Meet a SimGuru

Simmers, it's been so exciting to watch The Sims™ 4 Get Famous Expansion Pack* evolve into an incredible pack! With the launch getting closer, we'd like to introduce you to SimGuruNinja.

Hey, SimGuruNinja! Please tell us a little about yourself.

Name and rank, huh? Sure, let’s do this.

My name is Dave Miotke. I’ve been with Maxis for over 10 years. I’m a California Bay Area native and love traveling the world as much as possible. I have a couple of children and a golden retriever puppy whom I love and adore. When not laughing and smiling with them, I spend my hobby time playing games, tinkering around the garden and house, and collecting toys. I worked on some of The Sims 2 packs back in the day as well as the My Sims and Sims Medieval titles. I play a vast, wide assortment of games (both electronic and board) but am particularly enthralled by simulation and turn-based strategy games.

What do you do on The Sims 4?

I’m currently the lead producer of The Sims 4 Get Famous Expansion Pack and have worked on the Sims 4 series as a producer since before the launch of the base game. I work heavily on both Expansion and Game Packs like Get to Work, Get Together, Dine Out, Vampires, Parenthood, Jungle Adventure, and . . . more 😉.

Can you describe your job as a producer?

It really depends on the day of the week! Some days we’re artistic. We assist designers in creating the vision for a pack or feature. Some days we’re cheerleaders. We communicate to the team the status and quality of the pack or feature in relation to where we’re at in the project versus where we should be. Some days we’re sheriffs. We constantly push the team to add more, go deeper, polish it further, etc.
Some days we’re players. We diligently play and rate the pack or features to ensure we’re on track to hit the high-quality, polished benchmark that our players expect and demand.

But all days, we’re The Sims 4 developers and players that love our game deeply and desperately want to share it with every gamer in the world!

Why did you want to become a SimGuru?

As a Guru, I get to directly connect to the people who are going to play our game. I can tell them what’s coming or what’s happening. I can listen to and try to answer their praise, questions, comments, concerns. I can be around people who are as passionate about this game as me. Why wouldn’t I want to be a Guru? Being this close to the community is totally worth it! I get the immediate word on the street – the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s ridiculously helpful and important for us to hear unfiltered feedback.

What do you love most about the Sims community?

This community is one of the most varied, diverse group of gamers/humans I’ve ever had the pleasure of being a part of. I think this is really a testament to The Sims and how open-ended this sandbox game really is. Where else will you find seemingly disparate playstyles (builders, challenge runners, CAS-oriented simmers, family players, etc.) not only supported by, but also attracted to, the same game? It is magical to see everyone from all walks of life come together under the happy, inclusive banner of The Sims.

It makes me appreciate the vast differences we all have and the special, unique contributions that varied individuals and groups have offered to this melting pot community as a whole.

I love this crazy mob!

What is your favorite in-game career, and why? What is your favorite in-game skill?

It varies. I usually want to play whatever the new hotness is at the moment, but generally fall back to more self-employed ways of earning Simoleons.

What’s your go-to gaming snack?

Whatever is bad for you. Sugar, salt, fat?

*sheepishly raises hand *

Yes, yes, yes. May I have another, please?

PC or console?

All the things. Wherever the best exclusives go, I go. Wherever has the best play experience, I play there. Shout out to The Sims 4 on consoles; the best console Sims experience to date!

Thanks to SimGuruNinja for this awesome interview! Check him out on Twitter, and while you’re at it, check out The Sims 4 Forums, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for all of the latest. Sign up for The Sims 4 newsletter to get updates, exclusive offers, and more (including other EA news, products, events, and promotions) by email and get Grim's Goulish Guitar for free!

*Requires The Sims 4 game (sold separately) and all game updates to play. See minimum system requirements for this pack.