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Paradox Interactive, known for its strategy and simulation games “Crusader Kings” and “Stellaris,” has officially canceled its life simulation game, “Life by You.”
Deputy CEO Mattias Lilja announced that it was a tough decision to make, as the game did not meet the expectations of both the company and the community.
Why ‘Life by You’ Has Failed
“Life by You” had been in development for several years. It aimed to compete in the life simulation genre dominated by EA’s The Sims franchise. Paradox Interactive hoped to create a strong competitor with unique features and gameplay mechanics.
However, the game’s development faced multiple delays. The team worked hard to improve and refine its features, trying to meet high expectations from both the community and internal standards.
In a statement, Deputy CEO Mattias Lilja highlighted the dedication and hard work of the development team. Despite their efforts, the decision to cancel the release of “Life by You” was ultimately made because the game couldn’t meet key expectations.
Lilja explained that although extending the development time was considered, the team realized that the path to a confident release for “Life by You” was too lengthy and uncertain. Despite the game’s promising aspects and the dedicated efforts of the development team, they concluded that additional time would not bring the game to a satisfactory state. Therefore, they decided it was better to halt the project.
The statement also acknowledged the community’s disappointment with this news and emphasized the lessons from this experience, focusing on preventing similar issues in future projects.
Community Reaction
The announcement of the cancellation of “Life by You” sparked a wave of reactions on the Paradox Interactive forum, showing a range of emotions among fans. The responses ranged from disappointment to understanding, with many expressing frustration and acceptance.
Several users voiced their disappointment, lamenting the missed opportunity to see a fresh competitor in the life simulation genre:
- IVgorm: “Damn that sucks, EA really needs some competition for The Sims.”
- Davisx3m: “Very sad… Wanted it to be something great.”
On the other hand, some members of the community understood the challenges Paradox faced:
- Pyoro: “I remember that showcase with humans interacting with no privacy mechanic, no jealousy mechanic, nothing. That seriously made me wonder how the game was supposed to function as a life sim.”
- Fulbert: “That’s a shame but the game did look very undercooked in the promos, and frankly, it was unclear where the devs were going with it. Canceling it was probably the right call in the end.”
There were also constructive suggestions and optimism for the future:
- Tomasnuclear: “Maybe Paradox could post the game build in the public domain so that fans/modders can complete it themselves?”
- IsaacCAT: “‘He who never makes an effort, never risks a failure.’ Keep making great games!”
However, not all feedback was supportive:
- Trych: “Y’all at Paradox have no damn shame, I swear to God. I’m done with this publisher BS who can’t keep up their promises.”
The Sims 4 Success Story
As Paradox Interactive grapples with the cancellation of “Life by You,” EA’s The Sims franchise continues to thrive. Since its launch in 2014, The Sims 4 has attracted over 85 million players and continues to see impressive growth, with FY24 numbers up double digits year over year.
The combined downloads of The Sims Online and The Sims mobile have surpassed 500 million, making it one of the largest gaming communities globally. This extensive community engagement has helped the franchise evolve into a significant creator platform, with hundreds of millions of user-generated content items shared in the past fiscal year.
EA plans to continue supporting The Sims 4 with over 15 content updates in the coming year. Additionally, they are developing new experiences within the Sims universe to leverage user-generated content further, ensuring that the franchise remains engaging and relevant for its loyal fan base.
