The Sims 4 missed their 10th anniversary this month.
All the fans were waiting expectedly for the celebration announcement, and something, anything to mark the occasion.
Anddddd…..🥁 nothing happened. No pack announcement. No merch drop. No interview with the game developers. No live stream. No collaboration with the YouTube Sims 4 community.
Nothing!
For an established and well-known brand, this is very odd. This was a prime opportunity to strengthen brand loyalty and create amazing content. With The Sims 4 severely underperforming compared to its previous iterations and so many competitors chomping at the bit to take them down, it’s wild that they didn’t take the opportunity. And it's safe to say... the community noticed.
Why I think The Sims 4 Didn't Celebrate Turning 10
My personal hypothesis here is that there are three reasons why they acted like it didn’t exist.
Negative Fan Sentiment:
With The Sims 4 receiving criticism for certain content or gameplay issues over the years, the team may have felt that an anniversary celebration could highlight past mistakes or rekindle negative sentiments.
Shifting Focus:
They want to look to the future, and so have been shifting their focus to working on "project renee".
Internal Communication Breakdown:
The team may have experienced a lapse in communication or planning, where the anniversary date was overlooked amidst other operational priorities.
Why They Should've Celebrated Anyway
Even with challenges like the negative sentiment around the game that has plagued it since launch, this milestone could have marked a moment where they committed to turning things around, or to show that they were truly listening. They have a large enough and loyal enough fan base to be able to shift this, in my optimistic opinion.
Examples of Brands Turning Around Negative Sentiment with Anniversaries
.Apple – 30th Anniversary of the Macintosh (2014)
Context: Apple had previously been criticised for a lack of innovation between the launches of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5, with fans feeling that the brand had stagnated. Additionally, there was a perception that Apple had become more profit-driven rather than innovation-focused after Steve Jobs' passing.
Turnaround: For the 30th anniversary of the Macintosh, Apple focused on celebrating its innovation legacy, releasing a dedicated video showcasing creatives and innovators who had used Macs to change the world. They launched a social media campaign inviting users to share their personal stories of how Apple products had transformed their lives.
Impact: By turning the focus back to their role in fostering creativity and change, Apple rebuilt its image as a trailblazer, strengthening its bond with both long-time users and the younger, creative generation.
Nintendo – 35th Anniversary of Super Mario (2020)
Context: In the early 2010s, Nintendo was criticized for the Wii U's lackluster performance and for not innovating at the same pace as other gaming brands. They also received backlash for not listening to fan feedback on certain features.
Turnaround: For Mario’s 35th anniversary, Nintendo launched a series of events, including re-releases of classic games, special edition products, and partnerships with influencers. The "Super Mario 3D All-Stars" collection brought back beloved classics with modern updates. Nintendo also launched a huge marketing campaign focused on nostalgia and celebrating the community's love for Mario over the years.
Impact: This helped Nintendo regain fan trust. It celebrated the brand’s history while focusing on its core audience’s desire for nostalgic yet updated content. The campaign reignited enthusiasm for the franchise and bolstered Nintendo's image as a fan-centric company.
Cadbury – 100th Anniversary of Dairy Milk (2005)
Context: In the early 2000s, Cadbury faced criticism over quality concerns and a perception that it had moved away from its roots in favor of corporate interests. It also suffered from a product recall in 2006 due to a contamination issue, which damaged public trust.
Turnaround: For the 100th anniversary of Dairy Milk, Cadbury ran a massive marketing campaign called “A Glass and a Half Full of Joy,” focusing on their brand heritage and emotional connection with customers. They featured nostalgic ads and customer stories, emphasising the longstanding love for Dairy Milk across generations. The famous "Gorilla" ad became a viral sensation and was part of this campaign.
Impact: The celebration helped shift focus away from their recent controversies, instead highlighting the brand's emotional value to consumers. The campaign went viral, boosting positive sentiment and re-establishing Cadbury as a beloved brand.
Why You Shouldn't Skip Your Brand Anniversary
Here is why if you have a brand anniversary coming up, you shouldn’t skip celebrating it:
Build Company Culture: recognise and reward your team’s contributions, fostering pride and motivation within your organisation
Example Action: spotlight on the designer social campaign
Build Trust: highlights your brand’s longevity, stability, and success, reinforcing your credibility and trustworthiness in the marketplace.
