The Sims FreePlay CSP - Language & Representations

 Language / Gameplay analysis

Watch The Sims: FreePlay trailer and answer the following questions:

1) What elements of gameplay are shown?

Elements of gameplay that is shown in The Sims: FreePlay trailer is how you can build your own life and live it virtually in the Sims world. You can customise, build your own house, get jobs and earn money. The elements of gameplay that are shown is how you it imitates real life and how you can through your own Sim live it virtually like a real life simulator. 

2) What audience is the trailer targeting?

This game is targeting young people mainly young teenagers who are growing up in life. This is because through the trailer we can see how they keep showing young people socialising with other Sims, going to parties and even forming relationships with other Sims i.e. kissing. his all helps to show what a stereotypical young teenage person would go through in life whilst growing up.  

3) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer?

Audience pleasure that are suggested by the trailer are personal relationships, diversion and personal identity. 

Personal relationships: You get to form a close bond to your Sim as you get to choose what it does, where it goes and what jobs it get in order to provide for itself and their house such as buying groceries or food. 

Diversion: It takes you away from reality as it's just a game. A good way to make time pass by.

Personal identity: You can relate to your Sim. As we saw in the trailer the player has the option to choose ands customise how they look and what they wear. A lot of different options and clothes to pick from in order to make sure the player can relate to their Sim the best way they can. 

Now watch this walk-through of the beginning of The Sims FreePlay and answer the following questions:

1) How is the game constructed?

The game is constructed through a simple narrative: live life the way you choose to. This is because through the walk through we can see how the Sim goes about in his life acting like how a normal person would as it has the same needs such as using the toilet, cooking food, watching TV and going out to get some food. This shows that in the Sims the player can live a virtual imitation of life the way they want to and how they want. 

2) What audience is this game targeting?

The audience this game is targeting is young people as it tries to give them an understanding of how real life is but through a game. 

3) What audience pleasures does the game provide?

Personal identity, diversion, personal identity. 

4) How does the game encourage in-app purchases?

The game encourages in-app purchases such as in game adverts which in return gives the player some free crystals that they can use to get items from in the game. Another way the game makes money is through their DLC's that players have to buy with their own money in order to get bonus material from the game. 

Representations

Re-watch some of the expansion pack trailers and answer the following questions:

1) How do the expansion pack (DLC) trailers reinforce or challenge dominant ideologies?

The expansion pack (DLC) trailers reinforces some of the dominant ideologies such as how women are portrayed in the videogame. This is by through the Chic Boutique update in the game as we see that the mall is dominated by females everywhere buying clothes, trying clothes on and doing a catwalk to show off their clothes. In addition to this the Teens update reinforces the normal stereotype of how young children would behave such as getting into relationships and socialising with other Sims in the game. However it does reinforce the idea of how young people act as we can see how they're given the chance to become this 'teen idol' that shows how young people in the game have a chance to become famous and well known. 

2) What stereotypes have you identified in The Sims FreePlay?

Stereotypes that have been identified in The Sims FreePlay game is how males and females are shown. This is by females being everywhere around in the Chic Boutique mall buying clothes and trying them on and with males how they're the centre of attention such as getting photos taken of them whilst they're posing in front of a camera with a lack of females getting the same attention and the males in the videogame. 

3) What media theories can you apply to representations in The Sims FreePlay?

Media theorists that I can apply to representations in The Sims FreePlay is Van Zoonen's gender stereotypes and 'male gaze theory'. This is because as we can see especially in the Chic Boutique mall how females are being objectified and sexualised as they are doing the catwalk as the camera deliberately focuses on their legs for half a second and changes to what they are wearing trying to objectify the Sims characters and how they look. 

Representation reading

Read this Forbes article on gender and racism in The Sims franchise and answer the following questions:

1) How realistic does The Sims intend to be?

The Sims intend to be realistic but not to the point where it shows "blood and broken bones.. ". “It’s kind of a model of life with things like death and aging, but we don’t do things like broken bones and bleeding. It’s just not the kind of thing our game demands.”". 

2) How has The Sims tried to create more realistic representations of ethnicity?

The Sims has tried to create a more realistic representation of ethnicity by improving the Create-A-Sim feature, adding more details to alter the appearance of a Sim with a less stereotypical ways of representing different ethnicities. As he showed me the tool, creating an Asian character that does indeed appear less cartoonish.

3) How has The Sims responded to racism and sexism in society?

The Sims has responded to racism and sexism in society as "We don’t really have a message—there’s no racism message, there’s no tolerance message. We have same-sex marriage in our game. Our Sims will not discriminate based on gender preference whatsoever. But there’s a line where it becomes too real. The only manner of hatred we have in the game is between incompatible Sims, something that’s driven by the traits of the Sim—a hot-headed Sim, or a Sim who hates children.“

“From our perspective, the player could project that level of hatred or intolerance onto their Sim—it’s something we don’t allow, but it’s not something we disallow either,” he said. “If someone wants to keep all the Asian Sims out of one part of town, it’s something they absolutely can try and do. That’s one of the beauties of the game, it’s all under player control. If someone wants to be intolerant, they can play that way. We don’t say yes or no, we just give players the tools to make the game they want to make.”

4) What is The Sims perspective on gender fluidity and identity?

The Sims perspective on gender fluidity and identity is that are sticking with only two genders for now. One element that The Sims 4 seems inflexible on is gender identity. As with earlier games, when players go to the Create-A-Sims mode the first choice they will be asked to make is between male and female. I asked Sinhaseni if there had been any thought toward including other gender identities, or at least making it possible to create a Sim with neither gender option selected. “That’s an interesting topic,” he said, “but I have no good response to that. We would need to take more time and consideration to really arrive at that destination.”

