It’s been known ever since the first Sims game that The Sims has always tried to be inclusive and try to tell as many diverse stories as possible. The Sims 4 has been the most progressive in terms of representation. However, it seems that The Sims Team won’t just stop improving upon Sims after their CAS Gender Customization Update.
Many simmers have been wondering if making Sims with certain disabilities would ever become a reality. Turns out The Sims Team is extremely interested in improving in this field and would love to represent actual challenges and obstacles that certain people in the real world put up with daily. This is a very sensitive topic considering that the entire Sims 4 universe has been portrayed by rather perfect Sims who are only challenged by specific traits, emotions and situations around them.
SimGuruGrant, one of the producers on The Sims 4 has shown interest over the last few months regarding how they can include more differently abled people to the world of The Sims 4.
Still something we’d like to do at some point. https://t.co/I8tqVvns0i
— Grant Rodiek (@SimGuruGrant) August 16, 2018
We haven’t been able to make any real progress on it, but I was talking to some Simmers who use wheelchairs a month or so ago and they helped us solve some design challenges. I’d be very very cool to do. https://t.co/McZOTU8WAI
— Grant Rodiek (@SimGuruGrant) June 29, 2018
I would want to have wheelchairs to reflect the stories of differently abled people. But, it could also work with elders and others. https://t.co/z3CnfOCxNy
— Grant Rodiek (@SimGuruGrant) June 29, 2018
It’s a HUGE opportunity I want us to solve.
— Grant Rodiek (@SimGuruGrant) June 8, 2018
However, after the feedback he’s gotten and the tweets he’s posted about him wanting to add this feature now he’s confirmed that things have gone to a whole different level. After being asked if he’d like to see disabilities added to The Sims 4 he answered saying that The Sims Team is actively thinking about this feature.
Yes. We are actively pondering this right now. https://t.co/NQdtWe3Xqe
— Grant Rodiek (@SimGuruGrant) September 5, 2018
Give us a little time. It's important.
— Grant Rodiek (@SimGuruGrant) September 5, 2018
It’s great to see that The Sims Team has taken something like this seriously with a big desire to implement it to The Sims 4. With the promise that The Sims 4 will serve new content for at least the next 3 years there’s plenty of time for this feature to be thought out, designed and polished. However, only time will tell…
This version is already ‘disabled.’ We don’t need any additional hinderance.
Wish they would add autsim and learning disablilits too
Sorry? Rethink what you just said…
@Ethan: By ‘disabled,’ I meant not functional, and lacking content. There won’t be anything for disabled characters to do other than suffer at home. It’s you who should think before replying.
What I really want to see is a very wide variety of disabilities and certain skills available to each of them and as someone who has a deaf family member and knows sign language, I would really appreciate this feature. Being able to teach someone sign language or braille or to train a dog to become a service dog would be good and to allow Sims to work as a caregiver or an interpreter, all this stuff.
I don’t think they could sell it though, as trying to sell disabilities isn’t remotely okay. I would still buy it but I know a lot of people would have a few issues.
What does upset me though is people saying “forced onto them at birth” or “give it to them in CAS”. I know this is probably how it will go down, but it feels wrong to make a sim’s life more difficult for the sake of storytelling. Also, I’m certain many people will use this to make fun of real life disabilities which would be very distasteful. Not sure how this will pan out…
If we really think about it though… will people be willing to play as a deaf or blind Sim or any other Sim with disabilities? Communication will be difficult if it’s portrayed accurately. This goes for other disabilities. How will we deal with the outcomes of these disabilities? For example, seizures. What position does this put the Sim in? Seeing a Sim having a seizure isn’t exactly appropriate… Now, I’m not trying to say people with disabilities are burdens, I’m just saying, how will they represent these disabilities in a light where Simmers aren’t confused, where it’s appropriate and yet accurate?
This should be a thing is so
will mental disorders be part of it? And if so which ones ?
I really hope they don’t, sure it would bring interessting gameplay and maybe also people that actually don’t deal with disabled people might get sensitive for it, but there are a lot of crazy and perverted simmers. Most players only think of killing sims etc and they would even use children if possible so please don’t give those even more possiblities to play their crazyness further. It’s terrible what some make out of our beautiful game.