Yeah. It hurts that Maxis went backwards from Sims 3 and turned Sims 4 into a mobile game wannabe/going to be.
Especially since EA already has Sims Freeplay.
“I was so sure that I knew what they needed and what I wanted to sell them that I never stopped long enough to find out what it was they wanted to buy.”
― Chris Murray, The Extremely Successful Salesman's Club
I don't understand why people aren't giving Sims 4 a chance even, it's base game at the moment, they will add better things as time goes on. Geez.
Actually a lot of us do like Sims 4. But the same ones since even before it came out are still on here harassing all the people who like the game so much they won't even come here anymore. I know some of the group I hang around with in Sims forums for years were talking in our old thread and they are still playing and what's more enjoying the game - but refuse to even try posting here. They call it a battle ground. The minute anyone tries talking about what they are doing in the game the same old group of 10-15 Simmers come in and make fun or mock or make the thread impossible to enjoy. So it seem only me and one other simmer in my group still come here because of it all. As quite frankly it is easy to ignor what they have to say seeing you have seen it so much you already know what they have to contribute. i do go to several other places as well that talk about the game and many enjoy it and are getting antsy for new stuff to start coming out. they are eager to give EA their money.
It's not 'one side' over another. There are people who don't play nice all over this forum. I also know other simmers who are as disappointed as me who don't come on here because the reaction you get if you air your opinions one way or another-so essentially I have the same experience as you but from a different perspective.
Like the sim guru said it's not too much to ask to respect each other's opinions and not make it a personal thing. Some people like to turn everything in to a battle on here and it's not needed-we are ALL sims fans otherwise this forum would be empty.
I share my opinions and I let others share theirs even if I don't like what they are wanting. I get sassy on the forums it doesn't mean that I am a bad person. I personally like TS4 and I really don't like coming on these forums to see the same hate post about the game everytime I am on.
I wouldn't suggest anyone is a 'bad person'. I'm sorry if you find it annoying to read about other people's bad experiences-perhaps it would be an idea to skip threads where that is likely to be aired and skim over posts where people talk in that fashion? People could say the same about almost anything someone else writes on a forum.
I think what needs to happen is some real clarification on whether the people who are disappointed have a hope of seeing what they miss. Personally I find it upsetting to watch fellow simmers lobby to keep out the things their other simmers miss the most. I wouldn't do it but I try not to get annoyed and let it show in a personal manner in my responses when people say they don't care about whatever so it doesn't matter.
I'm on here because I care. I care because the sims means a lot to me. So I'm sorry if it annoys you but I will be on here letting EA know that there are people who care about those things that are missing. Otherwise nothing would ever change and this is the only avenue I have to share this with them.
Yeah. It hurts that Maxis went backwards from Sims 3 and turned Sims 4 into a mobile game wannabe/going to be.
Especially since EA already has Sims Freeplay.
Freeplay didn't have the emotions that Ts4 pretended to have...
And yet it does have toddlers. Go figure...
“I was so sure that I knew what they needed and what I wanted to sell them that I never stopped long enough to find out what it was they wanted to buy.”
― Chris Murray, The Extremely Successful Salesman's Club
What's it going to take for you to start listening to people who buy your games? You only pretend to listen when we stop buying them. I can wait this out, EA. I can live on cheese and crackers and Steam games. I can wait until Dragon Age Inquisition drops to $10 with DLC in a few months. I'm patient.<br />
<br />
You guys have man-child CEO's with multi-millionaire appetites to feed... and stockholders who will drop you like a hot coal if a shadow crosses the moon... and convoluted office politics that make the Game of Thrones look like Xmas day in a Norman Rockwell painting. You can't. <br />
<br />
So get your act together and entertain me with solid games. Quit hiring "producers" who are disneyfied goose-steppers and quit firing your talent. Pouring salt into our eyes with the travesty that is Sims 4 is not entertainment.<br />
<br />
<br />
Sims 4 Completely Mismanaged: hxxp://simsvip.com/2014/01/30/former-artist-thesims4-completely-mismanaged/<br />
<br />
<br />
Former concept artist:<br />
So I am no longer working for MAXIS. Was laid off today. On a related note, the sims 4 team is completely mismanaged.<br />
<br />
— Jace Wallace (@JaceWallace) January 31, 2014<br />
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They should hire more producers I think :eyeroll:<br />
<br />
— Jace Wallace (@JaceWallace) January 31, 2014<br />
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<br />
<br /> @ashleighanne90 The office politics at redwood shores are brutal.<br />
<br />
— Jace Wallace (@JaceWallace) January 31, 2014<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The Sims 4: 5 Reasons Why This Game is a Huge Flop: hxxp://n4g.com/news/1579820/the-sims-4-5-reasons-why-this-game-is-a-huge-flop
Coming on the forums used to make me happy, now it just makes me sad. I keep wondering where everyone went, back in days when new content was being released for TS3 the forums where such a lively place, or at least it seemed to me that they where. Now, it seems so lonely and dead.
