Hello everyone! I just wanted to stop in here to clarify somethings about the panel:
1. Those who attend will absolutely be able to share what they learn after the panel is over.
2. There are two portions for this panel. The first is hosted by myself and is about what goes into deciding what influencers we work with / how content creators can start building relationships with us. The second is hosted by Lyndsay and Rachel and will be giving some insight into how far we've come with The Sims 4 since launch, explaining the addition of Game Packs and what they have to offer, and what exactly goes into development for content on The Sims 4. 3. The Q&A will be focusing solely on the above items that we discuss. We are not talking about future content, we are not making any announcements about content, and we aren't giving hints to anything.
4. We are taking this opportunity to grow stronger relationships with our international community who sometimes feel left out of things since our North American community tends to get more opportunities for things since our studio is based here.
I hope that helps clear things up
In reply to the bolded statement:
@SimGuruDrake don't worry we will not ask about future content, because we don't think there will be any, at least an interesting one.
We will just wait for your announcement of shutting down the sims 4 and the sims franchise as a whole. That is the only news me and at least some other players think we are going to hear from EA officially.
Well the reality is that you are setting yourself up for disappointment with that mindset because you will always be looking for something negative rather than giving content a chance to stand on its own. I know the future is bright for this game and it's mind boggling to see how my panels are somehow sending you off in this direction.
I stand by what I've said that we have been as transparent and forth coming as we can be with the confines that we work in. If you don't want to take it at face value and want to run off with it in wild directions that is your prerogative but it is no where near the truth.
The studio isn't being shut down, we aren't being silent, and EPs are very much still a thing. The game isn't being turned into a mobile game and it's not being treated as an MMO. Gamescom (and any gaming event really) isn't always the place to make announcements for things and will never dictate how we make announcements.
Additionally, influencers aren't just people creating YouTube content or streaming on twitch or running fan sites. Every person in this forum is an influencer in their own way, you can see it every time a speculation thread gets created and whether or not it will take off like wild fire. You are influenced in your every day life by the music you listen to, shows or movies you watch, your friends, your parents, your teachers, social media, forums, etc.
I know that you can't talk about the T word, but thanks so much for at least telling us that this game isn't going to turn into an MMO, that makes my day
Well I am glad of that as I really like the game. Glad to hear that the Sims 4 is not being shut down. thank you for that.
I'm genuinely surprised that people are actually trying to come up with interesting questions that raise valid concerns about the future of the game when I'm sure Maxis will just brush them off. Remember the "As a Guru" threads? Any question that wasn't from a cheerleader going "OMG You guys are super awesome! Let me ask you a question with an answer that everyone already knows!" then it simply won't be answered.
The optimism and naivete of The Sims fans are something every game company dreams about. Seriously, even after all this time people are still holding out for things like toddlers - that's downright admirable. Can you imagine Ubisoft taking out the parkour in Assassin's Creed or Rockstar removing guns from GTA and the fans would just sit and go "Well I'm sure they'll add them in a patch or DLC eventually!" and do nothing except buy every single piece of new content from them?
@Sim_Lucent bloody brilliantly said. I couldn't have put it any better myself. No, seriously, I couldn't have.
I am also at that point now where I just have to laugh. I will never understand why you (EA) will not talk about toddlers. You (EA) pull out this plum about future content when you (EA) know full bloody well that it is REMOVED content. You (EA) took toddlers away. They are NOT "never before seen".
Deny it all you like but the demand for them is sky frikken high. I cannot fathom why the heck you just haven't said if they're coming or not. What is the big deal? I am but one guy but I will not spend another penny on anything you guys (EA) are selling until you (EA) fix this mess. And yes, I say mess. That is what it is. And a huge one.
I also understand that people like TS4, they have every right to do so and it doesn't effect me other than that while people are still spending money on this mess the rest of us won't ever get to see the content we would like. You (EA, unless I say otherwise, getting tired of this) say you cater to everybody but in what way? You seem to cut off 10 fans to every 2 you please! This is the impression I get and nobody can deny me of this. I'm not even talking about anything past the base game. I refuse to move forward until these issues are dealt with. Are toddlers coming? Yes or no? Make an exception and answer the question. I think you owe us that. You want me to be excited about the 'bright future' you say this game has? Prove it! Prove to me that you guys are willing to cater to everybody because you failed miserably from the very start! What is the point of me getting excited over anything you guys are going to release when I can't even get excited over the 'great foundation' you promised us?
Thank you for answering this, but players have their doubts. We are not asking "When toddlers or other stuff will come". All players want some kind of assurance from EA, like "be patient, we are working on that" "Rest assured, it will come in time"
Instead of all that all the players get is "We cannot talk about future content"
This kind of reply became so annoying that it feels it is an auto reply from an answering machine.
I remember asking one of the gurus when the Sims 2 base game was released in one of those live chats if they intend to release rain since it was supposed to be in the base game, you know what did he answer me? "No, it wont be rain alone but full seasons"
Someone else asked if pets will be part of Sims 2 and the answer was "Who don't want pets? it has to come"
What happened to this kind of honesty? It gave us players so much to look forward to. It is totally the opposite with TS4. We players feel that EA is not trusting its own product that is why does not want to talk about the possibilities.
Whatever happened to the strong foundation we've been told about?? If in 2 years this foundation is still not touched when it will? We all know every base game has a life cycle of 5 years and we are nearing half the life cycle of TS4 and you can still read lots of dissatisfaction of the direction.
Edit: And this is coming from someone who loves The TS4!!
Ahhh ... how refreshing that would be. And yes, that's sort of what I meant with basic honesty & very basic indication of direction. And no matter what they and some other people here say, there are a LOT of games / game series that tell you well in advance, sometimes while still in the development stage, what kind of stuff players can expect. I mean look at the way Planet Coaster is released - wait, they want player's input even before officially releasing the game to make it better for them?
Mindblowing stuff...
I agree, there are lots of games who tell us what is coming. I agree about planet coaster. If you ask them they give you an ans. not some kind of "We can't talk about that" Why can't you talk about it. I think if toddlers or pre teens were coming in the future, they would be screaming it from the rooftop, with all the request that have been asked. If they are a simple little thing like "Were looking into it. that does not tell us when it is coming or anything that would break your rule, you have no trouble saying "Were looking into it" when some one ask about a bug.
