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OMG! Metro UK talks about the problems of The Sims 4 and his team!

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  • sparkfairy1sparkfairy1 Posts: 11,453 Member
    DecafHigh wrote: »
    Seamoan wrote: »
    DecafHigh wrote: »
    Baenre wrote: »
    @Jarsie9 "The other thing I want to mention is my suspicion that EA Mobile (formerly Maxis, formerly The Sims Studio) is deliberately sabotaging this iteration of The Sims in order to have an excuse to stop producing a PC version (they're lying if they're saying they're still going to support this PC title), in order to turn it into what they consider a more profitable game."

    I said the same thing (and feel the same way)....I was told to get a tinfoil hat. :(

    I don't know, I mean its their game. If they wanted to make it a mobile only platform and thought that was going to make them more money then they would just do it. They don't need anyone's permission or an excuse to do it. I happen to think that it would kill the series entirely, but if that's what they really want to do they certainly don't need any excuse other than "because we wanna" to go ahead and do it.

    Except they know it won't sell with their huge, dedicated fanbase if they come out and say "we're going mobile, ain't nothing you can do about it". It's much easier to use social engineering to get players used to specific downgrades by rolling things out slowly and hoping that players will continue to spend money while getting retrained on the new, more profitable business model ;)

    Totally agree here. Wean us off the depth and onto paying more for less being the new 'normal'

    Eh, I dunno. I agree they are certainly trying to pass off less content for more money hoping people won't notice, but attributing it all to some social engineering experiment to get people off PC gaming to go with their mobile platform desires just seems a bit beyond the imaginings of a group of developers that think having an "angry poop" is a major game feature.

    If they really, truly believed that a mobile only game would earn them more money why would they care what older existing players think anyway? They would just do it, and if all the old players just quit on the spot I doubt, from the attitude shown in recent interviews, that they would even care.

    Because they know the loyalty the sims has/had. They could have told us that this game wasn't designed for certain play styles but instead they promised things they haven't delivered to keep our preorders and purchases. That was no mistake.

    It may not have anything to do with the developers and come from the management directives. We know how EA likes to seize trends and they are known for putting everything into one trend and late on when things may be starting to go out of fashion. There is no coincidence that the person in charge is heavily experienced in mobile and now EA has merged Maxis with the mobile department after dismantling Maxis Emeryville.

    I mean look at how sandbox games are having a resurgence at the moment-and EA's biggest sandbox game they've turned it into a different type of game! Perhaps once the sandbox trend starts to go out of fashion we'll eventually get it back for the sims!
  • Krish_Krish_ Posts: 116 Member
    Meh, I don't agree with it IMHO....
    It's me @natashified returning :)

    When will the flop era end? 2014-????
  • sparkfairy1sparkfairy1 Posts: 11,453 Member
    Mstybl95 wrote: »
    I think there are 2 different views at play here. EA wants to go mobile. That's their end game and where the money is. So they are trying to bring their profitable PC game to mobile. It worked for SimCity. It's working for Freeplay. Those in-app purchases add up.

    Then there is Maxis. They want the younger crowd. Parties and angry poops and wooting before woohoo are aimed at then. They want the young, hip crowd. The ones who haven't played previous games and don't know what they're missing. And they want them less intelligent because it is easier to sell them garbage.

    And we have the 2 world currently colliding. Us oldies are expendables. They will monetize this game, they just need us to go away so we stop writing negative articles and posting negative feedback for those impressionable youngsters to read. Then they can change the game without any repercussions.

    Agreed. They don't want people to challenge them and to hold them to what they say. It's like it's an imposition that people care!
  • ScobreScobre Posts: 20,665 Member
    The funny thing is I actually got rid of my Sims Freeplay game to have more room for PVZ 2. There are just some games that should not be made into mobile games. Sims is one of them and Rollercoaster tycoon was also another one.
    “Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller
  • DecafHighDecafHigh Posts: 669 Member
    Because they know the loyalty the sims has/had. They could have told us that this game wasn't designed for certain play styles but instead they promised things they haven't delivered to keep our preorders and purchases. That was no mistake.

