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The Sims 4 reaches 20 million players ahead of series’ 20th anniversary

Lisa Marie Segarra
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The Sims 4™ Island Living: Official Reveal Trailer

Just ahead of the franchise’s 20th anniversary, The Sims 4 crossed 20 million unique players worldwide. It’s a sizeable feat considering the age of the series and its latest release. The Sims 4 arrived in September of 2014.

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Five years on, The Sims 4 continues to pump out add-ons in the form of expansion packs, game packs, and stuff packs, all of which offer new in-game items and abilities. Expansion packs have the most content, while stuff packs have the least. This steady stream of add-ons has kept the game alive over five years after its initial release.

Electronic Arts’ dedication to producing new material means keeping fans satisfied, and brings in money even after the main title’s severe price reduction. Packs cost $10, $20, or $40 for a stuff, game, or expansion pack, respectively. With nearly three dozen DLC offerings in total, it’s easy for customers to spend a great deal on a single title, even if they pick up the main game for nothing. The last major expansion pack, Discover University, came in November. A smaller stuff pack, Tiny Living, followed earlier this month.

The Sims 4 is available for free for PlayStation Plus members throughout February; not for the first time, either. EA’s online store, Origin, regularly offers sales on DLC, and occasionally makes the game free. The strategy seems effective as the audience continues to grow, even amid a surge of multiplayer online games.

The title, an elder compared to EA’s other offerings, staked its claim during the company’s latest earnings report Thursday. EA highlighted the game along with heavy-hitters, including FIFA, Madden, and Apex Legends, as reasons for its financial success.

Unfortunately for simmers hoping EA will launch a surprise fifth edition launch to coincide with the milestone, EA said it has no significant console or PC releases for its first quarter in 2020, which ends on March 31st. Of course, that doesn’t preclude it from announcing The Sims 5 later.

In the last two decades, The Sims spawned side games, two mobile games, and recovered from its messy launch of The Sims 4, which released without fan favorites like the toddler life stage, and pools. With an active community of streamers, builders, modders, and the like, The Sims series prepares to celebrate 20 years with few signs of stopping. 

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Lisa Marie Segarra
Lisa Marie Segarra
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Lisa Marie Segarra is the Gaming Section at Digital Trends. She's previously covered tech and gaming at Fortune Magazine and…
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