Where’s the damn pool?
It came as a surprise a few days ago that Maxis (EA) will not be adding toddlers or swimming pools to The Sims 4 and fans were not happy.
In the recent post from the development team highlighting game features as a follow-up to E3, it was revealed that toddlers and swimming pools will not make the cut when the game’s released.
You can see we’ve made some key decisions to focus on new aspects of the game – things like our all new Sims, vibrant neighborhoods, and powerful creative tools – just a to name a few. And while we recognize that some of you will be disappointed that pools and toddlers won’t be available when The Sims 4 Base Game launches in September, you should know that we’re building an incredibly strong foundation that is capable of fulfilling every one of your desires in the years to come. The future of The Sims 4 is bright!
Avid Sims fans were appalled at the news. Surely toddlers play an important part in what is essentially a life sim?
This decision by Maxis sparked heated discussion within the community and eventually a petition was started to get both features included for release. The petition today stands at more than 11,000 signatures and it’s gathering pace.
The removal of these two features feels like SimCity all over again with expected features being removed before release. Many of the SimCity decisions such as no offline mode and small maps did not go down well and crippled the game at launch.
Maxis did eventually give in and offer an offline mode but the map sizes will never change much to the detriment of the SimCity experience.
While petitions usually have little impact on development decisions, perhaps Maxis will learn from their SimCity mistakes and actually listen to what the community wants and expects to see in The Sims 4. I also wouldn’t be surprised if “removed” features such as swimming pools are added eventually as paid DLC.
If you feel passionate about this pools and toddlers issue then add your name to the petition. Perhaps Maxis will listen eventually.
