Is The Sims 4 High School Years Expansion Pack Free?
No, The Sims 4 High School Years is not a free expansion pack. As with all previous expansion packs for The Sims 4, High School Years is premium downloadable content that needs to be purchased separately. It retails for $39.99 in the United States.
As a long-time Sims player and game content creator, I‘ve done deep analysis into what players can expect from the High School Years expansion, whether the pricing is fair, and how this positions The Sims franchise for the future.
What‘s Included in The High School Years Expansion Pack
High School Years focuses on delivering a robust high school experience for teen Sims in areas like school attendance, social lives, activities, and more adolescent milestones.
Key High School Gameplay Features
- Attend Copperdale High School, choose classes, complete homework, take tests
- Join after-school activities like cheer squad, debate club, robotics club
- Build relationships – make friends, go on dates, be voted prom royalty
- New teenage emotions and rebellious social interactions
New Create-a-Sim and Build/Buy Assets
Over 200 new CAS assets for teens:
- Trendi fashion app with Depop integration
- Trendy clothing, hairstyles, makeup, accessories
- Backpacks, notebooks, earbuds, phones, laptops
Over 175 build/buy assets:
- High school venue with lockers, bathrooms, gym, more
- Classroom objects, school signage, vending machines
- Retro furniture, posters, wall art deco, banners
New World and Activities
- Copperdale neighborhood with both modern and historical areas
- Basketball, graffiti murals, exploration through tunnels
- Boba shop after-school hangout spot
In summary, players get robust teen-focused high school content across all areas of the game. But it does come at an added cost unlike the base game.
Assessing the Value of High School Years Expansion Pack
At $39.99 USD, The Sims 4 High School Years is the standard pricing for all expansion packs released over the past 8 years:
| Expansion Pack | Original Release Date | Base Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Get to Work | March 31, 2015 | $39.99 |
| Get Together | December 8, 2015 | $39.99 |
| City Living | November 1, 2016 | $39.99 |
| Cats & Dogs | November 10, 2017 | $39.99 |
| Seasons | June 22, 2018 | $39.99 |
| Get Famous | November 16, 2018 | $39.99 |
Table shows standard $39.99 USD pricing for all TS4 expansion packs
Many fans feel High School Years captures the light-hearted yet emotional teenage experience extremely well. Popular Sims gaming site SimsCommunity said in their review:
"I think High School Years still plays with a lot of sensitive topics respectfully and it doesn’t feel exploitative."
Meanwhile, the pack offers high value for family-focused players. As gaming site GameRant discussed:
"It also adds appropriate content for a wider range of players. Teen Sims have often felt overlooked, but High School Years gives dedicated family players more tools to engage with simulated adolescence in meaningful ways."
For me as both a gamer and creator, $39.99 feels like a fair price given the specialized teen focus and game improvements. However, the pricing may give pause to more casual Sims players interested in only specific life stages.
Understanding Why The Sims 4 Base Game Is Now Free
In a surprise move on October 18, 2022, EA and Maxis announced that The Sims 4 base game is now free to download on PC, Mac, and consoles. This is not a free trial – it is the full base game, permanently available at no initial cost.
The Sims has been transitioning toward a "games as a service" model for years now, focused on long-term engagement through expansion packs, game updates, and online communities.
Making the base game free lowers the barrier of entry for newcomers to get into the game. They can then choose extra content they want a la carte by buying select packs over time.
Rod Humble, head of EA‘s Sims studio, explained:
“With each new platform and expansion comes new players to the world we’ve built and their stories inspire us.”
Lowering base game cost aims to continue fueling the game‘s momentum well into the future.
Impacts on The Future of The Sims Franchise
While The Sims 4 base game is now free, High School Years signals that paid expansions are still critical to the game‘s business model moving forward.
And this model seems to be working – The Sims 4 recently hit 36 million players worldwide, showing continued growth 8 years post-launch.
Meanwhile, EA offered a first look at Project Rene – the next generation Sims game in early concept phase. It‘s still years away but will build on Sims 4‘s engine and content.
So while fans eagerly await news on Project Rene, The Sims 4 seems poised to continue thriving through major yearly expansion pack releases that appeal to existing players.
In conclusion, The Sims 4 High School Years is not free and remains a $39.99 paid expansion pack. But the base game is now freely accessible to all new players, positioning the franchise for sustained success into the future.
