mode assets and the adorable outfits we can dress our infant Sims in!

We also know that with new Infants clothing options in Create A Sim comes a whole range of new options to truly make our own Infants unique by choosing their traits, looks alongside their various outfits!

Take a closer look at the new Infants’ life state in these screenshots!

Screenshot 2866jpg — Preview of Infants in The Sims 4

The Sims 4 Infants: Breastfeeding — First look at breastfeeding infants in The Sims 4

The Sims 4 Infants: CAS — Infants in Create A Sim

Behind The Sims 4 Infants

That’s not all, after the reveal trailer had finished, we got an in-depth behind the scenes look at Infants. From the early development stages to more refined and detailed looking Infants, it gave players an idea of the work The Sims Team did to create Infants.

The process wasn’t entirely straight forward, and the team had a lot of challenges to work through and overcome while designing Infants. From designing new technology to fine-tuning the infants movements to even a look at how the team went about doing voice acting for them!

You can find the full Infants reveal trailer and the Behind the Scenes look at Infants below! We’re preparing a full recap of Infants and what they’ll bring – stay tuned!

Don’t forget to mark your calendars because The Sims 4 Infants are arriving on 14th March 2023!

The Sims 4: First Look at Upcoming Expansion Pack

Jovan

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January 31, 2023

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The Sims 4: First Look at Upcoming Expansion Pack

New teaser for The Sims 4’s Upcoming EP -“Meet the Family” on February 2nd!

EA has shown a subtle teaser during the latest episode of Behind The Sims for The Sims 4, showcasing the upcoming for the game!

The teaser showcases the Michaelson family from the first released Roadmap for the game. The Michaelsons are assumed to be included with the upcoming Expansion Pack for The Sims 4!

The Sims 4 Expansion Pack Preview

Check out the first preview down below! Featuring new items in Build, amazing new clothing and hairstyles in CAS. Oh, and is that an infant?

And San Sequoia in the background? See for yourself!

The Sims Team also updated the announcement with a video teaser on their official channel. Check it out!

Are you excited for the upcoming announcement of a new Sims 4 era? Stay tuned on Sims Community for more news and developments from Behind The Sims.

The Sims 4: New Update! (January 31st, 2023)

The Sims 4

Jovan

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January 31, 2023

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The Sims 4: New Update! (January 31st, 2023)

Brand new update is now available for The Sims 4 on PC and Consoles!

General New Content Update

Maxis and EA have released a brand new update for The Sims 4 on PC and Consoles. Featuring new content across the game including New CAS Category and Items, Build Mode additions and Game Improvements.

You can download the latest version of The Sims 4 by checking for updates through the EA App / Origin. If you have Automatic Updates enabled the update will automatically download through your client program.

If you play The Sims 4 on Xbox and PS4 / PS5 you can request a new update by checking for updates under The Sims 4 game tag.

In case you have Mods or Custom Content, the game will automatically disable them for you after first launching The Sims 4 after the update. To re-enable all your Mods and Custom Content, select the Settings option in the Menu and select Settings. Under the ”Other” section you’ll find the ”Enable Custom Content and Mods” option. Check it and restart your game in order for it to take effect!

The Sims 4: NEW UPDATE! (Aug 30th, 2022)

Patch Notes

Update 01/31/2023
PC: 1.95.207.1030 / Mac: 1.95.207.1230
Console: Version: 1.69

Hello Simmers

Following hot on the heels of the last update we have another one for you, this time we are putting a bit of a focus on the console version of The Sims 4, streamlining some key interfaces for easier controller interaction. While you can use a mouse and keyboard on both PlayStation and Xbox versions of The Sims 4, most console Simmers love to sit back with a controller; these updates are a small part of a larger ongoing focus to improve the console experience for all.

We also continue to invite all console Simmers to give us your thoughts and feedback on playing The Sims 4 on PlayStation and Xbox (especially with a controller) over on Answers HQ, where we have had some excellent feedback so far that the team is reviewing.