It is just that simmer want to be excited about things to come. But we hear nothing. Look how long they have told us that EP3 is coming, but then silence, they tell us nothing. Look how long and how many post are about the coming EP3. We don't even know for a fact if it is coming in Sept, Oct, etc or even this year yet, not a confirmation. Do they think that just telling us that a EP is coming is a good relationship. How about the Brazil leak of City Life, they make no comment on it if it is true or false, they just let us keep posting speculations,
How about like they have said that the EP3 is coming and say nothing about it. How about just saying toddlers are coming in the future.
that sounds safe enough to me.
It is not that we are angry that we do not have toddler or preteens, it is the silence about them. Please let us know one way or the other.
That's a base game, Planet Coaster? The issue with talking about stuff concerns changes being made to an already released base game. It doesn't affect pre-base game discussion. Discussing anything that's going to be patched into an already released game isn't "safe" outside the same quarter that patching is going to happen in.
We've been told EP3 is in development many times. Presumably there's a full-on announcement planned... just not till they can say when that release is planned for. If there's associated patched-in content, they probably can't do that till the quarter of release. Of course people want to talk about upcoming content. That doesn't mean that it works out well for Maxis to announce it before they even have a set release date, it doesn't mean that a marketing campaign can be designed to keep interest going for months and months without that campaign being overly expensive for the content. An EP sells at less than the initial base game, and never to as many people; giving it as much marketing and publicity resources as a base game just because ... I don't see it. Honestly, I think more Simmers just need to stop expecting to be constantly fed new info, but only new info about the parts of new game stuff they're interested in.
Re. Toddlers: Pretty much the only ways they're going to get discussed outside a release quarter (unless they get 100% ruled out and that gets announced) is if they aren't going to get patched in, not even at a very basic level. It's just not going to happen, and saying it should happen over and over again isn't going to change the regulations that make it not an option. And given the role that those regulations can play in fraud-prevention, and in the kinds of larger-scale economic balance things @Scobre talks about, maybe they matter more than knowing earlier about toddlers in a video game does.
edited to fix italics
As you say we have been told EP3 is in development many times
Well how about telling us many time if toddlers is in development. Not when but just in development.
Don't get me wrong, I love the Sims 4, but I hate that they do not tell us much of anything that is coming. I liked it when we heard in Sims 3 what was coming, not when, but had a excitement of coming things in the future.
I just hate all the secrets.
If toddlers are in development, they can only tell you so if they're never going to patch them in - only sell them to you - or when it's the quarter they're going to be patched in during.
As for my preference on that? I'd much rather have them patched in than just be told earlier. I think there'd be huge backlash if toddlers are made but have to be bought if you want them. And that backlash would start the moment that you were told, not the same quarter as release, that toddlers were in development.
While that may be true, we're already two years in. Maybe they should've started working on including all the basic stuff people are actually missing instead of one SP after another. I think a lot of people could've done with far less SPs if instead they'd gotten back the content they want... but that's just an opinion of course Maybe for TS5 they should think about the kind of game development Planet Coaster & Parkitect have chosen. I like co-creation & asking the people who'll eventually buy the game to chime in & help make it what they like - instead of telling them "here you have a fabulous engine that will make all your dreams possible" only to then never add the things people say they dream of.
I just read all of that but I got one problem with it, they claim that All Play Styles should be Covered, Yet in Fact Not All are, cause if they were all covered, Then I would not Still be waiting for My Gothic Characters and Stuff to use for My Gothic Type Game Play.
I think it would be interesting to know what they mean by "play styles" in that statement. It can't mean just the content we play with since that always can't all be addressed right away. Maybe it means things like legacy play and rotational play?
EA CREATOR NETWORK MEMBER — Want to be notified of patches, new Broken Mods threads, and urgent Sims 4 news? Follow me at https://www.patreon.com/luthienrising.
@Sim_Lucent this is an issue that really bothers me. In terms of customer service and experience when 'themes' of issues with your product or how the translation of your methods occur in real life amongst the customer base are raised unless you listen with an open mind then you'll never learn how to make the experience better for your customers. Every one of them. Doing the opposite just shows a lack of care towards the customer being dismissed. Whether the company agrees or not is beside the point. They should be striving to deal with these issues to improve the situation for all their customers.
Dismissing these by seeking to push 'blame' towards normal customers is precisely why people are having issues around trust. It comes across to me as a customer that EA are willing to write me off because of my experience with the product and the inference being that I'm an unreasonable customer. I really feel that does a disservice when this is the first time I've raised concerns in my entire history with EA/Maxis. They have access to my account. They can see I was a collector for many, many years. I'm beyond disappointed. I know EA can do better than this. Sadly it looks like they are choosing not to.
I think it would be interesting to know what they mean by "play styles" in that statement. It can't mean just the content we play with since that always can't all be addressed right away. Maybe it means things like legacy play and rotational play?
The same old; yeah but, and, but yeah, but and, we are trying stuff, but this and that.
The thing that really stood out was their statements about EP's not really being ''deep'' but ''broad''..
I mean seriously, in the past EP's were petty deep if you ask me. If they aren't that deep with this game (GT prime example) why are they taking so long? If this 1 EP a year is going to be a regular thing, they have to drag this game on for 10 years to even release the most wanted EP's, or they have to just skip half of them. We are already near the 2 year mark....
And yes, they mentioned they are working on 6 packs or whatever at a time (4 of them are most likely SP's, 1 EP and 1 GP) , so let's see how long it takes for the expansion after this TBA expansion to be released..
What I'm getting from what has been written about the panel is what EA wants us to think, and alot of it doens't add up imo. Just because they say they want the game to be inclusive and have all play styles, doesn't mean they deliver that. I guess it's a matter of perspective, but in my opinion, it's just propaganda, and has nothing to do with reality. Until they show that they understand what The Sims is, and what sandbox is, and what inclusive, creative or innovative is, they're just words, words, words. If they truly understand all the things they said in the panel, then why are they not showing it by giving it to us? Are their choices so limited that they can only give us the tiniest portion of what the Sims is? And why are they even in the gaming business if they can't give us a full range of features? So many questions, so little leeway to speak up.
Every upset and disillusioned simmer is a potential satisfied customer, but it's up to them to make that happen.
Allons-y!
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What I'm getting from what has been written about the panel is what EA wants us to think, and alot of it doens't add up imo. Just because they say they want the game to be inclusive and have all play styles, doesn't mean they deliver that. I guess it's a matter of perspective, but in my opinion, it's just propaganda, and has nothing to do with reality. Until they show that they understand what The Sims is, and what sandbox is, and what inclusive, creative or innovative is, they're just words, words, words. If they truly understand all the things they said in the panel, then why are they not showing it by giving it to us? Are their choices so limited that they can only give us the tiniest portion of what the Sims is? And why are they even in the gaming business if they can't give us a full range of features? So many questions, so little leeway to speak up.
