That’s right, a “The Sims 4” reality TV challenge show is on the way, courtesy of EA, ELEAGUE, and BuzzFeed Multiplayer. In it, 12 contestants will create unique Sims 4 universes, and best of all? It’s going to air on cable TV! That’s right, this is a real TV series that will air on TBS, starting on July 17th. Is this a fever dream? This definitely does not feel real.
The title? “The Sims Spark’d”, and 100,000 dollars is on the line.
100K for The Sims 4?
The Sims Spark’d is a TV show courtesy of the above parties, and will be hosted by former American Idol finalist Rayvon Owen. What I do think is interesting about this, is while it’s a single-player game, there’s a twist. It’s up to the players to create unique, entertaining scenarios and stories in this virtual world.
Who are the judges though? BuzzFeed’s Kelsey Impicciche, “The Sims 4”’s contributing musician Tayla Parx, and game developer Dave Miotke. GM Lyndsay Pearson spoke about the announcement in a press release:
“Since its inception, The Sims has been a groundbreaking experience, allowing players to create and virtually live out the stories they create in-game. That’s what makes it so special. That’s also why this show is so exciting. We’re continuing that innovative spirit, bringing our community together to compete and showcase their in-game storytelling on a reality show in an entirely new way.”
So if you want to watch a Sims Reality-TV competition show, you can watch it on TBS, at 11 PM ET. The episodes will air once a week, for four weeks. This is the latest move by ELEAGUE (owned by Turner Sports). They’ve previously run CSGO tournaments, as well as Injustice 2, Mortal Kombat, Rocket League, FIFA, and Overwatch.
So at least ELEAGUE has a pedigree in esports. This is not the news we expected to talk about this week, but here it is! The Sims is the next major esports/reality TV show to hit television! Who knows? It might be a hit! After all, The Sims is massive, and there’s a lot of people desperate to see a new Sims game. If “The Sims 5” was announced during this, and people got to peek at it, that would build the buzz they need.
Just a hypothetical though. Are you going to tune in, or do you not even care about The Sims 4 (like this writer)? We’d love to know!
