THE Sims 4 said trans and PWD rights!
One of the top-grossing video games, The Sims 4, recently announced new additional game features for a more inclusive gameplay experience.
According to its publisher Electronic Arts (EA), players can now equip their sims, or virtually simulated persons, with new wearable medical devices, surgery scars, binders, and shapewear to fully customize their in-game characters.
These additional features seem exciting, but EA noted that these enhancements do not have any gaming functions.
“While we have added quite a few new assets, these are purely visual and don’t add new gameplay functionality,” EA wrote.
Top surgical scars
In an attempt to be more inclusive, especially to transgender players, the game added top surgical scar options under the in-game Body Scars category, which can be applied to both male and female sims regardless of their age. This gives an impression that the sim may have had breast surgery in the process of their gender transformations.
Shapewear and binders
Aside from the new surgical scars, Simmers can now dress their characters with new shapewear and binders for both teen and older sims.
“Under the Tanks, in the Tops category, you will find a Binder top asset for your Teen and older Sims,” EA wrote. “In the Underwear category for Bottoms, there is a new shapewear asset for your Sims as well!”
These binders and shapewear help compress breast and other body parts and provide more curvature to the sim’s body. With these, trans players can feel more comfortable in expressing themselves virtually, especially those who can’t afford or are not yet ready for body-altering surgeries.
Medical wearables
EA also added a function to allow players to let their sims wear medical devices like hearing aids and glucose monitors. These can be found under Body and Face Accessories in Create a Sim mode.
Hearing aids come in 15 different colors and can be worn by toddler or older sims. This wearable can also be assigned to the left, right, or both ears.
Meanwhile, glucose monitors can be added to the sim’s right and left arm and abdomen.
Netizens react
Many netizens praised this initiative from the game developer as it promotes representation for two minorities in society.
While fans seem to love this update, they are also requesting more expansion from EA, asking for more medical devices and equipment like wheelchairs and feeding tubes.
What is The Sims 4?
Developed by Maxis and published by EA, The Sims 4 is a life simulation video game that allows players to “create unique characters, build dream homes, and let chaos unfold.”
The game is free to play and players can create their own path in accordance with their preferred storylines.
Initially released in 2014, this single-player video game is the fourth title under The Sims franchise series that has sold over 200 million copies worldwide.
Banner courtesy: The Sims 4