5) How does The Sims reinforce the dominant capitalist ideologies of American culture?

The Sims reinforce the dominant capitalist ideologies of American culture is by the game’s systems embodying a particular, largely American attitude of life as a goal-oriented, currency-driven quest toward fulfilling the handful of personality traits one’s given from birth. It’s the constant and often insupportable stress of upholding this model for society and personhood for which The Sims wants to create an escapist catharsis.

Read this New Normative feature on LGBTQ representation in The Sims franchise (the website link no longer works but that will take you to the text of the article - you'll need your Greenford Google login to access). Answer the following questions:

1) How did same-sex relationships unexpectedly help the original Sims game to be a success?

2) How is sexuality now represented in The Sims?

3) Why have fans praised the inclusion of LGBTQ relationships in The Sims franchise?

4) Why did the Sims run into regulatory difficulties with American regulator the ESRB? How did EA respond?

5) How is sexuality represented in the wider videogames industry today?

Reality, postmodernism and The Sims

Read this Paste Magazine feature on reality and The Sims franchise. Answer the following questions:

1) What does the article suggest about the representation of real life in The Sims 4?

This article suggests about the representation of real life in The Sims 4 is The Sims 4, despite being four years into its release cycle, still isn’t nearly as much fun as The Sims 3 was. These days, it’s more about accessorizing a comfortable veneer of suburbia than it is about banging aliens and werewolves, aiming for the kind of life you fantasize about before finding out that adult life actually sucks.

2) What audience pleasures did the writer previously find in The Sims franchise?

The audience pleasures that the writer use to find in The Sims franchise is escapism. But due to The Sims 4 and how the game is constructed it is quite hard to find that same feeling again for The Sims. 

3) Why does the writer mention an example of a washer and dryer as additional DLC?

The writer mentions the example of a washer and dryer as additional DLC as they feel like it is no use to them. This is because in the writers real life they have no desire to do washing up and laundry ever so why would they want to do it in a game. The writer then goes onto talking about other DLC's in the game such as Laundry Day, Toddler Stuff, Kids Room Stuff, Perfect Patio, and Cool Kitchen which is interesting as the writer says that they feel the same sense of weight of obligations onto their shoulders providing for their Sims but which they are trying to escape from themselves in their own daily life. 

4) In your opinion, has The Sims made an error in trying to make the franchise too realistic?

I feel like The Sims 4 has proven a bit too much for players to handle in the fact that it has become so advanced and so realistic that it has gone away from that thought of escapism and feels like they are just playing a repeat of their own lives over again getting further away from any audience pleasure of the game such as escapism as the players have almost become miserable playing the game. 

5) How does this representation of reality link to Baudrillard’s theory of hyperreality - the increasingly blurred line between real and constructed?

The Sims 4 is massively a great example of Baudrillard's theory of hyperreality and how it supports the idea of the blurring between the lines of real and constructed. This is because as we can see the contrasting differences from The Sims 3 and The Sims 4. We can see through the writers complaints such as "The Sims is really at its best when it’s letting me live my best life. And right now, this ain’t it." This links to Baudrillard's theory of hyperreality as The Sims 3 was more constructed as there was less barriers to real life and players had more sense of freedom and availability to behave and be how they like having full control of their Sim but in Sims 4 we can see how that progression from the 'youth' years of the Sim has now fizzled away and welcomed in the Sims adult life. This has caused many players to become annoyed and frustrated with the game as it has became far too real than they expected. 

The Sims FreePlay social media analysis

Analyse The Sims FreePlay Facebook page and Twitter feed and answer the following questions:

1) What is the purpose of The Sims FreePlay social media channels?

The purpose of The Sims FreePlay social media channels is that it allows players to interact with one another by commenting on the new updates or DLC's that the game has to offer. 

2) Choose three posts (from either Twitter or Facebook) and make a note of what they are and how they encourage audience interaction or response.

*We’re celebrating Pride all year long with the help of artists Jupiter Stevens-Hill, Ashley Lukashevsky, & Mohammed Iman Fayaz! The pack is full of paintings in multiple frame colours & styles created by LGBTQ+ Simmers, from @TheSims 4 Pride Month celebrations in June this year.

*Hijabs are now available for child, tween, teenager and adult female Sims! They can be found in the newly refreshed ‘hats’ category in CAS which has now been renamed to ‘headwear’.

*Happy International Nurses Day! Thank you to the nurses and the health care workers for your compassion, professionalism and round-the-clock commitment to your patients during Covid-19 and in your everyday work. Tag a nurse to say thank you. #InternationalNursesDay

These posts show what different types of updates and events you can participate in. Players are encouraged to interact or respond by being able to tag others by using the hashtag # and showing your support and appreciation such as for the Happy International Nurses Day. 

3) Scroll down the Facebook feed briefly. How many requests for new content can you find from players? Why is this such as an important part of the appeal for The Sims FreePlay?

4) What tweets can you find in the Twitter feed that refer to additional content or other revenue streams for EA?

Enjoy these iconic Princess Leia, Organa and Darth Vader outfits for your Sims to reenact their classic confrontation! Head to the Online Store now to redeem your free pack and get ready for Star Wars Day on May the 4th!

This shows that there are other additional contents from outside the Sims world such as Star Wars and how they are including it into the Sims franchise in order to get player attentions and other people such as star wars fans to try and get them play their game.