News Article
You Make The Sims Featuring ArethaBee
Our players make The Sims every day. They play to express their individualities, interests, and aspirations. They inspire us to keep innovating and improving. They’re creators in every sense of the word and we’re thrilled to share a detailed look at our latest collaboration with Sims player,ArethaBee.
ArethaBee is a renowned Simmer known for her the exquisitely detailed custom content she creates for The Sims. Her creations boast gorgeous hairstyles, fashion-forward pieces, and luxurious jewelry all meant to enrich her fellow Simmers’ gameplay.
Her journey with the life simulation game started at the age of 10, dissatisfied with the limitations of online dress up games, she craved a platform that would allow her to dive deeper into storytelling and playing out characters' lives. When a friend brought over a copy of The Sims for her to play, she was hooked, “it was actually my dream game! I instantly fell in love. I made my first piece of custom content years ago for The Sims 2 and I was amazed by how much I could customize the game with my own imagination, I think it’s one of the features that makes The Sims so special to me”.
The Sims™ 4 Crystal Creations Stuff Pack, features a collaboration with ArethaBee that brings three unique jewelry pieces to Create-A-Sim, a necklace, earrings, and a ring. We sat down with the creator to dive into the creative process.
What is your favorite The Sims 4 pack?
It is very hard to pick just one as my gameplay tends to change around different packs. Currently, it might be The Sims 4 Cottage Living or The Sims 4 Horse Ranch expansion packs as I really enjoy playing with loads of cute animals and farming.
What is the most chaotic thing you’ve ever made your Sim do?
One day I realized my game had been too peaceful, revolving around mundane friendships. I became inspired and had to try doing the opposite. I made an evil Sim that was basically going around, fighting and pranking other townies. Even then, it didn't seem like enough chaos, so I ended up sending her to the Realm of Magic to become a witch, master many spells (especially the mischief and untamed spells) only to make whoever she didn't get along with miserable. I still play with her sometimes and I have to say that Sims in her town are almost always in a bad mood.
Describe the jewelry pieces that you made.
I’ve created three pieces of jewelry for this pack. A necklace, earrings and ring that can be used as a set or worn as separate pieces. The necklace is made of a metal snake chain and colorful beads featuring a bright gemstone. The earrings have multiple hoops, as I just love stacked jewelry! I am really happy with the versatility of the ring as it matches the other accessories I made but could also be worn on its own or as a wedding ring.
Where did you draw inspiration from? Do you have designs, pieces, or experiences that you drew from?
My inspiration was definitely the jewelry designs I love and wear in real life. I wanted them to add variety to what we already had in the game while reflecting my style. Personally, I prefer simple accessories combined together that work for all sorts of different looks. That’s also why I wanted to add color with the beads and gemstones.
Can you explain the design process for making these jewelry pieces?
I started by looking for references that were similar to what I wanted to make for each piece of jewelry. This was probably the longest step in the whole process. Once I was certain about the styles I wanted to go for, I created 3D models of the concepts, playing around with the ideas and references I had. The last step was to pick color combinations that would be both fun and simple for everyday use. It was amazing getting feedback and encouragement from the Sims team during this process.
What are you most excited about for The Sims 4 Crystal Creations Stuff Pack ?
I LOVE styling jewelry and am so excited to explore the new features that come along with this Stuff Pack that allows our Sims to create their own jewelry. Of course, seeing my work in the official gameplay after making my own custom content for a long time is another level of excitement for me. The 10 year old me that fell in love with this game wouldn't believe it.
How do you envision players styling these jewelry pieces in their gameplay?
I think while these jewelry pieces can be used for casual/daily looks, they can also be styled into colorful, fun or formal looks with the different swatch options. I hope that other Simmers enjoy using them for different kinds of occasions, I cannot wait to see the looks they will create with them.
The Sims 4 Crystal Collections Stuff Pack will be available for purchase beginning February 29 in The Sims 4 on PC via EA app, Mac® via Origin, Epic Games Store, Steam®, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One systems.