Not playing on console? No problem, we have some new content and fixes for everyone in this update as well. So let’s kick things off and see what’s new.

The Sims Team

What’s New?

We have so much new stuff with this release and we can’t wait to dive in and tell you all about it. We do want to make a quick note that while we have added quite a few new assets, these are purely visual and don’t add new gameplay functionality. Now, let’s get to the good stuff.

Medical Wearables

There’s a new Medical Wearables category under Body and Face Accessories in Create a Sim.

Select the Sims face and then select Accessories to find the Medical Wearables category that contains a new hearing aid for your Toddler or older Sims. This medical wearable comes in fifteen color variants, and can be assigned to your Sims right, left or both ears.

The Medical Wearables category can also be found by selecting the Sims body and then selecting the Body category. Here you can find Glucose Monitors for your Child and older Sims that can be added to your Sims right and left arm, and to your Sims lower abdomen on the right or left side as well.

Top Surgery Scar

Under the same Body category, all players can find a Body Scars category with an option for Teen and older male Sims (masculine or feminine frame) to add a Top Surgery Scar to their Sims.

Binders and Shapewear

With this update, players can find two new assets in Create a Sim. Under the Tanks, in the Tops category, you will find a Binder top asset for your Teen and older Sims. In the Underwear category for Bottoms, there is a new shapewear asset for your Sims as well!

Let there be Light Switches!

For our builders who have long desired to complete that perfect room, a new light switch is now available in Build Mode!

UI Placement comes to PlayStation

Previously, The Sims 4 on PlayStation required Simmers to calibrate their screen settings at a system level by going to the consoles Settings > Sound and Screen > Display Area Settings and configuring the display.

This option will continue to work but now, PlayStation Simmers will be able to adjust the UI placement. The wizard will run during the initial launch of The Sims 4 or can be manually initiated from Game Options > Other .

We still recommend you calibrate your Display Area Settings through your PlayStation settings.

Cursor Scaling

Simmers can now adjust the size of the cursor on both PlayStation and Xbox when displayed in virtual cursor mode on your controller, or while you are using a mouse and keyboard to play.

This additional level of customization allows you to have a larger cursor without needing to scale up all of the game UI. This should make it easier to see even when you’re kicking back, relaxing in your favorite seat looking at the TV screen across the room.

You can adjust the cursor size in game by going to Game Options > Accessibility.

Console Build Mode Improvements

Jumping into Build Mode will feel a little different… well OK, a lot different. Now the Catalog is opened by default and STAYS open as you grab items and interact with the lot. You no longer need to reopen the Catalog and re-navigate to the menu you were in every. single. time.

Regardless of which cursor mode you’re in, you can seamlessly interact with either the Catalog or lot, which aligns our console experience more closely to that on PC.

Console Build Mode Guidance System

If you are a new player or have the Guidance System enabled, the help you received from Emily in CAS and Live Mode will continue through to Build Mode. If you aren’t familiar with building, using the tools, or how to find the right looking object and place it exactly where you want it, Emily will be there to guide you around Build Mode to help you unleash your creativity.

Controls and Navigation Updates

While we have kept the ability to toggle control methods by tapping the Touch Pad on PlayStation or View button on Xbox, we have reduced the amount of times we switch between the two modes automatically.

Since we are talking about toggling the control methods, if you have the Controls Legend enabled in Game Options > Other, we now show a prompt for Toggle Cursor at the top. Not only that, next to the prompt is a little reminder of which control scheme you are currently using.

We have also added controller shortcuts to some dialogs and screens to help simplify and speed up navigating the game. These button prompts are displayed on supported screens and can be used where usually you would have a lot of scrolling to get to the Confirm or Cancel button.