I post less than I used to, and there's some simmers I haven't seen in months, I got so used to seeing them everywhere. Honestly, I can't figure out how we went from a happy place this summer, to this desolate place now.
@EA you really need to figure out how to fix this mess, so long as the forums remain as they are, TS4 will never be the success that TS3 was. In the end, it will be you who pay the greatest price if TS4 doesn't do well. Whoever is in charge of how information is released really needs to do a better job! Making fans feel insulted won't get you anywhere. Whoever decided to take TS4 in a less sandboxy direction, that's not what the most of you fans want. Take a look at SimCity, that's your future if don't wise up.
I'm not stupid enough to think that EA/Maxis will care about what I have to say, but a lot of the issues with TS4 could be solved with a little common sense, and a lot of open communication. I know they've been trying, but after the roll out of TS4, better pr just doesn't cut, they have to exceptional.
On a side note: Will SimCity 4 run on windows 8? I'll admit I'm curious, Simcity 5 just never did it for me, I always ran out of room. Which just proves that the small city size was an issue for some new players of SimCity too.
Coming on the forums used to make me happy, now it just makes me sad. I keep wondering where everyone went, back in days when new content was being released for TS3 the forums where such a lively place, or at least it seemed to me that they where. Now, it seems so lonely and dead.
I post less than I used to, and there's some simmers I haven't seen in months, I got so used to seeing them everywhere. Honestly, I can't figure out how we went from a happy place this summer, to this desolate place now.
@EA you really need to figure out how to fix this mess, so long as the forums remain as they are, TS4 will never to the success that TS3 was. In the end, it will be you who pay the greatest price if TS4 doesn't do well. Whoever is in charge of how information is released really needs to do a better job! Making fans feel insulted won't get you anywhere. Whoever decided to take TS4 in a less sandboxy direction, that's not what the most of you fans want. Take a look at SimCity, that's your future if don't wise up.
I'm not stupid enough to think that EA/Maxis will care about what I have to say, but a lot of the issues with TS4 could be solved with a little common sense, and a lot of open communication. I know they've been trying, but after the roll out of TS4, better pr just doesn't cut, they have to exceptional.
On a side note: Will SimCity 4 run on windows 8? I'll admit I'm curious, Simcity 5 just never did it for me, I always ran out of room. Which just proves that the small city size was an issue for some new players of SimCity too.
Thank you-I totally agree.
There's a site you can buy old games where they work on new machines-I've just bought a few old favourites in the sale :-)
I think a lot of people don't mind some of the comments made by those who don't like TS4 (unless they get really personal or hurtful). Some of the comments and gifs can be funny even if I don't agree with them. The problem is when the same people post the same thing over and over and over again on the same thread. There is nothing constructive about that. I have seen a couple of "TS4 fans" do that but honestly it is mostly a few people who dislike the game so much that they hijack threads constantly and on a daily basis and ridicule others who don't revel in their dislike. The forum is supposed to be for those who want to talk about the sims in general, share ideas, constructive criticism, hopes, needs and wants...not incessant bashing of the game.
And I don't understand how some can be so unbelievably angry at...a game. That's what TS4 is: a game! And if it is anything more than a game to you, (and I know some people will take offense to this), then you might have deeper issues than TS4 not having toddlers or not being an open world.
My advice:
1. if you don't like TS4 then don't play it. Find another game, go back to another sims game, go outside, visit friends, etc...
2. if you are mad at EA or Maxis then send them a letter and don't purchase their products
3. if you have to post your anger then do it once and then let it be. State what you think would make game better and hope for the best. Life is frequently not fair and not getting the game you want should be at the bottom of your worry list
4. No name calling (includes calling people sheep, haters) or reacting negatively to different ideas/opinions (just because you like something doesn't mean the next person will like it but that doesn't make them dumb or brainless or mean...just different)
5. And , again, remember, TS4 is just a game. If some of us simmers used the amount of passion we have for the franchise in other walks of life, we could probably cure cancer, solve world hunger problem, or end discrimination.
