Designing jewellery for The Sims!

Ebonix is a "Simmer" - someone who plays the Sims a lot! And she also designs clothes, outfits, hairstyles and in-game jewellery! She told Chris Berrow more... 

Ebonix - I've been a gamer from as early as I can remember. I think one of the one of the first consoles I had was Sega, and that's that's come from me and my dad playing when I was younger. So as soon as I got older the Sims came out. I'm thinking like 1999 - 2000. So I had the very first Sims and it was very basic and there wasn't in terms of like character creation. The element of wanting representation in the game that wasn’t even the third or fourth thought. It was just here's your character. Here's what they're gonna look like. You're just gonna accept and you're going to play the game. As the years have gone on the idea of character creation and actually being able to customize the character and having the character look in a way that you wanted to look has definitely boomed and The Sims, whilst they have done really really well in the features department so you can customize your character and give them features in like the facial structure and stuff that you can customize it as much as you want when it comes down to things like hair, which is really really big in black African Caribbean culture.

Chris - Well I mean you obviously must love this game but why not design this kind of jewellery in real life?

Ebonix - Whenever like a new pack would come out I wouldn't be at school that I would be calling in sick that if a new pack and it's just it's just one of those very timeless games where possibilities are endless and that's what I like about it. Yeah I can design these things in real life if I really wanted to but it's something that is so deep and so close to my heart and I've invested so many years into it. It only feels right that I invest as much time and love as I have into the game into creating content for this game.

Chris - How important is that representation?

Ebonix - Being able to see yourself in a game and I know some people will say it's just a game but no being able to see yourself in a game and create something a character that looks like you can really change your perspective on yourself. Because I will say back in the day when I think I'm around Sims 2 I never really used to make black characters because there was no content and I said you probably make like white characters or Latino characters. But when I started finding more content where I started finding like dreadlocks and and braids and afros and things like that it made me feel like I was seen. And so I wanted to replicate that feeling in the Sims 4.

[Addendum / correction added after publication: Please note that we stated incorrectly in the programme that you have to buy Ebonix's Sims 4 hairstyles, accessories and jewellery. They are actually completely free to download; we apologise for that inaccuracy.]