Arrowhead has a steady line it needs to walk with Helldivers 2. The developer needs to ensure it both fixes any bugs (not Terminids, the glitchy kind) while also adding new featurs and content to the game in order to «stay relevant».
04.04.2024 - 10:47 / gamerant.com / Ea / Rahman Shaukat / New Content
Maxis, the studio responsible for The Sims 4, has unveiled a new update focused on expanding the game's content by providing additional hair customization options for Black characters. With an emphasis on inclusivity and authentic representation, this update introduces a variety of color combinations across two hairstyles, offering players a broader range of options for self-expression in The Sims 4's virtual world.
Despite being nearly a decade old, The Sims 4 continues to receive regular updates. The developers seem to prioritize the implementation of fan-requested features, particularly those that enhance inclusivity. Many fans of the franchise consider The Sims to be one of the most inclusive games ever created, a sentiment attributed to the studio's ongoing efforts. For instance, a previous update to The Sims 4 introduced vitiligo, a skin condition, in collaboration with Winnie Harlow, which was positively received by the community.
Now, Maxis's latest endeavor to bring further inclusivity within The Sims 4 saw the developer collaborating with the popular hair care brand Dark & Lovely and influential gaming content creator Danielle “Ebonix” Udogaranya, who has previously collaborated with The Sims franchise to create skin tones and nails. The collaboration resulted in a campaign named «Play in Color,» introducing a range of new content aimed at addressing underrepresentation of «marginalized communities,» particularly Black hairstyles, according to the game's publisher EA.
The update allows players to gain access to «24 color combinations across two existing hairstyles,» drawing inspiration from Dark & Lovely's Immersive Bolds hair color collection. This addition offers players greater flexibility in customizing their Sims' appearances, with a broader spectrum of hair color options reflecting real-world diversity.
Additionally, a new locs hairstyle developed in collaboration with Dark & Lovely will be made available to players in July 2024, further expanding the range of hairstyle options in The Sims 4. Overall, this collaboration showcases a commitment to creating virtual worlds where everyone can feel seen and represented. As Maxis and its partners continue to work towards this goal, they set a powerful example for the industry as a whole, demonstrating that inclusivity is not just a value to uphold but a necessity for fostering truly immersive and meaningful gaming experiences.
While updates to any game, whether focused on introducing new content or fixing bugs, are generally welcomed, there's more news for The Sims 4 that has sparked additional excitement in the community. EA recently confirmed that the Blooming Rooms Kit DLC will soon be available to players for free, a significant gesture
Arrowhead has a steady line it needs to walk with Helldivers 2. The developer needs to ensure it both fixes any bugs (not Terminids, the glitchy kind) while also adding new featurs and content to the game in order to «stay relevant».
Arrowhead Game Studios CEO Johan Pilestedt believes that the studio will have to simultaneously add more content to Helldivers 2, while also fixing any issues that players might encounter in order for the game, to “stay relevant”. Responding to a thread on Reddit, Pilestedt talked about how the studio has been working towards this goal.
Following up on the overwhelmingly positive response to Stardew Valley Update 1.6, developer Eric «ConcernedApe» Barone has revealed Patch 1.6.4, which adds even more content and fixes a number of bugs. Stardew Valley Update 1.6 has been released for PC and will be coming to console and mobile platforms soon. In the meantime, ConcernedApe has released a number of key patches, including the latest 1.6.4 update.
Helldivers 2's popularity is still sky-high, but more and more demands have been flooding in lately for developer Arrowhead to put a greater focus on squashing bugs rather than adding new content, something which the devs have pointed out isn't exactly straightforward. It's rather ironic, really, given the game's massive focus on killing democracy-hating bugs.
Another The Sims 4 update reached the PC and console versions of the game on April 16. The new build is primarily geared toward polishing the hit life sim and packs nearly two dozen changes that resolve some annoying The Sims 4 bugs and other issues.
Ninja Kiwi’s Bloons Tower Defense is currently on the Google Play Store for $3.99, a pretty big drop from its usual $6.99. It’s the first time Bloons TD 6 has been on sale in over six months.
Bandai Namco has recently confirmed that One Piece Odyssey will be released for the Nintendo Switch on July 26. The upcoming Switch port will be the complete edition of One Piece Odyssey, coming with previously released DLC, as well as new outfits.
A fan of Stardew Valley and The Sims has recreated three of the farming title's bachelorettes within The Sims 4. The recreations are impressive and are just one way that fans of Stardew Valley show appreciation for the game outside of the scope of it.
If the excellent Fallout TV show is inspiring you to pick one of the games back up for a replay, Bethesda is offering a very nice incentive to get back into Fallout 4 with a free next-gen update set to land on April 25.
Players of The Sims 4 can look forward to two new DLC packs arriving on April 18. The Sims 4's Urban Homage and Party Essentials Kits will add new items, clothing, accessories, and more to the game.
A Sims 4 player online has recreated their real-life cat in the game with incredible details, including near-perfect markings. Despite The Sims 4 approaching its 10th anniversary this year, it remains the premier life simulator title for these kinds of recreations.
As World Of Warcraft Classic - an MMORPG that is, confusingly, a new version of the old version of World Of Warcraft - enters phase 3 of its Season Of Discovery, PCGamer has an interview with some of the devs where they talk about the decision to not run Player Test Realms - servers where they roll out the new content to smaller numbers of players to road test it. This means that when they launch new stuff for Seasons Of Discovery it'll probably break more often, but it means players get to discover brand new things together. Which is great! And the developers think it's good too.