Players who want to use custom buy mode and build mode objects must also go into Game Options and tell the game to show custom content in the catalogs. For players with Nightlife or later, or any stuff pack, the dialog which allows this must be enabled in Game Options. In The Sims 2, players who wish to use custom content must specifically enable it, and must re-enable it after adding a new expansion pack or stuff pack. In The Sims 4 custom content is marked by a wrench icon. In these games, custom content is marked with a 'star', which is basically an asterisk. The Sims does not distinguish between custom content and Maxis content, but The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 do.
With the release of The Sims 2, EA/Maxis began referring to user-made content as 'custom content', and the usage caught on. The term 'custom content' generally wasn't used when talking about content for The Sims, but much was made and quite a lot is still available. Custom content has always been a part of The Sims series, at least for the PC and Mac games in it. See also: Game guide:Installing custom contentĬustom content is fan-generated content made by players for players.
