International Women’s Day? Women Make The Sims EVERY Day

Today is International Women’s Day, and we want to thank all of the amazing women who are part of The Sims™ community. Players and content creators alike make The Sims; women make The Sims. Without you, our game and our community would not be what they are today.

We’re lucky to have a thriving international community filled with brilliant, talented women creators. Our players live all around the world, in places that are closer to achieving gender parity and in places where there is still a lot of progress to be made. They come from all backgrounds, religions, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic standings. Their experiences shape the way they play and create, but all of the Simmers we reached out to celebrate and uplift other women with their talents and creations.

Simba World

Based in: Korea

Playing since: 2001

Some of the most rewarding opportunities stem from problems. Prior to getting married, Simba World faced difficulties in her work environment that forced her to leave her job. “There is definitely a wall in Korean society that women cannot easily break,” the prominent YouTuber says. “It was so hard to get a job after I became a married woman. I'd been busy all my life, but when I became unemployed in the morning, every day was so long and empty.”

That’s when Simba World turned to The Sims and YouTube. “I fell in love with The Sims because I like to make my own special story, and when I first started my YouTube, there were no YouTubers in Korea who made content comprehensively with The Sims. Now, we are transferring know-how to new YouTubers and forming a community! I've influenced other people's lives.”

She currently acts as the leader of the The Sims Creators YouTube channel, and her own channel is full of imaginative stories, beautiful builds, and tips for playing. (Viewers can also download some of her work from the Gallery, where she uploads many of her builds.) Whether she’s inspiring the next generation or simply having fun for herself, Simba World lives by her own advice: “Do not give up, and do your best until the end. Sometimes there are unexpected opportunities!”

xmiramira

Based in: United States

Playing since: 2003

When xmiramira released her custom content melanin pack a few years ago, it “sparked a huge conversation on changes that not only needed to be made within The Sims franchise, but gaming overall. All I wanted to do was make it so that Black Simmers and Simmers of color can be themselves,” she says. Now, The Sims Spark’d winner continues to do that every day.

In addition to her TV appearances and Sims videos, xmiramira also speaks on panels and advocates for better representation in the game. “If a person of color is somewhere playing their game just how they want to play it because they saw me do the same, then I think I’ve had a decent impact on the community,” she says.

Every day, that impact grows. Lately, she’s been working with The Sims 4 dev team to improve the new base game skin tones updates. When she reflects on all she’s accomplished, she says, “[The Sims] has indirectly empowered me quite a bit. Being in this industry has consisted of quite a few things that were not dreams, because I didn’t know they were even attainable.”

As for what advice she’d give to others trying to change the game—and the world? “Do you. Set your goals and push for them. Ignore the naysayers. Don’t let folks get in your head—you can bring about change, whether it be big or small.”

Priscila Paes

Based in: Brazil

Playing since: 2000

When her dad first brought home The Sims, Priscila Paes was 13 years old and had no idea what the game would come to mean to her. Now, twenty years later, Priscila Paes plays to relax and forget about her problems. “It’s almost like going back in time,” she says about her hobby. “I have anxiety, but when I’m playing, I get so focused that I forget my bad feelings and worries.”

Priscila Paes often creates Sims inspired by the people close to her, characters in books, and even her beloved dog. Her profile on the Gallery features many of these Sims and a few builds, and last year, she started a YouTube series focused on introducing them through gameplay. “The videos were moments that amused me and kept me away from so many bad events,” she says. “The followers also disconnected from the world for a moment and followed them like a soap opera. It is almost like therapy.”

Still, as a 33-year-old woman, Priscila Paes acknowledges she’s faced some challenges. “I have been judged on social media for playing,” she admits, but it doesn’t discourage her. “I believe it is okay for you to have an adult life and enjoy a game from when you were younger. The game helps me clear my mind and work on my creativity. It inspires me to do new and different things at work.”

She’s also met many others who love the game—and she has inspired even more to play again. “Allow yourself to do what is good for you, what you feel like, and don't be ashamed of it. There will always be someone with the same taste as you,” she advises.

Negaoryx

Based in: United States

Playing since: 2000

When her family first got The Sims, Negaoryx recalls, she and her sister would wake up early on weekends to start up the family PC. They’d take turns playing while the other watched—as Negaoryx says, “I was hooked, right from the start.”

Twenty-one years later, that hasn’t changed. “I still play The Sims today (and stream on Twitch!) because it brings me as much joy now as it did when I first discovered it as a kid. I love that no matter what’s going on in the world, no matter where my life is, I can boot up the game and create a time and a place to escape to.”

