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Is there anything that can be done about Patreon content creators that never release their content?
antebellum13
Posts: 183 Member
Referring back to this comment: https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/16175450/#Comment_16175450
It just irritates me SO MUCH when I find something really nice and I can't download it because it's locked behind a Patreon tier level from months or even years ago. According to that post, Patreon users are welcome to charge a fee for "early access" to their content, but that it's expected the content to be released to the public within a few weeks. And yet I cannot even begin to tell you the number of content creators I've found on Patreon with content from last year that is still locked behind a ridiculous tier level. For instance, I wanted to download a door, just a simple door, from Dec. 2019, but it was locked behind one of the highest tier levels on that creator's Patreon. I know EA cannot police these creators. So what else can be done?
It just irritates me SO MUCH when I find something really nice and I can't download it because it's locked behind a Patreon tier level from months or even years ago. According to that post, Patreon users are welcome to charge a fee for "early access" to their content, but that it's expected the content to be released to the public within a few weeks. And yet I cannot even begin to tell you the number of content creators I've found on Patreon with content from last year that is still locked behind a ridiculous tier level. For instance, I wanted to download a door, just a simple door, from Dec. 2019, but it was locked behind one of the highest tier levels on that creator's Patreon. I know EA cannot police these creators. So what else can be done?
Post edited by EA_Joz on
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Comments
Unfortunately modding is a grey area of what is allowed and not allowed...Maxis has these rules because legally people can't make money of their IP, so they want people to release their mods for free so there will be no trouble.
If people put their content behind a paywall without releasing it for free someday, then they are breaking these "rules" but Maxis can't enforce them because worst case scenario, that could mean the end for modding for the sims4.
My Plumbob is GREEN today
There is unfortunately no way to stop someone from downloading a mod and then uploading them somewhere else and putting them behind a paywall. All that the creator can do is tell their users to not download from those sites.
As the creator of MC Command Center stated on their site: "EA technically has all rights when it comes to our mod code. We can’t legally protect it even if we wanted to."
However, if that is not the case and they are still very active then you can report them to EA if you wish to.
There are quite a few (felixandresims, SimPlistic, YourDorkBrains, etc) as well as others behind regular paywalls (such as newsea hairs). However, I finally found where to go to get the content that, by EA's own words, should be available publicly. It's the Paywalls Must Be Destroyed site. As far as I can tell, the Patreon content doesn't get immediately uploaded, so I don't feel like I am stealing early access content those creators have a right to charge for. But once it gets past 3 weeks, it's just ridiculous. I follow a lot of other content creators on Patreon who DO do public releases and they stick pretty tightly to the 3 week mark. But not everyone can afford to spend $20/mo just to access content that was posted over a year ago. I guess it's just a question of which creators have morals and which don't... I don't think it's fair to list content as "exclusive". In the end, it is still a digital item meant to be used in a game they do not own. The only thing that should be "exclusive" on Patreon is the ability to download something 2-3 weeks before anyone else.
Now it's really getting rediculous. Everybody is paywalling everything. And to make it worse they are deleting old content and making it so they have to email you links. Which is so annoying because you have to constantly beg for links. Sometimes they send sometimes they don't. This one girl I had to beg for weeks only because I already paid,until I complained and she finally sent it.
I quickly stop supporting and i refuse to support this whole mess of links. I understand they work hard for it but it's not that deep. It's a virtual dress.... I was like so irritated. 😑😑😑😑 I'm still irritated because I absolutely love cc shopping and this paywall thing is ruining the fun. And I loose respect for the creator
Sounds like you're talking about a door by Felixandresims here.
I support him on Patreon now, but I don't have strong feelings about this. He produces quality content so I think his prices are fair as they are similar to EA's. I want him to continue and I can afford it, so I pay. People who (for whatever reasons) can't/won't pay each month can just download things from new versions of "paysites must be destroyed." EA doesn't really care because they need modders to increase interest in the game and modders need money to motivate them (or allow them to have the time) to make content for the game. It's a bit difficult so I think the situation as it is now is almost optimal even though it would be better if creators released their creators to the public sooner.
Too Good at Goodbyes forum thread
Too Good at Goodbyes blog
I just tried it. Seems the site is down.
A lot of others just announce stuff and never bother to finish it. It's frustrating but it is what it is. I guess you could say they make free stuff so they're not obligated to finish but the amount of money some of these creators are making on Patreon is something else (some make more than the actual devs) yet they still carry on making empty promises and not bothering to finish their stuff. A lot just take advantage of their Patreons and supporters and just use the excuse that they're modders to not do the job people are paying them thousands for.
