A job listing posted by EA’s Maxis Studios is aimed at hiring an experienced rendering engineer who will be tasked with improving the game engine used byThe Sims. The candidate would be responsible for making a number of improvements toThe Sims' graphics engine, hinting at potential future plans for the Maxis Studios' flagship franchise.
Maxis Studios is most well known for its long-runningThe Simsseries of life simulators which has defined the genre since 2003. Maxis Studios is also recognizable for their hitSimCityseries of city-builders along withSpore, which simulated life from the cellular stage into a galactic society.The Simsseries is immensely popularthanks to its extensive customization and the depth in which it allows players to manage their sim’s lives. Sims can take on hobbies, pursue careers, marry, age, and reproduce, which leads to emergent storytelling as the various inhabitants live out their lives.
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The job listing posted by Maxis Studios suggests that Maxis intends to improveThe Sims' engine both visually and in terms of performance. The position in question is for a Senior Rendering Engineer whose primary goal will be to modernize the graphics engine to improve performance and visual quality on more recent hardware. The position asks for a candidate with at least six years of professional programming experience and who has shipped at least one AAA title on multiple platforms. Experience working with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S is needed, which suggestsThe Sims 4getting overhauled for the newer consoles or the possibility ofan eventualThe Sims 5releaseon consoles.
The Sims 4has had an impressive eight-year run since launching in 2014 and continues to release new content, such as theupcomingHigh School Yearsexpansionplanned for July.The Sims 4is beginning to show its age, however, after spending twice as long at the helm ofThe Simsfranchise compared to previous entries. Despite this, Maxis Studios hasn’t slowed down on development, having released dozens of expansion packs and game packs that brought many new features.
Maxis Studios looking to hire programmers for the purpose of modernizingThe Sims' graphics engine is a great sign for the future ofThe Sims, as a modernized visual overhaul toThe Sims 4could go a long way toward revitalizing the aging life sim. This modernized engine would almost inevitably be part ofThe Sims 5’s development processas well, so fans may finally see some hints of the next sequel in the future.
The Sims 4is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
