The Sims Forum member TOLKIEN, who’s often known for “inside scoops” of his friend that works at EA Sports in Burnaby has another crazy rumor – and this time he’s talking about why burglars are not included in The Sims 4.
According to him, the burglars are not included in the game because it might “trigger” sensitive players. That’s right. As crazy as it might sound, his explanation why they think the new generation of Sims players might not like this feature sounds very possible.
Apparently somebody during design felt that due to the nature of the Sims 4’s focus on the “home space lot”, that a burglar invading said space could feel like a violation to players, including inducing anxiety and possible trigger players who have experienced similar experiences.
Now I pointed out this seemed like a stretch considering previous Sims games had burglars, but my friend pointed out the Sims 4 was made for a new generation, with a team of producers surrounded by people OF that generation who would point out that the invasion of their home or safe place could create feelings of discomfort or possible even triggering. Indirectly I can see his point, I’ve been playing games for a long time and a lot of the stuff in earlier games I’ve played a decade ago would certainly NEVER make the cut in todays politically charged gaming environment.
My friend also pointed out that in “get to work” you investigate crimes, but that’s not the same as “BEING the victim of a crime”.
They’ve certainly had a lot of opportunity to add burglars with various expansions and patches (and who knows we might still get them!) However if you look at the overall goofy nature of much of the Sims 4, I could certainly see some truth in creating a safer, happy experience for sims players. Certainly being the victim of a burglary would be the opposite.
Now HOW much of this was embellishment on my friends part is hard to say, he LOVES to make a point – but still the basics of the rumor are believable – that “burglars” are simply no longer appropriate in a game like the Sims 4 targeting a new generation of players.
Many are not sure why did The Sims Team then allow Vampires to knock on the doors of your household in the middle of the night but that could just be a completely different scenario.
Of course nothing has been confirmed by EA so this is nothing more than a pure rumor (not even speculation as there’s no evidence).
Tip: PekeSims
okay… so what about the vampires ?
Yesterday one came to my sims house and drink her, and I couldn’t avoid it…
I think it’s the same problem… is it not a little hypocrite ?
I think if there are people out there who have a fear of burglars and are glad they are not included in the game, I’m sure there are people out there also who have a fear of vampires…I wouldn’t say its hypocritical of them, since its not added into the base game as burglars once were in previous versions of the Sims. Vampires are an add-on, and if there are people who feel triggered by it, I assume they’d just simply not download it..right? Just a thought
And what about the aliens in the Sims 2? I had a sim use the telescope since they rolled the want to and got my sim pregnant..
I miss burglars,i hope they add them in someday
I believe that it’s a game there is so many virtual reality games that has crime in it. The burglary feature was funny and it gave the cops something more to do and it gave us more game play . If burglary game play is so sensitive them they need to take out the kleptomaniac game play those two go hand and hand . The act of burglary is the same thing except that it can happen to the player unexpectedly or expectedly . Either way it brings a lesson to the game as well as when a sim with the kleptomaniac trait get caught they get embarrassed and I think that’s a game play that the cops can come in and make an arrest to. It’s basically the same. The lesson is stealing isn’t right as well as burglary. I hope it’s just a rumor it brings fun as well as a lesson to the game . I think firemen career should come back as well with more things to do. Yes sims 4 came out with a different generation but this new generation is growing in all different direction so you can put that on it either. There more things that are happening in this generation today that by adding something that was in the game for years that people seen and has happen to them and more shouldn’t cause sensitivity.
so we can get adopted by aliens but not robbed
It makes sense but maybe we can get robbers dressed up in cute animal costumes and they can steal some food from the fridge. I think that It won’t bring back anyone’s bad memories with robbery though! But I totally understand and respect the Team for thinking about everyone that’s so thoughtful of them!
Right because other video games of this “new” generation are ok?
Hopefully the sims 5 is better. As I’m writing this the PS5 will he announced soon so hopefully the sims 5 comes out on it. #fuckwhatmillenialswant
Well that sounds like a load of rubbish designed to get people riled up against young people.
I want burglars in TS4! Burglars have been fun
I miss burglars in a way, but wouldn’t an option to disable them be a good thing? Just like Sims 3 had with all supernaturals… Oh and please, do that to the bloodsuckers too! Vlad (the vampire) ran into my house and MURDERED MY SIM!
o yes . l love your idea
Vampire break ins are way worse. Our sims are victims of that, so why can’t a burglar come in a steal a few things.
I can understand the sentiment but that’s why they NEED to include an options panel in settings, it’s not that hard, and I know that as someone who knows coding.
i was thinking the same! I understand that, but there are some “traumatic” things in sims 4 too, die from a fire for example and they seem to be pretty ok with that…
honestly and they also have cps to take your child from you, that could be kinda traumatic
I miss burglars, they were fun in TS1-3!
This is the stupidest reason ever.
This is the stupidest reason ever.
I think it’d be more “triggering” to have a vampire break into your house, hypnotize you, and drink your blood [without consent] and then vanishing as opposed to a burglar breaking into your home to swipe a thing or two (whether or not you’re there).
Wow more politically correct bs to try and not ruffle any feathers.