Not sure who designed these rules the way they are, but it seriously needs looking into. not so much removing modding as making sure that mod creators can not and will not monetise content that does not belong to them. When the day comes where a modder can create content independent of the game (completely unrelated) but works with the game and is safe, then they can claim it as their own and paywall it all they like and i won't have a problem with it.
Making animations for the game and creating meshes takes a lot of time - for some, it takes so much time that if they're not paid to do it, they can't do it (because the time they spend on it is time they need to spend working so that they can survive). So that's why we're in the position we're in now. If modders aren't financially compensated in some way, then the overall quality of mods will go down and there won't be as many of them.
That's why I think everyone agrees that the "early access" thing is fine. The only real issue is with them holding things behind paywalls for what may be too long. I don't have a problem with it, either way.
ETA: EA gains nothing from getting in a fight with modders, so it's going to leave them alone. EA would honestly be wasting money if it went around trying to police them because EA would have to pay an EA employee to do that.
Now that is a good response and one that covers the issue of this thread completely. Thanks.
Nothing. Simply don't support said modder. Modding isn't and shouldn't be a job, it's creating software/content for a property that does not belong to the modder and thus they have no rights to monetize it. Anything that regards The Sims is sole property of EA.
Kind of like if you'd make art with characters that belong to Disney, you can't legally monetize it because you don't have the license to use those characters.
If EA will do something about it or not, that depends, technically they can take their page's/websites down for copyright infringement or even sue them, but they probably won't bother unless they're being hurt financially. If people were buying mods from a third party instead of EA's packs believe me, they'd go after them like there was no tomorrow.
Yeah, EA would not even bother, and it's for the best. They would rather close down mod support than try and support it like that. That's why it's for the best that EA don't see modding as a threat to their sales revenues.
(If any EA employee reads this (very unlikely) modding is not a threat, modding increases your sales revenue, the sims4 is really popular because of mods)). But executives in higher positions will have a really hard time understanding that, if they see people earning a lot of money for making mods for their IP and they don't see any money from that, they might decide to close down mod support. Which is why it's for the best if the content creators try and follow these rules and also that too many people don't get too angry when they are not following them.
I think the best people can do is try and ask the content creators nicely to release some of their content for free or pay for their content once if they find it worth the money. Some creators are more reasonable than others. Just don't harass them, be respectful.
Totally agree. I have no problem with them getting paid and I have no problem supporting fair creators Nor do I want mods to stop or EA to start policing, that turns into a whole other mess. And will discourage many amazing creators.
I'm strictly talking about an increasing number of people not releasing content at all. Permanently paywalling for high prices. Deleting old content and making it through emailed links only which turns into begging. I'm not begging for virtual items sorry. One girl is charging 25 a month of emailed content she never releases for free.
People on here complain daily about 20 being too much for a sims game pack😂😂😂 but the optional patreon outfits are 25 lol just trying to understand the logic here.
I just think the amount of people doing this is getting out of hand. But I'm simply venting. Not much to be done about it.
My Plumbob is GREEN today
Do people actually sell recolours?
Many are using EA in-game items, and just re-texturing, tweaking, recoloring, or using meshes, and, or, designs they stole borrowed from someone else, (such as Second Life, Rifle Paper Company, or legally copyrighted Designer furniture )
I am sure they didn't ask those companies for permission before they made $$$ off their IP or designs.
Many hide behind the "early access" (which I see no problem with), but they do not actually release all of it, for free. They will often hide Exclusives under the "little extras for my Patreons", excuse.
Worse, some of them are EA Game Changers. I thought Game Changers weren't allowed to have Patreon Exclusives?
I am tired of coming across posts of some of these "big name" Sims EA Game Changers, pushing the Patreon CC, of overzealous, questionable "creators" like felixandresims, who makes literally THOU$AND$ each month. I'd like to just read up on Sims news, and look at stuff without having the works of questionable, greedy creators shoved in my face...
To those CC creators, that make & share for Free or Early Access (w/out Exclusives, or locked for months/yrs on end),
Thank You!
It is appreciated more than you know. :)
One example...
It should be clear that most people who are upset with the creators for not releasing all of their content in a timely manner aren't supporting them. Other people are supporting them because we want the content and don't care to police EA's policy either. So telling people not to support isn't going to work, especially since the creators sometimes release things freely/on time.
Besides just finding alternative places and downloading the CC/mods, I think people should ask the creators what's going on if they're so invested.
Some of them do move their downloadable content to their Tumblrs or personal pages. But I've found with a lot of the big name Patreon CC creators, they will post a photo of the thing they made and then link to their Patreon for download.