For twenty years, The Sims has built up a vibrant and thriving community. While Electronic Arts recently took several steps to expand the franchise's reach by releasing The Sims 4 on Steam, the developer's next Sims project will expose the series to a mainstream audience. Today, EA announced a collaboration with several gaming brands to create The Sims Spark'd, a reality TV show centering around the latest Sims game.
Produced with BuzzFeed Multiplayer and Turner Sports' gaming and eSports-focused subsidiary, the show will center around twelve contestants in a series of competitions. The four-episode Sims series will feature Kelsey Impicciche, a viral Sims creator featured on BuzzFeed Multiplayer, veteran Maxis developer Dave Miotke, and singer-songwriter Tayla Parx, who voiced characters in the Sims 4 and contributed to the game's soundtrack. A report from Variety claims that Turner and EA are working to appeal to both longtime Sims fans and uninitiated newcomers.
According to the YouTube trailer released today, Electronic Arts' The Sims Spark'd will come to TBS on July 17 at 11:00 p.m. EST. However, for those who cannot tune in for the premiere, the first episode will also be available on BuzzFeed Multiplayer's YouTube channel on July 20.
Additionally, Electronic Arts will also launch the Spark'd Challenge Program series simultaneously. By creating high-quality work, top Simmers might win an appearance on The Sims Spark'd's next season. Hopefully, this user participation will sate some social media criticism calling out EA for not featuring more smaller Sims creators who deserve more recognition.
