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The Sims and "Real Gamers"

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  • EricasFreePlayEricasFreePlay Posts: 849 Member
    kaiwrysims wrote: »
    JustMeAlb wrote: »
    Another part of this is the real money these "real gamers" fork out for their computers to play the newest games. Someone will gripe about paying around $1000 for their graphics card and I'll respond with "Pfft. I paid just a couple hundred for my whole system." They'll laugh when I describe my old system but then I'll point out that not long ago someone paid several thousands for it when it was brand new.

    I just had a discussion with people I otherwise respect on Twitter who honestly argued that 6000 USD is average price for a gaming rig. When I pointed out that the one I just ordered for 1350 USD is the most expensive computer i have ever bought (I am 48 yrs old now) they tried to apologize for "insulting my rig" as if that was the problem. The problem is that they're obviously were having a Lucille Bluth moment not recognizing they are in a completely different income bracket than most people (I follow a lot of independent political journalists and activists).

    Remember, the PS5 or Xbox is < 600 USD, providing you can find one. Adding another zero to that... is a lot of overkill.

    6000 for average price that's ridiculous. I paid 1000 cad (so abt the same amount as you) for my mid range pc. I could have gotten some parts at a higher quality with that amount if I didn't buy it pre built. But I didn't feel like building it lol.

    Yeah I don't see how people spend so much on a pc. I mean the average American lives paycheck to paycheck (I believe).

    I don't understand it either. I just spent $1200 about 6 months ago on my Dell laptop that I thought was a good investment. It will have to be replaced in 2 years unless I figure out what is preventing me from playing 2 of the 3 games I bought it for (Sims 3 and 4). It runs Sims 2 Ultimate Collection just fine but for some reason won't load the others. My $600 HP laptop that I had prior to this one ran all 3 games just fine. No more Dell for me.
  • SheriSim57SheriSim57 Posts: 6,934 Member
    edited October 2021
    DaWaterRat wrote: »
    Most of these upstart "real gamers" are just kids anyway. I played Pac Man, Centipedem and Q-Bert in the arcade, my first console was an Atari 2600.

    For all that, while I consider myself a hard core gamer, I'm just not a hard core computer gamer. Give me rule books, dice, a bag of Doritos, a 2 liter bottle of Mountain Dew and a handful of friends who want to tell a story together. :wink:

    Sims is real gaming. So is D&D, and 7th Sea, and Traveler, and Champions, and...

    Lol, I remember these games too, my first gaming system was also an Atari.. lol. But I actually remember playing pong even earlier at a friends house. And, I remember going to the pizza place and playing centipede, and sea wolf. I have had several gaming systems in the past ( for myself, and for my children ). I still have several little gaming systems, my latest being the switch light. My kids have larger gaming systems, but I just use my gaming laptop, and my little systems these days.
  • MiaSkywalkerMiaSkywalker Posts: 3,436 Member
    EA_Cade wrote: »
    I have to laugh about the "real gamer" thing. As someone else pointed out, I think that those who say that some gamers aren't "real" gamers are the ones who want to believe that only adrenaline games are "real games". I've played all sorts of games over the years; I have probably been playing games - not just video games, but dice-and-roleplaying games - long before some of those players were even a twinkle in their daddy's eye.

    Also, my mother - who is 84 - is as avid a gamer as I am. The rest of our family doesn't understand it, but my mother will often forget to start making dinner because she's too involved in one of her games! :D

    That is amazing! What types of games does she play?
    All sorts of things. The Witcher games are her favorites, but she's also played all of the Dragon Age games and all the Morrowind/Neverwinter games. I can't play Witcher because I get motion sickness from it; it's not quite first person, but the camera is tied to the character's shoulder, and that has the same effect for me. I was very upset when I realized that, because I've watched her play those, and they look like so much FUN. (And Jeralt is HOT.)

