View the full episode transcript.
When shareholders of gaming giant Electronic Arts approved an acquisition of the company by a group that includes Jared Kushner’s private equity firm and the Saudi Public Investment Fund late last year, it rocked the entertainment industry. The sale worth an estimated $55 billion sent the player community of the EA-owned game The Sims scrambling, afraid that a game known as a haven for LGBTQ+ expression might be changed for the worse. In this second part of our exploration of the inclusive history of The Sims franchise, we dive into what the deal might mean for the game, how it’s reshaping the future of the industry, and why a popular Sims streamer is ready to walk away from the game in protest.
Guests:
- Kayla Sims, Twitch streamer and YouTuber known as “lilsimsie”
- Zefrine, Twitch streamer and organizer with The Players Alliance
- Loel Phelps, senior game design director at Maxis
- Jessica Croft, senior designer at EA on The Sims 4
Further Reading/Listening:
- Bay Area Gamers Rally Against Electronic Arts’ $55 Billion Acquisition — Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman, KQED
- ‘Gaming is the new oil:’ How the EA buyout ‘diverges from the traditional playbook’ — Nicole Carpenter, Game Developer
- Congressman Teams Up With Popular Sims Streamer To Oppose Saudi Purchase Of EA — Nathan Grayson, Aftermath
- US representative Maxwell Frost protests Saudi buyout of EA — Diego Argüello, Game Developer
- Sims streamers are distancing themselves from EA, but for some the choice is hard — Ash Parrish, The Verge
- EA Advertisement Isn’t New: A Look Back At The Sims’ History With Brands (And What Comes Next) — Callum Bowyer, Sims Community
- Private Equity’s EA Takeover: Corruption, Contradictions, and Exploitation — Daniel Stone, Center for Economic and Policy Research
Want to give us feedback on the show? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org
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