The Sims 4 is getting a new mod-focused in-game Marketplace on 17 March (for PC and Mac, with a console release coming later). Designed to expand the array of content in the game, it will provide a paid platform for mod creators to monetise their creations.
This is essentially an expansion on the game’s creator-made Game Kits, with more variety. Players will be able to download and purchase an array of paid mods of the Create-A-Sim and Build/Buy variety, each selected carefully by the Sims team.
There is a bit of a catch, though. All mods are created by the talented Sims community, but creators will only take home 30% of all earnings from their creations. The rest will go to the Sims team, for ‘costs and fees associated with publishing, including overhead costs such as platform fees, VAT taxes, server costs and other transactional expenses.’
The Sims 4 mod Marketplace – quick links
Spending Moola in The Sims 4’s new Marketplace
As outlined by the EA and Maxis team, the Marketplace will allow players to purchase premium mods using Moola, a new in-game currency that roughly translates US$1 into 100 Moola.
Like many other microtransaction systems, it does present an abstracted form of money, which can make it complicated to understand how much you’re spending.
Mods shown off so far are priced fairly reasonably – around 300 to 400 Moola (US$3-4) for whole furniture sets or fashion collections, akin to Kits. But purchasers will still need to be careful about how much they’re spending, and make good choices about which mods to buy.
It’s also worth noting this system will not replace free mods available across the internet. The mods available via Marketplace will be exclusive to that platform, but creators are still able to make their own non-paid mods elsewhere.
For any script, object or gameplay mods, you will actually need to look beyond Marketplace, as the Sims team will not include these in the Marketplace.
The Sims 4’s Marketplace system is already causing concern
Since the EA and Maxis team announced the arrival of The Sims 4 Marketplace, there has been some concern about what it means for the future of the game, and how new content will be monetised.
At this stage, The Sims 4 is a 12-year-old game. It’s got dozens of formal Expansion Packs, Game Packs, Stuff Packs and Kits to download as DLC already. If you want to own every bit of official Sims content, you’re looking at a cost of around AU$2,276, depending on sale prices.
The launch of Marketplace will monetise the game even further, and while it’s worth noting all of this is optional, placing a price on official mod packs – many of which would previously have been offered for free by creators – is a bit much to ask.
There are good things here. It’s nice to see mod creators getting the opportunity to make some money off their talents. But the 30/70 split in revenue does feel a bit ungenerous, and even more so when considering the investment many players have already made in EA and Maxis so far.
Introducing microtransactions at this stage in the game’s life cycle also seems very odd. In The Sims 4 creator and fan circles online, there’s been plenty of chatter about what this means for the future of the franchise, as well as concerns about its ample monetisation.
Is it a way to encourage more player spending beyond expansion packs? Is it a replacement for new Kits and add-ons? Is it a way to pave the path for the next iteration of The Sims? Is it an evolution of the much-maligned marketplace from The Sims 3?
Whatever the case, the system has not been well-received so far, and its path to success is unclear.
The better news is it’s entirely optional, and Sims players can simply ignore its soon-to-be-launched submenu. We’ll just have to wait to see whether the chagrin around Marketplace will inspire any future changes.