    She also plays platformer games such as the various recent Prince of Persia games, and she loves the Alice platform games. Ironic that she still has the hand-eye coordination that I no longer have. She also loves strategy games such as the latest Age of Empires and Civilization games; she's played Civ 4 through Civ 6, like I have. (Both of us prefer Civ 5 in the series.) She also likes Battle for Middle Earth, and some of the other Middle Earth games; I haven't played those myself. She can't see very well anymore (she has severe macular degeneration), so she can't play puzzle games that require visual acuity. I still can't figure out how she does those platformers with her vision problems. She is not allowed to drive anymore, but she bops around in Prince of Persia like she's a frog.
  • filipomelfilipomel Posts: 1,693 Member
    It's unpopular with simmers but a common belief held by other gamers.

    I consider myself a fairly hardcore gamer (I've been paid actual money to write about them, after all) and I do draw a distinction between "proper games" and what Will Wright himself called "software toys." There's nothing wrong with those kinds of games, but I do think if you put a simmer who was just a simmer and a "gamer" at the same table for lunch, they'd not have anything to talk about. The Sims doesn't really "speak the language" of gaming, and gaming doesn't speak the language of The Sims (or a lot of other subgenres that get called games but don't "speak gamer", like a lot of true-to-life simulations that aren't built around a 'game' that you 'win', games like American/Euro Truck Simulator for example.)

    Toys are something people play with, so in this case people play with software toys just like people play a supposed 'proper game'. Just because the rules are different doesn't mean one is a proper game and the other is not, they are simply different and appeal to different audiences. Why is one audience who plays one type of game a more valid audience than the other?
  • SimburianSimburian Posts: 6,906 Member
    EA_Cade wrote: »
    I have to laugh about the "real gamer" thing. As someone else pointed out, I think that those who say that some gamers aren't "real" gamers are the ones who want to believe that only adrenaline games are "real games". I've played all sorts of games over the years; I have probably been playing games - not just video games, but dice-and-roleplaying games - long before some of those players were even a twinkle in their daddy's eye.

    Also, my mother - who is 84 - is as avid a gamer as I am. The rest of our family doesn't understand it, but my mother will often forget to start making dinner because she's too involved in one of her games! :D

    That is amazing! What types of games does she play?

    At last! Someone older than me who loves playing games. I still enjoy them at nearly 80! I just wish I could play some of the old DOS games again, and particularly the adventure ones, (Go in, Go out, Enter, Ask) and the Terry Pratchett Diskworld ones which I still have stored. I'm almost sure Maxis got their idea of the Grim Reaper from Pterry.
  • SimburianSimburian Posts: 6,906 Member
    kaiwrysims wrote: »
    JustMeAlb wrote: »
    Another part of this is the real money these "real gamers" fork out for their computers to play the newest games. Someone will gripe about paying around $1000 for their graphics card and I'll respond with "Pfft. I paid just a couple hundred for my whole system." They'll laugh when I describe my old system but then I'll point out that not long ago someone paid several thousands for it when it was brand new.

    I just had a discussion with people I otherwise respect on Twitter who honestly argued that 6000 USD is average price for a gaming rig. When I pointed out that the one I just ordered for 1350 USD is the most expensive computer i have ever bought (I am 48 yrs old now) they tried to apologize for "insulting my rig" as if that was the problem. The problem is that they're obviously were having a Lucille Bluth moment not recognizing they are in a completely different income bracket than most people (I follow a lot of independent political journalists and activists).

    Remember, the PS5 or Xbox is < 600 USD, providing you can find one. Adding another zero to that... is a lot of overkill.

    6000 for average price that's ridiculous. I paid 1000 cad (so abt the same amount as you) for my mid range pc. I could have gotten some parts at a higher quality with that amount if I didn't buy it pre built. But I didn't feel like building it lol.

    Yeah I don't see how people spend so much on a pc. I mean the average American lives paycheck to paycheck (I believe).

    I don't understand it either. I just spent $1200 about 6 months ago on my Dell laptop that I thought was a good investment. It will have to be replaced in 2 years unless I figure out what is preventing me from playing 2 of the 3 games I bought it for (Sims 3 and 4). It runs Sims 2 Ultimate Collection just fine but for some reason won't load the others. My $600 HP laptop that I had prior to this one ran all 3 games just fine. No more Dell for me.

