In 2004 the first sequel to The Sims was released, and the PC gaming world went nuts. The Sims 2 brought a level of personalization and in-depth gameplay to simulation gaming that had never been seen before. This is where fans first edited the faces and bodies of their characters, as well as the beginning of the family tree aspect of the game, with sims aging into old age and passing the torch to their children and grandchildren.

At the time, I had one person to share the excitement and awe with. One person, as I had not yet discovered any online communities who discussed The Sims, or any gaming topics at all. But here we are on the cusp of 2016, and I share an online platform with that very same person I had geeked out over this topic with so long ago. It’s incredible to me that there are pre-teens running amok with multiple community accounts and online friends who never dealt with the loneliness of fandom that we experienced at their age. The internet is a wonderful thing.

On December 8th the team at EA released the second expansion pack for their latest sim venture, The Sims 4: Get Together. This pack had me a little skeptical at first, honestly. The trailers and descriptions seemed like the pack would simply offer new ways for your characters to roam about town together. With the addition of the DJ skill and a few hot spot locations, of course, just as previous “party” installments have in the past. Didn’t quite seem worth the $40 price tag.

But, through the power of online communications, I was able to see video, hear commentary, and read reviews of the game not 24-hours after it’s release. Am I going to purchase at the current price? Probably not, seeing as it is the holiday season, but discovering what the game actually offers the player, I’m really interested in giving this expansion pack a chance. From a gorgeous new map and town, to hilarious interactions within the clubs, Get Together looks to be another home-run for The Sims 4 team, which is saying something because I love Get to Work.

I wouldn’t have known any of this if it weren’t for the internet, and I am amazed by that. We use the internet every single day for catching up on movie news and seeing what our favorite celebrities posted on Twitter, but never stop to think about what things were like only a decade ago. The Sims communities on Youtube, Reddit, and other fan-sites are so fun to get into, and I recommend checking out folks like Lazy Game Reviews, The English Simmer, and Deligracy for hilarious and insightful Let’s Play videos and reviews.

Online communities and fan-made websites are a great way for fans of the franchise to “get together” from across the world.