EA's newly announced Sims 4 Marketplace and Maker Program are drawing backlash from the game's long-standing modding community. Key grievances include a mandatory virtual currency (Moola), EA taking a 70% cut of sales, and a shift from the community's existing Patreon-based optional support model to a centralized monetization system. Prominent creators like myshunosun and SimMattically criticize the marketplace as profit-driven rather than community-focused, with some refusing to participate. The controversy is compounded by distrust stemming from EA's take-private deal involving Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which led several creators to already sever EA partnerships. Critics argue that while EA needs creators to make the marketplace viable, the terms undervalue creator contributions and risk damaging the community dynamic.
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