    I think the days of thinking a middle range PC or Mac will run Sims 4 without problems are over. Probably one of the reasons Maxis are bring out kits, so as not to overload those systems. I managed to get a gaming laptop through not going out spending during the Covid isolation months in the UK.

    It might be different if any Sims 5 goes Cloud based as they are now thinking of a game which any system can play. That's what I gather from things they've said to the media about their current thinking.

    What I now worry about is that Microsoft want to install Windows 11 on my HP machine, saying it is eminently suitable, whether that will mess about with my own Sims games as EA haven't given any information about that. I had enough trouble with Sim2 Ultimate and shadows etc. when Windows 10 came out.



  • ClelclanClelclan Posts: 41 Member
    I have to laugh about the "real gamer" thing. As someone else pointed out, I think that those who say that some gamers aren't "real" gamers are the ones who want to believe that only adrenaline games are "real games". I've played all sorts of games over the years; I have probably been playing games - not just video games, but dice-and-roleplaying games - long before some of those players were even a twinkle in their daddy's eye.

    Also, my mother - who is 84 - is as avid a gamer as I am. The rest of our family doesn't understand it, but my mother will often forget to start making dinner because she's too involved in one of her games! :D

    Oh my, like your Mother, I don't know how many hours I have lost playing games - particularly Sims in all it's incarnations - and hope to continue for many years to come. In fact, I may insist that gaming must be available when I shuffle off this mortal coil!
    I agree with you about 'gamers'. If you play games, no matter the platform, you are a gamer.
  • EA_CadeEA_Cade Posts: 7,258 EA Community Manager
    EA_Cade wrote: »
    I have to laugh about the "real gamer" thing. As someone else pointed out, I think that those who say that some gamers aren't "real" gamers are the ones who want to believe that only adrenaline games are "real games". I've played all sorts of games over the years; I have probably been playing games - not just video games, but dice-and-roleplaying games - long before some of those players were even a twinkle in their daddy's eye.

    Also, my mother - who is 84 - is as avid a gamer as I am. The rest of our family doesn't understand it, but my mother will often forget to start making dinner because she's too involved in one of her games! :D

    That is amazing! What types of games does she play?
    All sorts of things. The Witcher games are her favorites, but she's also played all of the Dragon Age games and all the Morrowind/Neverwinter games. I can't play Witcher because I get motion sickness from it; it's not quite first person, but the camera is tied to the character's shoulder, and that has the same effect for me. I was very upset when I realized that, because I've watched her play those, and they look like so much FUN. (And Jeralt is HOT.)

    She also plays platformer games such as the various recent Prince of Persia games, and she loves the Alice platform games. Ironic that she still has the hand-eye coordination that I no longer have. She also loves strategy games such as the latest Age of Empires and Civilization games; she's played Civ 4 through Civ 6, like I have. (Both of us prefer Civ 5 in the series.) She also likes Battle for Middle Earth, and some of the other Middle Earth games; I haven't played those myself. She can't see very well anymore (she has severe macular degeneration), so she can't play puzzle games that require visual acuity. I still can't figure out how she does those platformers with her vision problems. She is not allowed to drive anymore, but she bops around in Prince of Persia like she's a frog.

    That is so cool! Unfortunately that "over the shoulder" camera gets me too.

    Your mom sounds like an awesome lady :)
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  • Goth583Goth583 Posts: 1,203 Member
    DaWaterRat wrote: »
    Most of these upstart "real gamers" are just kids anyway. I played Pac Man, Centipedem and Q-Bert in the arcade, my first console was an Atari 2600.

    For all that, while I consider myself a hard core gamer, I'm just not a hard core computer gamer. Give me rule books, dice, a bag of Doritos, a 2 liter bottle of Mountain Dew and a handful of friends who want to tell a story together. :wink:

    Sims is real gaming. So is D&D, and 7th Sea, and Traveler, and Champions, and...

