I like TS4 just the way it is. I’m tired of all the sex and violence in books, movies, and TV shows. If I ever decide I want all that in my game, there are plenty of mods out there,
No one seems to be asking for sex and violence, just a more grown-up gameplay that is not quite as mature as the one offered by the CC mods. Like this interaction should be available not just with the woohoo bush.
I like TS4 just the way it is. I’m tired of all the sex and violence in books, movies, and TV shows. If I ever decide I want all that in my game, there are plenty of mods out there,
No one seems to be asking for sex and violence, just a more grown-up gameplay that is not quite as mature as the one offered by the CC mods. Like this interaction should be available not just with the woohoo bush.
That butt slap pre-woohoo interaction is also available for the walk-in closet.
I like TS4 just the way it is. I’m tired of all the sex and violence in books, movies, and TV shows. If I ever decide I want all that in my game, there are plenty of mods out there,
No one seems to be asking for sex and violence, just a more grown-up gameplay that is not quite as mature as the one offered by the CC mods. Like this interaction should be available not just with the woohoo bush.
That butt slap pre-woohoo interaction is also available for the walk-in closet.
I use it a lot.
Yes, but it should be available in the romance interactions like the goose interaction used to be.
Why do people automatically jump to sex, guns and violence when people bring up catering to an older audience?
Like any Sims game has ever had that stuff.. Sims 4 doesn’t need it to be appealing to older audiences it just needs to not be catered towards children.
For me, it seems as though The Sims 4 is very watered down and childish compared to previous iterations. A lot of the humour and quirks from previous games has been removed and it seems EA are primarily targeting children with TS4. Ive seen countless polls and even data from EA themselves suggesting the ‘real’ average age of the Sims audience is around 30 years old. So why does TS4 seem so childish? I’m not expecting an 18+ rated version, but I think as a ‘Teen’ game, There should be subtle hints and gameplay such as bachelor / bachelorette parties, hiring entertainment and some detailed storylines such as affairs, trauma, rivalry etc.
Given how long Sims generations now last; EA should aim Sims 5 at those with mid-high level machines as well as the ‘true’ audience of the game: Adults, or at least teenagers. NOT Kids! Then people can buy it when they’re ready/ can afford to upgrade.
I know they might worry about the Sims being too risqué for parents of children which may put them off buying, but since a generation lasts around 8+ years, surely at some point, the child will be able to buy it themselves or their parents will at some point feel comfortable buying it. However, because of the nature of the Sims franchise, I think most parents wouldn’t mind buying their child the game even if it was rated teen or 15+ anyway.
My hope would be that the next iteration reflects the true audience of the franchise and appeals to the adults and teenagers who have been loyal to the Sims for all these years instead of just the new, young players.
I would like to see it aimed to older people too, I’m ancient for a player.... lol. But I very much doubt they will. They want to capture as large an audience as they can. And if they start it requiring mid machines and above they will lose a big audience too. Aiming toward younger sims, may capture them for life. EA wants to make money, and to do that the larger The audience the better.
For me, The Sims 4 is great - it's not childish or watered down. It's just different, and some people like it and others don't. It has its own humor and quirks, and it's fine.
They are not even appealing to many young gamers. My young kids have more fun with Story of Seasons, Animal Crossing, or Minecraft. Mods are about the only thing that keep my young kids playing Sims 4(not adult type).
The Sims can be more mature and stay within the Teen rating. Stop watering down the content, add in real consequences for cheating, skipping work, etc. Humor should be a little more suggestive, put back in some previous games' romantic interactions (goose, steamy makeout from S3, let the pre-woohoo butt slap be used without romantic interactions.) Give us back the ability to hire cake dancers, bachelor/bachelorette parties, romantic neck bites for vampires/offer to drink without mods, and please a decent sexy stuff pack like Master Suite Stuff for S3. That's all within the game's rating.
My kids were 11, 10 and 8 when The Sims 1 came out and that game had strippers. My kids did not seek that "adult stuff" out in the game. They mostly tried to have successful parties so Drew Carey would show up and stuff like that. Then again I was there watching what they did. I was the kind of parent that sat with my children when they used the computer. It was not only an expensive "appliance" but I did not trust a machine to keep the kids out of trouble. I remember the Net Nanny thing was kind of passive and I did not trust her with my kids. lol They played games then that now would be considered inappropriate for today's kids. (crazy taxi and carmageddon come to mind) It was up to my husband and I to say no and keep track to what they were doing online.
