TS4 Store (YES or NO) «12345...Next Go

AeroFunk80

First off, I want to make it perfectly clear that I LOVE this game, and I will gladly spend money on EP's and SP's, but how many are with me on the Store content and prices we have to pay? Personally, I'd like to see NO Store OR a store with cheaper content. Let's compare this content with what you get in an EP.

COMPARISON:

Here's a quick breakdown of what it would cost to "create your own EP," if you want to call it that, using some of the content on the Sims Store. Prices vary based on the content, but below is a ball park figure. Some may be more and some less, but it's a rough average:

1. Eloquently Eclectic Collection: 1,570 points (collection of 31 new objects including windows, bookshelves, beds, etc.)
2. Midnight Hollow: 2,450 points (brand new town to explore and live in plus Savvy Seller and a Toy Machine)
3. Hair: 100 points per style (ITF has 12 new styles combined between male, female and child) 1200 points
4. Clothing: 75 pts per (ITF has about 60 new clothing including male, female, children, tops, bottoms) 4,500 points

Just for the objects, hairstyles, town and clothing alone... if you were to buy that much at the Store, it's roughly 9,750 points. The closest bundle you can purchase at the Store to get those points is 10,600, which costs $80!!! Also--keep in mind for $80 you're only getting objects, hair, a new town and clothing. ITF offered all that PLUS brand new content (new careers, PLUMBOTS, Interactive Loading Screens, NEW moodlets, The Lottery, ability to engineer a baby, creat-a-ghost, NEW traits, NEW lifetime wishes, NEW lifetime happiness rewards, new music genre, new collectibles (nanites), new fish, insects and plants, new skills, the ability to CHANGE the future...). You get all of that in the EP for JUST $40.

So--in conclusion... THE STORE is an absolute WASTE of money and the fact people even buy stuff off of there just blows my mind.

Schweighsr

Yeah, it is a waste of money, but I waste money on other things that give me less pleasure so I don't feel too guilty about blowing a few bucks at the Store. I know it is all virtual, but I make myself feel a little better by only buying stuff that is on Sale or offered as a Daily Deal. Plus I get the weekend freebies and have even gotten a set for free through CYS - so that maximizes the value of what little I do spend.

[I confess that I am saving up for Midnight Hollow, though - I couldn't afford it when it was on sale, but the next time I can afford to buy some points I'm going to get it at full price --> needs head examined <---]

But I can't understand the people who own the WHOLE Store - I mean, that must be hundreds of dollars! How has that kind of money?

Still, people DO buy from the Store, so it is likely that there will be a TS4 Store when the time comes.

Arletta

It's not a case of saying yes or no. Regardless of whether you like the store or not, whilst ppl will pay what they do, EA will keep pumping out store content.

Cinebar

I would prefer EPs OP, than have to pay double for dribs and draps of content...I don't plan on spending a $1000.00 over time on non tangeable items that will no longer be available if this game crashes and burns...one way or the other..

Whether it is buggy and not worth it..and or if it ends well before the 4 year life span..I won't invest in it for an object here, a town over there...an piece of clothing next month etc. Waste of money and energy and I would really hope they go back to EPs and SPs full of content all in one place.

I had a second HDD die (used for saves and downloads and extra storage) and can't get untangeable stuff out of it....so no, I won't waste money on something like that happening again when the Sim server is no longer in service.

windweaver

I like the store objects but not the prices. Now a days I wait for the sales unless it's something I really can't live without.

But I am once again having trouble with my game not keeping the stuff I bought, so I'm having second thoughts about getting more.

AeroFunk80

I wouldn't mind the store if it wasn't so expensive, and I didn't feel like I was getting ripped off. The value of the Store content VS the value of EP's and SP's isn't even comparable.

Granted--I realize if we don't like it, we don't have to shop at the store. We don't have to spend our money on something we don't want. However, my only issue is, and I think we all know they're going to do this, they intentionally don't put stuff in the base game so they can milk us and try to force us to buy it for an additional cost.

They had stuff up for sale in The Store DAY ONE of TS3 release. I remember my friend Brian (who thinks this game is an absolute waste of money LOL We argue about it constantly)... making a statement about it. Typically additional content (downloadable, objects, etc) don't release for most games for a few months. To have it available on day-of-release... come on LOL

Goldmoldar

Some people are always going to feel like they are being ripped off because EA/Maxis offers content through the store and not the EP/SP.The way I look at it, if EA/Maxis wish to continue with this business model that is their choice. I can afford to buy the whole store if I choose to do so but I do not need everything in the store right now. If EA was to drop SPs for their future projects and just offer the items in the store I would be still be fine with it, you can get what you want.

keFUNKNEY101

If they make a store for the sims 4, it better..

1) not shove it's existence down our throats. (i.e. notifications of sales every time you open buymode, show sets at the beginning of CAS and build/buy...)

