The Sims 4 from EA is more than a decade old, but it's still going strong. The game's large fan base continues to spend their days living virtual lives, thanks in part to how easily the game can run on modern hardware.
As it's still popular, there is still new content released for Sims 4. In March, EA released the Businesses & Hobbies Expansion Pack, which included, as the title suggests, the option for you to make your own small business within the game. There is also a wealth of fan-made mods for the game that make a variety of changes, such as revamping certain in-game systems, allowing online multiplayer, and even creating a more realistic childbirth.
There is a mod, however, that has caused a bit of controversy. DEI Remover 1.0.0 is a mod that changes the diverse character options found in the game into "straight" and "white" characters. EA is reportedly trying to have the mod removed from various websites, but it keeps on being re-uploaded, according to a report from Wired.
Sims 4 content creator DanielleBuilds posted about the mod on her Facebook account at the end of April.
"Just came across a Sims 4 mod that 'removes DEI' by forcing all pre-made Sims to be white, straight, thin, and even changing LGBTQ+ couples into siblings," she wrote. "This isn’t just a mod. It’s intentionally erasing representation and pushing a harmful & disgusting agenda. The Sims has always been about creativity, diversity, and making space for everyone to tell their story. This completely goes against that."
The controversial mod was available on one forum, and EA reportedly contacted the admin of that site to remove the mod. The admin took issue with EA's request, calling it an act of targeted censorship, the report says.
EA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about the mod.
Posted by daniellebuilds on
The fight over diversity in video games.
There has been a growing war over diversity in video games. It took a turn last year when consulting company Sweet Baby Inc. was at the center of the controversy.
Sweet Baby Inc. is brought in by video game developers to help with the game narrative. This includes scriptwriting, narrative design, and cultural consultations to make sure characters in the game have some authenticity.
However, a few vocal gamers viewed the company as the source of unpopular narrative choices for games such as Alan Wake 2, God of War Ragnarok, and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. In turn, those gamers created groups on Steam and Discord channels intended to discourage people from buying any game that Sweet Baby Inc. supposedly worked on. This built up conspiracy theories about the company, making it the scapegoat for seemingly anything negative about the video game industry.
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