The Sims 4 recently underwent an image overhaul to celebrate its fifth birthday. Its new branding is brighter, funkier, and even features a lesbian couple on the new box art, a move praised by GLAAD.
However, not everyone is enamored with the franchise’s new look. It appears to be aimed squarely at a young demographic, confirmed by a recent casting call asking for simmers aged 16-25 for what became the Play With Life promotion.
The rebrand was initially unveiled on the July Maxis Monthly livestream and the reaction was mixed, to say the least. There was a huge split between those who loved it and those who hated it.
Reactions From Sims Game Changers
Something which was unexpected was the amount of negativity coming from the sims game changers, including some very prominent figures in the simming community. While not everyone hated the new look, a large number were skeptical, especially those over 25.
Deligracy, who is a graphic designer, had one of the most balanced opinions about the rebrand. She praises the new main cover, especially the removal of the gradient in the logo and the new menu. However, her face betrays her feelings about the covers, which she describes as “textbooks,” also suggesting the expansion and game packs are too similar in color.
Meanwhile James Turner, known as The Sim Supply, was far less impressed with the rebrand. In his video he struggles to be polite as he calls the branding “not my favorite,” going on to say that he’s “not a huge fan of it.”
Someone who didn’t attempt to be polite, at least in her titles, was The English Simmer, whose video on the subject is called “Everything Wrong With The Sims 4 Rebrand.” In it she focuses on issues being discussed by the wider sims community, who raised concerns that the new loading screens triggered migraines.
HollieBB is more positive about the new look describing it as “bold” and “energetic” and says does like it, the more she looks at it. She also suggests that people may well hate it just because it is a big change, a common occurrence.
Getting A New Look Right
It’s always difficult to get a new look right and no rebrand will ever keep all its audience happy, its just not possible. From the accompanying marketing campaign it appears that this rebrand is aimed squarely at the under 25 market, and in this they appear to have been successful.
The chat in Twitch as the look was unveiled has shown that opinions are polarized, something which often happens with a rebrand. Also while many are shouting negativity now, as HollieBB touched on, some players will come to like the new designs over time.
At the moment they feel quite jarring, being a huge contrast when compared with what we’ve been looking at for the last five years. When the shock wears off many players may well come to like, or at least tolerate the new style.
The Wider Picture
While opinions have been split, many of those who love the new look are in the demographic that the game is targeting. Older simmers have been left feeling excluded but many of them, myself included, need to look at the wider picture.
The rebrand isn’t about those of us who play the game. It’s about appealing to a new market, bringing in new players and keeping the brand alive. The more new players come to the game, the more packs EA will sell. In turn this will lead to a continued investment in the series.
If we want more sims content, then allowing the team to do whatever they need to do to bring in new players is the way to get it. We need to look at this rebrand as an assurance that the game isn’t going anywhere.
Currently players are still saying that The Sims 4 lacks certain things they’ve enjoyed from previous versions. If we want to see these come to fruition then the franchise needs to bring in new people. The marketing team have determined that this is the way to do it, we need to trust in their knowledge of the game's target market and demographic, something we can only guess at.
Branding And Gameplay
It's also worth remembering that the vast majority of the branding will have no effect on your game. Admittedly there are some parts which are irritating, such as the icons now all being the same color, but these are few and far between. The loading screen is the biggest headache and its vibrant color scheme will soon be toned down, in response to players concerns.
The new pack covers will not even be seen in game and the new menu will be displayed only briefly. For the most part you’ll be able to entirely ignore the new branding. If you really hate it then Iron Seagull has you covered, with a list of mods which allow you to change it.
The Future
The future of the franchise is based on ensuring that the game continues to be fresh, relevant, and enjoyable. The Sims team is working harder than most to achieve this. Even the base game looks a lot different five years on, thanks to the regular free updates.
This branding is a small part of a big picture. So before you get upset about it remember that it may not be aimed at you but it doesn’t mean you aren’t important. Yes it can feel like a kick in the teeth to see the stories of all the young simmers but if this is what it takes to keep the franchise going then surely it’s a small price to pay?