Summary
Pre-made families are the cornerstone of lore inThe Sims. Many players wouldn’t be able to fathomThe Simswithout the Goths, Landgraabs, Altos, and Crumplebottoms, as they are all families with history that permeate each world ofThe Simsand bring the franchise to life. All of these families are staples ofThe Sims, but there are a number of reasons whyProject Renewould want to move away from them and leave them inThe Sims 4, with the biggest being that it would allow Maxis to create new ones.
The Role of Families in Project Rene and The Sims
Where The Sims 4 Failed Pre-Made Families
SinceThe Sims 4’s move away fromThe Sims' original timeline and into an alternate universe, the lore of the main families inThe Sims 4has become confused for the most part. The developer made the decision to abandon all the events inThe Sims,The Sims 2, andThe Sims 3, and the families inThe Sims 4may as well be different characters. Thedisappearance of Bella Goth never happened inThe Sims 4, there’s no shady connection between the Calientes, Don Lothario, the Goths, and aliens, and the appearances of most of the major families changed dramatically inThe Sims 4, with many of the families receiving lighter skin tones than their earlier counterparts.
Why Lore is Important
Project Reneneeds to differentiate itself in an increasingly competitive market and with a consumer base that’s becoming disillusioned thanks to both shallow lore and theincreasing microtransactions inThe Sims 4. WhileProject Rene’s launch is still a way off, what the developer has shown has primarily been build/buy mode, rather than anything related to lore or storytelling. The lore ofThe Simshas never been the primary focus of the series, but it still plays a big part in drawing in players, particularly new ones who don’t want to start their own households, or veteran players who are interested in playing out the stories that the different families represent.
Why Project Rene Needs to Get Its Lore Right
Inventing a New Wheel
With the lore surrounding pre-made families inThe Simsbecoming so convoluted, and howThe Sims 4had effectively abandoned the pre-made familiesof the past in favor of reinventing them, a possible strategy forProject Renewould be to create entirely new families instead of reinventing them once again. These new families could have the same level of lore and depth as those featured in the previousSimsgames, particularlyThe Sims 2, where each world had its own story that was played out by the major pre-made families who lived in that world.
Building a New Identity in Project Rene
Creating new families would also be a great way forProject Reneto establish a new identitythat stands apart fromThe Sims 4, which will still be running alongsideProject Reneafter the latter launches. Having the same families in two different games that run at the same time would not only be confusing, but would be a missed opportunity to create new, in-depth lore to draw in all kinds of fans.
New players interested in theSims' stories would be able to experienceProject Reneas a life simulator with some deep integrated lore, especially in the context of other life simulators such asParalivesandLife By Youbeing released. Older players who have become disillusioned by shallow narratives could be enticed back toProject Reneif more consideration is paid to the lore, even if the families are new and unfamiliar.
The Sims 4
WHERE TO PLAY
Unleash your imagination and create a unique world of Sims that’s an expression of you. Download for free, and customize every detail from Sims to homes and much more. Choose how Sims look, act, and dress, then decide how they’ll live out each day. Design and build incredible homes for every family, then decorate with your favorite furnishings and décor. Travel to different neighborhoods where you can meet other Sims and learn about their lives. Discover beautiful locations with distinctive environments and go on spontaneous adventures. Manage the ups and downs of Sims’ everyday lives, and see what happens when you play out scenarios from your own real life. Tell your stories your way while developing relationships, pursuing careers and life aspirations, and immersing yourself in this extraordinary game, where the possibilities are endless
