Following the release of the reveal trailer for The Sims 4 Snowy Escape, some players from South Korea raised concerns about problematic and culturally insensitive imagery featured in the trailer. The trailer appeared to depict Sims bowing at a shrine and the pattern of a sunburst on some items of clothing.
South Korean players pointed out that these images are a painful reminder of historical events during WWII that are still deeply felt today.
Today, @SimGuruGraham took to Twitter to assure players that in light of this knowledge, they have edited the reveal trailer and removed the offensive material from the expansion. Sims will no longer bow at the shrines and depictions of the rising sun pattern have been removed.
Hi, Simmers! We modified the reveal trailer for The Sims 4 Snowy Escape and have made changes to the pack to respect our Korean players. I want you to know that those changes will be in-game when Snowy Escape launches.
— Graham Nardone (@SimGuruGraham) October 23, 2020
We aim to be inclusive. We involve others both within and outside of our team, and we listen to them as representatives of the cultures that we draw inspiration from. We’re unwavering in our commitment to representing more of our player’s lives in an authentic and respectful way.
— Graham Nardone (@SimGuruGraham) October 23, 2020
For players outside of East Asia who may not be familiar with the negative cultural and historical impact of these in-game depictions, please see our previous article on this subject, South Korean Players Raise Concern Over Insensitive Imagery in The Sims 4 Snowy Escape.
Sims Community would like to remind its readers that comments on this and all our articles are being moderated and we reserve the right to remove any comments that are abusive or otherwise disrespectful. Thank you.
Really glad to see this news! I hope other people around world as well as EA, could know about tragic history of Korea.
Good Job EA!! 🙂
Wow, I’m actually surprised. I’m glad they were able to see those major issues and fix them. I just think it’s tragic that so many fans were completely insensitive to the Korean players feelings. Thank goodness the team decided to make the necessary changes.
I am saddened by EA’s decision and disappointed by Sim Guru Graham, he was my favorite. Bowing and praying (by my own will, mind you) at a shrine in Japan is one of the more fascinating things to do visiting there. Now even my Japanese (themed) Sims will not be able to bow at a shrine. It’s frustrating because I doubt the Sims will even bow against your/their will. Many of us will be waiting for modders to enable the bowing gesture once again.
Till then, there had better be more things in the pack that make it feel distinctly Japanese because this is the first pack in so long that I have been excited for.
I’m fine with changing the fan pattern (or so called rising sun to others) on the clothes, but making people unable to bow at the shrine seems like giving in to ultranationalist racism.
Honestly, I can understand the pattern. That it can be offensive so I can see that changing it is better, however the bowing is a big part of japanese culture. I liked that that was included, so that they just removed without thought about how players who looked forward to it would feel upsets me. I understand that it would be disrespectful for the Korean players but wouldn’t it have been better to make it a choice the player can make. So that if one does not want it in their game they can just turn it off. Like weather and environment effecting Sim… I just feel disappointed and I don’t know upset about the decision. Because it is not inclusive more like picking something out because there was trouble and it was easier than working out a solution which would satisfy all.
Honestly, I can understand the pattern. That it can be offensive so I can see that changing it is better, however the bowing is a big part of japanese culture. I liked that that was included, so that they just removed without thought about how players who looked forward to it would feel upsets me. I understand that it would be disrespectful for the Korean players but wouldn’t it have been better to make it a choice the player can make. So that if one does not want it in their game they can just turn it off. Like weather and environment effecting Sim… I just feel disappointed and I don’t know upset about the decision. Because it is not inclusive more like picking something out because there was trouble and it was easier than working out a solution which would satisfy all.
Censorship, Korean sjws are almost as bad as Western ones.
Well that’s annoying. Only a couple people complain about a minor part of the game that is not used in a realistic or historical context and it just gets scraped? Like I’m not Japanese and I realize that anime is not a representative portrayal of all of Japan but this is clearly a tourist pack and the shrines are frequently featured in anime and taking them out because a few people got butthurt about a fictional world vaguely representing a negative historical context, is honestly so dumb. Like I preordered it and I’m not absolutely devastated by this, but it’s literally erasing part of the fictional Japanese-inspired culture of the game. Similar to…colonialism. In a not actually detrimental to anyone’s lives way, but still. We wanted more diversity and culture and taking this out is certainly a step back. If Japanese people were complaining about the portrayal of Japan that’d be one thing, but a few people from another country complaining about the portrayal…like dude it’s not your effing country.
Ok EA, I’m fine with religious elements being removed from the game in order to make it less culturally insensitive and more neutral. In light of this seemingly sensible decision, I hope you stay consistent and do so across the board.
So, please remove the hijab from the Sims CAS elements. It is a religious symbol of female oppression that is triggering for many people (particularly women and religious minorities) in the world who are currently being oppressed by Islamic law. If needed, please refer to the news report on forced conversions of young girls in Pakistan: https://youtu.be/rzWccBKk5eI
Maybe EA must include Korean culture in the future if they want to publish another sims game. Chinese and Japanese theme always include in the sims game, But there is no Korean theme.
Just my opinion regarding this sentiment toward this pack from South Korean gamer.
If you support the re-implementation of bowing back in the new pack, sign this petition!
http://chng.it/N2tZryh6cb