Tim LeTourneau Former Sims producer has passed away
Tim LeTourneau, long-time The Sims producer, has died.
LeTourneau worked at Maxis for eight years, and then at EA for a further five after it acquired The Sims' studio.
A 3D artist who said LeTourneau had "changed [their] life" when he took them on "at the age of 23 with no experience and no professional training, just a ton of passion for making games" similarly made a touching tribute. "The entire Maxis family is shocked and devastated to hear that we lost Tim LeTourneau this weekend," they wrote. "Making a Sims game is incredibly difficult and takes hundreds of thousands of hours from hundreds of people in many disciplines. Tim's job was to see that it all came together, that people were treated fairly, and that the fans got the best game we could deliver. He did all of that and more, with a big smile and a dose of his generous laughter. "The real beauty of The Sims was always the commitment to inclusiveness, openness, and the humanity of not only our simulated people, but the real ones who bring them to life. It's difficult to keep such projects true their original vision and free of the worst impulses of corporate owned game development and as a producer Tim was the best there has ever been. He was mentor to a lucky few, was a friend to a great many, a leader for thousands, and a champion for millions of gamers. "There is a reason why I called it the Maxis family, because it has been that for most who work and worked there," they concluded. "A place where we could all contribute our skills, passion, and visions while keeping our humor, our energy, and our sanity. Tim was a true father of that family."
Several townies and NPC's from The Sims 2 were named after Tim LeTourneau and voice actor Donna LeTourneau and if you listen to Sims while they're playing Marco Polo they say TimLe and Tourneau: