Digital Arts’ $55 billion deal to promote itself to Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund, Jared Kushner’s Affinity Companions, and the non-public fairness agency Silver Lake nonetheless has to obtain regulatory approval earlier than it is finalized. Nevertheless, some Sims followers and creators have been involved about how Saudi Arabi’s potential management over the corporate will have an effect on the inclusive nature of the expertise. To alleviate these issues, the builders behind The Sims franchise needs gamers to know their core values have not been modified by this deal.
“The values of The Sims are unchanged,” reads the assertion on the franchise’s official page. “Our Sims group’s artistic management, guided by our values of inclusivity, alternative, creativity, neighborhood, and play, has not modified. These values encourage the selections we make each day as we plan for at the moment, tomorrow, and the long run.”
Given Saudi Arabi’s historical past of human rights abuses, the anxious reactions from The Sims neighborhood seem like comprehensible. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Elizabeth Warren have each raised their issues about “overseas affect” on EA if the deal goes by. Subsequently, EA has asserted that it’s going to retain artistic management of the corporate following the sale.
The Sims group’s assertion additionally reaffirmed its dedication “to single-player life simulation experiences” whereas teasing upcoming Sims experiences for PC, consoles, and cellular video games. Playtesting for these experiences is anticipated to start this yr. The group additionally said that, “Venture Rene has advanced right into a social, collaborative, mobile-first life-sim recreation,” and it is not meant to be a successor to The Sims 4. As an alternative, it is described as “a brand new method to discover and play collectively throughout the rising Sims household of video games, welcoming Simmers who need to join instantly with different gamers.”
Final yr, EA mentioned that it is offered an excessive amount of DLC for The Sims 4 to even contemplate transferring on to The Sims 5. The franchise additionally has a Sims film in improvement, which is being produced by Margot Robbie’s Fortunate Chap manufacturing studio.