Sims 4 Bug Fixes

Base Game

Toddlers can do strange things sometimes, but bathing with their slippers on shouldn’t be one. Now their feet will get clean, just like the rest of them.
The Venue Info icon in the top left of your screen contains a lot of useful information but it doesn’t mean it should always display as new. Now the icon flair will only show when something is actually new.
Sims made through CAS Stories with Starting Funds ‘High’ should now get 30k Simoelons instead of the standard 20k for their household fund.
Sims love a good makeover, but when switching Styled Looks in CAS it’s taking it a bit far your Sim’s appearance changes, not just their outfits. Styled Looks will now update just the outfit your Sim is wearing and not make them a totally different Sim.
When adjusting the physical frame of your Sim while using Bantu Knots (yfHair_SDX019BantuKnots) or Two Strand Twist (ymHair_SDX019TwoStrandTwists) hairstyles, you will continue to see the Plumbob icon on the thumbnail as a reminder of the fantastic collaboration we did with DeeSims to bring those styles to everyone.
The goals during the Parenting Predicaments scenario will reflect a child Sim aging up to a teen after blowing out the birthday candles and progressing the scenario.
Child Sims getting at least a B grade average at school will be recognized for their achievements by progressing the Parenting Predicaments scenario objectives.
If your Sims reach level 5 in one of Sofia and Leonardo’s skills before the goal activates in the Parenting Predicaments scenario, it’ll be accurately marked as meeting the criteria.
Also related – teenagers have aspirations (apparently waking up before noon doesn’t count) but in the Parenting Predicaments scenario teens are able to complete the teenage aspirations goal.
Some say it’s a conspiracy, some say the aliens got fed up with the parents and just sent them home, others just think it was a bug. Either way, parents should no longer return midway through the Aliens Stole My Parents scenario when traveling off the lot and back again.
Stuck in the Shadow wasn’t intended to actually get you stuck…. Completing the Scenario should now complete once the goals have been achieved.
Emily likes to help Simmers get a head start, but it seems she was a little too eager and prevented Scenario goals from displaying in CAS if she hadn’t been seen previously. Now if you haven’t seen Emily yet, and start a new Scenario you will have your goals displayed so you can create the perfect household to take on the challenges ahead. Emily will be there if you need her later.
Seasoned Simmers who don’t need Emily’s help and choose to disable the Guidance System, in the Game Options, while in CAS will no longer run into an issue where you cannot create a Sim due to the options being inaccessible.
Merging Sims from the Gallery while Emily was guiding you through CAS will no longer prevent Emily from explaining the final parts of the CAS Guidance System.
Entering CAS from the Simology option will not prevent you from creating a Sim Story.
While using the Guidance System to customize your own Sim, Add New Sim will not be available until you have completed your Sim customization tutorial or opted out of the tips.
Some tips in Build Mode prevented you from accessing features like Bulldoze and Save to My Library; all the options are selectable again.
Sims with customized frames should have a full set of fingernails to pick from, including those from packs.

City Living

Being an Interior Decorator can be tough, it’s made even more difficult if you can’t get in. Sims picking up a gig at a penthouse will now be able to knock on the door and get in to work their style magic.
If there is one main thing you would expect Illuminating Pillars to do, it’s illuminate! Well we changed some bulbs, got shocked once or twice, checked the wiring and now they should be good to go.

Get Famous

After our previous update which brought a new look to Lessons and a bigger, easier to read layout, it unexpectedly caused long Lesson titles to extend beyond the boundaries of the box in some languages. The titles should now all fit in their designated spaces and be fully readable by all.

Eco Lifestyle

The Perfect Plumbob Ceiling Fan, Sandstorm Ceiling Fan, Dizzy Palms Ceiling Fan now all come with a power consumption rating.

High School Years

Sims wearing the yfAcc_NecklaceEP12Beaded_SolidRainbowLt necklace should no longer see it floating near them when zooming the camera. We must have forgotten to remove the levitation enchantment, sorry about that!

Paranormal

Sims making a living as a Paranormal Investigator and autonomously visiting San Myshuno often found that doors were missing from apartments unless you were in Walls Up view. Doors should now show up as expected. But are they really there? Someone should investigate! Spoooooky!