Every upset and disillusioned simmer is a potential satisfied customer, but it's up to them to make that happen.
This is the issue. I don't need an 'influencer' to have my own experience or know how to think about TS4. But it seems that unless you are in step with what EA thinks you are in the wrong for your experience. Not a very inclusive strategy for those customers in the 'wrong'.
For me it boils down to the very fact that Maxis calls these people/sites "influencers". Are they supposed to be influencing Maxis or us?
If they are supposed to be influencing Maxis then what they say to Maxis should carry more "weight" so to speak. Are they not giving feedback on toddlers, additional color selections, supernaturals, cars, build tools, CAW, culling, etc.? Do these things not bother the influencers? This brings me to my next point. Once you decide that the opinions of a certain few carry more weight than other people you start to alienate people. It's no longer about what's best for the playerbase. It becomes about what's best for the influencers and that's not how you foster a sense of community.
If these influencers are indeed telling Maxis all of this, and/or their job is really to influence us, this whole "influencer" business then becomes condescending. As in we Sims players are not smart enough to make our own decisions about what to buy that they need community celebrities to convince us that this game is worth throwing our money into.
Either way, this whole thing comes across as being very divisive and hostile for the community.
Been thinking about this all day - and you know what burns my psyche to the core is the fact it seems these "rules" just apply to Maxis and The Sims 4 - and not EA. I find it extremely odd that we cannot even have a single answer to anything regarding future content - but EA on the other hand can go massively live - world wide with their big games - like Battlefield 4, Titanfall 2, the New Star Wars - the coming FIFA - not only with info but trailers and on top of that literally days of play with thousands of players at both the E3 private conference & 3 day event and the Gamescom 2016.
I just checked on just Titanfall 2 is slated to be released October 28th, 2016 - it was first played and viewed June 12th- the 14th, 2016 and now again for another 3 days August 16-18th. What gives on the parent company and it's numerous other studios not having the same rules as Maxis then. Seems to me they are straddling numerous quarters with all EA's game but we can't know a thing about Sims 4.
I fail to get this and I read that whole post Graham linked to. It would be a different matter if EA who owns Maxis lived under the same rules - but seems Maxis is special and has a special set of rules all to themselves.
Post edited by Writin_Reg on
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
Been thinking about this all day - and you know what burns my psyche to the core is the fact it seems these "rules" just apply to Maxis and The Sims 4 - and not EA. I find it extremely odd that we cannot even have a single answer to anything regarding future content - but EA on the other hand can go massively live - world wide with their big games - like Battlefield 4, Titanfall 2, the New Star Wars - the coming FIFA - not only with info but traiters and on top of that literally days of play with thousands of players at both the E3 private conference & 3 day event and the Gamescom 2016.
I just checked on just Titanfall 2 is slated to be released October 28th, 2016 - it was first played and viewed June 12th- the 14th, 2016 and now again for another 3 days August 16-18th. What gives on the parent company and it's numerous other studios not having the same rules as Maxis then. Seems to me they are straddling numerous quarters with all EA's game but we can't know a thing about Sims 4.
I fail to get this and I read that whole post Graham linked to. It would be a different matter if EA who owns Maxis lived under the same rules - but seems Maxis is special and has a special set of rules all to themselves.
Those are not-yet-released base games, not updates to already released base games.
EA CREATOR NETWORK MEMBER — Want to be notified of patches, new Broken Mods threads, and urgent Sims 4 news? Follow me at https://www.patreon.com/luthienrising.
Been thinking about this all day - and you know what burns my psyche to the core is the fact it seems these "rules" just apply to Maxis and The Sims 4 - and not EA. I find it extremely odd that we cannot even have a single answer to anything regarding future content - but EA on the other hand can go massively live - world wide with their big games - like Battlefield 4, Titanfall 2, the New Star Wars - the coming FIFA - not only with info but traiters and on top of that literally days of play with thousands of players at both the E3 private conference & 3 day event and the Gamescom 2016.
I just checked on just Titanfall 2 is slated to be released October 28th, 2016 - it was first played and viewed June 12th- the 14th, 2016 and now again for another 3 days August 16-18th. What gives on the parent company and it's numerous other studios not having the same rules as Maxis then. Seems to me they are straddling numerous quarters with all EA's game but we can't know a thing about Sims 4.
I fail to get this and I read that whole post Graham linked to. It would be a different matter if EA who owns Maxis lived under the same rules - but seems Maxis is special and has a special set of rules all to themselves.
Those are not-yet-released base games, not updates to already released base games.
I know what you are saying.
But they knew that the base they released was unfinished so this rule would affect this release more than any other. They absolutely knew this would disproportionately affect this base and its customers. I mean it's one thing asking customers to give you the benefit of the doubt and quite another to wait until almost two years later to say 'oh don't expect us to communicate about finishing that base because it'll mess up our accounting system'.
Either it was none of our business and we weren't to be told or it is and we can be told. (2 years later) Can't have it both ways like that. It doesn't appear transparent at all.
What about Star Wars Battlefront? The Death Star DLC isn't coming out until September, but it's been teased/talked about since July (with plenty of images and decent length teasers)
Been thinking about this all day - and you know what burns my psyche to the core is the fact it seems these "rules" just apply to Maxis and The Sims 4 - and not EA. I find it extremely odd that we cannot even have a single answer to anything regarding future content - but EA on the other hand can go massively live - world wide with their big games - like Battlefield 4, Titanfall 2, the New Star Wars - the coming FIFA - not only with info but traiters and on top of that literally days of play with thousands of players at both the E3 private conference & 3 day event and the Gamescom 2016.
I just checked on just Titanfall 2 is slated to be released October 28th, 2016 - it was first played and viewed June 12th- the 14th, 2016 and now again for another 3 days August 16-18th. What gives on the parent company and it's numerous other studios not having the same rules as Maxis then. Seems to me they are straddling numerous quarters with all EA's game but we can't know a thing about Sims 4.
I fail to get this and I read that whole post Graham linked to. It would be a different matter if EA who owns Maxis lived under the same rules - but seems Maxis is special and has a special set of rules all to themselves.
Those are not-yet-released base games, not updates to already released base games.
I know what you are saying.
But they knew that the base they released was unfinished so this rule would affect this release more than any other. They absolutely knew this would disproportionately affect this base and its customers. I mean it's one thing asking customers to give you the benefit of the doubt and quite another to wait until almost two years later to say 'oh don't expect us to communicate about finishing that base because it'll mess up our accounting system'.