2) make stuff actually worth the price they expect. $40 is ridiculous to charge for a new town, especially considering they come no where near the content of an expansion pack, and sometimes it's sloppily done and a scam. *cough* Aurora Skies....

Lately the whole farming sets are really a rip off. Adding up the chicken, cow, and tractor sets is pretty much more than an expansion. A proper farming ep would cost a bit less and have sooo much more content than that.

Personally, i'd rather them trash the whole "store" idea and but all their resources toward making expansions and general game fixes. Especially since lots of times the store is broken itself.

Sarisei

I also agree the Store is ridiculously expensive. While I'm glad there are some posters who can afford to buy the whole lot without batting an eye, I think it would be fair to say most of us really need to budget our expenses in this lovely economic situation. There are things I would absolutely love to have from the store, but I can't afford to drop an extra $40 on SimPoints to get them. Heck, I'm usually a month late getting EPs and SPs when they're released.

I would much rather see them ditch the Store and push ALL content to EPs and SPs. However, I've dealt with EA long enough (before I played the Sims 1!) to realize they're not the type of company that really gives a rat's behind about their players/customers. They do whatever will fatten their wallets.

AthenaOnyx

I just want the eps to have more premium content and I want that content fleshed out.

I would prefer for all the clothing and hair styles to be store merchandise that way if I don't like something like the hotdog suit, I don't have to have it in my game.

The OFB type merchandise not only more expensive than the an ep if you add them together, but they don't work nearly as well. I would much rather buy this in ep in which it functions with more detail (like with s2 OFB).

But, I don't think I'll spend nearly as much in s4 store as I did in s3. One, I'm waiting a couple years so the items should be cheaper by then. Two, there should be more CC out there. Three, TSR went free.

kingkong192

for me personally I don't use the store, but it doesn't bother me if the store is there. so let the simmers who use it enjoy it

AthenaOnyx

AeroFunk80 wrote:

Granted--I realize if we don't like it, we don't have to shop at the store. We don't have to spend our money on something we don't want. However, my only issue is, and I think we all know they're going to do this, they intentionally don't put stuff in the base game so they can milk us and try to force us to buy it for an additional cost.

To some degree I get the "you don't have to buy it argument." But, this is highly addictive game to people who play it, and it is really hard to want something in your game and not buy it. And because of this they can get away with charging unfair prices for something that someone really wants. Plus, companies hire psychologists for their marketing departments to figure out how to use their customers natural instincts against them which I think is a little unfair. It's revolting that they are milking the game as much as they are, it's completely tacky. It's already hurt the quality of the game, and I fear that it's going to ruin the longevity too.

Callum9432

windweaver wrote:

I like the store objects but not the prices. Now a days I wait for the sales unless it's something I really can't live without.

Agreed. I like the store, but the prices are far too high.

There will definitely be some kind of DLC/store system in TS4, I have no doubt. But at this point, I'm not sure that it's going to be anything like TS3's Store.

Countrylovin4evr

I wish I could afford more, but its way over priced. Wish the farming stuff was a whole sp or ep...I want to do a proper farm but its gonna be awhile

catloverplayer

Yes for the store for me. I'd love lower prices but regardless the store puts out awesome content eg the many ocean themed sets like the nautical,tiki etc and the cabin sets like the frontier sets etc. You can mix and match store furniture with ep and sp furniture plus the store premium content are awesome.

I love the massage table and the sauna.

AeroFunk80

I'm OK with the store being around, to an extent. My only issue is that they, for obvious reasons, exclude content from the base game, EPs and SPs because they know they can sell it for a lot more via the store. For the company, this makes sense. They're in the business of making money. Plus, they know this is a game with a fan base that is A) Willing to spend the money or Can't resist and will find a way to spend the money.

Are they taking advantage of us? Of course. Are they smart about it and, from their perspective and most other companies, right in doing this. Yes! Why wouldn't they?

NOW--if TS4 Store does what TS3 store has been doing recently, where they add a new town, with new objects and new content... like Midnight Hollow (new town, new decorations, clothing, hair AND Savvy Seller with the ability to run a business)... I'd be more open for it because I'm getting more for my money. What kills me is the ridiculous amount of money for JUST a furniture set or a town with no other content.