I do not know how parents do this today. My oldest grand kid is 7 and already wants a phone for their 8th birthday. They are not going to get a phone but they know that some 8 yo do have phones. Oh, well! Go live with them! lol
However, the Sims 4 is a lot tamer (IMO because of government controlled ratings) then The Sims games of the past. Not sure if this is good or bad. I am an adult and I do have mods in my game but the kids have access to the same mods. For me it's all about how active parents are in what their kids are doing. Maxis made a "safe" game for today's teens with access to mods that are very violent and x x x. Maxis did their job well! IMO Kids/teens still need parental guidance with any screen.
So, what exactly is more mature content then? If not the typical things already mentioned. It's difficult to form an opinion unless presented with something more specific. And people could be thinking different things despite advocating for the same
Origin ID: Nindigo79
A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear
Time enjoyed is never time wasted
So, what exactly is more mature content then? If not the typical things already mentioned. It's difficult to form an opinion unless presented with something more specific. And people could be thinking different things despite advocating for the same
For my family, the "more mature" content would be things like sim children having realistic reactions to sim parent divorce or options for homeschooling/private school without the assistance of mods. Having the sims actually interact with more than just conversation like kids playing tag or people slow dancing. Heck the sims has become a tech-addict Simulator instead of a life Simulator.
No. I have two children under the age of 12 who play the game and I want it to appeal them them as well as me.
That's not fair to older players. It's like having a class of 12 year old being taught on a 5 year old's level because because someone thought it would be fair to put a 5 year old in a class of 12 year olds.
You're not being fair to younger players, natch.
I played sims 1 when I was 11 or 12 & still thought it was fun. Kids nowadays are not as innocent as parents claim they are. There’s nothing wrong with adult content for the sims game as long as it’s not sexually explicated. There’s worse things your kids will see then what the sims has to offer.
Yes yes yes. Making it "for older people" doesn't equal to "adult themes". When I read "make it aimed towards an older audience" I just think about TS2 and how raunchy it was. There is no challenge in TS4, no drama, no disasters. Everything's so perfect and happy and there's no risk for anything interesting or unsuspecting happening. I remember having meteors, better fires, burglars, and just overall better realism.
"For an older audience" does not mean sex, violence and drugs. It just means more challenges, like TS2 and TS3, games which I played during my childhood. More detailed and complex backstories and relationships of the pre-made sims families! More mystery. Bringing back elements such as "turn-ons" and "turn-offs", wants and fears, zodiac signs - those are all things that would make TS4 more "for an older audience" because it adds complexity, depth and detail. Remember Bonehilda? She's too grotesque for TS4! That's what I mean, it's so childish and pure.
No sims are slapping each other or even reacting appropriately to their partner cheating on them. When a child dies the parent is sad about it for like 2 days! Sometimes the sad moodlet is even outweighed by positive moodlets like "good environment" etc etc. This is what makes TS4 'aimed at children' to me, and it's something I wish the Sims team could improve on.
I play a lot of teen rated games and yes Sims 4 is very E 10 if even that high. I don't want an adult rated game either. I just want some of the dark humor back and less childish romantic interactions. It is odd how Sims are kind of stuck in the 1950s with a lot of things including how they sleep in the bed together. A lot of the social interactions make it seem like the Sims all have covid so makes gameplay feel disconnected.
Post edited by Scobre on
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller
Common subjects which are considered Mature Content are nudity, excessive violence, excessive blood and gore, sexual themes, strong language, or ideologically sensitive themes.
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is an American self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings to consumer video games. ... The ratings are designed towards parents so they can make informed decisions about purchasing games for their children.
Mature 17+ Content is generally suitable for ages 17 and up. May contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language. Adults Only 18+ Content suitable only for adults ages 18 and up.
Titles rated T (Teen) have content that is generally suitable for ages 13 and up. May contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language. ... May contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language
I like TS4 just the way it is. I’m tired of all the sex and violence in books, movies, and TV shows. If I ever decide I want all that in my game, there are plenty of mods out there,
@Rouensims this is not the only characteristics of a non childish game though
OP, I totally agree! I'm not seeing you asking for sex and violence as some people are implying you are. It's rated teen but I agree TS4 seem very childish. The more subtle humour in the previous iterations is by far more funny than TS4 slapstick humour imo.
I read somewhere you can't have a party without goals? Why does the game "want to hold your hand" in every situation. What age is it really aimed for? Remember the selling campaign for TS4: You create. You control. You rule. Not so much...
I play a lot of teen rated games and yes Sims 4 is very E 10 if even that high. I don't want an adult rated game either. I just want some of the dark humor back and less childish romantic interactions. It is odd how Sims are kind of stuck in the 1950s with a lot of things including how they sleep in the bed together like. A lot of the social interactions make it seem like the Sims all have covid so makes gameplay feel disconnected.
