Introduction
This paper will explore the game design elements and culture surrounding the video game The Sims 4 which may encourage a more robust female player base. First, the current state of the video game industry will be explored along with the benefits of gameplay. Next, a description of the video game The Sims 4 will be provided. This will be followed by an explanation of why video games represent an entirely different form of art. Next, a hypothesis will be provided. This will be followed with the critical analysis of The Sims 4 through feminist and culture/counterculture lenses.
The video game industry has exploded over the last 50 years since its inception in the early 1970’s. Today, over 3 billion people play video games worldwide (Entertainment Software Association [ESA], 2023a). Every week, over 212.6 million Americans play a video game, including nearly two-thirds of adults and 76% of children, with 96% of adults seeing the value of gameplay even if they don’t play regularly. (Entertainment Software Association [ESA], 2023b). Within this player base, 53% identify as male, 46% identify as female, and 1% identify as other; with an ethnic breakdown of 72% White, 10% Hispanic, 8% Black/African American, 6% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 4% identifying as Other (ESA, 2023b). From a financial perspective, the video game industry of today represents $56.6 billion dollars in U.S. consumer spending per year, significantly eclipsing the movie industry (ESA, 2023b) (Wolf, 2007).
Physical & Mental Health Benefits
According to an international study of video game players, the top three reasons cited for playing video games include: “to have fun, to pass the time, and stress relief/relaxation” (ESA, 2023a). No longer reserved for just entertainment, video games have exploded over the past 50 years, with demonstrated physical and mental health benefits being identified globally (ESA, 2023a). The top mental health reasons for playing video games globally include “help me feel less stressed” and “provides me with a healthy outlet from everyday challenges” (ESA, 2023a, pp. 5–6). Additionally, numerous improvements in “creativity, problem solving, cognitive, and collaboration skills” resulting from video game play have been identified as shown in figure 1 (ESA, 2023a, p. 7).
Figure 1 (ESA, 2023a, p. 7)
Another benefit of playing video games comes in the form of socialization. 67% of global players believe “video games can introduce people to new friends and new relationships” with 46% believing “video games help me stay connected to friends/family” (ESA, 2023a, p. 8). While the arcades of the past served as a social gathering space, they have morphed into new social experiences. These include “lobbies” where players hang out before a match begins (ESA, 2023a, p. 11), or even vast online communities or “culture scenes” that form around a popular video game (Grimes, 2014).
The Sims 4
This paper will perform a critical analysis of the social simulation video game The Sims 4 developed by Maxis, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts. The Sims franchise consists of four core video games, The Sims 1 – 4. The Sims 4 also includes an extensive online store of additional content grouped as expansion packs, game packs, stuff packs, kits, and bundles (EA: The Sims 4, n.d.). This video game was released in North America on September 2, 2014 for Microsoft Windows-based computers, in February 2015 for Apple OS X-based computers, and in November 2017 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One gaming consoles and is rated by the ESRB as T for Teen due to crude humor, sexual themes, and violence (The Sims 4, n.d.), (EA: The Sims 4, n.d.). A general synopsis of the high-level actions of playing The Sims 4 consists of (1) “create unique Sims” where the player creates a family consisting of one to eight members with each member being fully customizable in gender, looks, clothing, interests, and behavior; (2) “build the perfect home” where the player selects a plot of land in a neighborhood, constructs a home from the foundation to the roof, and decorates the home with furnishings and landscaping with a limited amount of starting funds (or purchase a predesigned and furnished home within budget); (3) “explore vibrant worlds” where the player controls the daily activities of the Sims they created where actions may include waking up, bathing, bodily functions, eating, going to school or work, playing, sleeping, dating, and traveling to other locations for new collections of actions and experiences; and (4) “add new experiences” through the “gallery” (in-game store) where extensive options for expanding the game can be purchased for real-world currency (EA: The Sims 4, n.d.). New features introduced by Maxis in The Sims 4 included improved character creation with an expanded and diverse set of options, in addition to new emotion and personality systems to create a deeper simulation (The Sims 4, n.d.). The Sims 4 quickly reached commercial success, reaching the top of the 2014 video game charts and ultimately “received over 70 million players worldwide as 2023” (The Sims 4, n.d.). The Sims 4 is unique in achieving the top spot in multiple lists of video games based on the size of the female player base (Women’s Day – Female Gamers Report, 2021), (Yee, 2017).
Video Game Critical Theory
A video game represents a unique form of art due to the potential combination of art forms that could be represented in a video game and the actions that take place. One video game may be comprised entirely of text-based narrative, the next may be void of narrative and comprised entirely of graphical elements, while a third video game could manifest with deep narrative, captivating graphical elements, and a rich musical score. Due to this, the video game industry and video games in general are often compared with the movie industry and may share the same storylines, special effects, and actors that films use (Wolf, 2007, p. 1). Video games are rated by the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board) or the AAMA (American Amusement Machine Association), just as the film industry is rated by the MPPDA (Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association. Despite this, “there are still some who question whether video games are an art, or worth studying academically” (Wolf, 2007, p. 1). While there are clear similarities between the video game and movie industries, video games represent a unique cultural artifact requiring adaptation of existing critical theories or the development of entirely new critical theories for proper analysis.