Either it was none of our business and we weren't to be told or it is and we can be told. (2 years later) Can't have it both ways like that. It doesn't appear transparent at all.
Yes, this was an issue. I totally agree. My point is that the same regulations don't cover both scenarios. That's all.
Not to mention that the previous problem with things changing after they'd been said to consumers is an additional good reason not to talk early about anything that could still change now. The fact is, it is a problem when that happens. And it can't always be fixed by including the thing you said you would - what if that thing just isn't working? Should they put out a bad product just because they said, too early, that they would? FWIW, in my opinion, they ought to have delayed the base game release an additional 6 months beyond the first delay.
EA CREATOR NETWORK MEMBER — Want to be notified of patches, new Broken Mods threads, and urgent Sims 4 news? Follow me at https://www.patreon.com/luthienrising.
What about Star Wars Battlefront? The Death Star DLC isn't coming out until September, but it's been teased/talked about since July (with plenty of images and decent length teasers)
The quarter runs July 1 to September 30.
EA CREATOR NETWORK MEMBER — Want to be notified of patches, new Broken Mods threads, and urgent Sims 4 news? Follow me at https://www.patreon.com/luthienrising.
What about Star Wars Battlefront? The Death Star DLC isn't coming out until September, but it's been teased/talked about since July (with plenty of images and decent length teasers)
I'm fairly sure that Battlefront is being produced by EA DICE, another EA studio that seemingly doesn't follow the same rules as Maxis. EA DICE is also producing Battlefield 1 which as mentioned earlier has seen lots of preview ahead of its release. Titanfall 2 which is produced by Respawn has also seen some heavy preview by its developers yet neither Respawn nor EA DICE are following the same rules that Maxis is.
It's like Maxis is on some self-imposed punishment.
Been thinking about this all day - and you know what burns my psyche to the core is the fact it seems these "rules" just apply to Maxis and The Sims 4 - and not EA. I find it extremely odd that we cannot even have a single answer to anything regarding future content - but EA on the other hand can go massively live - world wide with their big games - like Battlefield 4, Titanfall 2, the New Star Wars - the coming FIFA - not only with info but traiters and on top of that literally days of play with thousands of players at both the E3 private conference & 3 day event and the Gamescom 2016.
I just checked on just Titanfall 2 is slated to be released October 28th, 2016 - it was first played and viewed June 12th- the 14th, 2016 and now again for another 3 days August 16-18th. What gives on the parent company and it's numerous other studios not having the same rules as Maxis then. Seems to me they are straddling numerous quarters with all EA's game but we can't know a thing about Sims 4.
I fail to get this and I read that whole post Graham linked to. It would be a different matter if EA who owns Maxis lived under the same rules - but seems Maxis is special and has a special set of rules all to themselves.
Those are not-yet-released base games, not updates to already released base games.
I know what you are saying.
But they knew that the base they released was unfinished so this rule would affect this release more than any other. They absolutely knew this would disproportionately affect this base and its customers. I mean it's one thing asking customers to give you the benefit of the doubt and quite another to wait until almost two years later to say 'oh don't expect us to communicate about finishing that base because it'll mess up our accounting system'.
Either it was none of our business and we weren't to be told or it is and we can be told. (2 years later) Can't have it both ways like that. It doesn't appear transparent at all.
Yes, this was an issue. I totally agree. My point is that the same regulations don't cover both scenarios. That's all.
Not to mention that the previous problem with things changing after they'd been said to consumers is an additional good reason not to talk early about anything that could still change now. The fact is, it is a problem when that happens. And it can't always be fixed by including the thing you said you would - what if that thing just isn't working? Should they put out a bad product just because they said, too early, that they would?
But then when someone raises the issue that it's situations such as this which has absolutely caused the erosion of trust in the product, company and team and the only response from EA is 'Well we consider we were transparent' then not only are you dismissing valid concerns coming from valid issues but it sets up this further alienation of customers who have been loyal until the poor experience. Instead of making it better it is absolutely making it worse.
Now if they came out and said 'We are really sorry that what we said didn't translate well and you feel that has negatively affected your experience as our customer and we will be looking into how to avoid this in the future' with a real display of comprehension and taking these situations seriously by referencing what you can take from them then at least you have some ownership of mistakes made and people who want to believe in them can feel better that the poor experience will hopefully lead to something better in the future.
Instead you have a situation where customers who have been loyal for over a decade are being made to feel like they are 'wrong' and their goodwill is being thrown away with a refusal to accept their experience because it doesn't match what EA 'considers' it did. That's not sensible for the long term health of the series whether those customers decide that TS4 is not for them or not.
It worries me that there doesn't seem to be any movement on trying to restore the trust of those who feel let down by acknowledging the issues and showing work on them. That doesn't bode well to me at all.
Now I understand that they may not be finding it easy to communicate given the previous issues but you have to start somewhere in dealing with issues. Pretending they aren't issues doesn't fix anything.
I also understand what you are saying and it's likely they don't want to share in case this engine is difficult to alter in the areas customers are calling out for improvements in. But I really think it's a shame where in the past if there were issues that would be communicated but now it's silence. Noone is suggesting any of this is easy-on anyone-but I know EA can do better than this total rejection of criticism. I'm disappointed in them for not dealing with it and trying to push it towards people who have been amongst their most loyal and loving supporters over the years. That's really not good enough.
Oh and on your edit. I agree. The base really was nowhere near cooked enough for general release when it went out.
For me it boils down to the very fact that Maxis calls these people/sites "influencers". Are they supposed to be influencing Maxis or us?
If they are supposed to be influencing Maxis then what they say to Maxis should carry more "weight" so to speak. Are they not giving feedback on toddlers, additional color selections, supernaturals, cars, build tools, CAW, culling, etc.? Do these things not bother the influencers? This brings me to my next point. Once you decide that the opinions of a certain few carry more weight than other people you start to alienate people. It's no longer about what's best for the playerbase. It becomes about what's best for the influencers and that's not how you foster a sense of community.
If these influencers are indeed telling Maxis all of this, and/or their job is really to influence us, this whole "influencer" business then becomes condescending. As in we Sims players are not smart enough to make our own decisions about what to buy that they need community celebrities to convince us that this game is worth throwing our money into.
Either way, this whole thing comes across as being very divisive and hostile for the community.
