The era when The Sims stood unchallenged as the sole life simulator is over. Since Stardew Valley’s debut, Electronic Arts’ monopoly has crumbled, giving rise to numerous smaller simulation games. Today, major players are keeping pace with indie developers, with the imminent releases of Paralives and Life by You challenging the dominance of The Sims.
Life by You is being developed by Rod Humble, who led The Sims series in the 2000s, and he believes that life sims are so popular because they are an inclusive game genre. Anyone can craft a story inspired by real life, and players often delight in creating extensive family dynasties, skillfully guiding the choices of their characters.
Creating a major life simulator is a significant undertaking, which might explain why EA lacked serious competition for so long. Although Life by You doesn’t simulate cell biology to the extent of Spore, it stands out as an ambitious entry in a genre aimed at simulating nearly every facet of life. According to Humble, players have the power to drag, demolish, and reconfigure entire cities, and can even dictate what a specific character will say in a given situation.
In addition, Life By You positions itself as a paradise for modders with extensive customization options, while the developers want to eliminate the tension Sims 4 community is experiencing between modders and gamers. This suggests that modders may monetize their creations without contributing any revenue to the developers.
Modders will have the opportunity to sell their creations directly, bypassing intermediaries, and the gaming community alone will determine the value of paying for specific user-generated content. This is the advantage of working with publisher Paradox Interactive, which shares the developers’ attitude towards players. Overall, Humble describes Life By You as a kind of musical tool that allows gamers to simulate any world they want: “It’s your game. It’s your toolbox.”
