According to PC Gamer, The Sims pioneered queer representation in games by allowing same-sex relationships since the first game in the series in 2000. It hasn't always been flawless, with same-sex couples in The Sims 2 being limited to "joined unions" rather than marriages. Gender is one area where it still falls short in terms of representation, with default pronouns used based on the player's body type. But that has changed with the addition of customisable pronouns to The Sims 4 in an update.
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Custom Pronouns in The Sims 4
With this update, a brand new or existing Sim can choose the pronouns They/Them, She/Her, He/Him, and create Custom pronouns.
Custom pronouns are currently only available for Sims in The Sims 4's English version. PC Gamer reported that Producer John Faciane, AKA SimGuruDuck, noted it's going to take time to roll out given that The Sims 4 has been translated into 18 different languages.
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How To Customize Your Pronouns in The Sims 4
According to the blog of Electronics Art (EA), you can follow the steps below to customize your own pronouns:
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When you go to Create a Sim, choose 'Hello, my name and pronouns are...'
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This brings up the name input screen.
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A section for pronouns is located next to the name fields.
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You will be able to choose from the following options in this first version of the feature: They/Them, She/Her, He/Him, Custom.
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If you want to use pronouns that aren't available as multiple choice, you can make your own by entering the Subjective, Objective, Possessive Dependent, Possessive Independent, and Reflexive forms of the pronouns you want to use.
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Once you've entered your pronouns, they'll be saved to your Sims and the game will update to use the correct pronouns where possible.
Some of the Most Frequently Asked Questions in The Sims 4: Changing Pronouns
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Q: When I make a Sim in Create a Sim, will I have to use customisable pronouns?
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A: No. Sims may be created in Create a Sim in the same way they can now.
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Q: Will I be able to modify my Sim's pronouns after I've chosen them?
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A: Players will be able to modify their Sim's pronouns at any time by using Create a Sim.
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Q: Why are custom pronouns currently only accessible in English?
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A: As of this writing, the game features a substantial amount of text that has been translated into 18 other languages. With so many languages available, the company will need more time to explore how to correctly integrate grammatical rules into the game's other languages.
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Q: There are still rare instances where the incorrect pronoun is used. What should I do in this case?
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A: While this feature has been well tested, there are certain restrictions to what it can detect. In this thread on Answers HQ, you can report any occasions where the right pronoun isn't presented.
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