Look out, Sims Fans: the popular daily life simulator franchise is about to go medieval.
Literally medieval, that is.
Electronic Arts announced The Sims Medieval on Monday. The limited, standalone release will feature exclusive, themed content ranging from Barbarian to Dark Magic to Princess styles. A limited edition with additional, exclusive content will also be available.
According to Scott Evans, general manager for The Sims studio, “With the Limited Edition version of The Sims Medieval, we are giving players several great bonuses for being among the first to experience our new standalone franchise within the world of The Sims.”
The Sims Medieval represents a sharp left turn away from the roots of the franchise in that it not only takes place in medieval times, but allows players to go on quests that tie into story elements at the same time as they build their medieval kingdom. Naturally, this means a tun of to-the-death fights and duels that tie in with the use and forging medieval objects like armor and shields, and the option of vengeance against certain Sims by tossing them into what EA is calling the Pit of Judgment.
Expect The Sims Medieval to hit retail in March 2011. Full press release follows:
EA ANNOUNCES SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION FOR THE SIMS MEDIEVAL
Pre-Order Today For Exclusive In-Game Content
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., December 21, 2010 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced a special Limited Edition version of The Sims™ Medieval is available for pre-order* today at www.TheSimsMedieval.com. The Sims Medieval Limited Edition will launch in spring 2011 and feature exclusive content that will grant players access to three all-new, themed throne rooms with Barbarian, Dark Magic and Princess themes. Limited Edition owners will also get two exclusive outfit sets, the Monarch set featuring a royally decked out king and queen and the Executioner set, complete with a leather apron and an intimidating black hood.
“With the Limited Edition version of The Sims Medieval, we are giving players several great bonuses for being among the first to experience our new standalone franchise within the world of The Sims, said Scott Evans, General Manager of The Sims Studio.
The Sims Medieval is a brand new standalone game from The Sims Studio, creators of best-selling games such as The Sims™ 3, andmarks a departure from the traditional The Sims games with all-new features and gameplay. Set in medieval times, players now have the opportunity to build up a medieval kingdom, go on quests, level-up their characters and fulfill storyline elements. Players will find their Sims, the characters unique to The Sims games, in a variety of situations previously unknown to them like duels to the death, choosing whether to poison a witch or marry her and punishing Sims by having them thrown into the Pit of Judgment. Every quest plays out differently depending on which Hero Sim the player is controlling.
Everything in The Sims Medieval is crafted to create an immersive medieval world, from the quest-based gameplay, to the medieval objects such as swords and stocks and thrones, right down to the warm look of the characters and the painterly approach to the world itself. Players can choose to customize every new Hero Sim that comes to the kingdom, including selecting their traits and their fatal flaw. Players get close to their characters, not only sending them on epic quests, but also making sure they carry out their daily responsibilities such as healing the sick, trading for exotic goods, or forging armour.
The Sims Medieval as well as the Limited Edition for PC/Mac will be available in March 2011 for $49.99 and has not yet been rated by the ESRB. To download artwork, please visit www.eagames.co.uk/press. For more information about The Sims Medieval please visit www.eagames.co.uk/press or the official website at www.TheSimsMedieval.com.
*Conditions and restrictions apply. Please see www.thesimsmedieval.com for details.
About The Sims
The Sims™ franchise, the groundbreaking game series that allows players to create and live a virtual, simulated life on a computer, celebrates its ten year anniversary in 2010 with an impressive more than 125 million units sold since its launch in February 2000. Now translated into 22 different languages and available in 60 different countries, The Sims series has quickly become a universal gaming and cultural phenomenon. Since its June 2009 launch, The Sims 3 has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide to date and was the #1 best-selling PC title for 2009 in North America and Europe. Fan intensity is evidenced through nearly 180 million downloads of player created content including: The Sims characters, houses, stories and more. The Sims 3 community site, www.thesims3.com, welcomes up to seven million unique visitors monthly, handles nearly 260 content downloads every minute and more than 3 million uploads have been made to date, including 13 movies each hour. The Sims 3 YouTube Channel is within the top 10 most viewed sponsored channels of all time with more than 39 million video views. Visit The Sims 3 official website to see what the players are creating at www.TheSims3.com or the official YouTube Channel for The Sims at http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSims. The Sims 3 is currently available for PC, Mac, iPhone®, iPod touch® and mobile devices. The Sims 3 is also available on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, Nintendo DS™, and Wii™ and in 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS™, EA™, EA Mobile™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile, POGO, and The Sims are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Mac, iPhone, and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Wii and the Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox and Xbox 360 are registered trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
