After their acquisition by a consortium of investors containing some rather divisive names, such as Affinity Group, many fans of The Sims were rightfully worried this might lead to interference.
For the moment, however, those fears can be quelled because, at the very least, The Sims isn’t pushing aside its LGBTQ+ fanbase yet.
It does get better
Specifically, their most recent effort was a Twitch livestream featuring LGBTQ+ creators designing their dream Quinceañera parties. The stream was also made in collaboration with It Gets Better, a charity that works in reaching out to LGBTQ+ youth in crisis.
It may seem small, but it’s a significant way for both the featured creators and organisation to reach out to the vast fanbase that The Sims has.
While it’s never been truly massive, for a studio under the purview of a corporate-y corporation like EA, Maxis’ dedication to recognising the LGBTQ+ portion of their community has always been strong.
But as always, in the wake of the acquisition, there’ve been worries amongst fans that new outside influence might affect this.
Independence day
Fortunately, this isn’t necessarily a pressing or imminent issue. Rather than being acquired by a single entity that might be able to exert control, EA is now controlled by a consortium. Which means they’ll likely have to agree on any future moves. And fortunately that means the minutiae of how studios handle community outreach won’t be a priority.
Of course that may still be cold comfort. Especially since there’s no guarantee we won’t see other changes, such as layoffs, which typically follow these acquisitions. And the knock-on effects that take place after that can be unpredictable to say the least.
But at the same time, with The Sims 4 having such a prominent LGBTQ+ fanbase, it’s (hopefully) unlikely that EA or Maxis would be forced to – or pre-emptively – shrink away from this sort of recognition.
So for the moment, fans needn’t worry until we see the long-term effects the acquisition has.
A lifelong Maxis fan who grew up with SimCity 3000 and the lesser-known DS titles in the Sims catalogue, Iwan brings the obscure knowledge of things that have been and will be when it comes to The Sims.
