The Sims 4 Fan-Requested Skin Tone Update Is Live A Day Early
EA has released its long-awaited skin color update for The Sims 4 a day early. The popular life simulation game is one of EA's most profitable titles; in addition to the decently expansive base game, fans can avail themselves of any number of a staggering array of DLC expansions, offering everything from new clothing and furniture, to pets, to fantasy realms. One pack even sends the game's eponymous Sims to a galaxy far, far away in an officially licensed Star Wars expansion.
But as expansive (and expensive) as The Sims 4's library of expansion packs is, many believe the game has fallen short of offering an accurate presentation of real life. Specifically, fans have complained about the game's lack of representation concerning people of color. EA, to its credit, has promised to swiftly address these complaints, and back in September it announced an update that would improve the skin tone selection in the game and add 100 more options for players to more accurately express real-world skin colors. It's a strong step in the right direction, and something that definitely should have been in the game to begin with.
To the likely surprise of many fans, that update is now live, having released a day earlier than expected. The news comes courtesy of The Sims' own Twitter page, which shared the announcement along with a brief video outlining the changes. More than 100 new skin tones have been added, and there's a slider-based customization system as well, to make sure players have exactly the skin color they want. These heightened customization tools have been applied to makeup as well, and EA has added three improved base game hairstyles. There's also an overhaul to the main menu so that Sims 4 players can stay up to date on all the latest in-game news.
It's always heartening to see a company responding to feedback in such a constructive way. EA can even be seen in the replies to this announcement thanking certain social media personalities for their feedback and conversations on how best to implement these new colors, proving that it's been taking this matter very seriously. It's another example in a recent trend of developers taking strides to improve representation in games; back in September, developer Thunder Lotus issued an apology for including ableist writing in its game Spiritfarer. It's good to see more and more companies, especially big names like EA, recognizing their mistakes and working to fix them.
At the same time, Rome wasn't built in a day. The Sims 4 still has a long way to go to improve its representation. Body diversity and disabilities, for instance, would be important inclusions for the future. But if today's skin tone update is any indication, The Sims 4 is making a solid commitment to making its game more inclusive and making sure that everyone can see themselves in their simulated creations.
Source: The Sims
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/2VRwT5i
via Whole story
Post a Comment