@Phantomflex Influencers / Content Creators are normally people with very large social followings who do have an "influence" over those who follow them. The individuals who follow them trust their opinions on things like beauty products, clothing, books, art supplies, video games, etc. Companies work with these individuals because their one voice can reach hundreds of thousands of people who feel their views align with this individual.
Influencers are also used as "beta testers" to get hands on with products early (like some of what I listed above) as they have built trust with the companies that work with them to not break NDA's or Embargoes and to think about not only what they personally like or don't like about something but also remarking on areas where they could improve to attract even more people to the product by thinking of some of the big sticking points that those who follow them constantly talk about.
Working with individuals who have a large reach is part of any companies strategy and it is a major part of my job to foster relationships and trust with every one of those individuals that I work with and would like to work with. The fact is that there will always be people who get more access to things than someone else. It's not done out of spite or to be "divisive" it is simply another way to not only promote the product but to empower these individuals to be the liaisons for their community and to pass along their feedback to us. They are basically like me in a way, I am your representative in studio as I am the one that takes your feedback from here to those who need to hear it. I am also the one that would flag stuff if I feel something would rub you the wrong way or needs to be clarified more because it seems confusing.
Been thinking about this all day - and you know what burns my psyche to the core is the fact it seems these "rules" just apply to Maxis and The Sims 4 - and not EA. I find it extremely odd that we cannot even have a single answer to anything regarding future content - but EA on the other hand can go massively live - world wide with their big games - like Battlefield 4, Titanfall 2, the New Star Wars - the coming FIFA - not only with info but trailers and on top of that literally days of play with thousands of players at both the E3 private conference & 3 day event and the Gamescom 2016.
I just checked on just Titanfall 2 is slated to be released October 28th, 2016 - it was first played and viewed June 12th- the 14th, 2016 and now again for another 3 days August 16-18th. What gives on the parent company and it's numerous other studios not having the same rules as Maxis then. Seems to me they are straddling numerous quarters with all EA's game but we can't know a thing about Sims 4.
I fail to get this and I read that whole post Graham linked to. It would be a different matter if EA who owns Maxis lived under the same rules - but seems Maxis is special and has a special set of rules all to themselves.
@Writin_Reg Every one of those games you mentioned would be considered new base games. People haven't been able to purchase any of them yet and you can promote them for as much as you want for as long as you want without having to risk rev rec issues. They are in no way similar to us. We also would be completely overshadowed if we made any kind of announcement of anything when competing for air time with the likes of Battlefield, Titanfall, FIFA, and [c]especially[/b] Star Wars. We are also the only franchise under EA that releases so many different types of content so yea, in a way, we are a special butterfly. Lastly, announcements for new paid content can be announced at any time in or outside the quarter it would be released, doesn't mean it will.
Honestly when plenty of customers are telling you than they consider that EA have been far from transparent (yes since you've arrived it's got slightly better and well done on that) and then the response is that you reject those concerns completely and say that EA believe they have it makes it worse for the customer who feels that way. Nowhere is there a 'sorry you feel this way, can you explain why and I'll take it to those who have the power for future decisions or road maps to try to avoid these feelings in the future'. It's a flat out rejection. This is why people feel let down by Maxis and EA. It's the total rejection of concerns because your company believes otherwise. You know how customer experiences improve? By learning about what works, what doesn't work, how different methods of communication translate in reality to the customer base by listening, taking the time to be understanding and by having an open mind to listen to what the reality is for your customers.
See it's a similar vein to your statement the other day about being negative. You told someone if they were negative then they likely wouldn't have a positive experience. I'd say this situation and similar ones come across to customers as EA having a negative attitude toward any complaints or concerns raised so when things could be learnt and handled better in the future those lessons won't be learnt because the prevailing reaction to those being raised is a negative one. When I say negative I'm talking about the rejection of some customers experiences based on how your company felt it was doing and often myths about why these concerns are raised. Another example-the 'TS3 mindset' comment in the press, the inference in another interview that people don't know what a base is like after many of them have experienced up to 4 bases!
For me, as your customer, it's experiences of rejection of concerns and complaints which have absolutely contributed to my breakdown of trust in the company, the product and the team. I wouldn't have bought the base if I didn't trust you guys to make good on what you ran out of time with and I preordered so I paid a premium to support the studio despite the issues. I was more than willing to support you and wait. But I'm beyond disappointed at the reaction to valid concerns and it has been these instances that has actually caused more damage to the situation and my trust (which you had a lot of given i supported Maxis since before The Sims existed) than the shock of the poor experience with the game. In two years this situation has turned around decades of accumulated goodwill.
In terms of customer service and experience when 'themes' of issues with your product or how the translation of your methods occur in real life amongst the customer base are raised unless you listen with an open mind then you'll never learn how to make the experience better for your customers. Every one of them. Doing the opposite just shows a lack of care towards the customer being dismissed. Whether the company agrees or not is beside the point. They should be striving to deal with these issues to improve the situation for all their customers.
@sparkfairy1 I wanted to address the bolded sections in the first quote and this specific portion of the second.
1. How many times have I asked people to explain why they feel the way they do? That I would take my feedback to the team? I've even reached out to several individuals in these forums privately to have a more 1:1 conversation to figure out how we can mend that relationship. Too many people here stay in the past. Yes, your opinions and concerns are valid but in a way they do have an expiration date. If someone, like myself, is speaking directly to you almost every day all day to engage and mend relationships, comment on things that they are able, to hunt for the answers to the questions they can answer for you, and are an advocate for you to fight to make sure we are being as transparent as possible and people STILL try and say that we aren't being transparent or are hiding things or are trying to find double meaning in their words than they would clearly rather stay negative than even try to let their past issues go and look to the future.
It doesn't mean they no longer care about the issues they had in the past, it's that they themselves acknowledge that they are willing to accept the olive branch being given. If they swipe it away and "scream" and "yell" about things from the past they clearly want to stay there and we can never change their minds. I spent my first year as the Community Manager working to mend relationships with those who felt disenfranchised; those individuals took up a lot of my time (including time I should have been spending with my significant other) because I felt it was important to spend my first year trying to mend relationships and really learn about what those who feel upset / completely unsatisfied were coming from so we could work towards making "peace" and starting a new. Now that my position has gotten bigger and I have to think globally I can no longer just focus on those individuals anymore.
2. That particular individual wasn't giving feedback. They were, in a way, yelling into a room and were dismissing everything I've said before. It is one thing to be frustrated and to share that frustration in a constructive and controlled manner, it's another to yell "in someone's face" and not be willing to hear anything the other side has to say.
