Since its birth in 2000, The Sims has provided players with a way to simulate and personalize the real world in a virtual setting. Same-sex couples have been around since TS1 , and today’s long rumored update takes The Sims’ mission of accurately reflecting the world a step further. Giving players even more control, EA and Maxis have expanded Create-A-Sim mode to let players give their Sims any type of hairstyle, physique or clothing regardless of their gender.
“It’s important for all our players to have the tools to be creative and express themselves in an inclusive environment,” lead producer Lyndsay Pearson told iDigitalTimes ahead of the update, which has been in the works for more than a year.
The Sims team retrofitted all in-game items (over 700) previously only available to either male or female. All of the Create-A-Sim content pieces are now available to use for any Sim, including features like walk style, voice pitch and makeup.
“We have a long history of creating an inclusive environment for all our players,” Pearson said. “Our community would often ask us why a certain hairstyle or piece of clothing was specific to one gender or the other.”
The main interface change in Create A Sim, also known as CAS, is the addition of the ‘Customize Gender Settings’ tab. After specifying the sex of your new Sim, players then have the option to answer four questions:
- Is your Sims’ frame masculine or feminine?
- Does your Sim prefer masculine or feminine attire?
- Can your Sim get (or get another Sim) pregnant? (available for teens, but not children)
- Can your Sim use the toilet while standing?
There are, of course, players who don’t see eye to eye with this change. However, the transition shouldn’t come as a surprise considering The Sims has always valued creativity and control. The new filter and sorting navigations in Create-A-Sim make this update almost entirely optional.
“We provide the tools and leave it to the player to decide how they want to engage with it. This update is entirely in line with that philosophy. We’re providing new opportunities, and how a player uses them (or not) is up to them,” Pearson said.
The Create-A-Sim update will not impact randomly generated NPC’s, Pearson confirmed. The gender customization options only apply to player-created Sims.
“Any changes that may result from this will be directly tied to choices the player makes. If you decide your Sim can’t get pregnant for example, then that Sim won’t get pregnant,” Pearson added.
There are few games with customization options like The Sims, more specifically features that allow players to create transgender characters. In game mode, players can now even go back and edit their Sims’ gender traits with the new ‘Change Sim’ option.
“We want to make sure players can create characters they can identify with or relate to through powerful tools that give them influence over a Sims gender, age, ethnicity, body type and more,” Pearson said.
For more information from the dev team, check out the latest patch notes . The next Sims 4 game pack, Dine Out , releases June 7.