On a side note: Will SimCity 4 run on windows 8? I'll admit I'm curious, Simcity 5 just never did it for me, I always ran out of room. Which just proves that the small city size was an issue for some new players of SimCity too.
It should be fine, make sure to get the Deluxe edition with the transport addons (motorways etc).
I play SImCity 4 on Windows 7 64bit, I got my version through Steam for cheap (don't use Origin for the love of god), shouldn't be any different to Windows 8.x. (I hate to be anti-Origin, but Steam gives me 0 problems and cheap prices).
I think a lot of people don't mind some of the comments made by those who don't like TS4 (unless they get really personal or hurtful). Some of the comments and gifs can be funny even if I don't agree with them. The problem is when the same people post the same thing over and over and over again on the same thread. There is nothing constructive about that. I have seen a couple of "TS4 fans" do that but honestly it is mostly a few people who dislike the game so much that they hijack threads constantly and on a daily basis and ridicule others who don't revel in their dislike. The forum is supposed to be for those who want to talk about the sims in general, share ideas, constructive criticism, hopes, needs and wants...not incessant bashing of the game.
And I don't understand how some can be so unbelievably angry at...a game. That's what TS4 is: a game! And if it is anything more than a game to you, (and I know some people will take offense to this), then you might have deeper issues than TS4 not having toddlers or not being an open world.
My advice:
1. if you don't like TS4 then don't play it. Find another game, go back to another sims game, go outside, visit friends, etc...
2. if you are mad at EA or Maxis then send them a letter and don't purchase their products
3. if you have to post your anger then do it once and then let it be. State what you think would make game better and hope for the best. Life is frequently not fair and not getting the game you want should be at the bottom of your worry list
4. No name calling (includes calling people sheep, haters) or reacting negatively to different ideas/opinions (just because you like something doesn't mean the next person will like it but that doesn't make them dumb or brainless or mean...just different)
5. And , again, remember, TS4 is just a game. If some of us simmers used the amount of passion we have for the franchise in other walks of life, we could probably cure cancer, solve world hunger problem, or end discrimination.
Have fun!!!!!
I'm sorry but we'll have to agree to disagree on a few points. EA asked people to stick around to tell them what's up so they can work on the major stumbling blocks for *some* fans. They know that as soon as people stop posting, they stop caring, and stop spending their money which goes a long way towards those large profits they love from sims :-)
I never call people names. I've been called names despite that on these forums.
This forum really needs to get over the 'lovers' ' haters' thing. It's not true anyway-it's a spectrum and fans fall on all areas of this in terms of how happy or upset they are with 4 :-)
I know you don't mean to offend people but for some players the sims is an escape from their lives-be it through illness, grieving etc, etc. I've seen it all over the years from players-so yes, while it may be 'only a game' to you it's become a part of people's lives, and some people don't have the same access to a normal life as others if they are really sick etc.
There are always going to be people who like to fight. Ignore them. It's not worth your time, and mods will see any of that and deal with it eventually anyway.
I don't blame the Maxis studio developers for all of this. These decisions, in many cases, come from what we usually refer to as the corner office and the plethora of bean counters that go along with it. This situation is similar to what was done to SimCity 5. Let me explain...
The developers are given a new product to come up with. In this case, The Sims 4. They have a bunch of ideas, great ones, with all the nice add-ons and things we'd love to have. They present this to management, meaning the higher-ups in the Maxis Studios office, and then this is refined and presented to EA, the ultimate payer on the project, and the one responsible for selling it.
Anyway. Marketing gets excited and sales are projected, and this is presented to the CEO and his buddies, who generally have no clue what goes on into making a game or product like it. They get all more excited over it al,l and then the bean counters are consulted to run the sales figures and the profits/losses, costs are figured out. This is where things get worked over, and quite often too much...
This new project, which started off with great plans and high hopes, now has been whittled down to a much smaller project. You see, the bean counters got a hold of the project, and figured that many good things had to be cut in order to "meet the expectations" of the stock holders. Keep in mind, it's not just the CEO, bean counters, and Maxis' own people; it's the outside stockholders who want their bits. The analysts will complain if they don't meet their 1,000,000% expectations in profits for the year. If they miss the target, the stock price drops, and everything goes belly up.
