The Sims and how EA authors authentic worlds

Del Sol Valley. Sulani. Windenberg. Each of these cities, towns, or locations are found in one of the several exciting expansion packs for the ever-growing world of the genre-defining simulation masterpiece that is The Sims 4. From the Expansions of Get Famous, to Island Living, Get Together to Snowy Escape, each world has been built from the ground-up by the talented teams at Maxis with passion, skill and purpose.

Yet each of these worlds, while distinctly “Sims” in feel and presentation, is inspired by real locations. Del Sol Valley draws from Los Angeles. Sulani reflects the Polynesian Islands. Windenburg captures the essence of Germany. And most recently in the new Lovestruck expansion, we get to see a new world built around the look, sounds and feel of Mexico City.

But building a new location isn’t as simple as looking up images online and jotting down notes. It takes a team of people working in full alignment, meeting with key partners, focused working groups sharing intimate insights, and a shared vision to ensure every sound, sight, and feel from these beautiful places is not only accurate and respectful of its origins, but also authentic.

This is how Maxis ensures it creates authentic, real, and fun worlds.

“At all times we want to avoid stereotypes. If we played into them, it wouldn’t be a very deep or interesting experience.”

Creating fun, authentic reflections of reality

Cheyenne Kelsey is an Art Director at Maxis and helped lead the team for the latest Lovestruck expansion. She, alongside Salomon Duarte Granados, Concept Art Lead, were thrilled to dive into Mexico City and bring it to life in the digital world, and they knew right off the bat they could make something special. After all, Salomon was born and raised just outside of Mexico City.

“We wanted to make it right, and to make sure we were building things that feel like genuine lived experiences, but set inside of a fun game,” Cheyenne says. “At all times we want to avoid stereotypes. If we played into them, it wouldn’t be a very deep or interesting experience.”

Serendipitously, when Salomon heard the news the next expansion was going to Mexico City, he was already on a flight heading there for vacation. He was so excited about it that he made sure he absorbed as much as he could while he was there, snapping photos, taking notes, and making observations of the surroundings.

“It could be little things, like textures I would see in the street,” says Salomon. “I would take pictures of art and patterns. All those details I thought would make this feel authentic. And when I returned to work, I showed my team everything I had captured, as well as the map of Mexico City and explained how the different areas relate to each other. I knew we would make a new world, but knowing the relation of areas to each other is important.”

“This was an amazing opportunity to collaborate here, and build the world I always wanted to see inside one of my favorite games of all time.”

Salomon Duarte Granados, Concept Art Lead at Maxis, during a trip to Mexico City.

Beyond the team’s personal connections to Mexico City, other folks at Maxis, working groups focused on Mexico across EA, and strategic partners including external organizations, artists, and content creators all participated in the making of Lovestruck.

This also included the participation of SOMOS EA. The SOMOS EA Employee Resource Group champions EA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, promoting a culture where Hispanic/Latinx employees can thrive and contribute their unique talents to craft the most authentic and inspiring games for players around the globe.

“We do have an internal group of EA employees who volunteer to help answer questions about Mexico,” says Cheyenne. “We would ask them questions and they would give us answers or suggestions, and that was incredibly helpful. We also worked with three Mexican lot builders. These are creators who build lots on YouTube for fun, and they built lots for our world. They were able to bring the authenticity of the world they know into our game.”

“Another thing that was really awesome was we worked with a Mexican mural artist,” adds Cheyenne. “We learned about Mexican culture through his visual arts. We also worked with an external agency and we work with them on various game packs.”

All of these factors were crucial to ensuring the game world they were building was truly authentic and respectful to its source. Things that could be overlooked, like why Mexico City has a lot of red roofs (the materials they use commonly become red and ensure moisture stays out of the house), or why water tanks are on nearly every rooftop (for water storage in case the water supply is interrupted and to provide sufficient water pressure with the help of gravity), aren’t missed.

“I was recently watching a review of Lovestruck from one of our Mexican players, and in all their video comments were people from Mexico, and they were saying like, ‘Oh wow, there are water tanks in the game! They really did their research!’ And it was really clear to me then that this is why it’s so important to build authentic worlds. It makes people feel seen.

“Growing up, I never saw any video game that was authentically inspired by Mexico,” says Salomon. “Sometimes we see a lot of stereotypes, and media in the past have not portrayed Mexico well. This was an amazing opportunity to collaborate here, and build the world I always wanted to see inside one of my favorite games of all time.”

“We have players from all around the world, and we want to give them authenticity, with a Sims twist.”

A future filled with fun

The Sims 4 will keep expanding and enriching its worlds to offer players even more authentic and immersive experiences. By drawing inspiration from real-world locations and cultural nuances, we strive to create environments where players can play and connect. Each new expansion is a testament to our dedication to bringing vibrant, diverse settings to life, ensuring that every corner of the game feels as real and engaging as the places it’s inspired by.

This ongoing evolution aligns seamlessly with EA's standards of inclusivity, innovation, and connection. As we push the boundaries of what’s possible in interactive entertainment, our goal remains to foster communities where players feel welcomed and inspired.

Together, we will keep striving forward, creating worlds that not only reflect the rich tapestry of our real world but also provide a platform for players to explore, connect, and grow.

EA CREATES

This is the second chapter of EA CREATES, our special limited series where we delve into the artistry behind crafting authentic characters, immersive worlds, and unforgettable experiences. At EA, our mission isn't just to entertain millions of players worldwide; it's to reflect their stories and enrich their lives through our games.

Stay tuned for more. 

Like so many of you, we see inspiration all around, both inside and outside of our games. If you want to see more “Simspiration”, check out our latest article!