    My very first gaming console was also the Atari 2600. I never knew anything outside of that for years as I was born 2 years after it had been released. My parents had gotten it for my older brother, but until the first Nintendo that was what we played on at home. When we would go to the mall we would spend some time in the arcade. I grew up playing arcade and console games, and PC games once I started school because you know Oregon Trail on a floppy was the best! In 1993 we got a home computer and I got my first PC game that Christmas, SimFarm. I still played console heavily too, especially after the PS1 dropped for the very first time, I played everything on that console, lol! I'm more of a PC gamer, but I have my Nintendo Switch Lite which I really enjoy playing a variety of games. I have some fun games, some epic RPGs, some action, etc... I'm still a Simmer and have been since TS1. Games are games. The only difference between a gamer and a hardcore gamer is the amount of time spent gaming.
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  • BeardedgeekBeardedgeek Posts: 5,520 Member
    Simburian wrote: »
    kaiwrysims wrote: »
    JustMeAlb wrote: »
    Another part of this is the real money these "real gamers" fork out for their computers to play the newest games. Someone will gripe about paying around $1000 for their graphics card and I'll respond with "Pfft. I paid just a couple hundred for my whole system." They'll laugh when I describe my old system but then I'll point out that not long ago someone paid several thousands for it when it was brand new.

    I just had a discussion with people I otherwise respect on Twitter who honestly argued that 6000 USD is average price for a gaming rig. When I pointed out that the one I just ordered for 1350 USD is the most expensive computer i have ever bought (I am 48 yrs old now) they tried to apologize for "insulting my rig" as if that was the problem. The problem is that they're obviously were having a Lucille Bluth moment not recognizing they are in a completely different income bracket than most people (I follow a lot of independent political journalists and activists).

    Remember, the PS5 or Xbox is < 600 USD, providing you can find one. Adding another zero to that... is a lot of overkill.

    6000 for average price that's ridiculous. I paid 1000 cad (so abt the same amount as you) for my mid range pc. I could have gotten some parts at a higher quality with that amount if I didn't buy it pre built. But I didn't feel like building it lol.

    Yeah I don't see how people spend so much on a pc. I mean the average American lives paycheck to paycheck (I believe).

    I don't understand it either. I just spent $1200 about 6 months ago on my Dell laptop that I thought was a good investment. It will have to be replaced in 2 years unless I figure out what is preventing me from playing 2 of the 3 games I bought it for (Sims 3 and 4). It runs Sims 2 Ultimate Collection just fine but for some reason won't load the others. My $600 HP laptop that I had prior to this one ran all 3 games just fine. No more Dell for me.

    I think the days of thinking a middle range PC or Mac will run Sims 4 without problems are over. Probably one of the reasons Maxis are bring out kits, so as not to overload those systems. I managed to get a gaming laptop through not going out spending during the Covid isolation months in the UK.

    It might be different if any Sims 5 goes Cloud based as they are now thinking of a game which any system can play. That's what I gather from things they've said to the media about their current thinking.

    What I now worry about is that Microsoft want to install Windows 11 on my HP machine, saying it is eminently suitable, whether that will mess about with my own Sims games as EA haven't given any information about that. I had enough trouble with Sim2 Ultimate and shadows etc. when Windows 10 came out.



    Nah, a mid range modern PC is like twice as powerful than Sims 4 needs. Sims 4 is a very very old game. The difference is to realize that there is no longer a top. There literally is no upper limit to what a PC can cost. If you just divide the highest price you've seen with 2 you do not get an average PC, at all. You still get a high end PC.
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  • SimburianSimburian Posts: 6,906 Member
    edited October 2021
    @Beardedgeek You may think that if you want to but the improvement in my game after getting a Gaming PC with a very good video card made a lot of difference.
  • dogzdinnerdogzdinner Posts: 422 Member
    Im an MMO gamer and also on their forums and Ive found quite alot of people also either play Sims or some other sandbox type game. They probably dont regard it in the same way...its just a nice change of pace, esp if your game of choice is stressing you out!
    Having said that I dont play 'hardcore' Sims and am in awe of anybody who does. By which I mean juggling huge multi generational families and keeping them all happy (and alive!). I have trouble keeping up with 2 sims!LOL
  • SindocatSindocat Posts: 5,622 Member
    And that is a point, @dogzdinner , that I think a lot of people who have never come near The Sims (because it's girly, or whatever) don't know - It can be super demanding. There's no win condition, per se, but even without artificially introducing self-imposed challenges, raising kids AND mastering a career AND earning a University degree AND keeping a big garden - or whatever you stack up together - can take, dare I say, skill and dedication?
  • WaytoomanyUIDsWaytoomanyUIDs Posts: 844 Member
    edited October 2021
    Eh, I'm probably what some would consider a hardcore gamer, I play the Paradox GSG's, CRPGs and dip into Star Citizen & shoot em ups. I also play The Sims, ETS2 and Stardew Valley. I think the prejudice against so called casual games like The Sims and Stardew Valley by some gamers and the gaming media is ridiculous. Also the way games like Farming Sim & ETS2 get a free pass because (presumably they are more manly) is just as ridiculous.