Dude, it’s a rumor. Don’t get toxic. Political correctness is about not intentionally being a dick to people who are different than you. This “non-triggering” stuff is called being oversensitive, or over-the-top considerate, depending on where you stand — It’s not being politically correct.
The rumor makes no sense, and its truth is unlikely considering Vampires can break into your house and drink from you without you being able to do anything about it and without your consent, and that’d be wayyyyyyy more “triggering” for SJWs and/or people who have been victimized.
Agreed on the point about Vampires being more of a trigger than vampires, I’m so disgusted by Vampires’ ability to enter a home, wake a Sim from their sleep, “rape” their neck for blood and turn them into a vampire WITHOUT CONSENT or any player options to stop the process. I personally felt violated when a male Vampire did just this to one of my female Sims. Even after she told him to “Go Away” he hypnotized her for the second time so he could drink her blood.
Vampires can’t break in, they have to be invited.
Vlad doesn’t have to be invited.
Actually, they can. And the funny things is that it is the same as a burglar, minus the fact that they bite and not stealing stuff.
To be fair, being “non-triggering” is about the same. It’s just that political correctness is about what people ARE, versus triggering is about what people HAVE EXPERIENCED. Triggering is NOT “this makes me feel uncomfortable”; triggering IS “oh God, this brings back horrible memories and now I’m having a panic attack.” Or, to use Urban Dictionary’s example: “I was psychologically scarred watching my best friend get shot in the head as a young teen. That scene in the movie where they shot the hostages triggered unpleasant memories, and I felt myself reliving those horrible experiences again.”
That being said, you can take it too far. I don’t remember anyone having a negative reaction to the burglars of previous Sims game, beyond annoyance. As others have already said, a simple toggle in the Settings tab could take care of it quite handily.
Perfectly summed up. 🙂
I think this is just a crappy rumor… ive been the victim of a break in where they had me and my family at gunpoint and i dont see an issue. I am sure they will bring it back with an expansion that includes firefighters and cops (hopefully the military too)
THIS! I’ve been exactly in a similar situation and i don’t see how a bunch of cartoon pixels can be an issue.
I’ve woken to find a stranger in my room, stealing my stuff and then had him threaten to kill me when he realised I was awake. (Spoiler alert: I yelled for my Dad and the guy took off.) And you know what? I still enjoy watching crime shows, reading mysteries, etc. I could let myself be triggered by such things, but I refuse to. That said, it did annoy me when a burglar showed up in previous Sims games. IIRC, time slowed down and you couldn’t enter build/buy mode until they left. So I’m not bothered if they add it into TS4 or not.
It’s simple then. Add them in a Game Pack, and the people who would be “triggered” don’t have to buy it. If they DO buy it, then it’s their own fault, because the fact that the pack added crime would be impossible to miss.
Also, I get the idea that homes are supposed to be safe, but when my Sim can be bitten by a vampire, set on fire, etc in his own house, the idea that stereotypical cartoon burglars would “trigger” anyone, and that Maxis has to comply to the 1% of people who are, is a little silly to me.
It’s like that lady boarding that plane recently, who was deathly allergic to dogs, but rather than leave the plane, demanded the Service Dog be removed from the plane. If they are so “triggered” by this, you would think they wouldn’t risk it at all. But no, they demand everything revolve around them, so the 99% of people who want them are left in the dust.
A mi me encantaría que los sims 4 tuvieran ladrones la verdad, no veo que eso nos vaya a crear ningún estrés ni mucho menos. Al contrario, le daría más vida al juego, que todo el mundo sale muy tranquilo a la calle y duermen tranquilos todas las noches. Yo creo que los ladrones le darían un muy buen punto al juego. De lo contrario seguirá teniendo el punto de aburrido.
Ademas ahora con las mascotas, si hubiesen ladrones, podrían defender nuestra casa o despertarnos para llamar a la policía, ademas que ser policía y tenerlos en el juego ahora tendría más significado.
I don’t buy it. If they’re worried about triggering people, why do they let vampires break into your house and attack you? Makes no sense.
Gotta be honest, I feel more triggered by vampires than by burglar. If you let the burglar go, then they will not bother you anymore
I could see the point if we didnt have kleptos and evil sims. Could be entirely possible they didnt think robbers are a necessary part of the past games. So they decided to opt out.
then why the heck did they include the Kleptomaniac trait? if it triggers simmers?
One way to know for sure: Do a poll!
Is it weird to say I thought it was actually pretty funny with every heart attack a burglar alert gave me? I’d nearly jump out of my skin but then laugh it off and watch them steal my toilets and plants. Honestly, I want them back.
Can someone add burglary to his/her own TS4 game?
This makes 0 sense to me. They already have home invaders in the Sims 4. They’re called Vampires. They often come into your home, WHILE YOU SLEEP and physically violate you. I mean.. if we’re talking potential triggers – how was THAT not considered a canditate for the list?
Of course, it’s all ridiculous. All they have to do to get around that issue is take a leaf out of their get famous pack. Make “burglary” an option that can be turned off if the player is not into that scenario. You can turn fame off (you can even make it so you can’t even see the shine from fame) along with other game mechanisms, like aging and weather – why not have burglary as an opt in system?
