The Sims 4 continues to get an absolute onslaught of new content via stuff packs, expansions and kits. While these expansions have been hit or miss, they’re usually pretty straightforward with what they include, making it clear to players whether or not they may be interested in the content. However, the most recent kit, Industrial Loft, has caused a bit of controversy among fans, as there was initially a notable lack of new doors or windows, despite their prevalence in its marketing.
Specifically, there was a window that showed up in the kit’s trailer, which many players assumed would be part of the DLC. However, it was nowhere to be found when Industrial Loft launched on August 26. The Sims Team responded to questions on why the window wasn’t included by stating that it was a “cinematic visual” meant to create excitement. The developers also said they would add the window in a patch.
Despite this promise, Simmers have been fairly disappointed with this response. Previous trailers and promotional material for the various Sims games have been fairly consistent in terms of representing the content that fans can expect. The window is featured prominently in promotional material that displays the other items from the kit, making it easy to assume that it would be part of the kit.
Additionally, while this window joining the game is nice, it would be the only new window or door added with the kit. This problem is indicative of a larger issue that The Sims 4 community has with Industrial Loft: a serious lack of unique content. Many have pointed out that many of the 26 items added are visually similar to other pieces of furniture added with the Eco Lifestyle and City Living expansions.
A good portion of Industrial Loft‘s additions are just new color options for existing items. These have been received fairly well, with some players noting that it should lead to some underused items getting more attention. Still, a lot of players feel that Industrial Loft does not include enough content to make the kit worth the price.
A lack of well-made new content seems to be a recurring problem with kits. The Sims 4 has received five kits so far, with each one being priced at around $5. While this is certainly a low price in comparison to the larger Stuff, Game and Expansion packs, they only fill niche voids that some point out can be filled by custom content and mods.
The fact that so many of these new items are just palette swaps also highlights another issue players have with The Sims 4: the lack of The Sims 3‘s Create-a-Style. That feature would have allowed fans to create these items themselves without paying for another piece of DLC, leaving fans to wonder why EA is focusing on these items rather than the game’s more pressing issues in regards to its core gameplay.
In short, the controversy surrounding the Industrial Loft kit has ended up highlighting issues that fans have had with The Sims 4 and its expansion packs for a while now. Many Simmers feel as though they’re being promised content that goes undelivered while EA focuses on adding things that don’t really expand on the gameplay. While Industrial Loft‘s price is certainly more reasonable than other Sims 4 expansions, the content isn’t really what the community expected.
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