ERIC Number: EJ1333256
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1938-0399
EISSN: N/A
"Unfiltered and True to Itself": How Content Creators Represent the Black Community in "The Sims 4"
St. Fleur, Abdah; deWinter, Jennifer
American Journal of Play, v13 n2-3 p297-319 Win-Spr 2021
Using interview data from six Black content creators for "The Sims 4" (2014), the authors consider the politics of representation and self-expression in computer games. Black content, the authors find, consists not merely of depictions of skin tones, but also of the diverse global cultures of Black lived lives and Black experiences--including hair textures and styles, fashion, and objects and assets. These Black creators, the authors find, are filling the gap left by "The Sims 4"'s predominantly white designer group and engaging in playbour, or work that resembles play. The authors highlight Black players' motivations to create, diversity of Black identities, creative skill development, and creative identities. The authors call for the industry to include Black designers and creators from the beginning of the creative process and offer a gallery of Black content created by those they interviewed--a snapshot of the diversity of representation in "The Sims 4" community of modders (players who make changes--"modify"--the game).
Descriptors: Computer Games, African Americans, Diversity, Disproportionate Representation, Attitudes, Cultural Influences, Motivation, Programming
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A