    Yeah, but that's gone now, they have to know that. Or they will as more and more EP's come out to what (I would anticipate to be) slumping sales. They know they've already po'ed and lost a lot of those folks.
    It may not have anything to do with the developers and come from the management directives. We know how EA likes to seize trends and they are known for putting everything into one trend and late on when things may be starting to go out of fashion. There is no coincidence that the person in charge is heavily experienced in mobile and now EA has merged Maxis with the mobile department after dismantling Maxis Emeryville.

    This could go either way. In the end though I guess I just see EA not caring so much about "how" that money is made so long as it is made. Is it someone from EA dictating a move to mobile or is it someone at Maxis convincing EA mobile is the way to go for the Sims? Honestly I think its a 50/50 chance either of those could be true.
    I mean look at how sandbox games are having a resurgence at the moment-and EA's biggest sandbox game they've turned it into a different type of game! Perhaps once the sandbox trend starts to go out of fashion we'll eventually get it back for the sims!

    LOL, you're probably right. I guess I would have thought the SC meltdown would have taught them some valuable lessons, but I've been wrong before I guess. :p

  • sparkfairy1sparkfairy1 Posts: 11,453 Member
    DecafHigh wrote: »
    Because they know the loyalty the sims has/had. They could have told us that this game wasn't designed for certain play styles but instead they promised things they haven't delivered to keep our preorders and purchases. That was no mistake.

    Yeah, but that's gone now, they have to know that. Or they will as more and more EP's come out to what (I would anticipate to be) slumping sales. They know they've already po'ed and lost a lot of those folks.
    It may not have anything to do with the developers and come from the management directives. We know how EA likes to seize trends and they are known for putting everything into one trend and late on when things may be starting to go out of fashion. There is no coincidence that the person in charge is heavily experienced in mobile and now EA has merged Maxis with the mobile department after dismantling Maxis Emeryville.

    This could go either way. In the end though I guess I just see EA not caring so much about "how" that money is made so long as it is made. Is it someone from EA dictating a move to mobile or is it someone at Maxis convincing EA mobile is the way to go for the Sims? Honestly I think its a 50/50 chance either of those could be true.
    I mean look at how sandbox games are having a resurgence at the moment-and EA's biggest sandbox game they've turned it into a different type of game! Perhaps once the sandbox trend starts to go out of fashion we'll eventually get it back for the sims!

    LOL, you're probably right. I guess I would have thought the SC meltdown would have taught them some valuable lessons, but I've been wrong before I guess. :p

    And that is why I bought TS4 because I was sure they couldn't do it twice. Could kick myself.

    I'm not sure that they have realised yet. Plenty of people have said they've bought everything so far then we're shocked at recent interviews and who said they weren't totally happy but we're buying in anticipation of better coming round the corner always. The retention rate will be interesting going forward but they won't release it anyway.

    I doubt Maxis are driving the train into being under mobile, I'd guess it's more likely a strategy from EA.
  • marcel21marcel21 Posts: 12,341 Member
    I did my best ;) the issue being I had a small amount of time on a deadline and a lot to cram in with a tight word limit. I'm pretty sure anyone in the know would realise the technological advances I refer to included open world (which by the way I grieve myself too!)

    You did very well :D
    Origin ID MichaelUKingdon


  • sparkfairy1sparkfairy1 Posts: 11,453 Member
    marcel21 wrote: »
    I did my best ;) the issue being I had a small amount of time on a deadline and a lot to cram in with a tight word limit. I'm pretty sure anyone in the know would realise the technological advances I refer to included open world (which by the way I grieve myself too!)

    You did very well :D

    Thank you :)
  • Anemone7Anemone7 Posts: 3,950 Member
    DecafHigh wrote: »
    Baenre wrote: »
    @Jarsie9 "The other thing I want to mention is my suspicion that EA Mobile (formerly Maxis, formerly The Sims Studio) is deliberately sabotaging this iteration of The Sims in order to have an excuse to stop producing a PC version (they're lying if they're saying they're still going to support this PC title), in order to turn it into what they consider a more profitable game."

