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The Official Sims 4 for Mac Discussions/Speculations/Whatever

Ok, I am now starting the "official" Sims 4 thread for the Mac Forum. Now to be fair, some of these threads are moved over by the Sim Gurus from the Sims 4 thread, but let's try to keep them all in one place shall we?

So the threads we had started before that have been most active for reference are listed below.

http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/758074.page

http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/707772.page

http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/757822.page

So to recap the action...

Yes, we will get Sims 4.

No, it will not be released in September 2014 and no official release date has been set yet.

Game will be ported to natively run on the Mac OS and not run on Cider. It will be similar to the SimCity release.

If you purchase the game now for Windows, you should be able to download the Mac version from Origin once it is available.

So, that it what we know at this point. :mrgreen:
Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.

Comments

  • Tremayne4260Tremayne4260 Posts: 3,126 Member
    edited June 2014
    :mrgreen:
    Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.
  • tamalinntamalinn Posts: 1,435 Member
    edited June 2014
    I hope this works!
  • GBA91101Nver4getGBA91101Nver4get Posts: 4,965 Member
    edited June 2014
    Great Idea now all the info will be condensed into one post. :)
    Nobody does it better, Steve Jobs you simply are the best RIP 10-5-11
  • Kiley0812Kiley0812 Posts: 20 New Member
    edited June 2014

    If you purchase the game now for Windows, you should be able to download the Mac version from Origin once it is available.

    So, that it what we know at this point. :mrgreen:

    Is there anywhere that's confirmed? Because if that's the case, that will actually calm about 75% of my irritation over this whole thing in one fell swoop.
  • Tremayne4260Tremayne4260 Posts: 3,126 Member
    edited June 2014
    It's not confirmed by any official channels, but several people here bought SimCity when it was released for Windows. When the download became available for the Mac, they were able to redownload their games to run natively on the Mac. So it's more from experience than official confirmation that this is possible.

    Once I had registered my Sims 3 games through Origin, I was able to download them either on to my Mac side or onto the Windows side (I use Parallels to run Windows) with no problem. Logically, it should be the same for Sims 4.
    Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.
  • MelanieSimlishMelanieSimlish Posts: 4,432 Member
    edited June 2014
    I don't believe anything until I see it with my own eyes, but I REALLY hope the axing of Cider is true. :XD:
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  • Tremayne4260Tremayne4260 Posts: 3,126 Member
    edited June 2014
    That part is true. They didn't use Cider to port SimCity, so they seem to be going with a similar model.
    Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.
  • Tremayne4260Tremayne4260 Posts: 3,126 Member
    edited June 2014
    Front Page
    Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.
  • OLTLx3LoveOLTLx3Love Posts: 12 New Member
    edited June 2014
    I'm not sure how porting the game works now (time-wise and if it's the same as how they did it to the sims 2, or similar), but correct me if I'm wrong in saying that in the sims 2 some of the EPs were never ported to mac (the ones towards the end, not sure if it was just one or more)

    I haven't seen anyone bring this up, but thought it was worth mentioning, as it appears they will be porting sims 4 to mac after PC release. Obviously they will be porting the base game to mac *eventually* but I'm just pointing out that we *may* not get the final EPs.

    I wouldn't say this if it appeared that EA/the sims team actually cared about mac users, but the lack of information about sims 4 for mac and just the way they handled this sims 4 business makes me remember about that.

    Again, sorry if this was brought up anywhere else, I look around the forms often and haven't seen anything mentioning how they kind of gave up on mac users towards the end of the sims 2.
  • Tremayne4260Tremayne4260 Posts: 3,126 Member
    edited June 2014
    Apparently you are new to Macs. :mrgreen: So let me give you a bit of history on the Sims franchise. Sherman, set the WayBack machine for 1999/2000. Ok, The Sims (now commonly known as Sims 1) was ported to the Mac OS by a company called Westlake Interactive for a company called Aspyr for EA/Maxis. Because the Mac used a different type of processing chip (commonly called the Power PC architecture) and of course a different operating system (OS), the game had to literally be translated from Windows into Mac. It took at least 6 months or so to this, so we got the games and expansions 6 months after the Windows players. Aspyr would recompile the Mac code, produce the CD/DVD of the game and handle all the patches and whatnot for us Mac folks. No problem. The game ran smoothly and we rejoiced.