Alexander Galloway in his book Gaming – Essays on Algorithmic Culture clearly defines how a video game is different from other forms of art and media. Galloway differentiates video games from photos or movies when stating, “if photographs are images, and films are moving images, then video games are actions” (Galloway, 2006, p. 2). Unlike a choose-your-own-adventure story or movies where the viewer decides a course of action and actively changes the story, within a video game, “the operator and the machine play the video game together, step-by-step, move by move” (Galloway, 2006, p. 2). Not only does the player act by pressing a mouse or joystick button or pressing a key on a keyboard, the video game’s algorithm also acts in response to the player’s action, and the machine on which the video game is playing acts based on the actions of both the player and the video game’s algorithm. Galloway further clarifies that video games are an active medium, further differentiated from “a theory of ‘interactivity’ or the ‘active audience’ theory of media. Active audience theory claims that audiences always bring their own interpretations and receptions of the work. … An active medium is one whose very materiality moves and restructures itself – pixels turning on and off, bits shifting in hardware registers, disks spinning up and spinning down. … I avoid the word “interactive” and prefer instead to call the video game, like the computer, an “action-based” medium’ (Galloway, 2006, p. 3). It is due to this active nature of video games that traditional forms of critical theory must be adapted or new forms of critical theory developed for effective critical analysis of this action-based medium. Based on this understanding, I will be adapting several critical theories for the study of the video game, The Sims 4, based on the work of previous scholars for the respective theories.
Hypothesis
My hypothesis is that the incorporation of female player and non-player characters (PC and NPC, respectively) with diverse attributes and body types, coupled with a robust ludic scene (cultural scene), will encourage stronger female representation in a video game’s player base.
This hypothesis will be evaluated through a review of the video game The Sims 4. This review will first examine how several suggestions proposed by Elena Bertozzi for encouraging female gameplay have been incorporated into The Sims 4. Next, the culture surrounding The Sims 4 will be analyzed from a ludic scene (cultural scene) lens. Finally, a small amount of counterculture will be incorporated.
Feminism
In the article ‘You play like a girl!’ Cross-gender competition and the uneven playing field, Elena Bertozzi presents multiple reasons for lower female participation in gameplay for specific types of video games. Through this discussion, Bertozzi presents four suggestions to attract women. The following is a review of these four suggestions with an analysis of how each may or may not be implemented within The Sims 4:
- Normalize cross-gender play and competition by making it frequent, routine and pleasurable. Bertozzi’s research indicated that this kind of multi-player gaming and competition is not socially encouraged or acceptable for women, and games that require it will potentially have a lower female player base. (Bertozzi, 2008, pp. 474–479). Based on this research, video games that do not force cross-gender play and competition will potentially have a higher female player base. This is demonstrated through The Sims 4 topping the charts for female players as described above and an unofficial reference to a job posting by Maxis describing The Sims 4 player base consisting of 60% female players aged 18-24.
- Create a broad range of non-playable female characters and female avatars who have attributes not stereotypically considered ‘female’. A lack of non-player characters (NPCs) whose gender matches with the player and a lack of avatar options related to gender or non-stereotypical attributes discourages female participation (Bertozzi, 2008, pp. 474, 479–480, 482). The Sims 4 implements this suggestion through highly customizable avatars and an equal balance of male and female NPCs of various ages and body types.
- Reinforce emerging perceptions of physically strong, competitive, aggressive females as sexually desirable. Bertozzi explains how cultural norms restrict women from appearing strong or competitive and calls for the video game industry to work towards changing these norms. While The Sims 4 does not directly support this suggestion, it is indirectly supported through the player’s ability to create their own highly customized player characters.
- Increase the number of female players and female avatars in digital games. Bertozzi explains how games like Second Life and Sims have a larger number of female avatars and a larger number of female players (Bertozzi, 2008, p. 484).
(Bertozzi, 2008, p. 484)
This analysis demonstrates the designers of The Sims 4 implemented designs and actions that support and encourage female play.