Example Action: Reinforce brand story with historical photo sharing
Build Loyalty: showing appreciation to your customers fosters stronger emotional connections and loyalty.
Example Action: 10% off for returning customers
Build Future Strategy: Celebrating a milestone allows space and time for reflection on the history of your brand, helping you to set new goals.
Example Action: Going live and fielding questions about your biggest mistakes
Build Content: Anniversaries offer a wealth of content possibilities, including highlighting your brand’s history, customer testimonials, behind-the-scenes stories, and more, which can be leveraged across various platforms.
Example Action: Create a 10-day countdown campaign featuring fan content and collaborations with influencers in your niche.
Don't believe me? Here are some amazing real-life examples and their consequences...
Brands Who Used Their Anniversaries For Marketing
Etsy – 15th Anniversary (2020)
Building Brand Loyalty and Trust: Etsy celebrated its 15th anniversary by highlighting the stories of individual makers and their personal journeys on the platform. They launched a campaign called "Stand With Small," where Etsy sellers were the focus. The campaign emphasised how Etsy empowers small businesses and artisans, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when many sellers relied on the platform for income.
Content Opportunities: Etsy created video stories, blog posts, and social media campaigns featuring artisans, their craft, and how Etsy has changed their lives. This content fostered deeper connections between buyers and sellers, showcasing the human side of the brand.
Impact: By spotlighting the makers, Etsy reinforced its identity as a community-driven platform and strengthened trust and loyalty among its sellers and buyers. The campaign also brought Etsy more visibility during a time when supporting small businesses was highly valued.
Anita’s Organic Mill – 25th Anniversary (2020)
Building Company Culture and Trust: Anita’s Organic Mill, a Canadian maker of organic flour and baking products, celebrated 25 years by sharing their commitment to sustainable farming and organic practices. They launched the "From Farm to Flour" campaign, showcasing their partnerships with local farmers and their commitment to quality.
Creating Content: Anita produced video content featuring interviews with farmers and bakers who use their products, highlighting the brand's community-oriented nature. They also ran baking challenges on social media, encouraging customers to share their creations using Anita’s products.
Impact: This celebration helped build customer trust by reinforcing transparency and sustainability in their supply chain. The campaign strengthened brand loyalty by fostering community among their customers, suppliers, and employees. The baking challenges generated user content, keeping the conversation around the brand going throughout the year.
Crayola – 100th Anniversary (2003)
Building Brand Loyalty and Identity: Crayola celebrated its 100th anniversary by launching special-edition products and hosting "The Crayola Colorful World Tour," which featured interactive exhibits in major cities across the U.S. The events allowed kids and families to engage in hands-on activities, celebrating creativity.
Creating Content: Crayola created extensive educational and creative content, including colouring contests and community art projects. They partnered with schools and influencers to encourage kids to share their art using Crayola products, providing content for social media and educational blogs.
Impact: Crayola’s celebration reinforced its identity as a brand synonymous with creativity and childhood memories. By involving families and schools in the celebration, it deepened its connection with both new and existing customers while creating a wealth of user-generated content and engagement.
Some Rambley Thoughts From a Fan
To be honest, I’m not surprised that we didn’t see a celebration for The Sims 4's 10th anniversary.
Since its launch, EA has shown a clear shift in priorities—from fostering a passionate, creative community to focusing primarily on profit. This is evident in their numerous DLC packs, microtransactions, and the overall monetisation strategy that has dominated The Sims 4 lifecycle. While this business model has undeniably made EA a lot of money, it has alienated many long-time fans who grew up with earlier versions of the game, where creativity, player experience, and innovation were the central pillars.
For many of us, The Sims series has always been about sandbox creativity and the joy of creating unique, immersive stories. But The Sims 4 felt different from the start. The base game launched without many vital features that were present in earlier versions (such as toddlers, pools, and open worlds), leaving the impression that EA was more interested in selling piecemeal content through expansion packs rather than providing a fully developed experience up front. Over time, this "pay for features" approach became more apparent, with countless game packs, stuff packs, and expansions rolling out year after year. Fans quickly recognised this strategy as a profit-driven move rather than one fueled by passion for the game's community or innovative storytelling.
This focus on monetisation has frustrated the fanbase and impacted the perception of EA as a company. In fact, EA has consistently ranked low in customer satisfaction surveys, often being criticised for its aggressive use of microtransactions and lack of engagement with fan feedback. Many players feel that EA has lost sight of what made The Sims franchise special in the first place—its ability to connect players with a virtual world that reflected their creativity, identity, and personal narratives.
