EA Launches new The Sims 4 Reality TV Competition with $100,000 Grand Prize
The Sims Spark’d is a new reality show contest that will pit 12 Sims creators against each other in a four part series to create the most compelling stories within The Sims 4 world. The winner will walk away with $100,000! The series will start Friday July 17, 2020. There are several ways to watch; it will be aired on TBS under Turner Sports in the United States, or online on BuzzFeed Multiplayer.
The format of the show is expected to mirror other reality competition shows such as Top Chef or Project Runway. The focus of The Sims Spark’d is to highlight the creative process involved in creating narratives in The Sims 4, so we should expect to see challenges around this goal. It is hoped that this focus will inspire those watching to create their own rich narratives. In support of this, The Sims 4 will release challenges for players at home to complete; also opening up the door for a talent search for season 2 of the show.
EA hired Richard Hall, known for his work producing The Amazing Race, to produce the show. Turner Sports picked up this show in a bid to expand their eSports market. Although The Sims is not a title you would normally associate with eSports, it has a strong fan base that Turner Sports and BuzzFeed is counting on to drive the viewership. Last month, EA reported 10 million unique users playing The Sims 4. Perhaps the narrative potential of the competition will help to draw in both hard core fans and casual players.
Personally, I can’t wait to check out this new series. I am, sadly, a bit of a sucker for reality TV and have been playing The Sims since the first game was released back in 2000. Check out the official trailer for The Sims Spark’d below. Will you tune in? Tell us in the comments below.