Summary
The Sims 5has great potential, but its marketing has raised some concerns over it being free to download. Its accessibility isn’t an issue, which is a great thing at a surface level, since more players can enjoy its base game content. However,The Simsis notorious for its DLC and expansion packs.
Its fame for expansion packs is well-deserved, as some DLC remains in player’s hearts, but a lot of mixed things could come from it being free to play. As accessible as that is,Simsexpansion packscan get pricey fast. Since it’s supposedly intended to be a multiplayer game, that could be a reason to charge extra for the new packs, kits, and more.
The Good Things About Project Rene Being Free
With the game being free-to-play at launch,theSimscommunitycan grow to be bigger than ever before. Given the generally friendly attitude of the community, it would spread positivity like wildfire.
There is also some nostalgia to be had here. WithProject Renebeing multiplayerand working as an online simulation game, it’ll be hard not to see similarities to early 2000s chat room and dress-up games. It’s no surprise that some Simmers started out in those dress-up worlds, so being able to have that throwback modernized in the form of theSims 5could do wonders. Some nostalgic games it could take inspiration from are:
When its predecessor,The Sims 4, was made free to download, there was a lot of controversy about it. It had been out for so long that it went on sale often enough, and that money spent was now wasted, since the game was free and offered no refunds.Project Renebeing free to downloadcould stir the fear that there’s already a game on the way to replace it. As unlikely as it sounds, it is still a valid concern.
Also, likeTheSims 4, players don’t want to see this newSimsproject rushed. WhenSims 4was initially launched, the game felt incomplete to many and there was a lot of conflict about the new game. This pattern shouldn’t be repeated withSims 5. It deserves time to be fully fleshed out and be enjoyable for fans when it is released. The stakes are high for this upcomingSimsgame.
Though the game was eventually freshened up to be where it is today,The Sims 4has a notoriously buggy history, which would also harmProject Reneif it continues.
The Unfortunate Truth About Project Rene Being Free
Being free to download at launch may also be an omen of big things to come. As enjoyable as expansion packs and the like can be forSimsplayers, it’s no surprise that they are expensive and sometimes too buggy to play, like theSims 4My Wedding Stories pack. If packs come out on launch for players to already be added to their game, it could putProject Renein a bad light. It sends the message that though the game is free, a full experience is not.
And though there have been claims thatProject Renewill not have a paid membership system like a lot of online role-playing games have, that doesn’t mean a similar service is off the table. With how many microtransactions there are, there’s bound to be some sort ofbattle pass for theSims 5or another similar move. These elements aren’t inherently bad, but it can be very easy to make a bad impression when it becomes clear how much it could cost in the long run to enjoy the full experience of the game.
