EA Reveals 'The Sims' Surprise With A Huge Concept Sneak Peek

American video game company Electronic Arts (EA), dropped a massive surprise for "The Sims" fans this week and while it isn't the highly anticipated "The Sims 5." It is a next-generation game that will serve as the new iteration of the popular game franchise.

"The game will stay true to what The Sims has always been while pushing to evolve how those Sims think and behave," EA described the upcoming title dubbed "Project Rene." "It will reimagine The Sims with even more ways to play, tools to encourage creativity, and the ability to tell meaningful stories," the video game company further said.

"With Project Rene, players will have the choice to play solo or collaborate with others, and will have the ability to play their game across supported devices," it added. The game is still a few years away but Lyndsay Pearson, the VP of Franchise Creative for The Sims during the Behind the Sims Summit event on Tuesday said it is currently in development.

The reason for "Project Rene's" early reveal is that the development team would like to involve the Simmers, making them a part of the game's development journey. ""Exploring different ways to play The Sims requires us to commit to different ways of building it. Today marks the start of our journey over the next few years," the executive said.

And for those wondering what the game would be about, Pearson said, "We chose 'Project Rene' because it's reminiscent of words like 'renewal', 'renaissance', 'rebirth', and it represents our renewed commitment to The Sims." The executive noted, "and that's what we're doing, we're ushering in a new future for The Sims with a new game experience and more."

EA also shared a sneak peek of the upcoming game's concept and teased about advanced creative tools. A player was shown customizing items like a bed's headboard and footboard, as well as modifying the shape and placement of the cushion on the couch.

The tease also showed "Project Rene's" collaborative component, which enables Simmers to share their creations with other players. There is also a privacy setting, which most likely allows the players to select whether they want to play the game solo or share the experience with friends.

EA id it will continue to share updates "over the next couple of years," underlining that the game will not be ready until two years later. It also teased that the team intends to offer "Project Rene" to small groups of players over time.