So now, back to our project. We now have a very pared down The Sims 4 than planned. The Maxis developers are forced to work within new budgets, including manpower, tools, time (meaning hours spent on the project), and other things that are factored in. To add insult to injury, this stuff is usually not worked out with the sales and marketing team who are still toting the great new product with a now unrealistic ship date of such and such, all the while the developers are toiling away with limited funds, time, and tools.
In the end, the only people who make out are the guys at the top. They get big bonuses for meeting the company goal of coming out with a product within a horribly constrained budget, while the rest of the people who did all the work, suffer from burn-out, frustration, and a product that didn't meet their own expectations.
In the olden days of game development, and other programs too, it was never like this. A product was shipped, when the product was completed to the satisfaction of the developers and testers. Today this isn't true. Companies ship things out sooner, rather raw and untested in many cases, in order to keep pace with a faster moving market. We've seen this with Microsoft Windows 8, SimCity 5, and many other games.
What I posted above, is something I've witnessed myself at really big companies while I was working, and by the looks of things it's gotten only worse with corners being cut tighter and tighter to meet the expectations of the stockholders rather than that of the people who ultimately will use the product.
I don't blame the Maxis studio developers for all of this. These decisions, in many cases, come from what we usually refer to as the corner office and the plethora of bean counters that go along with it. This situation is similar to what was done to SimCity 5. Let me explain...
The developers are given a new product to come up with. In this case, The Sims 4. They have a bunch of ideas, great ones, with all the nice add-ons and things we'd love to have. They present this to management, meaning the higher-ups in the Maxis Studios office, and then this is refined and presented to EA, the ultimate payer on the project, and the one responsible for selling it.
Anyway. Marketing gets excited and sales are projected, and this is presented to the CEO and his buddies, who generally have no clue what goes on into making a game or product like it. They get all more excited over it al,l and then the bean counters are consulted to run the sales figures and the profits/losses, costs are figured out. This is where things get worked over, and quite often too much...
This new project, which started off with great plans and high hopes, now has been whittled down to a much smaller project. You see, the bean counters got a hold of the project, and figured that many good things had to be cut in order to "meet the expectations" of the stock holders. Keep in mind, it's not just the CEO, bean counters, and Maxis' own people; it's the outside stockholders who want their bits. The analysts will complain if they don't meet their 1,000,000% expectations in profits for the year. If they miss the target, the stock price drops, and everything goes belly up.
So now, back to our project. We now have a very pared down The Sims 4 than planned. The Maxis developers are forced to work within new budgets, including manpower, tools, time (meaning hours spent on the project), and other things that are factored in. To add insult to injury, this stuff is usually not worked out with the sales and marketing team who are still toting the great new product with a now unrealistic ship date of such and such, all the while the developers are toiling away with limited funds, time, and tools.
In the end, the only people who make out are the guys at the top. They get big bonuses for meeting the company goal of coming out with a product within a horribly constrained budget, while the rest of the people who did all the work, suffer from burn-out, frustration, and a product that didn't meet their own expectations.
In the olden days of game development, and other programs too, it was never like this. A product was shipped, when the product was completed to the satisfaction of the developers and testers. Today this isn't true. Companies ship things out sooner, rather raw and untested in many cases, in order to keep pace with a faster moving market. We've seen this with Microsoft Windows 8, SimCity 5, and many other games.
What I posted above, is something I've witnessed myself at really big companies while I was working, and by the looks of things it's gotten only worse with corners being cut tighter and tighter to meet the expectations of the stockholders rather than that of the people who ultimately will use the product.
John
Exactly what I've been trying to say-thank you so much!
I don't blame the Maxis studio developers for all of this. These decisions, in many cases, come from what we usually refer to as the corner office and the plethora of bean counters that go along with it. This situation is similar to what was done to SimCity 5. Let me explain...
The developers are given a new product to come up with. In this case, The Sims 4. They have a bunch of ideas, great ones, with all the nice add-ons and things we'd love to have. They present this to management, meaning the higher-ups in the Maxis Studios office, and then this is refined and presented to EA, the ultimate payer on the project, and the one responsible for selling it.
Anyway. Marketing gets excited and sales are projected, and this is presented to the CEO and his buddies, who generally have no clue what goes on into making a game or product like it. They get all more excited over it al,l and then the bean counters are consulted to run the sales figures and the profits/losses, costs are figured out. This is where things get worked over, and quite often too much...
