How long before they shut this site down?

catitude5

I never played sims 1 or 2, so I don't know. Would we lose our store content when that happens?

lisasc360

The site will stay up for a few years after TS4 comes out. TS2 website just closed down this year in January. As for as your store content, you should make a back up copy and burn it to a cd/dvd or put your stuff from the store and any custom content on a flash drive for feature uses.

SimChelle1982

lisasc360 wrote:

The site will stay up for a few years after TS4 comes out. TS2 website just closed down this year in January. As for as your store content, you should make a back up copy and burn it to a cd/dvd or put your stuff from the store and any custom content on a flash drive for feature uses.

Good :idea:!

TanyaRubirose

This site will be closed within six months to a year.

The thing people using the Sims 2 site as an example forget is that EA shut that site down multiple times, and only kept bringing it back due to popular demand. Finally, they decided to ignore popular demand and shut it down for good.

Don't expect this site to be saved by popular demand; simmers used up all of that with Sims 2.

Callum9432

TanyaRubirose wrote:

This site will be closed within six months to a year.

The thing people using the Sims 2 site as an example forget is that EA shut that site down multiple times, and only kept bringing it back due to popular demand. Finally, they decided to ignore popular demand and shut it down for good.

Don't expect this site to be saved by popular demand; simmers used up all of that with Sims 2.

I have to agree with this.

They also seem to be trying to bring all the Sims sites under one roof now. There's no dedicated site for TS4 - just thesims.com and a forum under ea.com.

Of course, there's no confirmation that that is final, but I do think it is.

WissaWolf

I hope they at least start selling cool stuff like the dragon and chicken coop separately before they do that..

catitude5

Thanks everyone. I don't think they are much into what WE want, and might shut it down to try to push us into sims 4.

suzses

Callum9432 wrote:

TanyaRubirose wrote:

This site will be closed within six months to a year.

The thing people using the Sims 2 site as an example forget is that EA shut that site down multiple times, and only kept bringing it back due to popular demand. Finally, they decided to ignore popular demand and shut it down for good.

Don't expect this site to be saved by popular demand; simmers used up all of that with Sims 2.

I have to agree with this.

They also seem to be trying to bring all the Sims sites under one roof now. There's no dedicated site for TS4 - just thesims.com and a forum under ea.com.

Of course, there's no confirmation that that is final, but I do think it is.

I sort of thought the forum at EA would be "temporary" and they would add forums to the new site, perhaps one for each sims game. Suppose that doesn't necessarily mean they will link the Sims 3 store with it. Maybe they are de-emphasizing forums, and plan to go more the social media route. Personally, I hope not because I'd rather not be bothered with all that.

MichaelS1990

Personally I believe they will keep the site around for quite a while longer due to how The Sims 3 games are so connected with the "My Page" feature on this website. Even though a lot of people (myself included) often ignore the badges/accomplishments, they are a major part of Sims 3 and EA must realize that people who are just getting started with Sims 3 in late 2013 will not want to play a watered down version of Sims 3 without the online apects just because there is a newer game available. Then again, I suppose EA might not care, but this would not be good for their reputation.

What I'm more curious about is how long they will keep the in-game internet connectivity features working, such as the friend/gift feature and stuff like that. I would think that stuff all requires EA servers. Then again, it's really the same issue as the "My Page".

Callum9432

suzses wrote:

Callum9432 wrote:

TanyaRubirose wrote:

This site will be closed within six months to a year.

The thing people using the Sims 2 site as an example forget is that EA shut that site down multiple times, and only kept bringing it back due to popular demand. Finally, they decided to ignore popular demand and shut it down for good.

Don't expect this site to be saved by popular demand; simmers used up all of that with Sims 2.

I have to agree with this.

They also seem to be trying to bring all the Sims sites under one roof now. There's no dedicated site for TS4 - just thesims.com and a forum under ea.com.

Of course, there's no confirmation that that is final, but I do think it is.

I sort of thought the forum at EA would be "temporary" and they would add forums to the new site, perhaps one for each sims game. Suppose that doesn't necessarily mean they will link the Sims 3 store with it. Maybe they are de-emphasizing forums, and plan to go more the social media route. Personally, I hope not because I'd rather not be bothered with all that.

I was thinking that myself too, but there's already a creative corner on that forum, and I don't see why they'd bother with one if the site is only pre-release.

SimCity is also set up the same way; it has a dedicated site, but the "forum" button links to one on ea.com. Although SimCity does have a different community set up from The Sims; they have no store or My Pages

Arletta

Callum9432 wrote:

TanyaRubirose wrote:

This site will be closed within six months to a year.

The thing people using the Sims 2 site as an example forget is that EA shut that site down multiple times, and only kept bringing it back due to popular demand. Finally, they decided to ignore popular demand and shut it down for good.

Don't expect this site to be saved by popular demand; simmers used up all of that with Sims 2.

I have to agree with this.

They also seem to be trying to bring all the Sims sites under one roof now. There's no dedicated site for TS4 - just thesims.com and a forum under ea.com.

Of course, there's no confirmation that that is final, but I do think it is.

Could explain why the exchange is going to be in game. Will store content end up being sold like SimCity's, those DLC's, or delivered in game too, I wonder.

JoAnne65

In addition: having your downloads backed up is a smart idea anyway, because installing them when you buy a new computer is much faster that way than downloading them one by one from the store.
I can also imagine EA will not keep the site alive just for the online aspect of it, because you can play the game perfectly well without that (in fact I never play online, only briefly when Showtime was released). Keeping a site alive costs money and the game will not yield money anymore. EA is a company, not a charity organization. Keeping something in the air that is benificial for the users isn't at all benificial for a company who's only interest is for them to buy the new game.