    I said the same thing (and feel the same way)....I was told to get a tinfoil hat. :(

    I don't know, I mean its their game. If they wanted to make it a mobile only platform and thought that was going to make them more money then they would just do it. They don't need anyone's permission or an excuse to do it. I happen to think that it would kill the series entirely, but if that's what they really want to do they certainly don't need any excuse other than "because we wanna" to go ahead and do it.

    If they don't need excuses, why are they constantly using telemetry exactly for that? Telemetry, if neccessary at all, should be used to ask more specified questions to learn why people aren't using the implemented features.
    Instead The Sims team uses them to excuse cuts in a "It is expensive to make and you don!t really want it anyway. Stop complaining"-kind of way.
  • Mstybl95Mstybl95 Posts: 5,883 Member
    Corey785 wrote: »
    Mstybl95 wrote: »
    I think there are 2 different views at play here. EA wants to go mobile. That's their end game and where the money is. So they are trying to bring their profitable PC game to mobile. It worked for SimCity. It's working for Freeplay. Those in-app purchases add up.

    Then there is Maxis. They want the younger crowd. Parties and angry poops and wooting before woohoo are aimed at then. They want the young, hip crowd. The ones who haven't played previous games and don't know what they're missing. And they want them less intelligent because it is easier to sell them garbage.

    And we have the 2 world currently colliding. Us oldies are expendables. They will monetize this game, they just need us to go away so we stop writing negative articles and posting negative feedback for those impressionable youngsters to read. Then they can change the game without any repercussions.

    Well, I guess you can say I'm part of the "young hip crowd" this game is intended at, considering I, myself am a meddling angsty teen! :joy: But I can personally assure you that I'm with ya'll on this. I don't want my game to go to my phone. I want it to stay on my computer. I've been playing this game since apartment life and I don't like the direction it's headed.

    I didn't mean you. I meant people that never played the games before TS4. Anyone who has played the previous games knows what they're missing. I mean, so many play styles were abandoned, almost everyone is missing something. Just some more than others.
  • ScobreScobre Posts: 20,665 Member
    edited October 2015
    Mstybl95 wrote: »

    I didn't mean you. I meant people that never played the games before TS4. Anyone who has played the previous games knows what they're missing. I mean, so many play styles were abandoned, almost everyone is missing something. Just some more than others.
    I have noticed a pattern that most people who love TS4 never played the Sims 1 at all. Some seem to have played either the Sims 2 or the Sims 3 or both. But there seems to be quite a vast amount in which the Sims 4 is their first game. Anyway, just a pattern I've noticed on forums and elsewhere. There are a few that have play the Sims 1 and play the Sims 4, but not that many. Most quit playing the Sims 1 anyway.

    But just interesting seeing the demographics of Simmers sometimes. There are some older Sims 4 players too.
    “Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller
  • TheSingingSimmerTheSingingSimmer Posts: 3,348 Member
    edited October 2015
    Mstybl95 wrote: »
    Corey785 wrote: »
    Mstybl95 wrote: »
    I think there are 2 different views at play here. EA wants to go mobile. That's their end game and where the money is. So they are trying to bring their profitable PC game to mobile. It worked for SimCity. It's working for Freeplay. Those in-app purchases add up.

    Then there is Maxis. They want the younger crowd. Parties and angry poops and wooting before woohoo are aimed at then. They want the young, hip crowd. The ones who haven't played previous games and don't know what they're missing. And they want them less intelligent because it is easier to sell them garbage.

    And we have the 2 world currently colliding. Us oldies are expendables. They will monetize this game, they just need us to go away so we stop writing negative articles and posting negative feedback for those impressionable youngsters to read. Then they can change the game without any repercussions.

    Well, I guess you can say I'm part of the "young hip crowd" this game is intended at, considering I, myself am a meddling angsty teen! :joy: But I can personally assure you that I'm with ya'll on this. I don't want my game to go to my phone. I want it to stay on my computer. I've been playing this game since apartment life and I don't like the direction it's headed.

    I didn't mean you. I meant people that never played the games before TS4. Anyone who has played the previous games knows what they're missing. I mean, so many play styles were abandoned, almost everyone is missing something. Just some more than others.

