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Who the Game is Marketed To
Reallysoawkward23
Posts: 175 Member
Based on being on these forums, Reddit, YouTube, etc., it seems like the community often is annoyed by how childish some of the game is, or at least the lack of some of the more 'mature' forms of humor from previous games. I'm curious, who does EA think the demographic of this game is? Who are they marketing to? Do you feel like you as a player are in the demographic that they are marketing to?
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I do feel I am in the demographic because it seems to me they try to include "all" players. They have even brought back classic icons like bonehilda and mrs crumplebottom. I was too young to have remembered them so obviously this was for the nostalgic older players. And a fun bonus for younger players.
I understand they do tend to lean towards younger and newer players but that's just business. That's how business works and you always want to keep a flow of young and new customers to grow your business.
It is also a bit more childish because whoever was in charge at the time when it first came out wanted it to be a "safe space" for "young girls" However, I feel like the sims have made changes since then. And they do try and include all types of players for the most part. Now days it's not childish because the team wants it to be, it's childish because simmers hold it back since they are outraged over every little thing, triggered and cry for nerfs. Everything they add could potentially be seen as offensive.
People think they want something deep, mature and humerous but can't handle it.
The team was even forced to change the name of the insane trait. So now the team has no choice but to keep it in the "safe space" zone. And that makes it seem childish.
It is what it is at this point 🤷♀️ and I just enjoy it for what it is rather than to mope and cry about what it is "not".
I find it idyllic (because I play it that way) and that's refreshing. I don't play the game for mature content, there are tons of games out there that are mature. For me, the game is an escape from my very mature life. My sims are beautiful (to me) and live perfect little happy lives. It's a fantasy world and I love it. I have heart issues and the game calms me down, it helps me with my high stress level. I consider it every bit as important as my heart medication.
I don't want realism in this game. I would hate it. It's why I get so worked up over all the bugs and glitches and the lack of QA. This game has become part of my relaxation technique and I need it to behave.
Anyways, I think the game is currently geared towards a very young demographic and that's a massive mistake on EA's part. That demographic is notorious about chasing the next shiny, new object. I don't mean Gen X,Y,Z or whatever, I mean that age group in general. They have short attention spans and are easily distracted. I was at that age, everybody is. EA needs to be catering to us, the old crowd, those who have been playing Sims for years. We are the backbone. I get that it's business to attract new players, however to toss aside your loyal base in the process? Ridiculous and a mistake.
Yes, Sims is important to me BUT I can replace it. I can start painting, coloring, walking more. I can find a word app or something else to relax me. I prefer sims but if EA continues to ignore "ME" and continues to push out buggy crap? I WILL move on. I've done it before, gone over a year without playing and I'll do it again.
So please, stop ignoring us and stop chasing after the finnicky demographic that isn't loyal to anything. Remember those who got you to this point while still courting the new players.
I'm waxing philosophical because I'm rather annoyed that I don't recognize a single person their hyping for this "summit" thing. Not one. They're all my son's age and he hates sims. Again, big mistake going after his generation like this.
This is more what I meant than to say it is childish really...I just feel like I (as someone in my 30s) am definitely not the target demographic. This is okay, but like you said I have also been playing the game forever.
Their ‘problem’ if you think of it as a problem is that it wasn’t always this way. It used to be of a more mature nature and I think initially geared for gamers on the whole but then found it’s audience and catered solely to them before starting to open up to wider audiences which involves changes that alienates some of the more ‘hardcore’ fans.
This is not exclusive to them. A lot of things from Marvel Comics to Star Wars to WWE wrestling to online games like World of Warcraft have done similar, and they receive all the same complaints. Long term fans feel that the thing they loved is watered down and going in the wrong direction. But they all make more money than they used to and that’s ultimately the reasons behind it, for better or worse.
These companies know they’ve got the hardcore fans money regardless, so they are less of a concern to them than the people they’re trying to bring in. The only way it changes is when those fans all stop buying it rather than just complain about it in forums. And that doesn’t happen in large enough numbers for them to change course.
This is definitely how it feels to me. Sims 4 feels like it puts more emphasis on being American than the previous versions. We even had a trailer with a sim speaking English! (the strangerville trailer, also the last trailer I can remember with a male protagonist)
On top of that maxis clearly want to attract simmer of ethnic origin, just look at the many hairstyles taken from packs and put into base game and they obviously want to attract more LGBTQ+ simmers (this year we got pronouns, gender preferences, rainbow wedding dresses, the wedding GP trailer celebrating same sex relationships and kit promoted by a drag queen) This is just an observation, but these are clearly important target groups to EA/maxis.
Same, I am obviously not their target group but can still enjoy the game.
Tales From The Myst
The Blue Moon Jukebox
Anyway, I'm technically part of the target audience (a young female in her 20's) and I am a newer player, so I guess it catered to me? The marketing is clearly trying to appeal to my generation and younger (millennial and gen z, I'm smashed in between them) judging from the hip and trendy trailers they put out and the language they use and their appeals to a changing social norm. Even so, marketing doesn't necessarily mean that they're literally making the game for that market. Older players who played the Sims in the past already know what they're getting into so there's no need to like, market the game towards older gens since they'll likely buy it anyway.
Angry poops
No real consequence for behaviours and when there is it’s watered down.
Cats and dogs mate by touching noses.