Given this, it’s no surprise that The Sims 4 team chose not to commemorate their 10-year milestone. This anniversary could have reminded the community of what they feel is missing from the game: innovation, immersion, and a strong connection with their player base. Celebrating an anniversary might have drawn attention to the critiques that have plagued the game for years—the lack of meaningful updates, a shallow base game, and the increasingly fragmented experience due to DLC reliance. And let's be honest. EA are clearly not ballsy enough to tackle this head-on.
From a marketing perspective, this is obviously a totally missed opportunity. Milestones like this are critical moments to re-engage your audience, rebuild brand trust, and show the world you’re listening. A well-executed anniversary celebration could have helped reframe the narrative and put some goodwill back into the Sims brand. For instance, highlighting community stories, introducing a nostalgia-driven event that brings back fan-favourite features, or even offering free content to long-time players would have generated positive press and engagement. But in its absence, the silence seems to speak louder than any celebration might have.
Essentially, this feels like the nail in the coffin EA began constructing a decade ago with The Sims 4. It seems clear that their eyes are fixed on other priorities—making more money with Sims 4 freeplay and project renee—and their willingness to leave The Sims 4 uncelebrated suggests that they may be done with this iteration of the franchise.
What I Would Have Done for The Sims 4’s 10th Anniversary
If I had been the marketing lead for The Sims 4’s 10th anniversary, my approach would have centred around the community, acknowledging past missteps, and setting a collaborative course for the future. Here’s how I would have executed this:
1. Acknowledge the Past: Transparency & Ownership ☝️😔
The Sims 4 has faced criticism for content gaps, monetisation strategies, and communication breakdowns with its fans. Instead of shying away, this anniversary could have been an opportunity to address these concerns head-on.
Key Initiative:
Video Message from Developers – A heartfelt, transparent video where developers and designers acknowledge the 10 years of highs and lows. This would include taking ownership of the game's shortcomings (e.g., missing base game features, monetisation frustration) and sharing how the team has learned from fan feedback over the years.
Why?: This is about restoring trust. Players appreciate when brands admit to their mistakes and show a willingness to change. Acknowledging these would have made fans feel heard, which is key to rekindling engagement.
2. Reconnect with the Community: Fan-Centered Campaigns 🫂
The community has been at the heart of The Sims franchise for decades. I would have emphasised community-driven content, focusing on collaboration, nostalgia, and fan creativity.
Key Initiatives:
Community Collabs – Launch a “Sims Creators Collaboration” campaign that invites YouTube creators, Twitch streamers, and Simstagrammers to produce co-branded content. These creators would design exclusive in-game content (e.g., lots, families, challenges) that all fans can download for free.
Bring Back Fan Favorites – As part of the celebration, run a poll on Which Feature Do You Want Us to Revive—tapping into the nostalgia of longtime players who miss features like toddlers, open worlds, or memorable Sims 2 mechanics.
Behind-the-Scenes Streams – Conduct live developer streams where fans can ask questions directly and get insight into how the game is made, with a special emphasis on upcoming improvements.
Why?: This creates a sense of shared ownership. By putting fan content at the core of the anniversary, EA could show they’re in tune with the community and that player feedback is valued. Collaboration also offers rich opportunities for viral marketing and fresh content creation.
3. Celebrate Milestones: Nostalgia Meets New Content ☎️📱
A mix of old and new content could create a sense of celebration, tapping into both long-time fans and newer players.
Key Initiatives:
Nostalgia-Packed Game Pack – Release a free anniversary-themed content update, inspired by fan-favorite features from past games. For example, releasing a Sims 2-inspired "Memory System" or bringing back beloved items (like the famous Cowplant or Social Bunny).
#Sims4Memories Social Campaign – Encourage fans to share their favorite or not so favourite (a chance for humility and to laugh at themselves) Sims stories using a branded hashtag across social platforms. Offer exclusive prizes like custom in-game items for the best submissions, and feature these stories on Sims’ official channels.
Time Capsule Giveaway – Run a 10-day countdown where every day, a new free in-game item is unlocked for all players, focusing on Sims’ rich history (e.g., throwback furniture from past iterations).