This new project, which started off with great plans and high hopes, now has been whittled down to a much smaller project. You see, the bean counters got a hold of the project, and figured that many good things had to be cut in order to "meet the expectations" of the stock holders. Keep in mind, it's not just the CEO, bean counters, and Maxis' own people; it's the outside stockholders who want their bits. The analysts will complain if they don't meet their 1,000,000% expectations in profits for the year. If they miss the target, the stock price drops, and everything goes belly up.
So now, back to our project. We now have a very pared down The Sims 4 than planned. The Maxis developers are forced to work within new budgets, including manpower, tools, time (meaning hours spent on the project), and other things that are factored in. To add insult to injury, this stuff is usually not worked out with the sales and marketing team who are still toting the great new product with a now unrealistic ship date of such and such, all the while the developers are toiling away with limited funds, time, and tools.
In the end, the only people who make out are the guys at the top. They get big bonuses for meeting the company goal of coming out with a product within a horribly constrained budget, while the rest of the people who did all the work, suffer from burn-out, frustration, and a product that didn't meet their own expectations.
In the olden days of game development, and other programs too, it was never like this. A product was shipped, when the product was completed to the satisfaction of the developers and testers. Today this isn't true. Companies ship things out sooner, rather raw and untested in many cases, in order to keep pace with a faster moving market. We've seen this with Microsoft Windows 8, SimCity 5, and many other games.
What I posted above, is something I've witnessed myself at really big companies while I was working, and by the looks of things it's gotten only worse with corners being cut tighter and tighter to meet the expectations of the stockholders rather than that of the people who ultimately will use the product.
John
Exactly what I've been trying to say-thank you so much!
The issue is not that a game is a flop, it's whether it makes money. Even "flops" like Sims 4 and Sim City make a lot of money. Most hit games would love to have the sales figures of a flop game like Sims 4.
I'm sorry but we'll have to agree to disagree on a few points. EA asked people to stick around to tell them what's up so they can work on the major stumbling blocks for *some* fans. They know that as soon as people stop posting, they stop caring, and stop spending their money which goes a long way towards those large profits they love from sims :-)
I never call people names. I've been called names despite that on these forums.
This forum really needs to get over the 'lovers' ' haters' thing. It's not true anyway-it's a spectrum and fans fall on all areas of this in terms of how happy or upset they are with 4 :-)
I know you don't mean to offend people but for some players the sims is an escape from their lives-be it through illness, grieving etc, etc. I've seen it all over the years from players-so yes, while it may be 'only a game' to you it's become a part of people's lives, and some people don't have the same access to a normal life as others if they are really sick etc.
There are always going to be people who like to fight. Ignore them. It's not worth your time, and mods will see any of that and deal with it eventually anyway.[/quote]
Thanks for your response. Your right, I think I may have over-generalized when I told people "Its just a game" because I know if I got sick or injured, I would certainly use TS as a healthy escape.
And I do want to say that I have no problem people posting their dislike of TS4 because some have brought up some really good points or weaknesses in the game that could and should be corrected and others need to see that. But a lot of what I see is not constructive at all, just plain anger repeated over and over in the same thread. It derails and closes some legitimate posts.
The minute I can port my TS2 sims into TS4, the minute I'm going to sing TS4 praises. I think this game has a long way to go before it becomes fun. I'm not even tempted to play it any more, but when the family EP (they better do this more than right if I have to pay for toddlers this go around) and the vanilla careers start coming out... I doubt I'll hesitate to throw my money at EA/Maxis again.
I don't think the game is a flop. I think the base game is just a bit lame compared to TS2, but it's a foundation and things like baking your own birthday cakes... man, I can't wait to enjoy these features! If they can build on what we already were able to enjoy, then TS4 will be, albeit a late bloomer, a full blossom success. I think creating something novel is what EA needs to do. Emotions aren't novel and they way they are executed is awkward sometimes, off at other times, and at other times blah... If EA can give us something new, exciting, and endearing that TS2 and TS3 do not have, then I'm sure this game will be a champ and could possibly be the best game all together. It should be noted though that my optimism really depends on whether EA keeps its commitment to building our dreams on a solid foundation--right now there are a lot bugs in the base game.
Thanks for your response. Your right, I think I may have over-generalized when I told people "Its just a game" because I know if I got sick or injured, I would certainly use TS as a healthy escape.
And I do want to say that I have no problem people posting their dislike of TS4 because some have brought up some really good points or weaknesses in the game that could and should be corrected and others need to see that. But a lot of what I see is not constructive at all, just plain anger repeated over and over in the same thread. It derails and closes some legitimate posts.
