The Sims 3 Wins a Proggy Award

[gobot101]

I'm not a big fan of PETA, but this is interesting news. PETA has named The Sims 3 the 'Most Animal-Friendly Game 2009' because you can make your sim a vegetarian. And this quote from PETA's Executive Vice President is really good, "Electronic Arts Inc. knows that compassion is strength."

Gamasutra has a small article about this here: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/26651/The_Sims_3_Gets_PETA_VegetarianFriendly_Award.php

[Claeric]

Despite the following:
-Fishing
-Cooking with fish
-Allowing fish to rot
-Entrapping fish in bowls
-The ability to cover every square inch of your home with leather
-The above, but with endangered/exotic species

Their whole agenda is just disgusting. They saw a chance for publicity and jumped on it- had they spent a second actually caring they'd see that the sims 3 is not some hugs-are-great-lets-hug-a-dog game. They say also that the sims "are healthier just like real vegetarians", but most veggie sims subsist on salads alone. The way sims eat as vegetarians would KILL a real person. Vegetarianism is not inherently healthy like they want you to think. They also act like vegetarianism was added because of some higher moral imperative on the part of EA, when it was just another trait idea and nothing more.

[supaclova]

I, too, love the Vegetarian trait. Does it make TS3 animal-friendly, though? I don't think so.
But it's definitely interesting that PETA thinks that it is.

[starved4pizza]

Gotta love the PETArds.

[SuicidiaParasidia]

They say also that the sims "are healthier just like real vegetarians", but most veggie sims subsist on salads alone. The way sims eat as vegetarians would KILL a real person.

not to mention that whenever a sim veggie eats a meat dish immediately they must go bulimic until its all out. o_O;;;;
NOT healthy to fck up ones throat for the sake of not eating something [ that you have decided never to eat ] after you were so starved you just ate anything in the fridge you could get your hands on...

[J. M. Pescado]

http://beta.moreawesomethanyou.com/crapola/carnivores.jpg
If we aren't supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?

[CharmingFirewaller]

People keep mentioning how the Sims 3 isn't perfect and has elements that may not necessarily be animal-friendly, but you guys have to remember that they voted it as THE MOST animal-friendly game in 2009.

This means that is relatively "more friendly" compared to games where animals are stabbed or used as spell ingredients. They aren't impying that the game is the epitome of everything that PETA stands for. All they are saying is that, when it comes to dealing with animals, it isn't as "bad".

[acid_fairy]

I'm a vegan through no choice of my own. I don't like the taste of meat and I'm lactose intolerant. It's a sad life *sob*
I do however eat eggs, because eggs are awesome.

But yeah, I don't think PETA have really played the game somehow! How can a game even be animal friendly? The whole concept is retarded!

[Nekowolf]

Honestly, what I get from this is: what the hell?

Most "animal-friendly"? There's a freaking title for this? It's a game! Whether it's Sims, Harvest Moon, or some game where you kick puppies into random people, how is it possibly more animal-friendly than any other game, when they are non-existent animals! It's bits of electronic data.

Unless you got a game that's packaged in leather or something, there isn't any difference at all. Really, this just sounds like PETA...well, being themselves. Bat**** insane, and completely asinine.

Still, thanks for mentioning it.

[cappyboy]

You know, I don't have much use for PETA either. But good for EA on this one. More awards = more publicity = more growth for the Sims franchise. Which means more attention for the Sims from Corporate. And hopefully more hope of getting the franchise back to its roots. Which some of the better functions of Sims 3 as well of course. Potential win-win for everybody.


Honestly, what I get from this is: what the hell?

Most "animal-friendly"? There's a freaking title for this? It's a game! Whether it's Sims, Harvest Moon, or some game where you kick puppies into random people, how is it possibly more animal-friendly than any other game, when they are non-existent animals! It's bits of electronic data.

Unless you got a game that's packaged in leather or something, there isn't any difference at all. Really, this just sounds like PETA...well, being themselves. Bat**** insane, and completely asinine.

Still, thanks for mentioning it.

You know, Neko, I think you're looking a things a little too literally here. I don't deny that PETA is guano [bat**** actually does have another name :) ] insane and prone to the asinine. But this is actually one of their more sensible actions. Games may be just bits of electronic data but it's what those bits of data represent. With all the flak video/computer games get for negatively impacting values when a video gamer flips out and goes on a rampage, I should think there'd be more awards of this nature actually. The hypersensitive like the folks at PETA need their downtime to have fun too. If there are games like the The Sims 3 that show some respect to those ideals (even if it is accidentally), why shouldn't they know it? Again I say, win-win for everybody.

