Accessibility Issues for Disabled Players Since Jan 31 Update

It's just disheartening and frustrating that EA and the Sim Gurus haven't addressed our concerns and issues that existed for almost three months. I haven't been able to play the game properly after the January 31st update. Building used to be so much fun before then. Now I just play other games, since the game is unplayable.

Please EA acknowledge the underlying issues and please try and provide some sort of ETA. Almost 4 months this has been going on for. Game has been unplayable in my eyes and the eyes of many console players all over the globe. I miss the ability to scroll through all the items and constantly having to drag the scroll bar down is tedious, complex and sucks all fun from the build/buy mode experience. The way swatches are now selected does not work.. even when we have finally been able to select the swatch we want (which is incredibly difficult in itself, like who really wants to have to scroll over a tiny area to choose the right swatch and select the same button multiple times) the swatch is difficult to grab and then grabs the item beside the one you actually want, so you have to go back into the item/swatch you want and start all over again with trying to select it! How frustrating. The fact we cannot now close the catalogue is also highly frustrating.. I had no issue before coming out of the catalogue and going back in.. since the 31/01 update we now have to select options multiple times.. many more times than having to just physically open and close a catalogue when we need to. No one asked for these changes and the lack of acknowledgment from you is completely unacceptable. People including me have spends hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of pounds/dollars on your product and it has now been rendered useless. Listen to your consumers please. I’m not surprised that players with disabilities are in extreme pain/discomfort.. I am finding the new controls incredibly uncomfortable on my hands and I don’t have a disability, in fact I type for a living and this is much more uncomfortable than a full time job typing. Again, please sort this out before everyone on console demands a full refund and you lose all of your loyal customers!

"players with disabilities are in extreme pain/discomfort."

I just wanted to pull this from the above comment as this statement is disgusting but unfortunately true. The changes EA have made to their game have left disabled players in extreme pain and discomfort.

The lack of response or any effort to fix this issue sends a very clear message that they do not care. This has been handled really poorly and I do not consider EA to be an inclusive company.

Where most games are working hard to make sure their games are accessible to all, The Sims has for some reason been made less accessible.

Hey all,

We hear you and we're working behind the scenes on this as we speak. Changing control schemes is not an easy task and requires a lot of time and effort, I hope to have something to share on this front soon.

While I don't have anything to share currently, I do want you to know that we haven't forgotten about you in this thread or the AHQ thread.

"EA_Cade;c-18261255" wrote:
Hey all,

We hear you and we're working behind the scenes on this as we speak. Changing control schemes is not an easy task and requires a lot of time and effort, I hope to have something to share on this front soon.

While I don't have anything to share currently, I do want you to know that we haven't forgotten about you in this thread or the AHQ thread.

Thank you for replying. This is the first piece of clear communication we have had in months. Although there has been one or two responses on AHQ they have been vague and unhelpful. I hope you can understand why the disabled and console community do not feel heard right now. It has been very disheartening to watch The Sims getting so much praise for being inclusive while at the same time many players are unable to play due to disabilities.

I hope the changes you refer to do not take too long as I am sure there are many players eager to start playing again! I also hope that these changes closely resemble how the console controls originally functioned, as many players have requested that the controls simply be reverted.

I really do appreciate you taking the time to reply but do feel that communication (not from you personally, but from EA in general) needs to be more transparent and human.

We just love The Sims and want to be able to play comfortably.

> @EA_Cade said:
> Hey all,
>
> We hear you and we're working behind the scenes on this as we speak. Changing control schemes is not an easy task and requires a lot of time and effort, I hope to have something to share on this front soon.
>
> While I don't have anything to share currently, I do want you to know that we haven't forgotten about you in this thread or the AHQ thread.

Thank you! Honestly just having this acknowledgment means so much. I’ve been avoiding build mode since the update and I’d love to get back into it soon

Thank you for replying, Cade! Communication is so, so important. While a solution would be even better, you engaging with us is deeply appreciated.

Still: Today is the third month, as in: the console controls are awful since a quarter of a year. This is by far the worst bug/feature/whatever I have ever experienced with this game. It's such a shame, building was so much fun. I don't know about y'all but I bought many packs, even the kits, just for the BB items and the joy of building.

And now I can't play at all. I tried for two hours, then I had to quit and go outside to calm both my hands and my nerves. And then I played an aged, coded for PC but released on console, zombie survival game, because that has proven to be more calming as trying to place a ducking window with the new controls. I tried again and it's so, so awful. Out of frustration I have deleted the game. I also written to EA Help to ask about the possibility of a refund (on accounts of the update changing the UI which could be not forseen by the time I bought the packs). So far, I have gotten a "please wait" answer ... which is a bit disappointing, speaking as a miffed customer >"< I don't want to become a Karen but this makes me a Karen.

"EA_Cade;c-18261255" wrote:
Hey all,

We hear you and we're working behind the scenes on this as we speak. Changing control schemes is not an easy task and requires a lot of time and effort, I hope to have something to share on this front soon.

While I don't have anything to share currently, I do want you to know that we haven't forgotten about you in this thread or the AHQ thread.

This was posted on April 27th, it is now May 18th (reminder that players with disabilities have not been able to play since the update in January).

Although I do understand changing the controls back to a state where they are once more accessible for all takes time, I think that if it is truly being actively worked on that we should be able to get some kind of update on the process. Is there a time frame, what progress has been made so far etc.

This issue still feels very much ignored and EA needs to be more transparent.

Will this feature in this month's laundry list if it is being worked on as you promise?

I'm not entirely sure why reverting the controls back to as they were would take so long, so my guess is that this is not what is happening. In which case I think we would all really appreciate some communication in regards to what exactly is being worked on behind the scenes.

I'm really worried for my l future experience with this game.

I recorded a short video which shows how the build mode works on consoles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRx2FNC6Wqg