Sims Director Says Diversity Is 'Everything' For The Series

""It's everything," London told , "and I think it's existential for the business, right? It is certainly for society. I think it's incredibly important for there to be a mainstream, beloved brand that says 'love is love and people are people' and all the things that I certainly personally believe in, but also I believe it is existential to that business because it is what allows it to be universally appealing, right? Young, old, male, female, gay, straight, other, right? American, Iranian, whatever.""

""Its appeal and its recognition of the fundamental truths of our humanity is what creates the empathetic and emotional connection to that game that makes it so powerful," he continued. "It's not that there's so many pants you can dress the"

Publisher and subsidiaries are being acquired by the Saudi Arabian government and Jared Kushner, raising concerns about future creative direction. Fans worry about the fate of celebrated queer characters and storylines across several franchises, prompting some content creators to opt out of a creator program. The life-simulation franchise that debuted in 2000 faces particular anxiety. Original lead Charles London described representing same-sex relationships as incredibly important and existential to both society and the business. London said inclusive depiction enables universal appeal across ages, genders, sexualities, and nationalities and fosters empathetic, emotional connections that power the game's appeal.

Read at Kotaku