    Fast forward to 2005, and Sims 2 is ported to the Mac. Again, we have Macs with a different OS and still they are using the Power PC chip. So again, Asypr is hired to port the game to the Mac. This time, however, EA decides to add not only Expansion Packs, but Stuff Packs. The contract between Aspyr and EA did not include porting the Stuff Packs and a new clause had to be worked out between them allowing the SP's to be ported. Well gang, the original contract with Aspyr only covered 6 EP's (as that is only how many EA thought they would originally make) and EA never renewed the contract with Aspyr to finish porting Sims 2 to the Mac OS (which is why we only have up to BV). And somewhere in the middle of all of this (around OFB), Apple stopped using the Power PC chip and switched to using Intel chips. So now, porting to the Mac was a little easier.

    Fast forward once again to 2009 and EA wanted to cut costs as much as possible. The Mac gaming community was growing and so they (EA) thought they could save a buck or two and keep Asypr out of the loop as much as possible and use Cider which would allow them to release the game for both Windows and Mac at the same time. Wow! Neat idea, but not fully executed correctly. And we all know how well this turned out for them and how well the Sims 3 runs on the Mac.

    And to conclude this my dear friends, EA wised up a little and decided to go back to the old tried and true method of allowing Aspyr to port the game as it should be to run natively on the Mac OS instead of using Cider. So, relax, enjoy and wait. I have done so before and will do so again.

    Thank you. :mrgreen:

    Didn't want to have to retype the whole thing. EA realized they screwed up when Sims 2 was not fully ported to the Mac. They got a ton of mail from angry Mac fans angry about how badly the whole situation was managed. So they tried the game with Cider bypassing Aspyr and we all know how well this turned out. I have a feeling they will have Asypr port the entire series as Mac users were pretty vocal and tee'd off with Sims 2. :D
    Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.
  • BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
    edited June 2014
    Bumping. Let's keep it all in one thread people :)
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  • Tremayne4260Tremayne4260 Posts: 3,126 Member
    edited June 2014
    We know people are angry at not having the Base Game released the very same day that the Windows version is. But I honestly ask you all, when did you really start playing the Sims series on a Mac? Was it when Sims 3 came out? Were you around on the official Sims 2 forums when Rapunzel(I can't recall the numbers she used at the time), myself and Macgirlffx and a few others lobbied to get a special Mac section for us so we wouldn't get flamed by the masses about "buying a 'real' computer" and having to find people who know how to solve problems with how the game ran on the Mac? If you're new to the official forums, then yeah you probably don't remember those days. Or how well Sims 2 ran on a Mac either. Still runs like a dream on my iMac, but I couldn't reinstall it (thankfully I don't want to uninstall it or reinstall it) unless I had a computer that recognized the old Power PC architecture.

    So yeah, this is a rant. A rant at all the whinny little brats who have never suffered with abuse by people who run "Windoze" machines and why I get ****** off at people who give us the "buy a real gaming computer" crap in our own Mac section. Be glad there is a section here for us Mac users and that there are people who cared enough to find answers to problems common to either Sims 3 in general or to specifically playing Sims 3 on the Mac. Be glad you can come here and find what you need if you only take a moment or two to read the threads that we try to keep up near the top or on the front page to keep your game running or give you a place to rant and whine and moan about how "evil" EA is that they don't have Mac programmers like Blizzard to release the game on a dual boot disk or download the very same day.

    And keep all the Sims 4 stuff in one thread please, that way if you want to read to any news, respond to the latest firestorm on the Sims 4 section or whine about why aren't we getting at the same time, this is the place to do it.