Even if people propose what should be done that doesn't stop posters from coming in from the opposite side trying to derail idea threads and threads where people who don't like the game have gotten at the level they're trying to show devs what would interest them. How many times have players from opposing sides popped into threads just to drift the topic of course into endless battling. Let alone trying to name and shame posters when that also is clearly against the forum rules. I've had a few people even with taking a let's work together stance still from the opposing side try and drift topics off course. Let alone run back to devs and go you aren't going to change things are you. Dev's give a ridiculous answer, we aren't going to change things on a whim. On a whim huh? You think your fanbase that use to spend money on the game would just give you an idea off the whim. Some of us have invested in this series for years and in maxis for decades long before it was accumulated by EA.
You think we are just here on a whim than? The insult just keeps piling up with this team. No matter how much we try to work together with them, help them, they only want to here about roses and rainbows. Well im sorry but you need to here what is wrong that a major portion of your fanbase has stopped spending money. Many are walking away from the series altogether. Some people like this game yes but the problem is some people can't support the game. So changes need to be made to it to even accumulate lost customers. Or even deciding not to move forward with it at all and start over. How much more are customers relationships going to get damaged through covered eyes and plugged up ears of maxis. Was it not you to tell us to keep yelling. Than why have you backed down from responding to that yelling and saying in the very least on threads that are flying with ideas that you're listening. No this is not a whim dear dev's, this is in every way your problem you caused through rushing your game and I will not buy this game on a whim, I will not waste my money to satisfy your ego. You will get from me, criticism and it will be constructive at that. What should be considered strongly is your game is liked by few but not all. Therefor you should be choosing how you respond to anyone carefully. You should respond to threads with constructive criticism and ideas even if it's a few lines empty words of I'll run it by the team. Stringing a long a fanbase in hopes the opposing view will pressure us into buying this game. Never going to happen with many of us. The only people to convince us to invest in sims 4 is you dev team. So choose carefully change it or don't, don't think whatever you decide it's just some whim, your choice ultimately decides the fate of your game's success and failure.
Comments
Theres a reason why they cancelled the facebook game. They didn't want fans to confuse TS4 with The Sims Social...
Especially since EA already has Sims Freeplay.
― Chris Murray, The Extremely Successful Salesman's Club
I wouldn't suggest anyone is a 'bad person'. I'm sorry if you find it annoying to read about other people's bad experiences-perhaps it would be an idea to skip threads where that is likely to be aired and skim over posts where people talk in that fashion? People could say the same about almost anything someone else writes on a forum.
I think what needs to happen is some real clarification on whether the people who are disappointed have a hope of seeing what they miss. Personally I find it upsetting to watch fellow simmers lobby to keep out the things their other simmers miss the most. I wouldn't do it but I try not to get annoyed and let it show in a personal manner in my responses when people say they don't care about whatever so it doesn't matter.
I'm on here because I care. I care because the sims means a lot to me. So I'm sorry if it annoys you but I will be on here letting EA know that there are people who care about those things that are missing. Otherwise nothing would ever change and this is the only avenue I have to share this with them.
https://twitter.com/sparkfairy1
Sims Freeplay is so bad, I don't even consider it a 'real' Sims game. Is it really that popular and a cash cow for EA?
Freeplay didn't have the emotions that Ts4 pretended to have...
And yet it does have toddlers. Go figure...
― Chris Murray, The Extremely Successful Salesman's Club
And even from that photo someone had on here the other day toddler pools!
Oh it makes me too sad :-(
https://twitter.com/sparkfairy1
I post less than I used to, and there's some simmers I haven't seen in months, I got so used to seeing them everywhere. Honestly, I can't figure out how we went from a happy place this summer, to this desolate place now.
@EA you really need to figure out how to fix this mess, so long as the forums remain as they are, TS4 will never be the success that TS3 was. In the end, it will be you who pay the greatest price if TS4 doesn't do well. Whoever is in charge of how information is released really needs to do a better job! Making fans feel insulted won't get you anywhere. Whoever decided to take TS4 in a less sandboxy direction, that's not what the most of you fans want. Take a look at SimCity, that's your future if don't wise up.
I'm not stupid enough to think that EA/Maxis will care about what I have to say, but a lot of the issues with TS4 could be solved with a little common sense, and a lot of open communication. I know they've been trying, but after the roll out of TS4, better pr just doesn't cut, they have to exceptional.
