The new Sims 4 update (1.93.146.1020 for PC) on November 22 does one thing: combat bad language. Following a wave of "completely inappropriate content" being uploaded to the game's gallery, Maxis has brought the hammer down on those hoping to cause chaos.
Given that The Sims continues to attract a large number of kids, this update makes complete sense. The patch note is rather short and sweet, but remains rather judgmental.
“We are aware of and have seen some isolated instances of completely inappropriate content being uploaded to The Sims 4 Gallery. Our team has reviewed and made important updates to the profanity filter to help prevent this from happening in the future,” EA wrote.
“We're grateful for the community's vigilance in helping us identify these inappropriate uploads so we can maintain a safe, creative environment for our players. We will continue to do our part by quickly removing inappropriate content, identifying and removing repeat offenders, and regularly reviewing the profanity filter to ensure updates are needed.”
There are no examples of removed content, but given that the Gallery is used to showcase player creations such as new building lots, there is a whole host of suspicious content that could end up in the Gallery.
Of course, this is hardly a first in the gaming industry - almost every game known to man has had problems with profanity and disturbing content. Unfortunately, this is especially true for children's games - especially multiplayer online games, which have become breeding grounds for predators, replacing Facebook and, in my day, MSN.
In a somewhat controversial move, Roblox reduced chat filtering for users thirteen years of age and older in an attempt to refocus on a game aimed at both adults and children. The Sims makes the opposite claim, and in many ways it seems like it will better protect younger players. Of course we EA , encouraging fans to continue reporting any inappropriate content.