Why?: Anniversaries are about legacy. Celebrating nostalgia helps reconnect the brand with its roots while simultaneously creating excitement for new content.
4. Build Towards the Future: Vision for the Next Decade 📈
Finally, I would have used this moment not just to celebrate, but to create anticipation for the future—whether for more Sims 4 content or potential Sims 5 announcements.
Key Initiative:
Future of The Sims Roadmap – Tease what’s coming next in The Sims universe with a roadmap for future updates, packs, or even the first hints of Sims 5. This could include a preview of new gameplay mechanics or a look into how EA plans to address key fan feedback moving forward.
Why?: Loyal fans want to know that their time and investments into the game will be honored in the long run. By sharing future plans, EA could build a sense of commitment and excitement.
My Marketing Plan in Essence
By focusing on transparency, community engagement, nostalgia, and a clear vision for the future, The Sims 4 could have turned its 10th anniversary into a turning point. Rather than avoiding the occasion, EA could have shown that they’re listening, learning, and ready to work with the community to create something everyone can be proud of.
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Phew. Rant over! Thank you for sticking with me and reading to the end of something I am truly passionate, and kinda sad about! As a bonus treat for making it this far, below is some additional reading on video games, marketing, and the intersection between the two...
Lots of love,
Your Friendly neighbourhood Georgia, gamers, marketer and all round nerdy gal. xx
Further reading for you:
Microtransactions and DLC Strategies: EA has often been cited as one of the most aggressive publishers in terms of microtransactions. The company made headlines with controversies around monetisation, most notably in the Star Wars Battlefront II loot box scandal. While The Sims 4 didn’t feature loot boxes, its frequent release of DLC packs has earned it criticism for a similar approach. (Vox: EA's Business Model Controversies)
Lack of Innovation and Community Engagement: Since its release, fans have been vocal about The Sims 4lacking features that were integral to previous versions. The base game launched with significant omissions compared to earlier iterations, and the game has leaned heavily on DLC to introduce basic features. (Kotaku: The Sims 4 and the Missing Features)
Fan Backlash and Franchise Longevity: The shift in focus towards DLC and monetisation has had a lasting impact on the perception of EA and The Sims 4 within its community. Forums like Reddit and platforms such as YouTube have seen countless discussions around how The Sims 4 doesn't live up to its predecessors, with many long-time players expressing disappointment. (Polygon: The Decline of The Sims)
Missed Opportunity for Anniversary Celebrations: Many game franchises leverage anniversaries to re-engage their communities. A well-timed celebration can bring nostalgia, offer rewards, and generate excitement. The Sims 4 missing this opportunity highlights a potential disconnect between EA and their community, and further emphasises the ongoing narrative that EA prioritises profits over player satisfaction. (Forbes: Leveraging Anniversaries in Gaming).
The Importance of Fan Engagement in Gaming: Fan engagement is critical for the longevity of any game franchise, and The Sims 4 has struggled with this in comparison to its predecessors. Brands that prioritise player feedback and involve their communities often see better retention and satisfaction. (Game Developer: Why Community Engagement is Crucial in Gaming)
DLC Fatigue and Player Frustration: While downloadable content (DLC) can be a valuable revenue stream, over-reliance on it—especially for basic game features—can alienate a player base. The Sims 4’s frequent release of paid DLC packs has led to player frustration, reflecting a broader industry trend. (Eurogamer: DLC Fatigue and the Impact on Game Communities)
How Brands Recover from Negative Sentiment: Many game brands have faced similar fan dissatisfaction and managed to turn it around with strategic campaigns and community-driven approaches. Learning from how brands like Nintendo and Blizzard navigated these challenges could provide insight for The Sims franchise. (IGN: How Game Companies Turned Around Fan Sentiment)
The Power of Nostalgia in Marketing: Leveraging nostalgia can help re-engage long-time fans and drive renewed interest in a brand. For The Sims, drawing on past features and player memories could have played a key role in a successful 10th-anniversary celebration. (Harvard Business Review: How Nostalgia Drives Brand Loyalty)
Missed Milestones: Case Studies in Gaming: Celebrating milestones like anniversaries can strengthen brand identity and deepen community ties. The Sims 4’s missed opportunity to mark its 10th year is an example of a misstep that could have been avoided by learning from how other gaming companies celebrate major milestones. (The Verge: Anniversary Celebrations in Gaming and Their Impact on Fan Loyalty)
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