On a side note: Will SimCity 4 run on windows 8? I'll admit I'm curious, Simcity 5 just never did it for me, I always ran out of room. Which just proves that the small city size was an issue for some new players of SimCity too.
Edited for grammar.
Thank you-I totally agree.
There's a site you can buy old games where they work on new machines-I've just bought a few old favourites in the sale :-)
https://twitter.com/sparkfairy1
And I don't understand how some can be so unbelievably angry at...a game. That's what TS4 is: a game! And if it is anything more than a game to you, (and I know some people will take offense to this), then you might have deeper issues than TS4 not having toddlers or not being an open world.
My advice:
1. if you don't like TS4 then don't play it. Find another game, go back to another sims game, go outside, visit friends, etc...
2. if you are mad at EA or Maxis then send them a letter and don't purchase their products
3. if you have to post your anger then do it once and then let it be. State what you think would make game better and hope for the best. Life is frequently not fair and not getting the game you want should be at the bottom of your worry list
4. No name calling (includes calling people sheep, haters) or reacting negatively to different ideas/opinions (just because you like something doesn't mean the next person will like it but that doesn't make them dumb or brainless or mean...just different)
5. And , again, remember, TS4 is just a game. If some of us simmers used the amount of passion we have for the franchise in other walks of life, we could probably cure cancer, solve world hunger problem, or end discrimination.
Have fun!!!!!
It should be fine, make sure to get the Deluxe edition with the transport addons (motorways etc).
I play SImCity 4 on Windows 7 64bit, I got my version through Steam for cheap (don't use Origin for the love of god), shouldn't be any different to Windows 8.x. (I hate to be anti-Origin, but Steam gives me 0 problems and cheap prices).
I'm sorry but we'll have to agree to disagree on a few points. EA asked people to stick around to tell them what's up so they can work on the major stumbling blocks for *some* fans. They know that as soon as people stop posting, they stop caring, and stop spending their money which goes a long way towards those large profits they love from sims :-)
I never call people names. I've been called names despite that on these forums.
This forum really needs to get over the 'lovers' ' haters' thing. It's not true anyway-it's a spectrum and fans fall on all areas of this in terms of how happy or upset they are with 4 :-)
I know you don't mean to offend people but for some players the sims is an escape from their lives-be it through illness, grieving etc, etc. I've seen it all over the years from players-so yes, while it may be 'only a game' to you it's become a part of people's lives, and some people don't have the same access to a normal life as others if they are really sick etc.
There are always going to be people who like to fight. Ignore them. It's not worth your time, and mods will see any of that and deal with it eventually anyway.
https://twitter.com/sparkfairy1
The developers are given a new product to come up with. In this case, The Sims 4. They have a bunch of ideas, great ones, with all the nice add-ons and things we'd love to have. They present this to management, meaning the higher-ups in the Maxis Studios office, and then this is refined and presented to EA, the ultimate payer on the project, and the one responsible for selling it.
Anyway. Marketing gets excited and sales are projected, and this is presented to the CEO and his buddies, who generally have no clue what goes on into making a game or product like it. They get all more excited over it al,l and then the bean counters are consulted to run the sales figures and the profits/losses, costs are figured out. This is where things get worked over, and quite often too much...
This new project, which started off with great plans and high hopes, now has been whittled down to a much smaller project. You see, the bean counters got a hold of the project, and figured that many good things had to be cut in order to "meet the expectations" of the stock holders. Keep in mind, it's not just the CEO, bean counters, and Maxis' own people; it's the outside stockholders who want their bits. The analysts will complain if they don't meet their 1,000,000% expectations in profits for the year. If they miss the target, the stock price drops, and everything goes belly up.
So now, back to our project. We now have a very pared down The Sims 4 than planned. The Maxis developers are forced to work within new budgets, including manpower, tools, time (meaning hours spent on the project), and other things that are factored in. To add insult to injury, this stuff is usually not worked out with the sales and marketing team who are still toting the great new product with a now unrealistic ship date of such and such, all the while the developers are toiling away with limited funds, time, and tools.
In the end, the only people who make out are the guys at the top. They get big bonuses for meeting the company goal of coming out with a product within a horribly constrained budget, while the rest of the people who did all the work, suffer from burn-out, frustration, and a product that didn't meet their own expectations.
In the olden days of game development, and other programs too, it was never like this. A product was shipped, when the product was completed to the satisfaction of the developers and testers. Today this isn't true. Companies ship things out sooner, rather raw and untested in many cases, in order to keep pace with a faster moving market. We've seen this with Microsoft Windows 8, SimCity 5, and many other games.
