"We Aim To Be Inclusive"

"StrawberryYogurt;c-17741954" wrote:

"Schmoloop;c-17741787" wrote:

"StrawberryYogurt;c-17741060" wrote:

"Schmoloop;c-17740974" wrote:
Is the shrine religious? If so, I don't think it should have ever been in the game. Religion being in the game could lead to more bad than good. If it it isn't religious, bowing should stay in the game but be optional.

It wasn't a full religious system, like in Medieval with Jacobson/Peterson , but more like hints towards it so you can role play if you choose, just like other religious content already in the game ( Menorah, Diwali, Day of the Dead, Christmas items etc). Religion can be controversial, but it doesnt have to be when people respect eachother. They also have included many other things considered controversial by some, but EA is selective about which lifestyles and cultures they want to promote (not fully inclusive).

If I remember correctly, South Korean simmers were offended because of the history behind it while Japanese simmers' were proud of the representation of their culture. This situation gets sticky when one group of people are offended while the other is a part of the culture. Not implementing religion at all could of avoided this. I'm not sure if I explained that in a good way, does that make sense?

Also, I'm aware religion wouldn't be controversial if people respected other peoples' beliefs, but if people respected other people's beliefs, religion wouldn't be a controversial topic. In this case, it's not really about people not respecting someone's culture (I haven't seen anyone disrespecting another person's religion/beliefs), but others being offended by a shrine that is a big part of another culture.

Do you mean if only religious iconography was removed the game would be free of some controversy? Even political or secular things added also came with controversy. These are a few examples of religious,political,cultural,secular controversy from the sims series :

It wasn't just the Shrine they were offended by, but also the "Rising Sun" which was a secular, nationalistic/political icon.That still caused some to be offended by another's culture/history. But the sims team does not shy away from politics and is even political in-game and online with its staff. You could say there is bad history amongst other religions featured in Sims games and more secular things, like in TS3:WA there are egyptian builds in irl they were built by israelite slaves. TSM had the "Christian" religions who have persecuted others (Crusades), some have said TS4:JA was colonalist since you explore a latin-inspired land to plunder its valuables, some were offended by the "change sim" options and being able to turn on/off fem/mas options in CAS, witches/spellcasters etc are included (pagan religious symbols and practices there), some consider a hijab a symbol of religious oppression, yet others see it as only cultural or secular, but they still were implemented in game. EA is selective about what lifestyles, politics, cultures etc it promotes, but say they're inclusive or pretend to be indifferent at other times but they arent.

Im for including all kinds of backgrounds and let us decide what we choose to use. Some would like it completelty religous and politics-free, but EA is deciding for us- but not consistently. They play both sides. The inconsistency leads to hypocrisy and irritation.

There are some aspects of the game right now I can consider offensive because it is against my moral/spiritual beliefs, but I just choose not to use those options or purchase that dlc and my game can be played my way.

Replying to your first question, not just the religious aspects, but, yes to the political things, too. I, personally, don't think either should be in the game. I didn't mention the Rising Sun because the shrine got more attention in the videos and articles I watched/read on the topic. I didn't mention any other religions being in the game because this thread is mainly about the recent controversy surrounding the new pack, nor do I know of many being in the game since I don't play it that often. I don't feel as though I know enough about the other religions you mentioned, which is why I didn't speak on those. Even as someone who celebrates Christmas, I don't think it should explicitly be in the game, but I think it would be nice to have the resources to make it, just like any other religious event.

The thing about including everyone instead of no one (in certain situations like religion, but not with things like skin tones, another recent controversy) is that it could lead to people being offended. If I'm not mistaken, religion is about believing in a god, but in the Sims, aren't you supposed to be the "god"? In short, I personally do not see a need to have any religious or political references in the game (even the ones that I didn't mention), but if a majority of simmers would want that, I wouldn't mind it being implemented. My main concern is how touchy the topic is and that some people may get offended in some way. If a lot of simmers want the shrine back, but for it to be optional, (I'm only talking about the shrine because I've seen lots of people saying they want it back) that's completely fine with me. I just think it's easier for the Sims Team to exclude religion than to implement every single religion into the game.

(My apologies for any spelling errors, I'm trying my best but I'm half-asleep at the moment.)