With The Sims 4 My Wedding Stories, we’ve been introduced to the story of Dom and Cam – a same sex couple – whose love story reflects that of so many in the simming community. With the storyline of Dom and Cam being at the heart of My Wedding Stories, the team would have had to change their storytelling to accommodate federal laws in Russia. This means that this game pack will NOT be available to purchase in Russia, which I believe is a first for a game in the franchise. For those who have been here since The Sims 4 launched, you may recall back in 2014 that the game was given an “Adults Only” rating in Russia which marked the game as “prohibited for children”. This was due to to a controversial law which restricted the promotion of same-sex relationships – and presumably, this decision is also due to the same or a similar law. Being proud of who you are and being able to tell your own stories with no boundaries is certainly at the heart of my Sims experience. Whilst it is a shame that Sims fans in Russia will not be able to experience this pack, I am very glad to see EA are not sacrificing their values due to laws that are – quite frankly – oppressive and completely wrong. This is why Pride is still important to this day. You can read the letter EA have shared with the community to explain this decision in more detail below. Our Commitment to You A Letter To Our Players from The Sims Team Yesterday we introduced you to The Sims 4 “My Wedding Stories” Game Pack and along with it, to Dominique and Camille, a couple whose love knows no boundaries. Today we want to explain the decision we’ve made to not release this pack in Russia. Celebrating Love, Your Way Over the years, you’ve delighted us with the ways your Sims have found love and celebrated that love through weddings in our base game. You’ve also shared with us your eagerness to walk down the aisle, have your Sims take their seats and shed a tear of joy as you made a lifelong commitment. When we set out to create “My Wedding Stories” this was the vision we had for our global community: the joy of finding love, celebrating that love and telling stories that have meaning on a personal level. Imagining the stories our players will tell with our packs is at the heart of everything we create. For “My Wedding Stories,” we were excited to introduce you to Dom and Cam. Their love story reflects the lived experiences of so many members of our community and team. As we moved through our development and brand storytelling process, we became aware that the way we wanted to tell Cam and Dom’s story would not be something we could freely share around the world. A Commitment to Our Values The ability to tell stories – any story – is at the core of what we do at The Sims. Holding back Cam and Dom’s story meant compromising the values we live by. We are committed to the freedom to be who you are, to love who you love and tell the stories you want to tell. So what does that mean for you, our players? We are steadfast in upholding that commitment by shining a light on and celebrating stories like Dom and Cam’s, so we have made the decision to forgo the release of “My Wedding Stories” where our storytelling would be subject to changes because of federal laws. Regrettably, this means that members of The Sims community in Russia will not be able to purchase this game pack. To our Simmers around the world, we are grateful to have you in our universe. With love and gratitude, The Sims Team Continue reading...
