The Sims has been around for decades, creating some of the most played video games such as The Sims:1-4, Sims City, and Sims Mobile. I have been playing ever since I was little, starting on my friend’s computer, then upgrading to having my own PC setup with all the packs.
While I have The Sims 4, I also have The Sims 3 to play. Even though The Sims 3 don’t have the same inclusive aspects that the Sims 4 have, the gameplay is the same as the Sims 4, if not better.
From watching gameplays from Sims creators on YouTube, to finally playing games on my own, it became a form of comfort and a mini escape from the endless homework assignments and exams.
The Sims franchise is a life simulation game where players are able to create and control their own sims and manage their daily lives and relationships. The Sims allows for a creative outlet, whether it’s from creating a sim and designing their appearance and outfits, or by building lots and decorating their homes and lots.
The Sims is known for being an inclusive video game, representing the LQBTQ+ community by creating queer characters in the game and introducing gender customization such as the ability to customize a sim’s identity and pronouns in the base game.
Recently there was some alarming news circulating in the sims community about the company being sold to private investors. The video game itself isn’t necessarily being sold, but the parent company, EA (Electronic Arts) was sold for $55 billion dollars which includes all the games owned by Electronic Arts (the Sims 4 being one of them). The reason why this is alarming for many individuals in this video game industry is because PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners have bought EA. These companies, specifically PIF (Public Investment Fund) owned by a wealth fund that is owned by the Saudi Arabian Government, and Affinity partners are owned by Jared Kushner.
While there are no changes until the expected close in 2027, the gaming community is actively expressing concerns of the new ownership. The main concerns are the oppressive, homophobic and sexist nature of the new investors, and that they could potentially set back all of the process The Sims have made on being inclusive to all parties.
With the news hitting hard for some players and creators, it has created a spark that has led many players to no longer want to invest in the game and buy game packs, some not wanting to play anymore, and some creators leaving content creation for the game.
For me personally, I didn’t realize how bad this could potentially be for the future of the game and the future packs and updates until I started to research who owned these companies and what their investment with Electronic Arts could potentially lead to.
The new change of ownership leaves me feeling conflicted with the game’s future quality and inclusive nature. While The Sims didn’t have anything to necessarily do with the change, they will now be ruled over by a completely different viewpoint.
This sudden announcement
makes me sad for the Sims team and all of the positive changes they have made for the game and all of the players, and I do have concerns that there might be a new team in the future making changes that set back the entire game.
