The Sims Project Rene leaks are starting to circulate, as players get their hands on an early build of the life game, and they’re sparking concern among some about what Maxis has in store. It’s worth noting that this is an early build, though, and playtests like these are designed to spot problems in structure and style so the developers can make improvements later. There’s also no indication how recent this build is.
Leaked Project Rene screenshots show, not quite the Create-A-Sim screen, but the end result including several body types, character models, and clothing options, and they’re pretty basic. “The Sims 3 looked better” is a common refrain on Twitter, and while that’s definitely an exaggeration, Project Rene’s Sims in their current state lack a certain nuance of expression that characterized creations in The Sims 3 and The Sims 4.
LEAKS
— Like Life Sim (@LikeLifeSim) September 29, 2024
♂️♀️ The new screenshots of Create your Sims have been published, this time it is Create your Sims.#TheSimsProjectRene pic.twitter.com/tLixCaHwsr
As one Redditer noted, they look more like cartoon characters than Sims. That might seem like an odd thing to say given how cartoonish The Sims is, but Maxis usually balances the goofy elements with something more human and relatable, something that’s just not in Project Rene yet.
What worried more folks who saw the leaks on Reddit and Twitter was how The Sims Project Rene is structured. The early build some people tested dropped you in a Parisian neighborhood with a goal of getting a cafe up and running. You have daily objectives to complete, earn Simoleons as a reward and then do it all over again. Tasks ranged from things like completing a shift at the cafe – which, to be fair, did seem slightly more interactive than most Sims 4 jobs, since you can at least operate the coffee machine and “work together with other players” – to buying an outfit.
The gameplay of The Sims: Project Rene, where you experience multiplayer mode in the explore city of Parisian neighborhood: join friends & other players, quests, collectibles, meet the locals, local café, shops, activities and stylish rewards and more Include Build Mode.
— Like Life Sim (@LikeLifeSim) September 29, 2024
1/3 pic.twitter.com/qelsZkCPkZ
It’s something I'd expect from an F2P game with a battle pass to grind out, and it's the least Sims-like experience I can imagine. That goes double when you consider that you can also earn XP from completing actions such as talking to other Sims or wishing at the wishing well. Some fans speculate that Maxis plans on adding microtransactions that give you more Simoleons to spend on customization items, presumably cosmetics and hopefully not build mode items. Part of The Sims’ appeal is doing whatever you want, however weirdly and ineffeciently you want to, and the prospect of ticking off chores with no real reward or personality involved just seems wildly out of touch with the series.
Still, these concerns might be for nothing. EA and Maxis acknowledged The Sims Project Rene in a recent Sims celebration roundup, where they also announced a Sims movie with Margot Robbie, but they’ve yet to show any official footage or explain how Project Rene works. It might be this bad, but it could also just be one early build taken entirely out of context.
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There is not a bigger sporting event in North America than the Super Bowl, and tickets are only getting more expensive every year. There is also a ridiculous secondary market for tickets where seats sell for well above the original face value. It is usually fans or ticket resellers going for a quick profit. But as was reported on Friday, sometimes it can be players in the NFL looking to make a profit. According to multiple reports, including the Associated Press and ESPN, more than 100 players are facing fines and potential suspensions for selling their allotment of tickets to this year's Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs for above face value. Players are reportedly facing fines of one-and-a-half times the face value they originally paid for the tickets, while they are also prevented from purchasing tickets to the Super Bowl for the next seasons. The Associated Press obtained a memo from the NFL detailing the violation and investigation. That memo was as follows: “Our initial investigation has determined that a number of NFL players and coaches, employed by several NFL Clubs, sold Super Bowl tickets for more than the ticket’s face value in violation of the Policy. This long-standing League Policy, which is specifically incorporated into the Collective Bargaining Agreement, prohibits League or Club employees, including players, from selling NFL game tickets acquired from their employer for more than the ticket’s face value or for an amount greater than the employee originally paid for the ticket, whichever is less. We are in the process of completing our investigation into this matter, but the investigation has revealed that club employees and players sold their tickets to a small number of ‘bundlers’ who were working with a ticket reseller to sell the Super Bowl tickets above face value.” If players are not willing to pay the fine, they could be facing suspension from the league. It seems unlikely that any of the players — none of whom have been named, or their teams — would refuse to pay such a fine. It's also one of those moments where you can say, professional athletes — they're still normal people trying to make a quick buck. The most logical answer here is perhaps some of the players caught up in this are younger players who have not yet struck it rich on a big contract or perhaps even practice squad players who are not making top dollar.