What I posted above, is something I've witnessed myself at really big companies while I was working, and by the looks of things it's gotten only worse with corners being cut tighter and tighter to meet the expectations of the stockholders rather than that of the people who ultimately will use the product.
John
Exactly what I've been trying to say-thank you so much!
https://twitter.com/sparkfairy1
"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.....
Yep, bravo!
I'm sorry but we'll have to agree to disagree on a few points. EA asked people to stick around to tell them what's up so they can work on the major stumbling blocks for *some* fans. They know that as soon as people stop posting, they stop caring, and stop spending their money which goes a long way towards those large profits they love from sims :-)
I never call people names. I've been called names despite that on these forums.
This forum really needs to get over the 'lovers' ' haters' thing. It's not true anyway-it's a spectrum and fans fall on all areas of this in terms of how happy or upset they are with 4 :-)
I know you don't mean to offend people but for some players the sims is an escape from their lives-be it through illness, grieving etc, etc. I've seen it all over the years from players-so yes, while it may be 'only a game' to you it's become a part of people's lives, and some people don't have the same access to a normal life as others if they are really sick etc.
There are always going to be people who like to fight. Ignore them. It's not worth your time, and mods will see any of that and deal with it eventually anyway.[/quote]
Thanks for your response. Your right, I think I may have over-generalized when I told people "Its just a game" because I know if I got sick or injured, I would certainly use TS as a healthy escape.
And I do want to say that I have no problem people posting their dislike of TS4 because some have brought up some really good points or weaknesses in the game that could and should be corrected and others need to see that. But a lot of what I see is not constructive at all, just plain anger repeated over and over in the same thread. It derails and closes some legitimate posts.
"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.....
I don't think the game is a flop. I think the base game is just a bit lame compared to TS2, but it's a foundation and things like baking your own birthday cakes... man, I can't wait to enjoy these features! If they can build on what we already were able to enjoy, then TS4 will be, albeit a late bloomer, a full blossom success. I think creating something novel is what EA needs to do. Emotions aren't novel and they way they are executed is awkward sometimes, off at other times, and at other times blah... If EA can give us something new, exciting, and endearing that TS2 and TS3 do not have, then I'm sure this game will be a champ and could possibly be the best game all together. It should be noted though that my optimism really depends on whether EA keeps its commitment to building our dreams on a solid foundation--right now there are a lot bugs in the base game.
Even if people propose what should be done that doesn't stop posters from coming in from the opposite side trying to derail idea threads and threads where people who don't like the game have gotten at the level they're trying to show devs what would interest them. How many times have players from opposing sides popped into threads just to drift the topic of course into endless battling. Let alone trying to name and shame posters when that also is clearly against the forum rules. I've had a few people even with taking a let's work together stance still from the opposing side try and drift topics off course. Let alone run back to devs and go you aren't going to change things are you. Dev's give a ridiculous answer, we aren't going to change things on a whim. On a whim huh? You think your fanbase that use to spend money on the game would just give you an idea off the whim. Some of us have invested in this series for years and in maxis for decades long before it was accumulated by EA.
You think we are just here on a whim than? The insult just keeps piling up with this team. No matter how much we try to work together with them, help them, they only want to here about roses and rainbows. Well im sorry but you need to here what is wrong that a major portion of your fanbase has stopped spending money. Many are walking away from the series altogether. Some people like this game yes but the problem is some people can't support the game. So changes need to be made to it to even accumulate lost customers. Or even deciding not to move forward with it at all and start over. How much more are customers relationships going to get damaged through covered eyes and plugged up ears of maxis. Was it not you to tell us to keep yelling. Than why have you backed down from responding to that yelling and saying in the very least on threads that are flying with ideas that you're listening. No this is not a whim dear dev's, this is in every way your problem you caused through rushing your game and I will not buy this game on a whim, I will not waste my money to satisfy your ego. You will get from me, criticism and it will be constructive at that. What should be considered strongly is your game is liked by few but not all. Therefor you should be choosing how you respond to anyone carefully. You should respond to threads with constructive criticism and ideas even if it's a few lines empty words of I'll run it by the team. Stringing a long a fanbase in hopes the opposing view will pressure us into buying this game. Never going to happen with many of us. The only people to convince us to invest in sims 4 is you dev team. So choose carefully change it or don't, don't think whatever you decide it's just some whim, your choice ultimately decides the fate of your game's success and failure.