3. As for the final quote: It is absolutely impossible to make every single person who plays our game happy. Additionally, the same mention of "unless you listen with an open mind then you'll never learn how to make the experience better for your customers" can be said for the customers as well. If you aren't willing to listen to what we say with an open mind when we are providing you with straight answers and way more insight into things then we are even obligated to give you you will never learn to trust that we are being honest with you within the constraints that we can and you won't improve the relationship with the team you say you want to have hear you. There also comes a point where you are in a lose lose situation with those who are unhappy and you simply have to move on because nothing you say or do will please them--its never something you want to do but sometimes it's more worthwhile to engage with those who are willing to provide constructive feedback over ones who just want to yell.
Island Paradise and Into the Future were announced without screens and videos. They teased us for months about basketball and other things when they were marketing the base game, SimGuruGrant had to say on Twitter "Things change". Planet Coaster, Cities Skylines and even Microsoft (Windows Insider) have a open relationship with their community, announcing and showing content in development.
Grant is right, things do change in game development all the time, and those communities you gave an example for are more willing to understand the intricacies of game development and don't go attacking the devs on a personal level because those things changed in development that those teams don't have control over. If the Sims community could also ingest that and accept that game development isn't a straight line from point A to point B and is rather a very curvy line that has lots of loop-de-loops then maybe we could have an open relationship. As it is now we get shot down multiple times when we talk about what goes into making The Sims, told we are just making excuses, that the team is lazy, that the team has no heart, that the team doesn't listen, and the list goes on and on.
While that may be true, we're already two years in. Maybe they should've started working on including all the basic stuff people are actually missing instead of one SP after another. I think a lot of people could've done with far less SPs if instead they'd gotten back the content they want... but that's just an opinion of course Maybe for TS5 they should think about the kind of game development Planet Coaster & Parkitect have chosen. I like co-creation & asking the people who'll eventually buy the game to chime in & help make it what they like - instead of telling them "here you have a fabulous engine that will make all your dreams possible" only to then never add the things people say they dream of.
See the problem with only focusing on the people who, as you say, will eventually buy the game is that you completely limit yourself from appealing to a wider audience. You HAVE to think bigger to remain in this industry, you HAVE to evolve, and you CANT just focus on the ones you "know will eventually buy the game". This is why so many games on Steam Green Light / Early Access never get out of Early Access because you have too many cooks in the kitchen.
And Lastly:
Before anyone tries to say I am "blaming the customer" at some point you will have to take a hard look at yourself and wonder if anything we do will ever truly make you happy when you can clearly see we are trying our hardest to try and mend relations with you. Still refusing to acknowledge it, want to call us liars, want to make things personal, and just ultimately want to not listen or learn from the things we are telling you--a perfect example is the unwillingness to even accept or acknowledge that we gave insight into HOW we go about making games and why we don't just tell you things to just tell you and are told that we are simply making excuses, why didn't we tell you this before, etc. tells me that nothing we do will change your mind.
With all of that I am off for the rest of the day as I am going to be on a long flight back to EARS tomorrow. I bid all of you a good evening / morning and I hope that you have a wonderful weekend
Anything that changes prior to a base game release does not fall under the same revenue recognition / quarter issue as at that point we hadn't collected any money for it (pre-orders aren't considered recognized revenue until AFTER release). Anything stated about any future content after a release is a different story as we have already recognized revenue for the base game and thus what Luth describes goes into affect.
Hi... I'm more a lurker these days but this puzzles me.
Revenue is only recognized after release, correct?
So, the part that puzzles me greatly; If you talk about new content OR don't talk of new content, wouldn't the revenue be STILL be collected at the same (read as the latter date) dates irrespective of talking about it early?
If I am unclear with that, here is an example:
1. First Quarter - working on Pack 99. No talk until Third Quarter, which is also the Release. Revenue Recognized in Third Quarter.
2. First Quarter - working on Pack 99. Talk also about it in First Quarter. Release and Revenue Recognized in Third Quarter.
That is what I seem to have extrapolated from what you stated. Of course being human (SimJoseph7 really isn't a Sim ), I have been known to be wrong on occasion.
Not trying to stir the pot here, just trying to understand the lack of perceived non-communication over The Sims.
I have very little stake here because I have not bought the game and probably never will. Some day I may write a post of why from the viewpoint of an old man who plays too many games
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Well I am glad of that as I really like the game. Glad to hear that the Sims 4 is not being shut down. thank you for that.
The optimism and naivete of The Sims fans are something every game company dreams about. Seriously, even after all this time people are still holding out for things like toddlers - that's downright admirable. Can you imagine Ubisoft taking out the parkour in Assassin's Creed or Rockstar removing guns from GTA and the fans would just sit and go "Well I'm sure they'll add them in a patch or DLC eventually!" and do nothing except buy every single piece of new content from them?
@Sim_Lucent bloody brilliantly said. I couldn't have put it any better myself. No, seriously, I couldn't have.
I am also at that point now where I just have to laugh. I will never understand why you (EA) will not talk about toddlers. You (EA) pull out this plum about future content when you (EA) know full bloody well that it is REMOVED content. You (EA) took toddlers away. They are NOT "never before seen".
Deny it all you like but the demand for them is sky frikken high. I cannot fathom why the heck you just haven't said if they're coming or not. What is the big deal? I am but one guy but I will not spend another penny on anything you guys (EA) are selling until you (EA) fix this mess. And yes, I say mess. That is what it is. And a huge one.
I also understand that people like TS4, they have every right to do so and it doesn't effect me other than that while people are still spending money on this mess the rest of us won't ever get to see the content we would like. You (EA, unless I say otherwise, getting tired of this) say you cater to everybody but in what way? You seem to cut off 10 fans to every 2 you please! This is the impression I get and nobody can deny me of this. I'm not even talking about anything past the base game. I refuse to move forward until these issues are dealt with. Are toddlers coming? Yes or no? Make an exception and answer the question. I think you owe us that. You want me to be excited about the 'bright future' you say this game has? Prove it! Prove to me that you guys are willing to cater to everybody because you failed miserably from the very start! What is the point of me getting excited over anything you guys are going to release when I can't even get excited over the 'great foundation' you promised us?
My two cents.
--T
ETA: Typos.
While that may be true, we're already two years in. Maybe they should've started working on including all the basic stuff people are actually missing instead of one SP after another. I think a lot of people could've done with far less SPs if instead they'd gotten back the content they want... but that's just an opinion of course Maybe for TS5 they should think about the kind of game development Planet Coaster & Parkitect have chosen. I like co-creation & asking the people who'll eventually buy the game to chime in & help make it what they like - instead of telling them "here you have a fabulous engine that will make all your dreams possible" only to then never add the things people say they dream of.