LOL! No "risky" romantic interactions but they allow seeing death, violence and psykopatic behaviour because of the flawed emotion system. Not sure this is suitable for a 5 year old child to see https://forums.thesims.com/en_us/discussion/785845/kids-on-fire.
As it stands, the game can be played and enjoyed by many ages. Ultimately, the player is in charge of how age-appropriate the game plays. We have to remember that some adults still want to play an "innocent" game, while some teens will cry out of more mature-themed content. The Sims 4 is fairly easily modded and with good reason, I believe, so that people can create a more personalized game.
So, to answer the questioning topic title - no, I think the current game is playable by so many age groups that a slight tip in one direction would immediately show as a negative in EA's wallet.
I disagree about this. Previous games were made for people of all ages. The Sims 4 is considerably more tamed and aimed mostly at children and young teens. In The Sims 1 you'd get dancing cages and cakes that spawned an "entertainer." The Sims 2 had super racy makeout and woohoo animations. The Sims 3 had "entertainers" again for bachelor/ette parties and your Sims could get juiced an start dancing on counters.
Don't get me wrong. I do NOT want EXPLICIT stuff at all. That's why I don't like WW or Extreme Violence. But I believe they could have more adult-oriented themes and content and still be rated T for teens. The Sims Medieval had traits like "Licentious," "Compulsive Gambler" and "Drunkard" and was rated T.
I agree with this.
I also think the focus of the game has changed. There’s a huge push with the sims 4 with it described in marketing and by the community manager as a “safe space where we can all learn and explore” While the Sims franchise has always been a safe space, this was never a focus. Now it is.
A previous community manager once said the sims 4 is aimed at teenage girls with what is basically rich parents (Moschino stuff) The Sims 4 feels very woke. The previous games don’t but the previous games are still inclusive.
I don’t think mods should be the answer. Many people can’t use them or won’t use them. Mods shouldn’t be the replacement for game play or features that we had previously that for whatever reason EA won’t bring back.
I don't think the game is childish per se, just trying too hard not to include stuff that could offend or trigger people, and comes off as childish as a result.
Personally, I'm glad that there is no explicit alcohol or drugs in the game (although I try to avoid anything "juice"-related because I get the feeling that that's their euphemism for alcohol), but on the other hand I wish sims could die of illness and sadness, and that pets could die of things other than old age. Regarding the latter, I seem to remember a guru saying that allowing pets to die of anything else would be too much for people, and I wondered: "What people? Toddlers?" (Not saying that only toddlers can be upset when their pet dies, but then what difference does it make if it dies of old age or an illness you refused to treat?)
I had that same reaction to other reasons for not including certain stuff, but when I think about it, it really comes down to things being triggering for some people, not necessarily for small children. And if it's triggering for some people, it can't be included in a game that is meant to be played by everyone. That's how I see it - not how I like it, but how I think the developers make those decisions. (Still doesn't explain the living nightmare fuel that is the cowplant, but... no theory is perfect.)
I would like a more mature version of sims, that doesnt mean it has to be outrageously explicit. but the game feels incrediable kiddish and almost childish. Theres no consequences, no expectations, no unexpected crazy moments that shake the game up like a robbery gone wrong or a storm that wipes everything out to the point your sim has to find a way to survive again. Theres not that, the game is too easy and sims interact with each other like kids having a playground fight but to scared to do anything. The peewalking, toilet humor, nothing bad ever happening its just..doesn't say this is meant to be a teen game to me and it's not really a teen game. In all honestly, it's the sims at this point feels like e10 game. I just need some grit to the game and gameplay.
Like others are saying, I wouldn’t want the game to be “explicit”. There’s a middle ground here.
Present us with more challenging decisions, moral and ethical dilemmas, make wages and bills realistic, give us back burglars and other criminals, change the tone of the romantic socials to be a little less cartoonish and more intimate, give our sims more destructive emotional states, include a mild degree of injury and illness (nothing too serious), etc.
Comments
No one seems to be asking for sex and violence, just a more grown-up gameplay that is not quite as mature as the one offered by the CC mods. Like this interaction should be available not just with the woohoo bush.
I use it a lot.
I use them a lot.
Yes, but it should be available in the romance interactions like the goose interaction used to be.
Like any Sims game has ever had that stuff.. Sims 4 doesn’t need it to be appealing to older audiences it just needs to not be catered towards children.
I would like to see it aimed to older people too, I’m ancient for a player.... lol. But I very much doubt they will. They want to capture as large an audience as they can. And if they start it requiring mid machines and above they will lose a big audience too. Aiming toward younger sims, may capture them for life. EA wants to make money, and to do that the larger The audience the better.