My biggest thing... if you're going to charge me $40 for points to buy something--at least make it feel like I'm not getting ripped off. Throw in some additional "freebies" or add some new content... if I feel like I'm getting a deal (even if I'm not) then I'll get suckered into it... I guess. Heck, I did for Midnight Hollow. I wanted to run my own business... so I bought it LOL

frozenorangejuic

It's ridiculous that to get the two things I want (toddler walker and playpen) I would have to spend more than I have for most expansions! I think the only expansion I bought right away for full price was Supernatural, everything else I've gotten on sale. But to get those two things I would have to spend $40! You can't buy them on their own, you can't even buy them as part of the day care venue, the only way to get them is buying the gold version of whatever the world is called. I'm always amazed when I'm reading a legacy/challenge story and people have those objects because they are so ridiculously overpriced. I've wanted them for so long but just can't justify spending that kind of money. I would love it if all premium content could be found in one EP/SP or another, and the store only had new object/CAS designs like clothes, hair, couches, etc that change the look of the game but not functionality. Unfortunately I know the opposite is more likely to be true, and TS4 will just have more outrageously expensive premium content.

AeroFunk80

frozenorangejuic wrote:

It's ridiculous that to get the two things I want (toddler walker and playpen) I would have to spend more than I have for most expansions! I think the only expansion I bought right away for full price was Supernatural, everything else I've gotten on sale. But to get those two things I would have to spend $40! You can't buy them on their own, you can't even buy them as part of the day care venue, the only way to get them is buying the gold version of whatever the world is called. I'm always amazed when I'm reading a legacy/challenge story and people have those objects because they are so ridiculously overpriced. I've wanted them for so long but just can't justify spending that kind of money. I would love it if all premium content could be found in one EP/SP or another, and the store only had new object/CAS designs like clothes, hair, couches, etc that change the look of the game but not functionality. Unfortunately I know the opposite is more likely to be true, and TS4 will just have more outrageously expensive premium content.

My thoughts exactly. I'll occasionally cave and buy something... but before Midnight Hollow, I probably spent $10-$20 on that place. I did suck it up and spend money for Midnight Hollow though just because I've been dying for an OFB like EP or content. They finally released it and I had to have it. I was relatively pleased with it, too. It wasn't exactly what I hoped for in an OFB style theme, but it was better than nothing.

Feel free to watch my Midnight Hollow/Savvy Seller Let's Plays via my YouTube page below ;-) (self promoting... *cough*)

jus1nickie

I say NO to the store because its obvious some things they added to the store should have been in stuff packs or EPs. I rather them put all their time and effort into stuff packs and EPs instead of side projects like the store.

keFUNKNEY101

frozenorangejuic wrote:

It's ridiculous that to get the two things I want (toddler walker and playpen) I would have to spend more than I have for most expansions! I think the only expansion I bought right away for full price was Supernatural, everything else I've gotten on sale. But to get those two things I would have to spend $40! You can't buy them on their own, you can't even buy them as part of the day care venue, the only way to get them is buying the gold version of whatever the world is called. I'm always amazed when I'm reading a legacy/challenge story and people have those objects because they are so ridiculously overpriced. I've wanted them for so long but just can't justify spending that kind of money. I would love it if all premium content could be found in one EP/SP or another, and the store only had new object/CAS designs like clothes, hair, couches, etc that change the look of the game but not functionality. Unfortunately I know the opposite is more likely to be true, and TS4 will just have more outrageously expensive premium content.

^^ That is a perfect example of how much of a joke the store is.

Djonie

The store should stay. Though, there should be a way to earn points in-game. Or the ability to unlock an item, when a sim reaches a certain goal.

I dislike to pull my wallet for these sort of things.

Darkslayer

The main problem with the TS3 store is that as soon as EA cottoned onto the fact that people were willing to spend good money on what is ultimately very little they ran with it and pushed it to further and further extremes.

The thing that I detest about the store is how EA has basically transformed it into a means to sell us the items that they know a lot of people want. They could have put the baby walker etc into the Generations expansion pack or heck just thrown it in as a random item in any expansion pack (because seriously, most of the EPs are so unfocused no one would have noticed) but no, they withheld that content and sold it to us for more than the price of an expansion pack.

I will say something though; this transformation of an already unpleasant business model into an absolute monster is something that we have to shoulder our share of the blame for too and by 'we' I mean anyone who has ever purchased an expensive item from the store when it has not been on sale - including myself because yes, I've bought full-price store worlds despite knowing what a ripoff they are simply because I had to have it.

It's depressing to think that if that original world or that original piece of Premium Content hadn't sold so well on the store at those inflated prices we might not have had the monster we have today.

If the store returns for TS4 in the same format... well then to be honest I really doubt that we'll get much in the way of quality expansion packs because why sell the customer a lot of stuff on one handy disk for £30 when they can sell a minimum amount of items on one handy disk for £30 and then two items that the customer actually wanted more than anything for a further £30. The TS3 store has taught them that customers WILL pay for it.

AeroFunk80

Darkslayer wrote:

The main problem with the TS3 store is that as soon as EA cottoned onto the fact that people were willing to spend good money on what is ultimately very little they ran with it and pushed it to further and further extremes.

