The Sims removes all gender barriers
Seven countries have banned one of the world’s most popular video games, The Sims, because of LGBT content.
A representative of EA – the company that makes The Sims – told fans in a forum that a mobile version of the game would not reach some countries in Asia.
The Sims: Freeplay has been banned in China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt.
EA did not specify why the game would not be available in those countries. They simply said the game could not be released because of ‘regional standards’.
LGBTI Sims
But fans were quick to presume the ban happened because of The Sims’ pro-LGBTI features, according to Pink News.
The Sims is regarded as one of the most LGBTI friendly games. The game removed all gender barriers for avatars, people can form relationships regardless of gender, male characters can become pregnant and characters can sit or stand to pee regardless of gender.
‘We’ve always been proud that our in-game experiences embrace values as broad and diverse as our incredible Sims community. This has been important to us, as we know it is to you.’ the EA spokesperson wrote on the forum.
People who had already downloaded The Sims: Freeplay can continue to use it but will not be able to make in-app purchases. They will all be prevented from updating the app.
It is also not known if the ban would extend to the computer version of the game.
The Sims pro-LGBTI features date back to 2000, when it was one of the first games to include same-sex couples.
