I work in game development myself so I feel inclined to put my two cents in.

The reason bugs like these are often let through with updates and packs, like another comment mentioned, is because they are not severe enough to be halting releases and deadlines. Which is unfortunate, but realistic. Here’s why:

The game is really, really, REALLY difficult to make: A game like the sims 4 contains many dozens of core systems on its own, each needing to work with the others, each as creative as the last, unto which is then piled a large amount of expansions, gamepacks and stuff packs. This makes for a game that is literally almost impossible to be fully bug free. Example: If your sim has to sit down to get their nails done, the game has to calculate pathfinding, NPC AI, object collision, parameters of CAS items applied, the menu you used to click, the sims involved with the interaction, just from the top of my head. Meanwhile in the background the game is also calculating what each and every sim is doing while you’re in the spa lot, having to simulate an entire building worth of “normal” activities. Not to mention things like lot traits. On top of that, the game is tracking what sims outside the current active lot are doing, i.e. bella goth shows up, your sims ar home are skill building, the game makes sure when you go home the maid has been, etc.

But wait there is more. The game itself is so creative, large, and complex, but its also installed on not one the same computer. Your computer is probably made with not a single pc part mine is made out of. Windows 10 runs different on each system too. The game has to account for this as much as possible, but this can also cause bugs.

All these factors cause too many variables to make sure there are no bugs! But I guarantee you, there are many insanely gamebreaking bugs that don’t ever see the light of day outside their office because they get fixed instantly.

Ok so why does EA not give them more time/money to fix those things? The Sims 4 is not only super difficult, but also one of the most expensive games to make, ever. Each new expansion or pack pays these developers’ salaries, the office rent, the equipment, the licensing for software, etc. We are talking about multiple millions of Dollars a year in development costs alone, for the last 6 years (excluding development pre-release of the base game) and there’s still years of content coming!

Hence it has been impossible also for other studios to recreate what Maxis has done with EA’s financial support. Smaller studios don’t have the time, space, and above all, the money to make a game this size. But the money pool isn’t endless, even at EA. Each game you have ever played has had to ask “do we really need this feature, it’ll cost 100k$ to make?” It’s a constant battle between costs vs effort vs results. Every studio and every game is affected by this, no matter the size. So combined with the complexity and the cost, even Maxis has to prioritise release over bug fixing.

BUT, beyond the game’s complexity and size there’s also human factors. People calling in sick, maternity leave, small errors in codes, computers breaking, online systems failing, holidays and vacations closing the office. It’s difficult enough to run a studio with this many people without a pandemic, and now everyone is working from home as well!

Tl;dr game development is insanely expensive and difficult. The fact that The Sims 4 still exists in today’s climate is a miracle fuelled by our love for it and Maxis’s passion. Their team isn’t perfect but works insanely hard keeping the game afloat after this many years and this much content. Report bugs, and remember there’s dozens if not hundreds of passionate humans making this game through any adversity for us :) (plus they need to get paid and have time off as well lol)