The thing that I detest about the store is how EA has basically transformed it into a means to sell us the items that they know a lot of people want. They could have put the baby walker etc into the Generations expansion pack or heck just thrown it in as a random item in any expansion pack (because seriously, most of the EPs are so unfocused no one would have noticed) but no, they withheld that content and sold it to us for more than the price of an expansion pack.

I will say something though; this transformation of an already unpleasant business model into an absolute monster is something that we have to shoulder our share of the blame for too and by 'we' I mean anyone who has ever purchased an expensive item from the store when it has not been on sale - including myself because yes, I've bought full-price store worlds despite knowing what a ripoff they are simply because I had to have it.

It's depressing to think that if that original world or that original piece of Premium Content hadn't sold so well on the store at those inflated prices we might not have had the monster we have today.

If the store returns for TS4 in the same format... well then to be honest I really doubt that we'll get much in the way of quality expansion packs because why sell the customer a lot of stuff on one handy disk for £30 when they can sell a minimum amount of items on one handy disk for £30 and then two items that the customer actually wanted more than anything for a further £30. The TS3 store has taught them that customers WILL pay for it.

Agree with this 100%. WE are the reason the Store exists and why its so expensive. If we'd just stop buying from it, they'd lower the prices or offer more for the dollar. Even a promotion such as... Buy One Get One would help... or more sales. Perhaps charge ridiculous prices for NEW content but eventually lower the price after several months or so. I mean... it's still 100 points for clothing they put on the store four years ago. LOL

I'm still bitter that I couldn't buy JUST the Savvy Seller. Midnight Hollow was not a town I enjoyed playing in, just because I don't care for its dark atmosphere. I did enjoy running my own business from another neighborhood though.

Plus its annoying how they pretend that this "premium content" was or will be sold separately. Like the Savvy Seller. They put 500 points under it but then cross it out and say, "CURRENTLY not available for individual sale..." Really? Currently? Like it ever WAS available for individual sale... or like it will be! LOL I mean... the wood fire oven from Monte Vista is STILL not CURRENTLY available for individual sale LOL It's a joke. Bah!

Nolthermo

For me, joke is this Complete your Set feature.

I think it is logic, that when I buy one item from set and then I'm buying entire set, it should be automatically counted as I'm buying only what I don't already own. And now I figured out, this is not how it worked whole time and cheeky EA is presenting it as new feature. Something that is result of healthy brain (in all honor) EA presents as some new feature that improves their Store? It's like Let's screw it all and then we'll be acting like we're improving it while we're making it into form it was supposed to be the whole time before. While, it is not even working for some items.

In Store there should be only collections of items of the same theme and style (like Castle Bedroom, Castle Kitchen, Futureshock Study). We should be able to buy it separately or together or combining it while paying the same price. Or more: there should be some price off when buying it all as collection. Every item more should be giving 1% off. If collection costs 10 dollars (some really great collection) [while each item costs 0.50 dollars and in my opinion it is more than enough] and it contains 20 items, buying it all as collection gives you 19% off (one item is normal buying, rest 19 are additional and 1% off for each), so you pay 8.10 dollars and save 1.90 dollars for buying maybe three or four things you won't use but are part of collection. Let's imagine you buy separately these 16 items you need (without these 4 you actually don't want). You pay 0.50 dollars for each with no price off so you pay in total 8 dollars. So you can get four items only for 0.10 dollars. But what If you want only one item? You pay just 0.50 dollars for what you want with loosing oportunity to get 1% off. So you choose your way.

Then Store should be offering free object for some occasions like Haloween as it does now, too.

And then "mega-collections" like worlds with new rabbithole style (like Pirate Ship Bistro in BB), new community lot (like casino in LP) and new bonus gameplay item (like Fountain of Youth in HS). Worlds should be original and unlikely to others - like BB, ST and Island Paradise are all only little different. Also Fountain of Youth and Fountain of Wishes are not so good while they hve almost only cosmetic effect. So every world would be good in different way and no Gold Versions or whatever, everything for 15 dollars. You couln'd be able to buy stuff in worlds separately,but at least I believe 15 dollars are no so expensive worlds.

But except this one thing in worlds, no additional gameplay should be added in Store. EPs are for that here.

LeGardePourpre

Even if I don't like the clothing from the Store, i still think the worlds are very better than the ones from the EP.

Premium content are expensive when we know we've got a tons of new objects in EP.

When the EP team is focused on EP features, the SP team is focused on "recolored" standard objects, the Store team try to bring a hybrid Expansion/Stuff Pack.

The Sims can't keep on existing without the Store

Alysha1988

Yeah the store stuff is way too expensive but I doubt it's going away. Actually I kind of prefer the store to stuff packs because personally I'm not usually all that interested in the stuff packs or they just have a bunch of junk I know I'll never use. With the store I can take the amount of money I would have spent on a stuff pack and just buy certain items here and there that I know I want and that I'll use.