    Thank you. Have a nice day playing Sims as I plan to do after breakfast and running errands or whatever you plan to do today. :mrgreen:
    Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.
  • Tremayne4260Tremayne4260 Posts: 3,126 Member
    edited July 2014
    Front page
    Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.
  • Tremayne4260Tremayne4260 Posts: 3,126 Member
    edited July 2014
    Frankly, I'm not upset about not getting Sims 4 on Day 1. I'm happy with Sims 2 & 3. :mrgreen:
    Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.
  • Hobbitmama75Hobbitmama75 Posts: 75 Member
    edited July 2014
    Thanks for this - I knew we weren't getting it on mac on the release date, but I didn't know we were definitely getting a mac version, so that's good. I hope it's not just on origin, as I really like to have a hard copy myself, but I guess we'll just have to go with what we're given.
    I was quite surprised that the mac version is being so underplayed - I know they screwed up in saying it was releasing for both and then suddenly at E3 the emphasis was definitely 'released Sep 2nd for pc', but it's good to know they are definitely giving us a version.
    I would have thought with the prolific use of iPhones/ipads/macbooks/imacs now, they'd be silly to disregard the market, but I'm slightly disappointed that I'd have to pre-order Origin to get any kind of pre-ordering deal. It would be nice if they could get retailers to release a mac-preorder listing, so we can pre-order a mac version - they get to see some initial numbers, we get the same treatment as 'windoze' users, but I guess that's asking a bit too much.

    Must go and take daughter no. 1 to a college taster day today, but yes, I shall be watching this thread with huge amounts of interest!
  • Simfan923Simfan923 Posts: 5,551 Member
    edited July 2014
    So I already preordered this game for PC because I though I was going to be able to play TS4 on Parallels Desktop but the graphics card isn't the same on my mac as I have discovered recently. But I do remember about the whole SC being released for mac and if you already bought it for PC you could register it on origin and get the game pre loaded already. Is this true for TS4?
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  • BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
    edited July 2014
    EAfan99 wrote:
    Is this true for TS4?

    Who knows?
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  • Tremayne4260Tremayne4260 Posts: 3,126 Member
    edited July 2014
    So far the Gurus did confirm that a Mac version was to be released after the Windows version. (Sorry all computers are PC's really as it stands for Personal Computer :wink: ). As to when, how and what the specifications for the game are that is unknown at this point. We decided to start our own Sims 4 specifically for Macs (and since this is the Mac section) to discuss, gripe, and give the Gurus a specific place to post any news. So please, please, please do not start any new threads and just add to this one so that hopefully we can get information and it will be in one place. :mrgreen:
    Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.
  • GBA91101Nver4getGBA91101Nver4get Posts: 4,965 Member
    edited July 2014
    Thanks for this - I knew we weren't getting it on mac on the release date, but I didn't know we were definitely getting a mac version, so that's good. I hope it's not just on origin, as I really like to have a hard copy myself, but I guess we'll just have to go with what we're given.
    I was quite surprised that the mac version is being so underplayed - I know they screwed up in saying it was releasing for both and then suddenly at E3 the emphasis was definitely 'released Sep 2nd for pc', but it's good to know they are definitely giving us a version.
    I would have thought with the prolific use of iPhones/ipads/macbooks/imacs now, they'd be silly to disregard the market, but I'm slightly disappointed that I'd have to pre-order Origin to get any kind of pre-ordering deal. It would be nice if they could get retailers to release a mac-preorder listing, so we can pre-order a mac version - they get to see some initial numbers, we get the same treatment as 'windoze' users, but I guess that's asking a bit too much.

    Must go and take daughter no. 1 to a college taster day today, but yes, I shall be watching this thread with huge amounts of interest!

    I hope that the siam 4 gets released as a physical disc too, since my DSL is slow and it takes a while to download anything over a gig in size.
    Nobody does it better, Steve Jobs you simply are the best RIP 10-5-11
  • Tremayne4260Tremayne4260 Posts: 3,126 Member
    edited July 2014
    Well, at this point in time the game looks like a glorified Sims Free Play with a great CAS. (Other than missing the obvious). Will I buy it? Maybe, but not for Windows. Will they port it to the Mac? Who knows at this point?
    Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.
  • Tremayne4260Tremayne4260 Posts: 3,126 Member
    edited July 2014
    So yes, I got the Demo. And yes, it does work very nice with Parallels and an updated Windows XP (make sure you have service pack 3).

