From EA's earnings call:As we wrap up FY19, I also want to highlight the continued success of The Sims 4, which has grown every year since we launched. We launched three new content packs and multiple game updates for our Sims 4 community throughout the year, all of which contributed to a 35% year-over-year increase in active players and our strongest year of engagement yet for this ongoing live service. The passion of our Sims community is incredible, and we look forward to bringing them many more great experiences in the year ahead.Further breaking down digital net bookings:We are also forecasting further growth of our Sims 4 business, off of fiscal 2019, which was its strongest year ever, including the launch year.So FY19 (April 2018 - March 2019) was TS4's strongest year in both active player count and sales. EA is also forecasting TS4 to generate even higher revenue in FY20 (April 2019 - March 2020), likely due to the increased number of packs to be released in FY20 (we only had three packs in FY19). Anyone who's worried that TS4 is "slowing down", worry not as TS4 is stronger than ever and will continue to grow :)

Seasons brought me back. I had barely touched the game before then despite having it since release :D

"Sharonia;c-17058100" wrote:Seasons brought me back. I had barely touched the game before then despite having it since release :D Same here. I absolutely love the Toddlers, but Seasons brought me back. I can't stop playing now, S4 just keeps getting better :D It doesn't seem like its been out 5? years now, because I couldn't get into it the first two years.

I noticed the post failed to mention the revenue share of TS4 in comparison to the other game streams. It may be doing well compared to itself, but how is it doing over time as part of EA's overall revenue? To put out some (probably too large) numbers, if TS4 was 20% of EA revenue when launched, and 18% now, there could be rough seas ahead. Corporate beaners look at it differently than division ones do.

Not many here are stockholders, so it doesn't mean a hill of beans for them to say this to the general public or for it to be repeated. We know it's selling, but saying it to players doesn't do a thing for a player. Bragging doesn't reflect well on a game that is full of bugs, glitches, and makes players rage quit. It doesn't do anything for players but make them wonder why the game doesn't reflect that billion dollars they've made. It just proves we don't care about piecemeal content, dragged out for years, and having to buy what came in one EP ten years ago broken up into twenty now. I'm not worried it's going away, my concern is where is the money to now start building a better game.

EA: Fiscal Year 2019 was The Sims 4's strongest year

18 Replies

caprice812
Seasoned Ace
6 years ago
Yep, not worried at all <3
Sharooonia
Seasoned Ace
6 years ago
Seasons brought me back. I had barely touched the game before then despite having it since release :D
caprice812
Seasoned Ace
6 years ago
"Sharonia;c-17058100" wrote:
Seasons brought me back. I had barely touched the game before then despite having it since release :D

Same here. I absolutely love the Toddlers, but Seasons brought me back. I can't stop playing now, S4 just keeps getting better :D

It doesn't seem like its been out 5? years now, because I couldn't get into it the first two years.
OldeSimsFan
Seasoned Ace
6 years ago
I noticed the post failed to mention the revenue share of TS4 in comparison to the other game streams. It may be doing well compared to itself, but how is it doing over time as part of EA's overall revenue? To put out some (probably too large) numbers, if TS4 was 20% of EA revenue when launched, and 18% now, there could be rough seas ahead. Corporate beaners look at it differently than division ones do.
Cinebar
6 years ago
Not many here are stockholders, so it doesn't mean a hill of beans for them to say this to the general public or for it to be repeated. We know it's selling, but saying it to players doesn't do a thing for a player. Bragging doesn't reflect well on a game that is full of bugs, glitches, and makes players rage quit. It doesn't do anything for players but make them wonder why the game doesn't reflect that billion dollars they've made. It just proves we don't care about piecemeal content, dragged out for years, and having to buy what came in one EP ten years ago broken up into twenty now. I'm not worried it's going away, my concern is where is the money to now start building a better game.
simgirl1010
Hero
6 years ago
Saying and repeating It does something for me. Reinforces that some of us probably have several more years of content to look forward to. ?
EntityofDesire
Seasoned Ace
6 years ago
I wrote an article on here that was eventually closed because it was more about investing and stocks, as I've traded EA shares and wanted to give some insight into how investing in a game company is approached. It got removed because it didn't belong on the Sims forums (it was very stock oriented lol) but long story short as an investor the company your invested in is meant to oversell the virtues of its performing products to give you confidence overall in your investmentt especially when other products are failing. Talk up the good and downplay the bad.

So basically as a shareholder EA is telling me that The Sims 4 is performing very well and they expect it to keep performing generating a revenue stream until the next quarter with new content planned that will generate more profit based on the existing performance.

As a player all this tells me is more content is planned and as a player/investor it tells me they are willing to keep investing in it because the investment is returning dividends on its continued support/development.

I hope that helps explain how it should be approached. I'm not really sure why anybody would be worried though, its been well reported that the game would be supported well into the future by developers.

Honestly from a pure gamers point of view I don't even want to think of the Sims 5. I have enough games to play, about 25 different story lines to run in the Sims 4 and I still play the Sims 3 too.
icemanfresh
Legend
6 years ago
Hopefully this translates to more content and fixes. The game is entering its 5th year and there are still a number of base game features that I'd like to see. Even the simpler ones like a body hair category and ceiling tiles/paint would be nice
Cinebar
6 years ago
"cheescaeks;c-17058296" wrote:
well, i mean, it shows that obviously people are enjoying the game. they're buying content and playing it. so they got the data and numbers backing up that sims 4 is doing better despite its rough start and is finally bringing in players and engaging them. you can complain over and over again cause you obviously don't like this game, but others do.

Who said? There are quite a few things I liked about TS4. However, live service of Buy Now, Fix Many Years Later, isn't one of them. Sounds a lot like a snake oil salesman.
EntityofDesire
Seasoned Ace
6 years ago
Well EA has stated The Sims 4 has now earned over 1 billion dollars during is lifetime of 5 years and growing. Its one reason the game is mentioned in each earning report (because it shows a continued and growing success) and its worth bragging about.

Honestly very few games break the 1 billion dollar mark even after 5 years and according to the recent earnings statements that number is growing faster now by an increase of new player growth.