Highlights
- Midsummer Studios is developing a new life simulation game, but details are scarce.
- The game aims to let players create their own story and share it with others.
- Competition from established franchises like The Sims makes it challenging for Midsummer Studios.
For a long time, The Sims has been the definitive life simulation game, and its sales numbers back this up. The Sims 4 alone has sold over 10 million copies. However, there are other life simulators on the way that could steal the crown from Maxis's long-running franchise.
One of these contenders is an upcoming life simulation game by Midsummer Studios. Though there are few details revealed about it, it will be yet another story-driven life simulation title. It will have to be a competitive title if it wants to stand out from the likes of The Sims and all the games it inspired.
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Midsummer Studios's Life Simulation Game
Jake Solomon is familiar with superhero games from his years at Firaxis, and his name is synonymous with turn-based tactic games. After leaving the studio in 2023, he set out to start a new independent studio, Midsummer Studios. It is through the studio that Solomon and his team will be launching a life simulation game.
Not much is known about the life simulation game the studio is working on. In fact, a name hasn't been announced yet. However, the official site states that it's a next-gen game that lets players write their own story and share it with the world.
Midsummer Studios Isn't Shooting into the Dark
Although this may seem outside of Solomon's comfort zone, he does have some experience with life simulation games. In an interview with Eurogamer, he revealed that he and some team members do play "The Sims here because there are so many things that it does really well." There are many members of the team from Firaxis who aren't familiar with the franchise, and they've been encouraged to play it as well.
Midsummer Studios is Entering a Crowded Field
According to Solomon, through gameplay, players will write "a story that's 1), interesting to you first, but then 2) potentially could be interesting to other people." This isn't an entirely novel idea, as it's what The Sims has been built on. In the franchise, players are given freedom to craft their own story whether it be a career-driven one or a family-oriented one. The Sims will continue with this gameplay with Project Rene, which is still in early development and will feature multiplayer elements, allowing different stories to intertwine.
Life by You is the new kid on the block, but it looks primed to make a splash. Its focus is on customizability and giving players full control of their life simulator. Hence, players will be able to have conversations in real-world languages, hop into any NPC's story and play it out, and design quests of their own.
Midsummer Studios Has a lot of Competition to Face
With so much competition, Midsummer Studios's game will have to do something special to make itself stand out from the crowd. That won't be easy, as The Sims and Life by You are already ambitious franchises. However, if Solomon can recreate the success he had at Firaxis in a new genre, there is hope.
There's no release date given for the upcoming game, as it is in early development. However, with a name like Jake Solomon behind it, there is reason to be optimistic about its success.
The Sims 4
The Sims 4 is the latest offering from Maxis and The Sims Studio, serving as a sequel to The Sims 3. Although it was released back in 2014, the game is still going strong today thanks to an array of DLC add-on packs that give players access to more unlockable items and events.
