New pack and inclusivity problems

[Psychotps]

@SheriGR Well, that's likely EA's biggest problem. It's such a world-wide loved game, you can't please everyone, every culture and nationality.

You make a game for group A, Groups B, C, D and E will all be upset it wasn't made for them. The game's not big enough to represent everyone. It can't be done. I suppose all they can do is pick ones that play the game the most, but it's impossible to please everyone.

How many different cultures are there on Earth?

[PugLove888]

@SheriGR , thank you for your beautiful explanation as to why it can be difficult to anticipate what might be offensive to someone from another culture! 
@Rae_Regenbogen , this reminds me of a news report I heard several years ago about a decoration on a new highway interchange.  The highway interchange was in Texas, which is known as the Lone Star State, and has a five pointed star on its flag.  Well, the design of the decoration was a five pointed star as to be expected in Texas, but there was an additional artist's decision to enclose that star in a circle, which was a seemingly harmless choice.  Unfortunately, that is very similar to North Korea's flag with a star in a circle, and this upset some of the many South Koreans who live in that area of Texas.  One man even stated that he would break out in a sweat and his heart would race when he had to pass by this symbol, even though he knew it didn't stand for the same thing. But that is what Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can do to a person! 

So, much like @SheriGR , and the Texas highway department, I don't think that the developers of Snowy Escape  meant to offend anyone!   They were probably just trying to make the atmosphere more authentic to Japanese culture.  Many players, including myself, have wanted or even requested more ethnic touches and themes in the game.  But there are real world problems that can arise when this happens since no ethnic group or country is guaranteed not to offend some other group!  Any country you can pick is bound to upset another country, which ironically is something every country in the world has in common!😅 , and therefore makes instances like this almost impossible to anticipate.   

[Trismagistos]

One of my professors was the secretary of the former secretary-general of the United Nations, Kofi Annan. He taught me that trying to bring nations together and overcome cultural differences is one of the most difficult tasks mankind faces. Another of my friends has also been a UN diplomat. She says it is always easier to be upset with other people’s opinions than to cohere with them. Trying to understand why people react the way they do, is something you can learn and can be taught. In my opinion the Sims community works very hard to include everybody and strives to do that conform article 1 of the united nations human rights charter

I sincerely hope that everybody in this community will have the same basic ideas and conceptions.

Therefore I fully agree with the words that @SheriGR  and @PugLove888  wrote on this subject.

I do hope @Rae_Regenbogen that you will also find a truth in this article 1 and hope that you will address people in this community accordingly.

[Rae_Regenbogen]

It’s really sad that y’all are defending a company who could have prevented offense by being inclusive, which they claim they want to do, from the beginning of their project. Instead of trying to understand why people would be hurt, you’re instead acting like I’m overreacting (and all of the Koreans who are deeply hurt by this). The company and team chose to partner with four Western, white simmers on an asian-inspired pack. Inclusivity isn’t just talk. It is about action. But I’ve spoken my mind. Y’all can all disagree with me and defend EA to your dying breath. This thread has honestly convinced me that I am really done with this game and the community. Y’all make me feel ashamed to be (have been) a part of a group that doesn’t take issues related to inclusivity seriously until a white game changer brings something up.

I hope you all change and start caring more about people than you care about a company.

[Trismagistos]

@Rae_RegenbogenI hope you will still read this reaction to your last post.

I am really sorry that you as a person feel upset by the company's actions about these issues you mentioned: shrine worshipping and not being as inclusive as they could be, by not using non western game changers. And I really do understand that you vocalise the feelings of a lot of Korean people about this issue.

I also empathise with anybody who might feel hurt by some parts of the gameplay of this EP.

I do hope you will understand that my words were not ment to defend EA, what so ever. I was talking about the community of Simmers and as you have been playing The Sims 4 for quite a while you became also a member of this community.

But yes, in some of your statements I felt that your reactions could have been a little bit more diplomatic.

Let me please ask you a question that sprung to my mind. Did you or your close relatives, father, mother or grandparents were coerced to worship the shrines you mentioned or is it something like a more historic wound that is causing your hurt. Because, let me tell you when you or your direct relatives were coerced or forced to do so, I think you have all the right to react like this.
But if it is a historic grievance, I will tell you, these are the more dangerous emotions.
A rabbi once told me that we have to learn to feel compassion, be compassionate and act accordingly. I still hope you did not rob yourself of these feelings.

[Korgly]

The thing that offends me the most about all this.. is cancle culture! why is it that one groups fee fee's are more important than another's to a group who is playing as a God in the first place? and they are playing god with titles like "are you ready for your snowy escape"  anyways Rockstar games and Howard Stern (just an example) pushed the limits of what offends people threwout the 90's and people adjusted.  yet now the same company Rockstar in their game Red Dead Redemption removes the ability for the female characters in the game to be harmed. they are imortal! because girl gamers where threatened by this among some guys. so wait? Its ok to Violently make fun of males killing eachother and killing men depicting them in violent manners but, fragile women (thought women where strong : /)have feelings so thats not ok? I HAVE feelings! people have feelings! and being depicted as man who is violent by nature but, also unable to tie a woman to a railroad track is pretty insulting.. I stopped playing soon after and haven't touched the game since.. My point is there are so many things that can be considered offensive in the sims so why!? why is one groups feelings more important then mine? you say its to change the world.. If anyone has seen Planet of Apes they would have a small understanding that there will never be a perfect world! and appears sexist that the definition of a perfect world to California is only how one side sees it.. I think it's pretty lame for EA to play the hero card when a hole game revolves around making fun of life in the first place.

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[Vatzfu]

https://www.britannica.com/topic/racism