When the life-simulation game Paralives was released in early access, Danielle Udogaranya’s hand ached at the thought of making new Black hairstyles for it.
\n\nIt wasn't because she didn't want to create for the game. Udogaranya, better known as Ebonix, has spent over a decade creating custom content for life-simming games with the goal of helping people see themselves on digital screens. Her hesitation stemmed from the physical toll it takes to craft the perfect digital coil, braid, and kink—painstakingly long hours and tedious precision.
\n\n“I thought to myself, why am I still having to do this?” Udogaranya, a technical artist who has a degree in psychology, tells WIRED.
\n\nFans of games like The Sims spend time flipping through her sites, downloading custom hair packs inspired by real-life styles not otherwise available in-game. As of now, the Ebonix Patreon has over 115,000 members, and hundreds of both free and paid content items.
\n\nThe reason behind the demand for custom content in life-simming games is both simple and disappointing: Natural Black hairstyles have been historically underrepresented, and the technology used to make them has been slow to improve.
\n\n“With new games coming out now, I'm still seeing the issues, and I'm…
Original source: https://www.wired.com/