For these reasons ALONE I doubt the voracity of this claim. But if it really IS why we don’t have our beloved little rogues any more, then they’ve been very very silly. It’s easily delt with.
They made this for the “new generation” that why it is on the borderline of sucking. There are a million + other games they can choose from. Don’t make all of us pay for someone inability to cope with a “fictional video game”. Geez we can’t enjoy a lot of older features because someone does not know how to differentiate real life from a video game?
Play all the pc stuff with the new sims.os more ridiculous everytime I play it, hope sims 5 didn’t fallow these cha he’s cause when u look at fourms most of the time ppl are complaining about the game and how dumbed down it is.. like for real some.of it just seems.like excuse to half butt it .. we need to be able to call fire department and police for both impression and because sims.constantly refuse to leave your lot or outright cannot even ask them to leave.. it’s so annoying.
Okay my phone decided to change every other word from what I actually typed… Another user-friendly but problematic feature in tech made to make things easy for my generation… I’m not thankful… I played older sims games and while some.of the functionality of sims 4 makes trying to go back impossible for me long term, there are still so many things I wish for back…. Ghosts being color coded for instance from what died of so they don’t all feel the same… The emotional color change is stupid.. also not being able to call police or fire department is imerssion breaking and of they include those they outta have a option for what crime of it’s not burgurler you could get sims off your property, stop that kleptomaniac sim or vampire by calling the vampire squad cause I think they should get their own police response die to their powers… Aliens same thing or occult.. but bottom line get them off our property when we can’t ask them to leave… Let us change the color of cellings to match our house, improve pov camera controls and clipping.. allow us more advanced build tools as a option set which we can build anything we want like in sims three. A color wheel or select your own color with a few suggested colors near each item but ultimately let us pic.. and instead of going this direction look at the success of the cereal killer and woohoo modes and add more semi mature content but keep it optional..
agreed
Ah yes, a game where you can drown children but burglars are triggering.
lol. robbers must be in sims4 . even in 20th century we have robbers.
lol why bother? with a burglar alarm, it is a 100% rate police will able to catch the thief
That kinda explains why Ghosts weren’t added to the base game as well. Having them appear on the lot with a whooshing sound would scare sensitive people. Also pools for those who are hydrophobic….
*well initially. The devs did find a way to make Ghosts more fun in the free update.
I think that this is reasonable
EA Games, it’s in the BS
So burglars can’t come in, but vampires can and they can attack you, no triggers there… I see…
A vampire is sure as heck more frightening at the door than a burglar. At least crooks just grab the TV. The vampire assaults/attacks innocent Sims! Hurting them and potentially turning them! Not to mention that crippling drain
There’s plenty of mention about the vampires who break in and suck your blood, but what about the fact that you can be kidnapped by aliens and become pregnant? I’m guessing that r*pe might be more “triggering” for those who have survived an attack IRL than a burglar or a make-believe vampire.
Sooo.. basically, somebody is triggered by the idea that somebody, somewhere in the process of development, may possibly have considered somebody else?
Sure, they could go get a mod that lets them do what they want, but instead, they have to be offended by the idea that there’s a rumor that the game has been affected by the possibility of somebody else being offended. “OMG how horrible! There exists a person who doesn’t consider me the center of the universe!”
Now THERE’S somebody to take seriously!
I just don’t understand why the feature wasn’t added and provide players with an option to turn off the burglar animations if they wish to?!
Although a number of players may have been a victim of a similar crime a lot of simmers who have played since day one like traditional features of the game that seem to always be the first thing to be stripped out!?
What a load of crap if that is how EA thinks all they have to do is make it a switch that turns on burglars or turns them off in the preload screen. To deny the vast majority the right to punch a burglar on the nose just because someone may be over sensitive is political correctness gone mad. If people are that sensitive they probably should be doing arts and crafts rather than play computer games.
Very easy fix. Someone is probably gonna make a mod that disables burglars or MCCC may have such an option. If not that, there could be a lot trait that, at the very least, lowers the chance of burglars, and of course burglar alarms. Anyway, if this is true (Which I doubt it is because of vampires breaking into your house at night) then it’s a stupid reason. Most people want burglars back, they’ve always existed in the sims, there’s no convincing reason for why they can’t be added back in. Yes, maybe some people are traumatised from being robbed or something of the sort but again, a mod or a lot trait could fix that. And there will always be people who may feel anxious about whatever situation but you can’t cater to absolutely everyone.
sims 1 burglar music spooked the shit out of 7yr old me so i get it
Thats a good arguement but at the end of the day why cant they do what they with whims some dont like them so they made an option why cant they do that with burgalars
Seriously Ea team . Robbers must be in sims 4 cause we need to be realistic . Why then rate the game teen when we dont have crime, realistic life experiences, periods and so on?
I am 15 . Sims 4 doesnt even have cars . So whats the point to buy a non realistic game like sims 4
thats why i added a mod that lets you commit acts of violance and i stabed the vampire to death it was great he stoped sneeking in than i laphed at his can of ashes