    Not to mention how Sims 3 still struggles on a hardcore gaming rig. It shouldn't have been "can it run Crysis", it should have been "Can it run Sims 3?"
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  • GoldmoldarGoldmoldar Posts: 11,966 Member
    edited October 2021
    Some hard core gamers are not just in it for the gameplay, they are in it for the hardware and the reason they do not play Sims because you can't tweak Sims 4 performance like you can with shooters like COD, Battlefield and others and if you can't do that it is not for them and I can't knock them for it as it is their preference. In some aspects I have an lower expectation for Sims 4 as I cannot create freely as I could with older versions. I do play all the Shooters but I am not into the tweaking but to have an good time and it can be expensive for some who are into tweaking as it sometimes mean an spec change, but all in all everybody is an gamer.
    Post edited by Goldmoldar on
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  • lisamwittlisamwitt Posts: 5,079 Member
    edited October 2021
    I've spent quite a lot on decent computers, laptops, games, and expansions over the last 21 years. Maybe not as much as some hard core gamers, but no small sum. Add to that the hours I've spent playing, and as far as I'm concerned that makes me a gamer. I don't mind being called a casual gamer since I only play Sims. I often refer to myself simply as a Simmer, because that sums it up in one word.

    As some other people mentioned, I also grew up playing arcade games and my first platform was an Atari. My first computer was a Tandy 1000. My first experience with Sims anything was in 1989 when my mom bought her first Mac and installed Simcity on it. It was monochrome on the Mac, but I fell in love with it anyway. I played several versions over the years, then Sims 1 came out and it was fabulous.

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  • FairyGodMotherFairyGodMother Posts: 7,406 Member
    I'm a Simmer, not a Gamer :)
  • Darstep0301Darstep0301 Posts: 745 Member
    > @simgirl1010 said:
    > It's unpopular with simmers but a common belief held by other gamers.

    Does a game have to be war or sports to be considered a game? I don't think so!! I have Civilization 5 and 6. I also have NBA and Madden, but the only "game" that makes me think is The Sims 4". I can't download cc for any sports player on those games and Civ 5 and 6 plays more like a glorified chess game something like Battle Chess of old. I go to bed and wake up thinking about how to better play my sim, and not how to better play football, basketball, or war. Don't get me wrong though! I'm a grown man and I grew up playing those games (war and sports) on my pc. But the only "game" that makes me want to play it over and over is The Sims. And by the way I started playing The Sims when TS1 came out because at that time I was playing a lot of Sim City by EA.
  • FairyGodMotherFairyGodMother Posts: 7,406 Member
    But are you a "real" Simmer :p ?

    lol, if you are talking to me, I am not a real simmer, but a true simmer :D
  • GlacierSnowGlacierSnow Posts: 2,301 Member
    I'm not a real gamer. I'm an imagination gamer. I like to play with my own imagination, and I'm pretty hard-core about it. :wink:
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  • GoldmoldarGoldmoldar Posts: 11,966 Member
    edited October 2021
    I'm not a real gamer. I'm an imagination gamer. I like to play with my own imagination, and I'm pretty hard-core about it. :wink:

    Before graphics became an thing you really did have to use your imagination with text games example "Zork" and it was fun too.
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