At E3 earleir this month, EA and Maxis showed us all of the ways The Sims 4 will improve your overall Sims experience. Complete control over your Sim and their emotions, a powerful Build Mode, a freer Create A Sim, and the in-game Gallery that makes sharing user-created content easier then ever are just a few of the ways The Sims 4 will enhance your experience.
But in a new blog post today, producer Ryan Vaughn, in an attempt to share some smaller details about the game, revealed that pool building and toddlers won't be in the game.
"While it’s not possible for us to include every single feature and piece of content we added to The Sims 3 over the last 5 years, we’ve added features that you’ve asked for and that offer a whole new intuitive and fun way to build," Vaughn said. "These are features like Wall Height Adjustment, Dynamic Foundation Sizing, and Smart Windows!
"And though pool building won’t be available in September, we do have a new Fountain Tool so you can create sophisticated landscapes," he added.
And then there's the part where he revealed that toddlers won't be an age range for your Sims families. "As for ages, we have babies, children, teens, young adults, adults and elders," he said.
Over on Twitter, fellow producer Graham Nardone clarified that Babies and Toddlers were not combined. "We know they're distinctly different and didn't want to shoehorn them in," he said.
It's unclear why exactly Maxis chose not to include these two features, but fan reaction towards the news has not been good. In fact, several people have expressed their disappointment through various social media channels, even threatening to cancel their pre-order.
Though it's disappointing that these won't be included in the base game, it's quite likely they'll be added in a future expansion pack — this is The Sims after all. You know there's going to be expansions out the wazoo, so it's comforting to know that in all likelihood we will see them added eventually. I just find it a little odd that with The Sims 4 — a game in which looks to expand upon its predecessor in every way possible — Maxis is choosing not include some of what I consider to be the most basic features. On the plus side, The Sims 4 is said to have the most objects ever offered in a base game.
Whether it's a timing issue or just a simple cash grab from EA, the idea of not being able to design my house around a pool feature is truly disappointing — especially as a Floridian.
Editor's Note: We reached out to producer Graham Nardon to ask if The Sims 4 is only removing the ability to create your own custom-shaped pool, or if there will be a selection of pre-made pools to choose from when building your house.
