The Sims franchise has existed for over two decades, a feat that has been accomplished a few times within the video games industry's history. While The Sims 4 is almost a decade old, there is still an influx of new content for the latest base game, including the upcoming Sims 4 Growing Together expansion pack. This expansion pack will be released as companion DLC to a significant Sims 4 update - the addition of a new infant life stage. Although fans are sure to be ecstatic about how infants can provide expansive possibilities for family gameplay, The Sims franchise has again left out disability representation in the game.
While a recent Sims 4 update has added hearing aids, binders, and other much-needed elements to promote diverse and inclusive gameplay, it's a piecemeal attempt at representation for such a prolific franchise. Given that The Sims 4 has added knitting, camping, and more to the base game, there's no excuse why the franchise has avoided Simmer's calls for the inclusion of wheelchairs, crutches, mobility scooters, and the inclusion of disabilities across the board. As The Sims developer Maxis and publisher Electronic Arts have announced the development of The Sims 5 - aka "Project Rene" - the update may mark yet another Sims base game that won't provide crucial representation.
The Sims 4 Modding Community Has Provided Disability Representation That The Sims Franchise Has Consistently Disregarded
As The Sims franchise has just celebrated its 23rd birthday, it's bittersweet for fans of the life simulator who want to see themselves represented in the game. While the new infant life stage is another step forward for realism in the game, there's no reason why The Sims 4 and the upcoming Sims 5 shouldn't add disability representation to the franchise. The debate around adding disabilities to The Sims has been ongoing since the first base game was released. While some Simmers see the inclusion of disabilities in The Sims as a much-needed step forward, others see the potential for in-game disability representation to be ill-executed and trivialized.
While there are compelling arguments for both sides of the debate, some Simmers may be unaware that The Sims modding community has been creating disability representation for years. Not only have modders created new traits and game mechanics that depict visible and invisible disabilities, but they have also designed and built objects the players can use to aid in disability representation. These mods include game mechanics around chronic illness, autoimmune diseases, mental health, vision impairment, hearing loss, and more. Other mods add wheelchairs, therapy animals, hearing aids, canes, joint tape, and other objects that are sorely needed in a life simulator game.
The Sims 5 Has Ample Potential To Include Disability Representation In The Base Game
While the 2023 roadmap for The Sims 4 offers few hints in the way of future content, the ongoing development of The Sims 5 provides new hope for disability representation to be officially added to The Sims. While The Sims 5 is rumored to include a multiplayer mode, cross-platform functionality, and possibly even an open world, there has been no news on how foundational Sims gameplay will evolve. Given that The Sims community has been creating content centered around disabilities for years, there's no excuse why The Sims 5 should not at least explore the addition of similar content.
There are numerous ways the upcoming Sims base game can include disability representation thoughtfully and comprehensively. For instance, players looking for an escape from real-world limitations - an issue commonly referred to when discussing disability representation in The Sims - should be able to enable disability content if they choose. This would allow for the content to be included, but the choice of whether to use it is to be made by players. Another potential solution could be having individuals with visible and invisible disabilities contribute their ideas, input, and experiences in creating representative content. It's vital for the video game industry as a whole and game-changing for The Sims.
The Sims 4 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