I think it would be interesting to know what they mean by "play styles" in that statement. It can't mean just the content we play with since that always can't all be addressed right away. Maybe it means things like legacy play and rotational play?
Dismissing these by seeking to push 'blame' towards normal customers is precisely why people are having issues around trust. It comes across to me as a customer that EA are willing to write me off because of my experience with the product and the inference being that I'm an unreasonable customer. I really feel that does a disservice when this is the first time I've raised concerns in my entire history with EA/Maxis. They have access to my account. They can see I was a collector for many, many years. I'm beyond disappointed. I know EA can do better than this. Sadly it looks like they are choosing not to.
https://twitter.com/sparkfairy1
Or quest-based versus sandbox
The same old; yeah but, and, but yeah, but and, we are trying stuff, but this and that.
The thing that really stood out was their statements about EP's not really being ''deep'' but ''broad''..
I mean seriously, in the past EP's were petty deep if you ask me. If they aren't that deep with this game (GT prime example) why are they taking so long? If this 1 EP a year is going to be a regular thing, they have to drag this game on for 10 years to even release the most wanted EP's, or they have to just skip half of them. We are already near the 2 year mark....
And yes, they mentioned they are working on 6 packs or whatever at a time (4 of them are most likely SP's, 1 EP and 1 GP) , so let's see how long it takes for the expansion after this TBA expansion to be released..
Every upset and disillusioned simmer is a potential satisfied customer, but it's up to them to make that happen.
This is the issue. I don't need an 'influencer' to have my own experience or know how to think about TS4. But it seems that unless you are in step with what EA thinks you are in the wrong for your experience. Not a very inclusive strategy for those customers in the 'wrong'.
https://twitter.com/sparkfairy1
If they are supposed to be influencing Maxis then what they say to Maxis should carry more "weight" so to speak. Are they not giving feedback on toddlers, additional color selections, supernaturals, cars, build tools, CAW, culling, etc.? Do these things not bother the influencers? This brings me to my next point. Once you decide that the opinions of a certain few carry more weight than other people you start to alienate people. It's no longer about what's best for the playerbase. It becomes about what's best for the influencers and that's not how you foster a sense of community.
If these influencers are indeed telling Maxis all of this, and/or their job is really to influence us, this whole "influencer" business then becomes condescending. As in we Sims players are not smart enough to make our own decisions about what to buy that they need community celebrities to convince us that this game is worth throwing our money into.
Either way, this whole thing comes across as being very divisive and hostile for the community.
I just checked on just Titanfall 2 is slated to be released October 28th, 2016 - it was first played and viewed June 12th- the 14th, 2016 and now again for another 3 days August 16-18th. What gives on the parent company and it's numerous other studios not having the same rules as Maxis then. Seems to me they are straddling numerous quarters with all EA's game but we can't know a thing about Sims 4.
I fail to get this and I read that whole post Graham linked to. It would be a different matter if EA who owns Maxis lived under the same rules - but seems Maxis is special and has a special set of rules all to themselves.
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Those are not-yet-released base games, not updates to already released base games.
I know what you are saying.
But they knew that the base they released was unfinished so this rule would affect this release more than any other. They absolutely knew this would disproportionately affect this base and its customers. I mean it's one thing asking customers to give you the benefit of the doubt and quite another to wait until almost two years later to say 'oh don't expect us to communicate about finishing that base because it'll mess up our accounting system'.
Either it was none of our business and we weren't to be told or it is and we can be told. (2 years later) Can't have it both ways like that. It doesn't appear transparent at all.
https://twitter.com/sparkfairy1
Yes, this was an issue. I totally agree. My point is that the same regulations don't cover both scenarios. That's all.
Not to mention that the previous problem with things changing after they'd been said to consumers is an additional good reason not to talk early about anything that could still change now. The fact is, it is a problem when that happens. And it can't always be fixed by including the thing you said you would - what if that thing just isn't working? Should they put out a bad product just because they said, too early, that they would? FWIW, in my opinion, they ought to have delayed the base game release an additional 6 months beyond the first delay.
The quarter runs July 1 to September 30.
I'm fairly sure that Battlefront is being produced by EA DICE, another EA studio that seemingly doesn't follow the same rules as Maxis. EA DICE is also producing Battlefield 1 which as mentioned earlier has seen lots of preview ahead of its release. Titanfall 2 which is produced by Respawn has also seen some heavy preview by its developers yet neither Respawn nor EA DICE are following the same rules that Maxis is.
It's like Maxis is on some self-imposed punishment.
But then when someone raises the issue that it's situations such as this which has absolutely caused the erosion of trust in the product, company and team and the only response from EA is 'Well we consider we were transparent' then not only are you dismissing valid concerns coming from valid issues but it sets up this further alienation of customers who have been loyal until the poor experience. Instead of making it better it is absolutely making it worse.
Now if they came out and said 'We are really sorry that what we said didn't translate well and you feel that has negatively affected your experience as our customer and we will be looking into how to avoid this in the future' with a real display of comprehension and taking these situations seriously by referencing what you can take from them then at least you have some ownership of mistakes made and people who want to believe in them can feel better that the poor experience will hopefully lead to something better in the future.
Instead you have a situation where customers who have been loyal for over a decade are being made to feel like they are 'wrong' and their goodwill is being thrown away with a refusal to accept their experience because it doesn't match what EA 'considers' it did. That's not sensible for the long term health of the series whether those customers decide that TS4 is not for them or not.
It worries me that there doesn't seem to be any movement on trying to restore the trust of those who feel let down by acknowledging the issues and showing work on them. That doesn't bode well to me at all.
Now I understand that they may not be finding it easy to communicate given the previous issues but you have to start somewhere in dealing with issues. Pretending they aren't issues doesn't fix anything.
I also understand what you are saying and it's likely they don't want to share in case this engine is difficult to alter in the areas customers are calling out for improvements in. But I really think it's a shame where in the past if there were issues that would be communicated but now it's silence. Noone is suggesting any of this is easy-on anyone-but I know EA can do better than this total rejection of criticism. I'm disappointed in them for not dealing with it and trying to push it towards people who have been amongst their most loyal and loving supporters over the years. That's really not good enough.