    I haven't played it much, but did get to fool around a little with it last night. I'll write up something a bit more formal today after I'm more awake. (Was out with friends last night and got home late :wink: )
    Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.
  • Tremayne4260Tremayne4260 Posts: 3,126 Member
    edited July 2014
    Well, here are my honest impressions of the Sims 4 demo/Create a Sim. Please remember this is very limited in scope and I am not sure if there will be more options in the actual release of the game.

    I kind of like the new look of the Sims themselves. While I still adore the look of the Sims 2 the best and everyone makes fun of the "pudding faces" of Sims 3, Sims 4 has a new look. The hair isn't so much focused on showing individual strands (which I don't think EA has ever done very well at times), it now has a much "cleaner" look in terms of blending in with the Sims themselves. There don't seem to be the problems of the hair being "cut off or sticking through clothes". The clothes themselves are nice and morph easily with any body type. You can now customize each look much easier (like say Everyday could have a female Sims hair up while Formal could have her hair down). It doesn't have the lock and unlock like in Sims 2 and 3. The makeup isn't as varied either, but does give you a lot of options. The eyelashes aren't individually done like in Sims 3, so it may be odd at first.

    I like the "base" models for the Sims as well. They can be made to look fat or fit, somewhere in between with a slide of the mouse. No more sliders. You can zoom in on their faces and tweak noses, cheeks, lips. For what I have heard, eyes are not easy to tweak. There are still the base defaults, but even those can be made more unique. You can now create a sister or brother very easily in the game using the genetic marker. They can be made a twin (male or female) or look slightly different.

    What I don't like is the "personality" creator. Sims 2 and 3 have ways to create different personalities for your Sims and I'm not a big fan so far of the options given in Sims 4. I miss the likes and dislikes and the attractions/astrological sign that have been in the game from Sims 1. It just seems very limiting to their "emotions".

    The walk cycles also aren't very exciting for me either. While it's nice to choose the Sims voices, their walks just don't really matter to me. Especially since there is the closed world aspect again and their walks to different places would be very limited.

    It's ok to create Sims, but I can only do it for so long and not play the game. Until the official Mac version is released, I'm not preordering the game as I'd like to hear more about gameplay and if it can be fun for long periods of time. That's what keeps me playing Sims 2 and 3 is that I can lose myself for a day if I wish to playing the game.
    Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.
  • SimsFan33XDSimsFan33XD Posts: 80 Member
    edited July 2014
    [quote=Tremayne42*****, I am now starting the "official" Sims 4 thread for the Mac Forum. Now to be fair, some of these threads are moved over by the Sim Gurus from the Sims 4 thread, but let's try to keep them all in one place shall we?

    xD not always official, eh, if there are others! xD
  • Tremayne4260Tremayne4260 Posts: 3,126 Member
    edited July 2014
    Well, I wanted folks to have a central place on the Mac Forums to post instead of starting a ton of Sims 4 threads. And thank you for finding the articles that confirm we will get Sims 4 on the Mac so maybe we can stop some of those rumors.

    Now, to be fair to EA they don't have a Mac programming section like Blizzard. So they code the game in Windows and then with a few changes in the code it can work on a Mac. Right now, they are focusing on the game and getting it in shape to ship. The Mac port isn't their highest priority and I don't blame them. Get the game ready for release THEN worry about porting it to the Mac.

    It's kind of simple really. :mrgreen:
    Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.
  • PlyrOwnerPlyrOwner Posts: 200 Member
    edited July 2014
    I don't really see why they wouldnt port to Mac so i'm not worried. We do have worry warts around and thats fine with me! Oh and the whole reason i wanted to reply is to thank you OP for this particular thread!
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