‘Sims 4’ Anti-Piracy ‘Glitch’: Is It Copy Protection Or A Game-Breaking Bug? [Video]

Sims 4 fans who decided to illegally download the latest installment of the franchise instead of paying for a legitimate copy soon discovered that they’re unable to enjoy the experience. The culprit: Electronic Arts’ so-called “nudity glitch.”

If you’ve never played The Sims before, then you’re really missing out. Like its predecessors, Sims 4 tasks players with creating a character and guiding this virtual human being through everyday life. This includes building a house, finding a job that can cover the cost of your extravagant lifestyle, and falling in love.

In short: The Sims 4 is a lot like real life, except with a lot less body hair and the ability to burn down your house when that one friend just won’t take the hint and leave, already. In this writer’s humble opinion, it’s a surprising amount of fun.

At some point during EA’s wildly popular life simulator, yours Sims 4 character will need to get naked. Whether he or she is using the bathroom or taking a shower — nudity is going to happen. When the clothes come off, a handy mosaic hides all of the character’s naughty bits from your tender eyes. That’s when the anti-piracy glitch takes hold.

According to Newsweek, people who illegally downloaded copies of Sims 4 will see that mosaic slowly grow out of proportion. Before long, the screen is completely obstructed, thus making the game entirely unplayable. It’s believed that the only people complaining about this “bug” are those who snagged a copy without paying. Shame on you.

If you own a legit copy of the game, then you shouldn’t encounter the Sims 4 glitch. Curious to see how the anti-piracy mechanism works? Check out the video below.

However, Game Informer explains that several unhappy Sims 4 players have taken to the official forums to complain about the situation. What’s more, several people who claim to have a legitimate copy of the game are supposedly getting the exact same bug. Is EA’s alleged copy protection preventing customers from enjoying the experience?

One concerned player created an account just to refute reports that this was only happening to people who downloaded an illegal copy of Sims 4.

“I just created an account because some people are assuming that we have pirated games. I just got my original game and its happening to me as well. I already re-installed and everything, this should be taken into consideration and not be called an act of simply getting the pirated version.”

So is the Sims 4 nudity glitch an actual bug or a unique form of copy protection? Since EA hasn’t officially responded to the situation as of this writing, it’s anybody’s guess at this point. Are you having issues with the game? Let us know in the comments.

[Lead image via Electronic Arts]