    Ah, I see. Yeah I agree. EA is like Oprah in a way; "YOU get ignored, and YOU get ignored, YOU ALL GET IGNORED!" :joy:
  • MandylcdMandylcd Posts: 1,713 Member
    Hthr0120 wrote: »
    Actually I wrote it because they asked me to. I did my best to cover the biggest issues I had learnt since being here.
    Great article. Thank you. With the exception of mentioning open worlds, it describes exactly how I feel. It lists most of the reasons why I have NOT purchased the game. However, my Sims loyalty keeps me coming back to the forums looking for good news. Maybe someday.

    I completely agree with everything you wrote, Hthr0120! Great article-thank you, sparkfairy!
  • SeamoanSeamoan Posts: 1,323 Member
    DecafHigh wrote: »
    Seamoan wrote: »
    DecafHigh wrote: »
    Baenre wrote: »
    @Jarsie9 "The other thing I want to mention is my suspicion that EA Mobile (formerly Maxis, formerly The Sims Studio) is deliberately sabotaging this iteration of The Sims in order to have an excuse to stop producing a PC version (they're lying if they're saying they're still going to support this PC title), in order to turn it into what they consider a more profitable game."

    I said the same thing (and feel the same way)....I was told to get a tinfoil hat. :(

    I don't know, I mean its their game. If they wanted to make it a mobile only platform and thought that was going to make them more money then they would just do it. They don't need anyone's permission or an excuse to do it. I happen to think that it would kill the series entirely, but if that's what they really want to do they certainly don't need any excuse other than "because we wanna" to go ahead and do it.

    Except they know it won't sell with their huge, dedicated fanbase if they come out and say "we're going mobile, ain't nothing you can do about it". It's much easier to use social engineering to get players used to specific downgrades by rolling things out slowly and hoping that players will continue to spend money while getting retrained on the new, more profitable business model ;)

    Totally agree here. Wean us off the depth and onto paying more for less being the new 'normal'

    Eh, I dunno. I agree they are certainly trying to pass off less content for more money hoping people won't notice, but attributing it all to some social engineering experiment to get people off PC gaming to go with their mobile platform desires just seems a bit beyond the imaginings of a group of developers that think having an "angry poop" is a major game feature.

    If they really, truly believed that a mobile only game would earn them more money why would they care what older existing players think anyway? They would just do it, and if all the old players just quit on the spot I doubt, from the attitude shown in recent interviews, that they would even care.

    Social engineering is how 100% of companies handle these types of major changes.

    EA isn't trying to lose all old players and replace them with new players, they want to bring as many of the older players over to the mobile side as possible. They know that PC sims fans will not willingly buy the mobile version, they also know that if they get players used to looking at a "mobile like" UI and playing a "mobile lite" game under a PC platform, they'll be more accepting of a true cross-platform version that's spec'd for a low capacity tablet later on. That's the end-game and the merge of Maxis into the mobile division proves it.

    Some of us will leave completely. Others will find a way to enjoy a simpler sims game. Those are the people they are trying to keep as customers. They are trying to mitigate damages.

    And they used those numbers/specs they've been collecting to sell it as an idea. Guaranteed. If 150 people are playing and 75 of them are on laptops, they will figure that those people are potential tablet/mobile players. Add in new customers and a pay to play model and profits are much, much higher then the status quo.
  • ScobreScobre Posts: 20,665 Member
    Seamoan wrote: »
    Social engineering is how 100% of companies handle these types of major changes.

    EA isn't trying to lose all old players and replace them with new players, they want to bring as many of the older players over to the mobile side as possible. They know that PC sims fans will not willingly buy the mobile version, they also know that if they get players used to looking at a "mobile like" UI and playing a "mobile lite" game under a PC platform, they'll be more accepting of a true cross-platform version that's spec'd for a low capacity tablet later on. That's the end-game and the merge of Maxis into the mobile division proves it.

    Some of us will leave completely. Others will find a way to enjoy a simpler sims game. Those are the people they are trying to keep as customers. They are trying to mitigate damages.

