The popular Sims series will be getting a fourth game in 2014, according to publisher EA's official site. The simulation series that has sold 150 million units to date will see the series get a major upgrade, as the last game in the series was released back in 2009. Maxis, the dvelopers of all previous Sims titles, will develop the game for EA.
"The Sims franchise is fueled by the passion and creativity of its millions of fans around the world...Their continued devotion to the franchise ignites the fire of creativity of the team at The Sims Studio, driving them to continually improve and innovate on one of the world's most successful simulation game that has sold more than 150 million copies worldwide."
EA has promised more information soon about the game, though IGN is reporting that the game will have single player and offline game modes available. This most likely reflects the firestorm of controversy that enveloped EA over SimCity's always-online play and subsequent server problems during launch.
So far, the game has been confirmed for both PC and Mac, but Sims 3 was also available on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Nintendo DS. While no PS4 version has been announced, the possibility of a next-gen Sims game is an intriguing idea.
While there may not be many details about the game at the moment, EA and Maxis have promised updates about the game soon. Furthermore, the basic formula for the Sims has been set since the very first game in the series, so besides adding more detail and realism, it is doubtful it will change drastically. We will watch this story as it unfolds.