Growing up, Negaoryx sometimes needed that escape. “The Sims was immensely impactful for me in terms of embarking on a process of self-discovery. The first queer representation I ever saw was in Sims machinima I watched on YouTube. Before I ever came out to anyone offline, I felt seen and accepted by the LGBTQ+ community thanks to the creators I discovered back in The Sims 2 days.”

Now, Negaoryx wants to be that same beacon of hope for others. “There are so many young girls and women who grew up unable to see themselves in the game. If even just one person has felt seen or represented from watching my content, that’ll have been the most impactful thing I have ever done with my career, I think.”

That’s not the only good thing to come out of the community, though. “Thanks to Simmers like XMiraMira and EbonixSims, The Sims has changed and evolved to be better, more diverse, and more of a reflection of the women who play the game,” Negaoryx says. “I love that The Sims community inspires each other so continuously, and how we make the game feel so much bigger and more inclusive with our feedback, hard work, and content we create for one another.”

“Don’t be afraid to speak up and advocate for what you feel is right and what you want to see in the gaming space. A better future is worth fighting for, and gaming is for everyone.”

OyakeLemon

Based in: Taiwan

Playing since: 2000

OyakeLemon is no stranger to those who have watched her 36-episode legacy challenge, Zhengs' Legacy. “I really enjoy creating different lives and careers for Sims,” she says about playing. “I prefer immersive gameplay, and The Sims has always been a game of diversity and inclusion. There are characters waiting to be discovered and many different lifestyles to be lived.”

It ultimately led her to start her YouTube channel, where she plays through challenges and digs into Sim backstories. “Sometimes, fans tell me that my videos accompanied them through their rough time. It is so great that I can help them this way, and I'd love to engage myself in The Sims more for this purpose.”

That relationship goes both ways for OyakeLemon. Last year, her community inspired her to launch an Android app based on some of her own live streams. “The app features some time-limited objectives for Sims, and gives rewards or punishments depending on the outcomes. It was originally serial content in my live streams, and many of my viewers wanted to try it themselves.”

Whether she’s uploading creations to the Gallery, playing through long Sim lifecycles, or just interacting with her community, she says, “I think The Sims would probably be the game of my life.”

TabathaPacer

Based in: Chile

Playing since: 2004

TabathaPacer sometimes struggles with getting out of her comfort zone and sharing her creations, even as a gamer and content creator. “If I’m being completely honest, I got used to having a very personal game, since I played from a very young age,” she says about her experience with The Sims. “Maybe this is an opportunity to show my community what I can do.”

That community veers young for TabathaPacer, so she tends to focus on the entertainment of the game. “I feel that The Sims gives me the space to enjoy a different kind of game. I enjoy creating different personalities in my characters, being able to live really complex adventures, and the families always have so much to tell us. It’s a new universe, and a very exciting one where you can really have a sense of community.”

The Sims also showed her an “entire universe of chances” in the world of video games. “Gender roles have nothing to do with the video game industry. We have to fight to be who we want to be. Nothing is truly difficult or impossible, and us women can do everything. We’ll keep showing to everyone that we are people.”

Lili Cross

Based in: Spain

Playing since: 2000

Gamer and author Lili Cross knows how difficult it can be to remember to laugh at life. “It's easy nowadays to fall into depression, and we all struggle not to do it, although sometimes it's very hard because our environment is too intense,” she admits. “As a woman in video games, [people] have tried to sexualize me; they have tried to undermine my physical appearance or the tone of my voice. But you know what? The box they want to put us in can stay broken and buried. It's time to do what we [women] want.”

In 2015, she launched her YouTube channel, where she encourages tolerance, love, and joy while playing The Sims. “An absurd laugh or a funny, odd moment can brighten a person's day without [them] even realizing it,” she says. “I like to look for the positive side of things. That's what I'm here for, to try to change that in every person who sees me.”

Her adventures in The Sims encourage her to push against the expectations of society: “Don’t dwell on how life should be instead of how it could be. Dream big and live with passion for what you do.”

Which women in the community do you most admire? Give your fellow players a shout-out on The Sims Forums; share your favorite women Simmers with us using #WomenMakeTheSims on Twitter and Instagram; like us on Facebook; and subscribe to our YouTube channel. You can also sign up for The Sims 4 newsletter to get all the news as soon as it’s announced.