Animations like goose being removed.
Romantic socials toned down.
No burglars, in fact most negative things have been nerfed or toned down.
I’ve played since the original sims came out. The sims 1 never felt babyish. In fact there is quite a few creepy and dark things in that game. It also wasn’t aimed at teenage girls. The surprise came when girls started to play it and enjoy it. In the sims 2 there is woohoo cut scene and things in that game that just wouldn’t land in the sims 4.
But I do understand times have changed. Humour has changed. The sims 4 is going for a different audience and to me a clearly different set of objectives. Previous sims games didn’t take themselves seriously and had their sense of humour, but sometimes I think the sims 4 takes itself too seriously.
Today, sims 4 have none of these, or any inappropriate feature for below 7 years olds. I think Sims 4's target group is broader than Sims 1 as it include children too.
So many major Sims content creators and influencers have made video essays and analysis videos reiterating these points. The "charm is gone" or "where's the drama" or "it's very family friendly."
I think the Sims Team must be aware of these observations and criticism. But they might not mean anything for the Project Rene if there is some top-down directive from executives who don't understand the audience but want to target certain demographics for business reasons.
I fear Sims 4 and Rene are competing with Roblox for Gen Alpha.
I think EA have widen demographic and target group by decreasing adultery content, or any content that may be inappropriate for kids so parents can confidently let their children to enjoy Sims. There was even a discussion about "should mean interactions and fighting remain, as it encourage bullying", which I find a bit far fetched.
I can understand this as a bussiness strategy and Im lucky enough to be able to download mods so I can add any features to game but compared to back old days of 2005, community is also have wider demographic age group and you should consider that for ANY content you created. For example, I am thinking about starting a comic serie thats about vampire politics and occults, which obviously include some NSFW / violence scenes. Back to 2005 Sims 2 era, most Sims players were adults so I could post them on forums but now, I am hesitant to post them because I want to make sure that it is unaccessible to anyone below 13 years old as it include very inappropriate scenes for them to see.
I don't think the original Sims 1 is really a child-friendly / family-friendly game like Disney Dreamlight Valley. I think it leans more into the Teen rating whereas the Sims 4 leans away from it.
I think perceptions changed a lot since then and people behave and react differently since when TS1 was released. I struggle to think of something that was inappropriate about TS1 content and not suitable for a 6 year old. People keep mentioning the cake dancer, but they were dressed and the only inappropriateness is that perceived by the player due to their experience with cake dancers outside of the game. There was nothing explicit in game. But like I said, perceptions have changed and nowadays people think even Tom and Jerry cartoons are not appropriate entertainment anymore.
As I remember, there was an official parental advisory that states you should be above 13 years old, but I was not when I was playing Sims 1 and indeed, I dont think any content harmed my childhood or anything. If anything, back to 2000's I was also playing Bloodrayne or Vampire Masquerade Bloodlines kind of games and they indeed, had a lot more violance and definetelly more inappropriate for my age group. You are right about perceptions have changed through 2000's to today, as there were no social platforms for parents to rant about how inappropriate a game for their children, so most game companies dont feel the pressure of creating family friendly games to not deal with angry parents. I doubt my parents would let me play the games I played if they have known when I was 7. (Sims 1 was one of the safe games I can say.)
You are also right about change of sensiblity. Back to Tom Jerry days, parents thought its a fun cartoon thats appropriate for children but today, even some might think it encourages bullying or violence. I think it was more acceptable for children to play games / watch films that normally out of parental advisory. If I were a parent, I personally would let my children to play all Sims games through 1 to 4. Okay, they wouldnt be allowed to play Silent Hill or Vampire Masquerade untill age 13 but Sims is, in my opinion, safe for all age groups, even though many disagree with me.
I dont think current Sims 4 targets children only, but also not teens or adults only unlike previous franchises. Sims 1 specially targeted 13+ year old people as they include some jokes and eastereggs that only 13+ would understand while Sims 4 avoided these jokes.
TS4 is rated T for teens, not E for Everyone. Anyway, I think that it's a complex game that younger children cannot fully play and understand, but they see parents and older siblings playing and want to play too. And they would need to be really good at reading with the amount of text in TS4 gameplay. That being said, I do wish TS4 would bring back staples of everyday life like cars, "entertainers", casinos and poker game, real vacations, etc.
There was never anything about the fully dressed cake dancers that anyone could reasonably say kids couldn't see.
I think it's a defensive posture stemming from some kind of collision between hyper-offendedness, and Moral Panic, vying with each other to see who can get the most things banned.
Aside from that, sims 4 went off the deep end in prioritizing style over substance, and focused too much on that segment of players most poised to appreciate that: those who couldn't care less about gameplay, don't want surprises or challenges or bad things ever to happen, and pretty much just want to make pretty dolls and decorate interiors, whether they are playable or not.
This is a valid hobby, of course, but not a game so much as an arts and crafts activity.
People saying sims1 was childish in nature weren't in the same room with a bunch if college students, who found it fascinating and not because they wanted to just make nice dollhouses, but for the unpredictable hijinks, the scary sound effects and bad things that could happen, the absurd or funny things, and the adult snark.
No, they weren't playing it for q bloodbath game, there were other options for that, but for the novelty, mystery, and intrigue of this new concept with so many layers to discover, and weird things that could happen.
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