I do not know how parents do this today. My oldest grand kid is 7 and already wants a phone for their 8th birthday. They are not going to get a phone but they know that some 8 yo do have phones. Oh, well! Go live with them! lol
However, the Sims 4 is a lot tamer (IMO because of government controlled ratings) then The Sims games of the past. Not sure if this is good or bad. I am an adult and I do have mods in my game but the kids have access to the same mods. For me it's all about how active parents are in what their kids are doing. Maxis made a "safe" game for today's teens with access to mods that are very violent and x x x. Maxis did their job well! IMO Kids/teens still need parental guidance with any screen.
A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear
Time enjoyed is never time wasted
For my family, the "more mature" content would be things like sim children having realistic reactions to sim parent divorce or options for homeschooling/private school without the assistance of mods. Having the sims actually interact with more than just conversation like kids playing tag or people slow dancing. Heck the sims has become a tech-addict Simulator instead of a life Simulator.
I played sims 1 when I was 11 or 12 & still thought it was fun. Kids nowadays are not as innocent as parents claim they are. There’s nothing wrong with adult content for the sims game as long as it’s not sexually explicated. There’s worse things your kids will see then what the sims has to offer.
"For an older audience" does not mean sex, violence and drugs. It just means more challenges, like TS2 and TS3, games which I played during my childhood. More detailed and complex backstories and relationships of the pre-made sims families! More mystery. Bringing back elements such as "turn-ons" and "turn-offs", wants and fears, zodiac signs - those are all things that would make TS4 more "for an older audience" because it adds complexity, depth and detail. Remember Bonehilda? She's too grotesque for TS4! That's what I mean, it's so childish and pure.
No sims are slapping each other or even reacting appropriately to their partner cheating on them. When a child dies the parent is sad about it for like 2 days! Sometimes the sad moodlet is even outweighed by positive moodlets like "good environment" etc etc. This is what makes TS4 'aimed at children' to me, and it's something I wish the Sims team could improve on.
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is an American self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings to consumer video games. ... The ratings are designed towards parents so they can make informed decisions about purchasing games for their children.
Mature 17+ Content is generally suitable for ages 17 and up. May contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language. Adults Only 18+ Content suitable only for adults ages 18 and up.
Titles rated T (Teen) have content that is generally suitable for ages 13 and up. May contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language. ... May contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language
https://www.esrb.org/ratings-guide/
@Rouensims this is not the only characteristics of a non childish game though
I read somewhere you can't have a party without goals? Why does the game "want to hold your hand" in every situation. What age is it really aimed for? Remember the selling campaign for TS4: You create. You control. You rule. Not so much...
LOL! No "risky" romantic interactions but they allow seeing death, violence and psykopatic behaviour because of the flawed emotion system. Not sure this is suitable for a 5 year old child to see
I agree with this.
I also think the focus of the game has changed. There’s a huge push with the sims 4 with it described in marketing and by the community manager as a “safe space where we can all learn and explore” While the Sims franchise has always been a safe space, this was never a focus. Now it is.
A previous community manager once said the sims 4 is aimed at teenage girls with what is basically rich parents (Moschino stuff) The Sims 4 feels very woke. The previous games don’t but the previous games are still inclusive.
I don’t think mods should be the answer. Many people can’t use them or won’t use them. Mods shouldn’t be the replacement for game play or features that we had previously that for whatever reason EA won’t bring back.
Personally, I'm glad that there is no explicit alcohol or drugs in the game (although I try to avoid anything "juice"-related because I get the feeling that that's their euphemism for alcohol), but on the other hand I wish sims could die of illness and sadness, and that pets could die of things other than old age. Regarding the latter, I seem to remember a guru saying that allowing pets to die of anything else would be too much for people, and I wondered: "What people? Toddlers?" (Not saying that only toddlers can be upset when their pet dies, but then what difference does it make if it dies of old age or an illness you refused to treat?)
I had that same reaction to other reasons for not including certain stuff, but when I think about it, it really comes down to things being triggering for some people, not necessarily for small children. And if it's triggering for some people, it can't be included in a game that is meant to be played by everyone. That's how I see it - not how I like it, but how I think the developers make those decisions. (Still doesn't explain the living nightmare fuel that is the cowplant, but... no theory is perfect.)
Something wicked this way comes!
I don't use MCCC.
Present us with more challenging decisions, moral and ethical dilemmas, make wages and bills realistic, give us back burglars and other criminals, change the tone of the romantic socials to be a little less cartoonish and more intimate, give our sims more destructive emotional states, include a mild degree of injury and illness (nothing too serious), etc.