In RPGs or closed games, disabled characters can often be underdeveloped simply because they are not the focus of the story. These characters are often one sided, their disabilities add-ons, not a meaningful way to add substance or depth. Games that feature disabled characters are typically narratively based characters are often treated as flavoring, added diversity to an otherwise homogeneous cast. The Sims is not alone in its lack of representation, but the game’s omission of the community strikes harder than most. Of the characters featured on the list: 27 are white men, 12 are non-human men, 9 are white women, 1 is a man of color, and all 50 are able bodied. Meanwhile, searching “Best Video game characters of all time” leads you to a list of some of the most popular video games ever created. Researching games that feature disabled characters leads you to list after list showcasing the same ten or so examples over and over again, most of which are non-playable secondary characters. The amount of disabled characters, however, has remained stagnant. The representation of minorities in contemporary video games has always been abysmal games that feature characters that are racially diverse or are members of the LGBT community are few and far between, though numbers have been on the rise within the past decade. The Sims has never been more inclusive to its player-base this is why the exclusion of a major population seems so abrasive. One in four adults live with a disability in the United States – 61 million people (CDC, 2018). In a game franchise that is centered around simulated living, the creation of a universe intended to mimic the real world in which players can be and do and create whatever they wish, the utter lack of disabilities seems at best odd and at worst a willful neglect of a community that already sees a lack of representation in modern media. I am practically addicted to the game franchise, so when I say that The Sims has neglected a major aspect of simulation gaming, it is not without a bittersweet taste in my mouth.
SIMS 4 FIRST PERSON UPDATE MOD
I spend hours browsing mod forums to find the perfect outfit that fits my Sim’s personality, and I put way too much thought into interior design. Over the past fifteen years I have bought every released game pack, stuff pack, and expansion pack EA has to offer. When I say that I am a mega fan of The Sims franchise, that is not an exaggeration.
SIMS 4 FIRST PERSON UPDATE SERIES
Her short-term goal is to complete the entire Mass Effect series by the time she graduates. Her long-term goal is to contribute to the diversification of mainstream media through the inclusion of strongly written characters of minority groups. All he was missing was a Chuckie costume.Danielle Marascalchi is a senior at Emerson College in Boston, studying visual media arts. This kid couldn’t take out his anger on his younger brother, so he directed his rage at his parents. The mod allows toddlers to stab adults in the neck or gut, or set them on fire. Thanks to the Sacrificial Studio mod, I got to turn what would have been a sweet homecoming for the new baby into a total nightmare. Thankfully, the mother is spared from watching her body get slashed in first person mode, but it doesn’t take away the noises, the screams, and the confused grunts from the doctor as she tries to make the machine work.īut that’s not the worst of it. There is only a cross between an MRI machine and an iron lung with robotic arms that cut into your belly and extract your baby.
There is no simple gurney with stirrups to hold your legs. Only first-time mothers don’t know of the horror that awaits them in the delivery room. To make matters worse, his parents decided to have another baby, which is an adventure in itself.