Cinebar

I agree with Tanya. The longer TS3 continues to sell multipacks the longer it will take people to drop TS3 and move over to TS4..and start buying the new shiny.

TS2's site officially shut down in 2012..but it was down for months at a time and almost a whole year in 2011...couldn't log in..back up a day or two..etc...it was almost if they were blinking the lights..like go on..buy TS3 and get on with it.

Back up your stuff, now. The TS2 Store shut down in March of 2011...and people were surprised by that...since the forums were pretty strong..

EA is like MS...MS really, really wants to force people to forget about XPSP3...and at least move on to Windows 7...and EA will really, really want players to make sales look good for TS4..to their investors..

So, I won't be surprised when this site goes down faster than the TS2 site this time..it just stands to reason...they had to try to save an online game..and turn it to an offline game...and 'EA' will want all the sales and hype they can get..and they can't compete among themselves..if TS3 is still full of players..who fuss about the new game..and refuse to buy it..it's bad PR..and they will imho not leave this site up as long as they did TS2.

catitude5

Then it would be a good idea to give us a game worth wanting. If it looks like that picture I've seen {a guy standing in a kitchen}, I'm not going to want that. In game, they are probably not going to look like the sims 4 trailer.

ChrisOldfield

It could take years.

It costs money to keep the site up. However, as long as people buy sim points and things on the Sims 3 store they will keep the site up. People could still keep buying things on the Sims 3 store for two years after Sims 4 comes out, or abandon it within 6 months, who knows.

Just remember that shutting the site down also shuts down the store. So everything depends on how long that store keeps making money.

TheDivaGirl02

The site will stay up for a few years after TS4 comes out. TS2 website just closed down this year in January. As for as your store content, you should make a back up copy and burn it to a cd/dvd or put your stuff from the store and any custom content on a flash drive for feature uses.

I don't even know how to do that to store content OMG LOOOOL..

Goldmoldar

ChrisOldfield wrote:

It could take years.

It costs money to keep the site up. However, as long as people buy sim points and things on the Sims 3 store they will keep the site up. People could still keep buying things on the Sims 3 store for two years after Sims 4 comes out, or abandon it within 6 months, who knows.

Just remember that shutting the site down also shuts down the store. So everything depends on how long that store keeps making money.

I do not see it taking years to close this site and as far as points goes that will carry over to Sims 4, so there is no need to keep this site open. Once Sims 3 enters End of Game Cycle it is just a matter of time.

MichaelS1990

ChrisOldfield wrote:

It could take years.

It costs money to keep the site up. However, as long as people buy sim points and things on the Sims 3 store they will keep the site up. People could still keep buying things on the Sims 3 store for two years after Sims 4 comes out, or abandon it within 6 months, who knows.

Just remember that shutting the site down also shuts down the store. So everything depends on how long that store keeps making money.

Well said. I couldn't agree more. The people who are saying they will instantly shut the site down because they only care about money are not thinking it through very carefully. Actually, the fact that they only care about money may cause them keep the site up for another several years. Consumer behavior is not clockwork. Even after Sims 3 is released, people who are still new to the franchise and are deciding whether or not to get Sims 3 or Sims 4 may very well take a look at all the available expansions and content for Sims 3, and the lack thereof for Sims 4, and decide to buy Sims 3 with several expansions (hence spending more money than they would have on Sims 4). In this sense, keeping the site up would not only be the most beneficial to customers, but also the most profitable decision. Interestingly, these two seem to coincide a lot more often than businesses think.

Also worth noting is that today the cost of maintaining a website is surprisingly low, what with discount web hosters and cloud services flooding the market. I'd be surprised if this site was created 100% by EA.

TanyaRubirose

MichaelS1990 wrote:

ChrisOldfield wrote:

It could take years.

It costs money to keep the site up. However, as long as people buy sim points and things on the Sims 3 store they will keep the site up. People could still keep buying things on the Sims 3 store for two years after Sims 4 comes out, or abandon it within 6 months, who knows.

Just remember that shutting the site down also shuts down the store. So everything depends on how long that store keeps making money.

Well said. I couldn't agree more. The people who are saying they will instantly shut the site down because they only care about money are not thinking it through very carefully. Actually, the fact that they only care about money may cause them keep the site up for another several years. Consumer behavior is not clockwork. Even after Sims 3 is released, people who are still new to the franchise and are deciding whether or not to get Sims 3 or Sims 4 may very well take a look at all the available expansions and content for Sims 3, and the lack thereof for Sims 4, and decide to buy Sims 3 with several expansions (hence spending more money than they would have on Sims 4). In this sense, keeping the site up would not only be the most beneficial to customers, but also the most profitable decision. Interestingly, these two seem to coincide a lot more often than businesses think.

Also worth noting is that today the cost of maintaining a website is surprisingly low, what with discount web hosters and cloud services flooding the market. I'd be surprised if this site was created 100% by EA.

I base my assessment off how EA handled the Sims 2 site.

Argue that it would be monetarily advantageous all you wish... not pulling what they did with the Sims 2 site would also have been monetarily advantageous. The fact remains, the reality is that EA still tried to shut it down multiple times before finally telling the people who wanted it to remain to go away. And they've always handled the Sims 3 site with more of a "we will do what we want, no matter what" attitude.

Palabra

I think it will stay open for as long as people keep buying store content. If they have a fire sale on worlds, venues, sets, etc... then you know the doors are closing.