The Sims franchise has persistently been probably the most progressive in video games. The first entry within the sequence, The Sims, was amongst the first video games to ever present same-sex relationships–particularly in a means during which gamers would play an energetic function inside them. In recent times, The Sims 4 has repeatedly made headlines for its free updates which have included strong gender customization, a higher number of pores and skin tones, and most just lately, the power to present your sims absolutely customizable pronouns. Nevertheless, simply as vital as large-scale, progressive updates, is the corporate’s dedication to making sure authenticity all through the sport.
The newest The Sims enlargement, For Rent, isn’t any exception. Although its title may sound a bit faraway from anybody tradition, the enlargement’s accompanying neighborhood of Tomarang attracts inspiration from Southeast Asian cities. To assist create its bustling night time markets and kind a significant connection between the pack’s contents and the tradition it seeks to symbolize, the Sims staff introduced on musician and activist Jason Chu. GameSpot received the prospect to talk with Chu about his work on the pack and the way his musical background, world travels, and keenness for merging leisure with authenticity got here collectively to raise For Rent.
GameSpot: What led to you working with the Sims staff on the For Rent enlargement? What was the method like?
Chu: My supervisor linked with this unbelievable cultural consulting staff, SILA Consulting. They’ve labored with EA earlier than and with the Sims 4 particularly. So when [SILA] heard that they had been making an attempt to do that Southeast Asian-inspired world, they reached out to us as a result of they knew my work. And rap and hip-hop music… It is a very totally different house than The Sims 4. However I feel that they noticed in my background portfolio and that I’ve this deep care and keenness to get tradition proper and do illustration nicely whereas additionally understanding we’re making an leisure product. We’re making one thing that, hopefully, just isn’t pedantic or dry, however could be enjoyable and interesting.
We got here in they usually form of confirmed me a number of the work that had been carried out and the artwork property that they’d began engaged on. They communicated tremendous clearly to me that their need was to create one thing that felt genuine and grounded–not this form of fantasy or an orientalist, unique portrayal of those cultures. However what they mentioned to me on the onset was, “Tell us what feels grounded.”
They made it clear to me that they needed to guarantee that people with a background–with a household heritage and even simply individuals who frolicked touring world wide to the nations inside that region–that this enlargement pack precisely displays their experiences, their day-to-day lives, and their residence cultures. For me, that was simply an superior jumping-off level as a result of it wasn’t like we had been making an attempt to create one thing that does not exist, however it was extra about discovering a method to translate the actual, the acquainted, and the genuine into the design language of The Sims 4.
I feel that this concept of cultural consultants is like, “These are the individuals who are available in to scold us and inform us what to not do.” And I feel that it was such a enjoyable collaboration with this staff as a result of it was the alternative of that. As an alternative of claiming, “Hey, here is all of our cool concepts. What’s not going to be proper? What is going on to be too delicate?” it was the alternative. They introduced me in they usually mentioned, “Hey, here is a number of the instructions we’re considering of going. Let’s punch it up. Let’s add worth to it. Let’s add worth to the gamers.” As an alternative of claiming what cannot we do, I used to be saying how can we make it much more actual, even higher, much more of a mirrored image of a number of the experiences that they might be having or that they might by no means get to have they usually wish to have. To me the spotlight of this collaboration was that the staff mirrored the worth added in having cultural competency on the desk.
And what had been a number of the ways in which you translated that? I am certain it is a troublesome balancing act, as you don’t need it to look nearly monolithic. How do you go about creating that world and balancing that?
We got here in they usually had been already speaking about sure options just like the night time market. You may’t have a visit to Southeast Asia with out visiting an evening market. And that is clearly a extremely central piece of this new world and this new neighborhood, Tomarang.
They confirmed me a number of the in-progress artwork property and I labored with them to supply some reference photos and in addition simply speak in regards to the power and the atmosphere–what would really feel genuine. [We talked a lot] about ensuring that the night time market space within the new neighborhood actually captures that form of bustling, crowded really feel. Clearly with The Sims 4 sport engine, there’s solely so many characters that may be on display at one time. So we talked about what a number of the pieces–some of the flavour of Thai or different Southeast Asian night time markets–that we may incorporate in to make gamers really feel like this world is basically populated, and prefer it’s actually bustling and busy even when there is a technical cap on what number of characters we will have on display. So there’s little prospers that may make you’re feeling like, “Oh, somebody was simply right here they usually simply stepped away and here is a few of their meals,” or, “This is their wares that they unnoticed on a blanket.” I am actually excited for folk to take a step into that neighborhood.