Bust the Dust

Dust and Dust Bunnies will show up after a reload, now where did I put that Dust Dandy Cordless Vacuum?

Outdoor Retreat

We learned a lesson and that lesson is that our lessons should have Titles. Outdoor Retreat should show up under Lessons as expected and no longer be a mystery category.

What are your thoughts on the latest Sims 4 Update? Join the conversation below!

Is The Sims Team teasing Horses on TikTok?

Jovan

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January 31, 2023

0

Is The Sims Team teasing Horses on TikTok?

We’re probably looking into it too much, but Horses for The Sims 4?

Before I begin with this post, I’d like to assure you that this is just a fun speculation based on The Sims’ activity over on TikTok. There are no confirmations as of now that Horses will be added to The Sims 4. Just emojis.

The Sims’ official TikTok has been very active lately, posting fun videos and content of The Sims culture and memes. Their latest TikTok, however, has garnered the most attention from the community.

Sims 4 Horses and Feature Replies on TikTok

In their latest TikTok related to the Motherlode cheat, The Sims decided to answer some of the community expectations. Using nothing more but emojis.

@thesims
My Sim when I use code Motherlode to solve all money problems. #thesims4 #GamingTips #cheatcodes
♬ original sound – The Sims

Let’s take a look at the comments section:

The Sims 4 Horses Teaser — The Sims **replies to a comment** requesting Horses in The Sims 4

A similar emoji-styled comment was made with a comment related to the upcoming Infants Update for The Sims 4:

TikTok of The Sims - comment section — Infants Update reply

The last reply given to a fan requesting a Sims 4 feature was the one asking for a Generations themed Pack:

So what does this all mean?

We’re not sure yet, nor do we want to start any rumors. It could be that the social media manager was having a fun day on TikTok. Still, we are a bit suspicious how these are the only replies directed to community wanted features..

It could be anything and it could be nothing. This rumor has been circulating around simmers on social networks with the only source being these emoji answers.

We don’t know about you, but for now we’ll treat this as heavy speculation until proven otherwise.

What do you think?

WATCH REPLAY: Behind The Sims Livestream

Jovan

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January 31, 2023

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WATCH REPLAY: Behind The Sims Livestream

Expect news and announcements from the first Behind The Sims. Join us live!

ARTICLE UPDATE: The livestream has ended! You can catch the replay on YouTube, just now released!

EA and Maxis are holding their first Behind The Sims Livestream for 2023. Showcasing upcoming content for The Sims and giving players a behind the scenes look at upcoming content for The Sims!

As The Sims evolves every day, so does how we bring you the latest from our team! Today, we’re saying “Sul Sul” to Behind The Sims, a new community series following The Sims Summit.

On Jan 31 @ 9 AM PST, tune in as we share exciting news & updates, take you behind the scenes with our developers & more – across The Sims universe, including our friends, The Sims Mobile & The Sims Free Play.

Live Reporting

Join the Live Reporting of Behind The Sims along with our team members! Krista and ThatSimsLady will be keeping you company as new announcements and news surface from the livestream. Join us!

Join the Live Discussion of Behind The Sims with the Sims Community Team!

Where to watch Behind The Sims

The first Behind The Sims Livestream is scheduled for January 31st at 9AM Pacific Time.

What to expect from the first episode

The first episode of BTS will feature many different Sims games. Although not confirmed, we could be seeing a new preview of the development of Project Rene / The Sims 5. Along with the lineup of new content for The Sims 4, The Sims Mobile and FreePlay.

There’s also a new update for The Sims 4 scheduled today for PC and Consoles.

You’ll have an opportunity to watch a replay of the Behind The Sims Livestream on Sims Community, along with a written recap. We have a dedicated section over on our Home Page covering all the latest news and announcements from the first episode of BTS. Stick around!

What do you think will be shown during the first episode of Behind The Sims? Join the discussion down below!