EA Backtracks on Sims 4 MOD limitations after backlash

Last month, EA announced new rules and restrictions on paid mods, early access, and how creators can advertise their creations. This has led to many unhappy responses and constant controversy within Sims social communication.

The Sims 4 It may have been released in 2014, but Life Simulator continues to get huge official updates and boasts a large and active community of mods who regularly produce user-made content for the game on PC. Some of these creators make a living selling mods or getting donations from players who enjoy their work. So it’s no surprise that EA’s July 26 policy update – which made it clear that mods would no longer be allowed to be sold or locked behind a Patreon subsidiary – set off an online firestorm.

In the update posted on the official EA Sims 4 Help siteThe company clarified that the mods cannot be “sold, licensed, or rented for a fee” and that the modifications cannot add to or support “cash transactions of any kind.” What this means is that you can’t paste your digital store inside The Sims 4 and sell NFT T-shirts or sell your mods via a website.

EA has acknowledged that developing a mod takes time and resources and allows creators to sell ads on their mod sites and receive donations, but creators can’t include these things in the game itself.

Read more: Sims 4 Update accidentally adds incest

But when this support page was first published, the part saying allowing paid early access was not included. This has led to a huge backlash as many content creators and mods are using the early access model to release mods to dedicated fans who are willing to pay before everything works right or ends. The idea is that once the mod is done, the developers release it for free and this paid period helps support them as they work to finish the mod.

EA seemingly coming after this fairly old system that was mostly accepted by the community went over about as well as you’d expect. It’s also quite a turn as the publisher is typically supportive of its Sims modding community. Jamespot Talk to some of the creators about the situationwith some explaining how they managed to survive.

“The early access to Patreon is one of the only reasons I can afford medication, food, pet care, and my own apartment so I can live above my disabled father to take care of him,” Sims 4 Modder JellyPaws Tell Jamespot.

After much backlash from players and some bad press, EA has now changed course and earlier today Help article update To include a specific deduction for paid early access. While selling direct selling mods or locking them behind a firewall is still not acceptable, this new update allows for the community-approved Patreon system.

This is the text added by EA To confirm that it is OK with this type of paid mod system.

Offer an incentive for early access for a reasonable amount of time. After a reasonable early access period, all users should be able to access Mods completely for free regardless of whether they donate or not.

However, while this helped quell some From the fire, others are still concerned about how vague this new rule will be. How long can a mod remain in Early Access before EA announces that it must be removed and published for free? EA only says “a reasonable amount of time” but does not specify, potentially allowing the publisher some wiggle room as they evaluate modifications on a case-by-case basis.

Kotaku Contact EA about the Early Access rule and request clarification.

So far, Sims Fans and creators Like KawaiiFoxita He seems cautiously optimistic about the situation. Of course, if EA reveals that a “reasonable amount of time” is like five days or a week, it will likely find itself in another mess.