The Cincinnati Bengals have finally reached an agreement with first-round pick Shemar Stewart, putting an end to what became the story of the offseason for the team. Stewart, drafted 17th overall in this year's draft, has finally agreed to a four-year, fully guaranteed $18.97 million deal that includes a $10.4 million signing bonus, according to his agent Zac Hiller of LAA. Now with this deal done, every first-round pick is signed. The road to this deal was a bumpy ride. For months, negotiations between Stewart’s camp and the Bengals front office stalled due to disagreements over contract language, particularly around guarantees. The team pushed to include contract language that could void the deal under certain off-field circumstances, but since other Bengals first-round picks did not face similar terms, Stewart stood firm and refused to sign. Both sides remained firm throughout the offseason, leading to a long standoff and a lot of reports of frustration from both sides. Despite the frustration and disagreement, the Bengals and Stewart’s group continued to engage in conversations, trying to find a resolution to the issue. And finally, after weeks of back and forth and weeks of controversy surrounding what Stewart may be forced to do, both parties appear to have met in the middle and found common ground. For the Bengals, getting Stewart signed and ready for training camp is a major win. Stewart was viewed as a developmental prospect who needed plenty of on-field reps to reach his full potential. Stewart's absence from earlier camps had slowed a lot of his progress. With the contract dispute resolved, he can now focus entirely on gaining important reps and continuing his development over the coming weeks. Now with this contract done and over with, the team can put their full focus on Trey Hendrickson, who is also seeking a long term deal. If the Bengals can get a deal done with Trey before the season kicks off, they would secure their edge-rushing room for not only 2025, but for years beyond. For a team looking to go all in on making the playoffs, signing Stewart was long overdue. Now it will be vital for the team to get Stewart up to speed with the rest of the roster, and allow him to get as many reps as possible before the 2025 season begins.
The New York Mets are a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East, but their pitching staff is still injury-ravaged despite the recent returns of Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas. Brandon Waddell (hip), Dedniel Nuñez (elbow), Max Kranick (flexor), Paul Blackburn (shoulder), Tylor Megill (elbow), Griffin Canning (Achilles), Drew Smith (elbow), A.J. Minter (lat), Danny Young (elbow), and Christian Scott (elbow) are alll on the Mets' IL. The MLB Trade Deadline is July 31 at 6 p.m. EST, so the front office has one week to add healthy arms from around the league this season. ESPN's David Schoenfield predicted on Thursday that New York would trade for a Minnesota Twins reliever. "One guarantee of the trade deadline: The Mets will add to the bullpen, probably with more than one trade. Though the rotation still ranks fifth in ERA, that was built off a hot start," he wrote. "More importantly, the only Mets starter to complete six innings since June 7 has been David Peterson. As a result, manager Carlos Mendoza has run relievers Reed Garrett, Huascar Brazoban, Jose Butto and Ryne Stanek into the ground. The bullpen had a 2.78 ERA through May, but that figure is over 5.00 since the beginning of June (ranking near the bottom of the majors)." "The Twins have two high-profile relievers in [Jhoan] Duran and [Griffin] Jax, both of whom are under team control through 2027, so they'll be much more expensive than your usual short-term relievers if the Twins decide to trade one or both," he continued. "Duran would be harder to deal -- but bring more in return -- so we'll say Jax will go. Don't be fooled by his 4.09 ERA: He has 68 strikeouts and 12 walks in 44 innings with a 97-mph heater. He's an elite strikeout reliever, the type you want on the mound in October." The Mets are hot despite their injuries, as they're on a four-game winning streak and just swept the Los Angeles Angels. Next up is a road trip against the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres. New York right-handed pitcher Clay Holmes (8-5, 3.48 ERA) will face Giants right-hander Logan Webb (9-7, 3.08 ERA) on Friday.
The Sixers are waiving Ricky Council IV, the team announced in a press release. Council signed a four-year, partially guaranteed deal with the Sixers in 2024, which contained a team option for the 2026-27 season. Last season, he averaged 7.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 17.1 minutes per night — all career-high numbers. Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports notes that the timing of the move was unexpected, given that Council’s guarantee date is on Jan. 10, 2026, and the team currently has an open roster spot if they need it to add restricted free agent Quentin Grimes. While Council struggled with his three-point shot last season, he emerged as a reliable depth contributor, playing a team-high 73 games while bringing athleticism and energy from the wing positions.