In the wake of the death of George Floyd, protests have spread across the United States. While many have taken to the streets to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement, that isn't an option for everyone. Those unable to protest in the traditional sense have found a solution in The Sims.
Like Animal Crossing, The Sims gives players a lot of creative licenses, allowing them to create custom designs for clothing and other items. This feature is being put to good use by those unable to leave their homes for protests, as they have instead taken to the streets of The Sims.
The protest was started by Sims streamer Ebonix, and has since picked up a ton of traction. From other streamers to computer-controlled Sims, the protest seems to be spreading like wildfire in the game just as it is in real life.
There are many that can't participate in protests despite a desire to do so, and there are many reasons why this may be. Ebonix claims that mothers that can't leave their children, people who are immunocompromised, and those that are disabled are all examples of groups of people that are unable to go out and protest in the traditional sense. What's more, many feel unsafe going to protests due to their tendency to turn violent, so this provides a much safer option which can still send a strong message in the same way.
This isn't the first instance of people using video games to protest, as players used Animal Crossing: New Horizons to host Hong Kong protests from home during the peak of the Coronavirus. While that was effective, The Sims seems to be backing up these protests in unforeseen ways. Some streamers, like the one in the video above, have reported that computer-controlled sims have joined in on their protests, calling out for justice in much the same way. Though these CPUs may not have Black Lives Matter shirts and signs, the fact that it is happening at all is still very cool.
Ebonix shared some of the many reactions to her protest, which though mostly positive were not without a few bad apples. Despite these negative comments, the Sims community has seemingly rallied behind this cause, for the most part, showing their support in ways that would have been impossible in years prior.
The Sims 4 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: Kotaku