After the EA buyout, The Sims "must remain a faithful canvas" for player expression," former creative director says

Once completed, EA's huge $55 billion buyout deal will likely have profound effects on the company's lineup of games and collection of studios. Cost-cutting and strategy shifts seem inevitable, but one series that's already feeling an impact is The Sims. Maxis has produced some of the best life games of all time, which have long championed diversity, representation, and personal expression, but the community is concerned that some of the buyout's major players could erode The Sims' core values. Popular figures and creators have already exited EA's Creator Network for The Sims 4 in protest, claiming the takeover would be "a nightmare for our community." Now, a former designer and creative director on the series has spoken out about how it is "critical" for The Sims to continue to be "a medium of self-expression."

The EA deal will see it cease being a publicly traded company and go private, but the company's new ownership group includes some controversial players, such as the Saudi government's Public Investment Fund and Affinity Partners, an investment fund started by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. Concerned by some of the cultural and social values associated with these parties, The Sims creators began leaving EA's Creator Network last week.

While not directly addressing the EA takeover or the walkout, a timely new interview with Charles London, the creative director on The Sims 2 and various other spinoff games, sees him emphasize how important the series' approach to representation has been, particularly in regards to players choosing their own sexual orientation and preferences.

"It's everything," London tells FRVR, "and I think it's existential for the business, right? It is certainly for society. I think it's incredibly important for there to be a mainstream, beloved brand that says, 'love is love and people are people,' and all the things that I certainly personally believe in, but also I believe it is existential to that business because it is what allows it to be universally appealing, right? Young, old, male, female, gay, straight, other, right? American, Iranian, whatever.

"Its appeal and its recognition of the fundamental truths of our humanity is what creates the empathetic and emotional connection to that game that makes it so powerful."

London also describes The Sims as a "medium of self-expression" when it comes to sexuality - the series has long given you the option to enter relationships with Sims of the same gender or gender presentation.

"When it came to sexuality, we realized that we had to implement it in the game in order for these little humans to be little humans," he says. "We didn't have to be explicit. I mean, we obviously came up with a very comedic way [to portray it] - woohoo is quite tame - and it's actually way more scandalous because we cover it up… but this is what humans do."

However, this inclusive state of mind has extended to so many other pillars of Maxis' games. "The answer I gave actually is applicable to, I think, as many of the decisions we could have possibly made in The Sims where we are agnostic and where we leave room for player choice. The Sims must remain [agnostic] for it to be successful, it must remain a faithful canvas on which the player is free to project the story that, to them, is important and emotionally impactful.

"That includes not just sexuality, it includes body image, race, choice of clothing. It includes the choice of architecture, the choice of job, structure, all the magnificent diversity of actual human life, and this is something that the team, I think, deeply understands."

While the EA deal is yet to be fully completed, Maxis responded to the community's concerns about the takeover with a statement that affirms its "our missions, values, and commitment remain the same. The Sims will always be a space where you can express your authentic self."