Sims 4 'Lovestruck' complicates Electronic Arts' relationship with YouTubers
Sims 4 'Lovestruck' complicates Electronic Arts' relationship with YouTubers
The romance-themed expansion pack modernizes in-game dating
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The Sims wants in on modern dating, but just like contemporary relationships, its presence on the playing field has been…complicated.
The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack by Electronic Arts released July 25. The update raises interpersonal stakes by creating layers to Sims’ romantic attraction and dating life. You can even die of a broken heart now.
It adds traits like, “Lovebug” and “Romantically Reserved,” a job as a romance consultant, and a dating app called Cupid’s Corner. Gamers can now choose “Turn Ons” and “Turn Offs” for them Sims and develop relationships with other Sims ranging from “Wholesome” to “Strained.” If that wasn’t realistic enough, your Sims can develop a “Fear of Intimacy” and “Fear of Being Alone.” (They can even go to relationship counseling).
The new playable map – Ciudad Enamorada – is based on Mexico City, adding bright patterns and fun colors to its building inventory. YouTuber Opti Plays described it as “beautiful” and vibrant.”
Its most headline-making feature is that it’s adding a “new Romantic Boundaries system that will allow you to customize your Sim's experience with boundaries and jealousy” for all players, which makes polyamory canon1 in the game.
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According to EA, this update is for “lovers of love.” Sims has always had a bit of a spicy side with its clever allusion, “Woohooing.” Sims 4 is rated T for Teen, but YouTuber Lil Simsie described this update as one of the most “adult” packs EA has made.
Features aside, this update caught my attention for another reason: it created a stir with gaming YouTubers.
“I think it’s a far reach calling it an expansion pack. It just doesn’t have a lot to do in it, and honestly I’m really disappointed,” YouTuber Deligracy said. “It's really expensive for what you get.”
YouTuber James Turner agreed that “it's falling short of what I would call an ‘expansion pack.’” (For context, Sims 4 has four different types of downloadable content: expansion packs, game packs, stuff packs, and kits, ranging in bang-for-your-buck).
EA offered YouTubers early access to the game and $100 for a sponsored gallery post2, which caused some stress. Lil Simsie said she was “really, really frustrated about it” and even cried, saying payment “harms [her] credibility in people’s eyes.”
“It would take a lot more than that to buy my opinion,” she said. “Hopefully you understand that I'm always always going to be brutally honest in these reviews. I'm not some supervillain trying to trick people into spending a ton of money on a Sims game.”
“For years in these videos I've been saying I'm not being paid, they just sent me the pack early, and now you're forcing me to accept this honestly insulting offer of money and then have to disclose that I'm being sponsored in every single video in early access. So I'm going to make 10 plus videos with this pack and have to say I'm sponsored every single time because of that $100. I even had a call with them about it.” -Lil Simsie, “Honest Review of The Sims 4: Lovestruck”
Deligracy titled the third part of her pack play-through, “It's still not giving expansion.” “Now that the game has come out, I have purchased it with my own money so I don't need to disclose anything. This video is not brought to you by anyone except yours truly,” she said.
Lil Simsie disclosed that she did end up taking the money. Deligracy and Lil Simsie have been transparent about whether they chose to take EA up on the offer or not, and as #EAPartners, YouTubers have disclosed their early access. (They had to specify it was not final software).
I thought this was an interesting position for EA to put YouTubers in, especially for what Lil Simsie called an “insulting” amount of money.
“I will admit, the gameplay is a little bit odd, just because it's a bunch of small features that add up all together to a massive romance overhaul,” Lil Simsie said.
One feature Deligracy said the update could’ve improved was hotels. EA’s last Sims 4 update “For Rent” allowed players the ability to segment their builds and rent them out, and “Lovestruck” added simplistic hotels, but YouTubers are looking for more.
“I think the stuff in this pack – the items, the wallpapers, the floors – are all actually really nice, and I really like them,” James Turner said in an overview. “But I can’t help but feel like there’s something missing somewhere.”
EA offered “Cry Me A River Eyeliner” and a “Basic Breakup Double Bed” for early purchasers of the game. A few TikTokers memed on the update’s glitches and quirks.
“Long story short, there’s been a lot of heartache surrounding this pack, no pun intended,” Lil Simsie said.
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Canon: official, confirmed
Gallery post (Sims): shareable content database