[treeag]

Meh. I support PETA. That is, People eating tasty animals :lovestruc

[kiwi_tea]

Grew up on a farm. Wouldn't eat meat if you paid me. That goes double for meat produced in the USA. Still, this seems about as ridiculous as every other thing PETA does.

[mdossantos047]

Well...THAT makes me shake my head...

[Maffers87]

Meh. I support PETA. That is, People eating tasty animals :lovestruc

That's original.

[Srikandi]

Heh :) Cute.

Well, whatever you think of PETA, and meat-eating, I think the Sims series has the best values of pretty much any adult video game out there, because of three things: no sexism, no racism, no homophobia. Sims are pretty much completely unaware of any of the characteristics in any other sim that might cause stereotyping and prejudice in real life.

And yeah, it's just a game, but games are cultural texts just like books, movies, and songs, and cultural texts is how culture is reinforced and reproduced *shrug*. Let me add before I get flamed that I am totally anti-censorship, of games as well as every other medium... but it's not because I think that gameplay is psychologically and culturally inconsequential, though the consequences might not be the obvious ones. Quite the contrary, in fact.

Anyway, although I am not exactly PETA material myself (not only do I eat meat, I also have two cats that I let go outdoors where they routinely catch mice to bring in and disembowel in the bathtub :/ ), I don't think that given their goals, an award like this is silly :)

BTW, while over at Gamasutra looking at that article, I noticed that the Sims made their Top 12 Games of the Decade list: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4227/gamasutras_top_12_games_of_the_.php

[simbalena]

no sexism

Except there is maternity leave but no paternity leave, and pregnant sims have unrealistic restrictions such as being forced to stop work as soon as they're showing.

[Claeric]

Except there is maternity leave but no paternity leave, and pregnant sims have unrealistic restrictions such as being forced to stop work as soon as they're showing.

Uh. There is, indeed, paternity leave. I've experienced it 3 times since getting the game on christmas. And pregnancy only lasts 3 days, you want them to only have their last day off, or what? PLus if they didnt they would have to base it on the job and that would be too complicated, so intsead everyone does it at the same point of pregnancy.

[mangaroo]

If we aren't supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?

-animals +people = never accept a dinner invitation at Chez Pescado.

[starved4pizza]

Meh. I support PETA. That is, People eating tasty animals :lovestruc


I support this! :anime:

[simbalena]

Uh. There is, indeed, paternity leave. I've experienced it 3 times since getting the game on christmas.

Using a mod? I've never seen any paternity leave in the base game.

And pregnancy only lasts 3 days, you want them to only have their last day off, or what?

Sure, that would be much more realistic. Pregnant sims are so much more restricted than real life pregnant women!

[AnnaIME]

In sims 2, my pregnant woman/new parent could choose to go to work or to stay home, whichever suited her family (and my gameplay). In sims 3, they have to stay at home wether they want to or not. If you try to send them to work the game just says it's not their working hours. Annoying. (Then again, my law career woman got paged to go to work even though she was on maternity leave. And the babysitter didn't show up in time, and she lost some work performance. Also annoying.)

[Srikandi]

OK, fair enough :) I agree with the complaint about maternity leave, in the case of the Sims... though I gotta say that IRL most American moms would kill for that level of maternity leave (with full pay and job guaranteed when they go back to work), and not many would consider that gender discrimination. Have a baby -> say goodbye to your income and likely your career is far more common.

In that respect, Sims 3 also represents a downgrade from Sims 2, in that males can't get pregnant, out of the box that is ;) Male pregnancy in Sims 2 represented a significant step towards equality and a big improvement over RL.

Fortunately in Sims 3 both these things turn out to be easy to mod.

[J. M. Pescado]

People keep mentioning how the Sims 3 isn't perfect and has elements that may not necessarily be animal-friendly, but you guys have to remember that they voted it as THE MOST animal-friendly game in 2009.That is because there aren't any actual ANIMALS in TS3. Hell, even the MEAT is a plant.

Well, whatever you think of PETA, and meat-eating, I think the Sims series has the best values of pretty much any adult video game out there, because of three things: no sexism, no racism, no homophobia.I know! How boring! That's why I'm working to bring those things BACK!

