After 20 years of playing god, burning stoves and trapping helpless Sims in doorless rooms, our favorite simulation game The Sims is joining the likes of “Masterchef” and “Project Runway” with its own reality TV show.
Electronic Arts has partnered with esports channel Eleague and Buzzfeed Multiplayer to bring “The Sims Spark’d,” a four-episode series where 12 contestants (rumored to be “familiar online personalities”) push the boundaries of The Sims 4―house remodeling, character customization and everything in between―to create compelling storylines, including some that may even bring tears.
“American Idol” Season 14 finalist Rayvon Owen will be hosting the show. Among the judges are YouTube personality Kelsey Impicciche, who did the #100babychallenge series on Buzzfeed Multiplayer; singer Tayla Parx, who recorded her song in Simlish for one of the game’s expansion packs; and game dev Dave “SimGuruNinja” Miotke, who has worked on “The Sims” for more than a decade.
Since its debut, The Sims has expanded into a broad range of titles, offering players countless opportunities to escape the pressures of reality and participate in exciting in-game adventures.
“Something that has always been so special to The Sims is the community and how much our players connect with each other to celebrate, share, collaborate and show off the things they’ve been able to make or share their stories,” Lyndsay Pearson, general manager of The Sims franchise, told The Verge.
“The Sims Spark’d” will be aired on the Buzzfeed Multiplayer YouTube channel every Monday starting July 20.
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Still from the official “The Sims Spark’d” trailer