De Sims 4 doorbreekt de genderbarrière in komende update

In de komende update van De Sims 4 later vanavond zullen de genderbarrières qua kleding- en kapselkeuzes voor het eerst in de geschiedenis van de franchise worden vervaagd, zo blijkt uit een persbericht Associated Press van eerder vandaag! Dat betekent simpel gezegd dat je vanaf dan bijvoorbeeld als mannelijke Sim niet meer gelimiteerd bent tot alleen de mannelijke kleding, maar ook gewoon (als transgender bijvoorbeeld) door het leven kan gaan met een jurk aan, of welke kleding je dan ook wilt. Volgens EA zouden er hierdoor zo’n 700 kledingstukken uit zowel het basisspel als haar uitbreidingen beschikbaar moeten komen voor het andere geslacht. Zo dadelijk zullen we er nog we lmeer over gaan horen, en tot die tijd kun je hieronder het hele persbericht lezen.

Overigens hoef je niet bang te zijn om straks een hele stad vol met travestieten aan te treffen, want SimGuruLysnday heeft kort geleden ook al bevestigd dat NPC’s gewoon met kleding en haarstijlen horende bij hun eigen geslacht zullen spawnen.

Met dank aan SimCookie voor de tip!

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The creators of “The Sims” are opening up gender customization options for the first time in the history of the popular life simulation video game.

“The Sims” publisher Electronic Arts and developer Maxis says a free update available Thursday for “The Sims 4” will remove gender boundaries and allow players to create Sims with any type of physique, walk style or voice.

“The Sims 4” and earlier installments in the 16-year-old series previously restricted specific clothing, hair styles and other aesthetic options to either male or female characters.

EA and Maxis say over 700 pieces of content previously available to only male or female Sims will now be accessible regardless of their gender in “The Sims 4” and its expansion packs.

The gaming medium rarely depicts or allows players to create transgender characters.

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The creators of “The Sims” are opening up gender customization options for the first time in the long-running history of the popular life simulation video game.

“The Sims” publisher Electronic Arts and developer Maxis said a free update available Thursday for “The Sims 4” will remove gender boundaries and allow players to create virtual townsfolk — or Sims, as they’re known — with any type of physique, walk style or voice they choose.

“The Sims 4” and earlier installments of the 16-year-old series previously restricted specific clothing, hair styles and other aesthetic options to either male or female characters.

EA and Maxis said over 700 pieces of content previously available to only male or female Sims will now be accessible regardless of gender in “The Sims 4” and its various expansion packs.

The studio said in a statement it wanted to “make sure players can create characters they can identify with or relate to through powerful tools that give them influence over a Sims’ gender, age, ethnicity, body type and more.”

While previous editions of “The Sims” have featured character customization restrictions based on gender, users have unofficially modified the PC game over the years to remove such barriers.

“The Sims 4” executive producer Rachel Franklin said in an email to The Associated Press that the developers have been working for over a year on the update. She noted that “female Sims can wear sharp men’s suits like Ellen (DeGeneres), and male Sims can wear heels like Prince.”

Franklin also noted players can now change their Sims’ gender at any time and specify whether they can reproduce with other characters. She said Maxis worked with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy group GLAAD on the update, including following a suggestion to remove gender symbols associated with characters in the game’s gallery.

The move brings “The Sims” in line with its depiction of gay, lesbian and bisexual characters.

The franchise has included same-sex relationship options since its 2000 debut, although gamers who desired virtual nuptials for their Sims of the same sex had to wait until the release of “The Sims 3” in 2009.

The gaming medium rarely depicts or invites users to create transgender characters. The fantasy role-playing game “Dragon Age: Inquisition” from EA and developer BioWare notably featured a transgender male character named Krem in 2014.

Associated Press