[Claeric]

Well, actually, it is probably because I adopt. There's no such thing as maternity leave when the child has two fathers.

Though I am curious to know how the game decides which dad should get time off.

Also, maternity leave is a GOOD thing. You get paid for it, so just use the time for collecting and skill building.

[ocgforme]

I think PETA just has a bad case of cranial-rectal inversion MOST of the time, BUT--

I honestly have a huge problem with exposing my kids to the level of violence considered acceptable in the US game/tv/movie industries, and find the Sims LESS offensive than most of the stuff for sale.

Vegetarianism can be a healthy, positive lifestyle choice, but PETA members I know are very negative, aggressive, and generally tick me off waaay more than the meat-eaters I know. It reminds me of the saying, "I'd rather err with Galen..."

[CharmingFirewaller]

Well, actually, it is probably because I adopt. There's no such thing as maternity leave when the child has two fathers.

Though I am curious to know how the game decides which dad should get time off.


Obviously the one carrying the baby... :p

And if you adopt, I don't think the game gives them time off.

[jaydock]

Vegetarianism can be a healthy, positive lifestyle choice, but PETA members I know are very negative, aggressive, and generally tick me off waaay more than the meat-eaters I know.

This is why PETA sucks. Vegetarianism and veganism IS healthy, but attention-whores like PETA just tick most omnivorous people off to the whole idea because people just don't like being preached to.

Back to the topic, though, I just wonder what games TS3 beat to get this title. What games have violence against animals in them?

[chann]

Back to the topic, though, I just wonder what games TS3 beat to get this title. What games have violence against animals in them?

Do zombies count as animals or people?

[Srikandi]

Practically every RPG and some shooters start you out slaughtering giant rats and move you up to wolves etc etc, all the way to the dragon at the end ;) And some of em reward you for doing stuff like *gasp* kicking chickens.

And then, of course... there's Deer Hunter, and its ilk!

[J. M. Pescado]

Also, maternity leave is a GOOD thing. You get paid for it, so just use the time for collecting and skill building.Not necessarily a good thing. While you do get paid, you also can't gain performance, which means you can't advance. Because advancement never stops in TS3, not being able to advance is a very bad thing, especially if it derails your promotional sequence.

[Claeric]

Obviously the one carrying the baby... :p

And if you adopt, I don't think the game gives them time off.

...I JUST said that it does. That was the point. One of the fathers gets time off.

[ReverendWolf]

This makes me wonder how limited PETA's repertoire of games is. Doesn't TS3 let you yell at animals, chase them off, or trap them in a box until they starve? Did they even consider Madden for this "award"? That would have gotten my vote :P

[J. M. Pescado]

Well, I hear the International Fungi Society gave the Mario series an award for "Most Positive Depiction of Mushrooms In A Video Game".

[simbalena]

And well deserved... those mushrooms made the game!

[CharmingFirewaller]

...I JUST said that it does. That was the point. One of the fathers gets time off.

Then why are you wondering WHO would get it? If you had witnessed that in game you'd know which one had been given time off. It's either the one that made the phone call or the other.

[shelly_pot_belly]

Meat is Murder!!!! Tastey, tastey murder.

[sleepyrose]

This is just insane! And I know why PETA did it. They don't care that there's meat in the game, or fish in bowls that are too small. It's because you can applaud a sim for being a vegetarian!

[Claeric]

Then why are you wondering WHO would get it? If you had witnessed that in game you'd know which one had been given time off. It's either the one that made the phone call or the other.

...Because one time it was the caller, and another time it was not. Therefore, since I don't know how it chooses and don't see a pattern, I am wondering how it decides who gets time off.

[CharmingFirewaller]

...Because one time it was the caller, and another time it was not. Therefore, since I don't know how it chooses and don't see a pattern, I am wondering how it decides who gets time off.

Did both sims have jobs at the time? Because you obviously can't get maternity leave if you're unemployed.

[7720303]

not to mention that whenever a sim veggie eats a meat dish immediately they must go bulimic until its all out. o_O;;;;
NOT healthy to fck up ones throat for the sake of not eating something [ that you have decided never to eat ] after you were so starved you just ate anything in the fridge you could get your hands on...

I've been a vegetarian for years now, and once I decided to see what meat was like, so I ate some. It made me vomit profusely. It wasn't me "going bulimic until it was out", it was my body rejecting it.