    And they used those numbers/specs they've been collecting to sell it as an idea. Guaranteed. If 150 people are playing and 75 of them are on laptops, they will figure that those people are potential tablet/mobile players. Add in new customers and a pay to play model and profits are much, much higher then the status quo.
    I do wonder why that is why the Sims Freeplay is trying to be more appealing to family players and other play styles, so it gives a friendly push for Simmers to join the mobile market instead of the PC market. With all the expense talk, I could easily see Sims try to go into the mobile only market to cut costs.
    “Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller
  • ScobreScobre Posts: 20,665 Member
    edited October 2015
    Seamoan wrote: »
    I tend to gloss over any Freeplay talk, so I don't know much about what the game offers, but what you said makes total sense in relation to the big sims picture.

    I'm not shocked or hating on EA for trying to maximize profits. I'm sad and disappointed that this is no longer going to be a goto game. Honestly, between this and SC2013, I'm thinking I may need to stop gaming and start knitting. The fun:heartache ratio is way off.
    It's an annoying time management and microtransaction spam game. You aren't missing much. Only difference is that it has babies not tied to cribs anymore and toddlers. There are nannies too.
    This is the teaser for it:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HX12v5mxJM

    Knitting is fun. I do enjoy that as well as crocheting. But yes the attention given to Freeplay for making it have more family play in it makes me sad. I mean I'm happy family players have that game to play, but I thought by now the PC version would surpass the mobile version of the Sims.
    “Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller
  • meetkitty123meetkitty123 Posts: 524 Member
    Scobre wrote: »
    Seamoan wrote: »
    I tend to gloss over any Freeplay talk, so I don't know much about what the game offers, but what you said makes total sense in relation to the big sims picture.

    I'm not shocked or hating on EA for trying to maximize profits. I'm sad and disappointed that this is no longer going to be a goto game. Honestly, between this and SC2013, I'm thinking I may need to stop gaming and start knitting. The fun:heartache ratio is way off.
    It's an annoying time management and microtransaction spam game. You aren't missing much. Only difference is that it has babies not tied to cribs anymore and toddlers. There are nannies too.
    This is the teaser for it:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HX12v5mxJM

    Knitting is fun. I do enjoy that as well as crocheting. But yes the attention given to Freeplay for making it have more family play in it makes me sad. I mean I'm happy family players have that game to play, but I thought by now the PC version would surpass the mobile version of the Sims.

    I wouldn't put that junk on my mobile if they PAID ME!

    Would I play a pc game such as that... with better graphics and gameplay options yes.

    I don't play games on my Phone. My Mobile phone is not to be wasted on a game!
    SENIOR POLLINATION TECHNICIAN #3 DOWNLOADS:
    ORIGINAL: https://goo.gl/ux61nn REMODELED: https://goo.gl/pcJwsN
    MY GALLERY ---> https://bit.ly/2N5kp8y <----

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  • Meela_PashtMeela_Pasht Posts: 704 Member
    The article is awesome. Thank you. They can move the Sims to mobile all they want but this simmer will not be joining them. I play games on my computer - not my phone - When and if they release expansion packs that include a city and supernaturals, I will buy them but nothing else.
    If you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all. Live in your Truth.
  • sparkfairy1sparkfairy1 Posts: 11,453 Member
    edited October 2015
    Thank you @Mandylcd @Meela_Pasht @LoveMcQueen5683 :)

    I totally agree @Anenome7 @Seamoan @Cabelle1863 and @ApparentlyAwesome and it's so sad to see. I just wish I had been more sensible and not listened to their promises. Like someone in the comments said-we should have waited to buy until after they fixed it. But he's right-that sort of thing will affect long term prospects of the sims PC or mobile. If someone's experience sours them enough they won't be willing to buy easily.

    They can't buy loyalty and they've lost so much of that goodwill with what's been going on. That's a shame and upsetting given the previous history. The sims should be treated with sufficient reverence to reflect the love for it from everyone here. Sadly it seems that is not enough for EA.

    At least when Assassins creed unity had issues they were straight out apologising and offering content both in game and a free game to make up for the issues. That reluctance to talk is what made me realise that they aren't interested in dealing with the issues and engaging with all the customers.
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