Cultural and Counterculture
A ‘cultural scene’ is described as “particular networks of cultural activities, collaborative meaning-making practices, and social ‘happenings’ associated with specific geographical (predominantly urban) locales” (Grimes, 2014, p. 380). Sarah Grimes, in her paper Little Big Scene, uses this as the foundation for identifying a pseudo-cultural scene that forms around popular video games. Grimes attributes this concept to popular video games when players come together to form an online community consisting of player-generated video content (i.e., YouTube, Twitch, etc.), online communication platforms (i.e., forums, Discord communities, etc.), user-generated content (i.e., fan art, fan fiction, fan-created dolls, etc.), and having strong corporate and legal structures (Grimes, 2014, p. 380). Grimes ultimately proposes that these cultural happenings are not ‘cultural scenes’ because they lack the geographical ‘locale’ that a traditional cultural scene would encompass (Grimes, 2014, p. 394). She instead likens these cultural happenings to the concept of a non-place as defined by Au M. Augé in Non-places: Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity and instead labels them “non-scene: a cultural scene that only functions as such when it falls within the parameters set by its (corporate) operators. It is an amalgam of non-public, private, commercial and commercially informed spaces that aims to foster DIY-inspired forms of cultural participation, in the interests of generating brand loyalty and identity” (Grimes, 2014, pp. 395–396). While I agree this concept is in alignment with Augé’s definition of a non-place, “such as theme parks and malls, function as public places only during designated hours of operation. There is nothing as eerie as an airport at three o’clock in the morning, or a theme park after closing hours” I believe a more applicable term would be ludic scene. The prefix ‘non-’ attached to the place or scene denotes a form of negation similar to a dyad representing positive and negative terms which, in this situation, is less than ideal with the intended application since the non-place is still a place and the non-scene is still a scene. I therefore propose and will utilize the term ludic scene when discussing the various activities and cultural artifacts that a ludic community participates in or creates. This incorporates the playfulness denoted by the term ludic and the existence of a pseudo-cultural scene. There also exists an additional cultural artifact commonly generated by ludic communities that could be considered part of a ludic scene: mods.
The concept of countergaming is proposed by Galloway as an adaptation of the “countercinema of the 1960s” and applied to video games (Galloway, 2006, p. 108). Galloway describes countergaming as “a new avant-garde, a ‘countergaming’ movement … in opposition to and outside the gaming mainstream” known within the ludic community as ‘modding’ (Galloway, 2006, pp. 107–108). Galloway goes on to define three ways in which video games can be modified (modded, modding, mod): “(1) at the level of its visual design, substituting new level maps, new artwork, new characters models, and so on; (2) at the level of the rules of the game, changing how gameplay unfolds – who wins, who loses, and what the repercussions of various gamic acts are; or (3) at the level of its software technology, changing character behavior, game physics, lighting techniques, and so on” (Galloway, 2006, pp. 107–108). While I understand the reasoning behind Galloway’s arguments, I challenge that modding should only be considered a form of countergaming in extreme cases and should otherwise be considered an aspect of ludic culture. Even in the extreme cases proposed by Galloway, it would be plausible to argue that modding a game engine to that extent could result in a re-classification of the artifact from a video game (ludic artifact) to a creative tool (utilitarian artifact). Grimes included corporate control within her description of a cultural scene when she discusses video game design studios intentionally including tools and resources that encourage player modding of the game (Grimes, 2014, p. 383-384). Therefore, I am including modding as a cultural artifact within a ludic scene.
Through analysis of resources available on the Internet, there exists a strong ludic scene surrounding The Sims 4, consisting of countless cultural activities and artifacts.
Artifact category | Discovered artifacts |
Player-generated video content | Twitch – 59 live streams, 1.5k active viewers, 6.4 million followers; YouTube – 137 million videos |
Online communication platforms | Discord – 223 servers tagged SIMS (167 tagged SIMS-4), Online forums – 100s, Reddit – TheSims4, 59k members, ranked Top 2% by size |
User-generated content | DeviantArt – 60.5k artifacts; ArtStation – 52 artists, 256 artifacts; |
Strong corporate & legal structures | EA – fan art kits, 3d printable files, Spark Something, Sims Sessions (YouTube series where music artists record songs in Simlish, the Sims language), Simspiration Places (photo tours of physical locations) |
Modding | CurseForge – 24,705 projects; NexusMods – 1,108 projects |
This analysis demonstrates a strong, vibrant, and active ludic scene generating thousands of ludic artifacts. This ludic scene provides necessary resources to ease the entry into play by giving guidance on various ways to play, encouraging social participation, and providing modifications to adjust the gameplay in favor of specific player desires.
Conclusion
The critical analysis of the video game The Sims 4 through both a feminist and cultural lens was conducted to determine if the hypothesis that the incorporation of diverse female PCs and NPCs, coupled with a robust ludic scene, would encourage more women to play a video game. When evaluating the game through a feminist lens, four qualities were assessed, with all four qualities found to exist within the game. When evaluating through a culture/counterculture lens, significant ludic artifacts were identified, demonstrating a solid and vibrant ludic scene. Based on the results of this analysis, the hypothesis is supported. It would be beneficial to evaluate additional games to determine if the hypothesis continues to be supported.
References
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Douglas Evans
Lindenwood University
CAH 50000
Dr. Steven Cody
October 13, 2023