Oh and on your edit. I agree. The base really was nowhere near cooked enough for general release when it went out.
https://twitter.com/sparkfairy1
@Phantomflex Influencers / Content Creators are normally people with very large social followings who do have an "influence" over those who follow them. The individuals who follow them trust their opinions on things like beauty products, clothing, books, art supplies, video games, etc. Companies work with these individuals because their one voice can reach hundreds of thousands of people who feel their views align with this individual.
Influencers are also used as "beta testers" to get hands on with products early (like some of what I listed above) as they have built trust with the companies that work with them to not break NDA's or Embargoes and to think about not only what they personally like or don't like about something but also remarking on areas where they could improve to attract even more people to the product by thinking of some of the big sticking points that those who follow them constantly talk about.
Working with individuals who have a large reach is part of any companies strategy and it is a major part of my job to foster relationships and trust with every one of those individuals that I work with and would like to work with. The fact is that there will always be people who get more access to things than someone else. It's not done out of spite or to be "divisive" it is simply another way to not only promote the product but to empower these individuals to be the liaisons for their community and to pass along their feedback to us. They are basically like me in a way, I am your representative in studio as I am the one that takes your feedback from here to those who need to hear it. I am also the one that would flag stuff if I feel something would rub you the wrong way or needs to be clarified more because it seems confusing.
@Writin_Reg Every one of those games you mentioned would be considered new base games. People haven't been able to purchase any of them yet and you can promote them for as much as you want for as long as you want without having to risk rev rec issues. They are in no way similar to us. We also would be completely overshadowed if we made any kind of announcement of anything when competing for air time with the likes of Battlefield, Titanfall, FIFA, and [c]especially[/b] Star Wars. We are also the only franchise under EA that releases so many different types of content so yea, in a way, we are a special butterfly. Lastly, announcements for new paid content can be announced at any time in or outside the quarter it would be released, doesn't mean it will.
@sparkfairy1 I wanted to address the bolded sections in the first quote and this specific portion of the second.
1. How many times have I asked people to explain why they feel the way they do? That I would take my feedback to the team? I've even reached out to several individuals in these forums privately to have a more 1:1 conversation to figure out how we can mend that relationship. Too many people here stay in the past. Yes, your opinions and concerns are valid but in a way they do have an expiration date. If someone, like myself, is speaking directly to you almost every day all day to engage and mend relationships, comment on things that they are able, to hunt for the answers to the questions they can answer for you, and are an advocate for you to fight to make sure we are being as transparent as possible and people STILL try and say that we aren't being transparent or are hiding things or are trying to find double meaning in their words than they would clearly rather stay negative than even try to let their past issues go and look to the future.
It doesn't mean they no longer care about the issues they had in the past, it's that they themselves acknowledge that they are willing to accept the olive branch being given. If they swipe it away and "scream" and "yell" about things from the past they clearly want to stay there and we can never change their minds. I spent my first year as the Community Manager working to mend relationships with those who felt disenfranchised; those individuals took up a lot of my time (including time I should have been spending with my significant other) because I felt it was important to spend my first year trying to mend relationships and really learn about what those who feel upset / completely unsatisfied were coming from so we could work towards making "peace" and starting a new. Now that my position has gotten bigger and I have to think globally I can no longer just focus on those individuals anymore.
2. That particular individual wasn't giving feedback. They were, in a way, yelling into a room and were dismissing everything I've said before. It is one thing to be frustrated and to share that frustration in a constructive and controlled manner, it's another to yell "in someone's face" and not be willing to hear anything the other side has to say.
3. As for the final quote: It is absolutely impossible to make every single person who plays our game happy. Additionally, the same mention of "unless you listen with an open mind then you'll never learn how to make the experience better for your customers" can be said for the customers as well. If you aren't willing to listen to what we say with an open mind when we are providing you with straight answers and way more insight into things then we are even obligated to give you you will never learn to trust that we are being honest with you within the constraints that we can and you won't improve the relationship with the team you say you want to have hear you. There also comes a point where you are in a lose lose situation with those who are unhappy and you simply have to move on because nothing you say or do will please them--its never something you want to do but sometimes it's more worthwhile to engage with those who are willing to provide constructive feedback over ones who just want to yell.
Grant is right, things do change in game development all the time, and those communities you gave an example for are more willing to understand the intricacies of game development and don't go attacking the devs on a personal level because those things changed in development that those teams don't have control over. If the Sims community could also ingest that and accept that game development isn't a straight line from point A to point B and is rather a very curvy line that has lots of loop-de-loops then maybe we could have an open relationship. As it is now we get shot down multiple times when we talk about what goes into making The Sims, told we are just making excuses, that the team is lazy, that the team has no heart, that the team doesn't listen, and the list goes on and on.
See the problem with only focusing on the people who, as you say, will eventually buy the game is that you completely limit yourself from appealing to a wider audience. You HAVE to think bigger to remain in this industry, you HAVE to evolve, and you CANT just focus on the ones you "know will eventually buy the game". This is why so many games on Steam Green Light / Early Access never get out of Early Access because you have too many cooks in the kitchen.
And Lastly:
Before anyone tries to say I am "blaming the customer" at some point you will have to take a hard look at yourself and wonder if anything we do will ever truly make you happy when you can clearly see we are trying our hardest to try and mend relations with you. Still refusing to acknowledge it, want to call us liars, want to make things personal, and just ultimately want to not listen or learn from the things we are telling you--a perfect example is the unwillingness to even accept or acknowledge that we gave insight into HOW we go about making games and why we don't just tell you things to just tell you and are told that we are simply making excuses, why didn't we tell you this before, etc. tells me that nothing we do will change your mind.
With all of that I am off for the rest of the day as I am going to be on a long flight back to EARS tomorrow. I bid all of you a good evening / morning and I hope that you have a wonderful weekend
Hi... I'm more a lurker these days but this puzzles me.
Revenue is only recognized after release, correct?
So, the part that puzzles me greatly; If you talk about new content OR don't talk of new content, wouldn't the revenue be STILL be collected at the same (read as the latter date) dates irrespective of talking about it early?
If I am unclear with that, here is an example:
1. First Quarter - working on Pack 99. No talk until Third Quarter, which is also the Release. Revenue Recognized in Third Quarter.
2. First Quarter - working on Pack 99. Talk also about it in First Quarter. Release and Revenue Recognized in Third Quarter.
That is what I seem to have extrapolated from what you stated. Of course being human (SimJoseph7 really isn't a Sim ), I have been known to be wrong on occasion.
Not trying to stir the pot here, just trying to understand the lack of perceived non-communication over The Sims.
I have very little stake here because I have not bought the game and probably never will. Some day I may write a post of why from the viewpoint of an old man who plays too many games
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