One of the longest running life simulation games had a big update recently. The Sims 4 has erased all gender boundaries from their options. According to the Associated Press, EA worked with LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) for a year to on the update. While mods for the pc version have unofficially removed such barriers over the years, to see a triple A gaming company make an official update is a huge step for gamers of all kinds.
The Sims have always had a LGBTQ representation since its debut 2000, when they allowed same sex couple options for characters. With the added transgender element, you can now make the character represent exactly who you are, or who you want to be. With over 700 pieces of content that used to be gender specific, you have a huge resource of untapped customization at your fingertips. Also along with that, the you can change the gender of your sim whenever you want. As Rachel Franklin, executive producer, quoted to the Associated Press in an email:
“female Sims can wear sharp men’s suits like Ellen (DeGeneres), and male Sims can wear heels like Prince.”
This is a huge step in the right direction for gaming as a whole. With a huge title like The Sims, this may let other triple A titles be encouraged to do the same with their customization options. Maybe in the future we will have more characters that are LGBTQ in more games. While video games still struggle at times with diversity, its great to see a much loved game catching up with the times. I can’t wait to see what is in store for other Sims games going forward.