One thing that I feel was actually lovingly-crafted additionally was the fashion of fuse field [added with the pack]. We talked about particulars as granular because the sorts of fuse containers that I would see in residences in Southeast Asia and East Asia. We additionally talked about–obviously–crafting meals, as cooking new recipes is a large a part of The Sims 4 attraction. We labored actually exhausting on the checklist of recipes that might be integrated on this enlargement. And a part of that was you may’t discuss Southeast Asian meals with out speaking about rice cookers. We truly pulled references of every little thing from, “Hey, here is what a school child would have,” all the way in which as much as, “Right here is the top-of-the-line $2,000 mannequin.” That was a number of the stuff that, coming in, they form of pointed me in a path after which let me deliver as a lot to the desk as I may brainstorm. And it was actually enjoyable seeing that mirrored.
How did your private tradition and musical background issue into your work on the sport?
So my household, we’re ethnically Chinese language. My mother was born and grew up in Malaysia and my dad was born and grew up in Thailand. So I’ve spent a little bit of time touring round Asia, visiting Thailand. And I feel that there is this form of narrative of [it’s either] inclusion, range, and authenticity, or mass attraction. You may select one or the opposite. And what I liked essentially the most and felt actually revered and appreciated by the staff for this was the way in which that they introduced me in as a result of they thought that me having this household heritage–me having the non-public experiences I’ve–would add to welcoming gamers. It will add to the realism and the enjoyment that people may have on this enlargement pack.
There have been even occasions once I would actually be consulting [using] outdated household photographs. Lately, I feel a yr and a half in the past, my dad went again to Thailand to revisit the areas [seen in our family photos]. He introduced my sister they usually had this three-week journey round Southeast Asia. And he took photographs of the areas that he grew up in. And I used to be actually referencing a few of these photographs and a few from our household archives once they had been saying, “Oh hey, here is some textures for the neighborhood. This is some kinds of gates and doorways that we’re contemplating letting gamers use to assemble their very own dwellings.” And I would actually maintain them aspect by aspect with these household photographs and say, “Oh, cool, perhaps when you change this texture a little bit bit or the form of this gate, or the form of this arch modified a little bit bit, then it might really feel much more in line.” It was actually private in the long run, contributing not solely my private narrative, however my household’s cultural heritage and tales, injecting that into this work. And I feel what I do as a musician is at all times making an attempt to take issues which can be mine and create one thing out of them that everyone can take pleasure in regardless of how intently or how totally different we could have skilled the world. And hopefully that comes by with this enlargement pack.
Are you already planning on turning round and exhibiting it to your loved ones and being like, “Take a look at this, you may see bits of us on this?”
I am tremendous excited. After we had been engaged on this earlier this yr, I had no thought when the enlargement pack could be launched. So the truth that it may be out in time for when my companion and I are visiting them this vacation? [I’m] going to have the enlargement pack pulled up on Origin and present them like, “Hey, that is a number of the stuff I have been as much as this yr.”
I do know there’s lots of concentrate on the night time markets, the brand new metropolis, and making a extremely lived-in world, however how did For Rent tie in there? How did you weigh in on that and on Southeast Asian tradition and the For Rent enlargement coming collectively?
As they had been introducing the general design doc and the thesis for this enlargement pack, my thoughts additionally was like, “Okay, how do these two tie collectively?” But it surely makes a lot sense to me, being that a lot of Southeast Asian, and Asian cultures [value] households residing collectively and having a neighborhood past the nuclear household. Clearly with the For Rent enlargement pack, these multi-unit dwellings that they are engaged on do not should all be household. It may be a landlord scenario, it may be an Airbnb scenario…all types of various methods to set this up. But it surely made sense for me that there is this form of thematic tie to it. Actually when you’ve been to Southeast Asia, you recognize that you simply’re not going to have very many freestanding homes the way in which we do right here within the suburbs.
After I go to Asia, folks reside very shut to one another. Whether or not that is youngsters who will keep residing with their household by faculty, into their twenties up, or till they get married, or as dad and mom age or grandparents as age and transfer again in with their youngsters or their grandkids. So for me personally, I simply thought the theme makes a lot sense having that cultural tie.
And usually, this is–as with so many different cool options in different enlargement packs–not tied solely to the world of Tamarang and this form of Southeast Asian-inspired world. Sims from any tradition or neighborhood can take part in it and actually make it what they wish to for their very own fashion of play.
Do you’ve gotten any extra ideas on how the For Rent enlargement finally got here collectively?
I like that the Sims 4 already has such an incredible historical past of dealing with real-life conditions with humor and with enjoyable. I feel that is why all of us play it, as a result of if it was similar to actual life, we do not want that. I have already got a landlord for my condo, I already pay lease, and I have already got to alter my gentle bulbs. However the truth that it is like the actual world with this added layer of enjoyable and lightheartedness is I feel what makes that piece not hectic, however nearly cathartic.