"Naus;c-17625188" wrote:
"Nindigo;c-17625094" wrote:
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.
That's more the fault of the ESRB's standards than EA itself. If they upped the game rating to M (for mature) then they might be able to get by with a bit more risque behavior (remember the Goose interaction from Sims 2?) but then as @Naus suggested, it could have a negative impact on their bottom line. Also, The Sims 4 is more international than ever; what might be okay in the US or Canada or many European nations might not fly in places like Russia or some of the Middle Eastern or African nations. They're already pushing the envelope in many cases with the fluid gender options (same-sex relationships/marriage, the ability to create transgender Sims, etc.).
I don't think a game that has multiple options for Woohoo beyond the bedroom can really be considered "geared to children". I think that the current game is fine, with plenty of mod options available to spice up the game as much as a player wants.
