Feedback to EA on new pack: I understand this is supposed to be based on NZ (based on the pūkeko) but if it is, then this is a really colonised whitewashed version. It is really sad that all of our culture is not represented - especially since it is such a big part of our identity.
I am 100% in agreement. I have been a long time sims player since The Sims 1, always getting excited for new packs, but this makes me so mad I am thinking about quitting.
This world strips Aotearoa of its identity and heritage in a way that makes me want to barf. It is NOT a place where all the place names are cutesy English words, which is one of the reasons I am so proud to be from here. WHY strip it of the good stuff? What research have you done to come up with the idea of removing all traces of our proud indigenous language and people? Calling it Gibbi Gibbi point makes me feel as though you are saying that our place names sounds like gibberish, which is legitimately offensive in my opinion. Every other world you have been sensitive to the cultures you are trying to represent and attempted to create place names that sound similar or give nods to the real life inspirations. Referencing "gibberish" - a word with almost exclusively letters not in our Maori alphabet, is really REALLY upsetting. My grandfather was beaten at school for using te reo Maori so this hits home for me in a very intense way, and would do for a LOT of others who have similar stories and have worked REALLY hard to reclaim our native language rights. What audience are you intending to appeal to by pretending like NZ does not use Maori names? Te reo Maori is one of our two official languages in Aotearoa, and according to Google Ai: "While there is no official, single figure, most estimates suggest that between 80% and 95% of place names in New Zealand have Māori origins."
So let's fix this oversight. Here are our letters: A E I O U W R T P Wh K Ng N M. So, what if you changed Gibbi Point to Kipi Point? It sounds similar to what we have already and even gives a nod to a British slang term we use here: "kip" aka "sleep" giving it a cute nod to this being like a sleepaway camp, and tying in our British buddies. Then, we make it Camp Kipi Kipi in Wanawa Wilds, which sounds a bit like a mix between a real place name "Wanaka" which is our South Island adventure wonderland named as a place of learning (appropriate) and "Manawa" which means breath, heart, and motivation. This "Maorification" of "Wanderwood" into "Wanawa" keeps your alliteration going and is a typical thing I see with British names here. (Eg "John" became "Hone" and "Susan" became "Huhana.") Next let's keep Revive & Thrive but put it in Tiere Junction, (Tiēre means Jellyfish, and if macrons are too hard, leave them out, because at this point I'll be happy with anything that uses the Maori alphabet!) Keep "Love Highland," but put it in Tioata Valley. (Tioata means Crystal.) All of these names are easily pronounced by English speakers (no tricky Wh or Ng) and are 10000000% better than the ones you have given us. It would make it feel SO MUCH more like home for us from actual NZ.
PLEASE, make these SUBTLE changes and let me like EA and this game again!!!!!!!!!!!
Also the pukeko - or is it a takahe? - is renamed a "plumbird" but the horses, cats, dogs, foxes, rabbits, chickens and llamas etc in the game get to keep their English names? This is PROBLEMATIC!
Im honestly fine with it being called the plumbird though, it's the sims version of things and I can respect that there needs to be some creative license with life to make it a fun simulation game. It's just not fun for me right now without any Maori place names. I remember that survey where you asked us how we could feel represented in the game. THIS. This is what I want. Just change the place names! PLEASE!!!
All I would want to change:
Gibbi Point -> Kipi Point (Maorified Gibbi Point)
Camp Gibbi Gibbi -> Camp Kipi Kipi (Camp Maorified Gibbi Gibbi)
Jellyfish Junction -> Tiere Junction (Jellyfish Junction)
Underlight Bay -> Uira Bay (Glowing Bay)
Wanderwood Wilds -> Wanawa Wilds (Maorified Wanderwood Wilds)
Crystal Valley -> Tioata Valley (Crystal Valley)
Electric Lagoon -> Hiko Lagoon (Electric Lagoon)
Hothead Rock Geyser -> Pukaka Geyser (Hothead Geyser)
Of course I would not mind if you added at least one townie that was Maori, especially as according to Google AI again: "17.8% of New Zealand's population identified as Māori" There are 15 new premade sims coming with the game, so there should reasonably be exactly 2.67 premade sims that are Maori. I would be happy with 2. I have struggled to watch content relating to this expansion due to my disgust at the lack of Maori representation, so excuse me if you have just chosen to make Maori premade sims without Maori names or it being obvious they are Maori. I just wonder then...why? REPRESENTATION. It could be any of the existing townies - just tweak their story to include it...maybe Sara so we get our 2.67 with her and her kids? Or Freeda and Dougie? Or even just Toshie as she seems to be the local storyteller type. Or add a family in!? It is crazy to me that Maori people were completely omitted from the Sims version of New Zealand!!!!! It feels really hurtful coming from a game I have loved so much.
Honestly though, that I can change. I can add my own 2.67 Maori sims but what I cannot change, is the place names. That is something I rely on EA to do. PLEASE!!!!
Also, I know I heard you had a crazy budget for this expansion pack and so I am guessing the features you are introducing were really hard to develop and I fully appreciate that, BUT, one of the other major things that I think falls short for me is that you recycled old trees from other packs. I would need just three trees/shrubs to feel at home in this game: pohutakawa, ponga, and harakeke. Part of what makes NZ such an exciting and outrageously beautiful location is that we have our own special native plants that make it stand out. From what I can see from the promotional materials, we got no new plants. If I remember correctly, all other new worlds had tons of new trees and shrubs that made building and living in them feel unique and special. I would like to see a modest three new plants and trees to do that for our NZ inspired world!
What does everyone else think? Is this okay for EA to represent Aotearoa New Zealand in such a whitewashed way or nah?
