I'm sure it is annoying for them but it's annoying for all of us fans as well. We're used to getting info on future content the way it is right now is quite boring...it's hard to stay interested in a game like the sims with no promotional info to get excited about and look forward to. ::yawn:: this community used to be so fun! I miss live-streams & pamphlets!
It's great that you mention your interest in more live streams. I'm currently working on a plan for doing more regular live streams to provide additional ways for the SimGurus to engage with the community. It is a great way to allow for a more live Q&A as well as allow the community to participate in creating a story with the Sims we make in the live streams.
'
Ugh, what is the point. Every question asked will be met with "Oh, we can't talk about that."
-gets mad about the fact the gurus aren't communicating-
-guru comes in and states they're making plans on doing live streams and working on communication more-
I'm sure it is annoying for them but it's annoying for all of us fans as well. We're used to getting info on future content the way it is right now is quite boring...it's hard to stay interested in a game like the sims with no promotional info to get excited about and look forward to. ::yawn:: this community used to be so fun! I miss live-streams & pamphlets!
It's great that you mention your interest in more live streams. I'm currently working on a plan for doing more regular live streams to provide additional ways for the SimGurus to engage with the community. It is a great way to allow for a more live Q&A as well as allow the community to participate in creating a story with the Sims we make in the live streams.
Great to hear! I loved the live streams the gurus did back in the Sims 3 days, especially the store world live streams, I don't think I ever missed one!
Magnus Hollmo couldn't keep his account after leaving. He specifically said that on the old Twitter account, which means the SimGuru accounts are not "private".
I think it's naive to think that SimGurus would post anything on their accounts without thinking twice. They represent EA after all, and when you look at their job descriptions you should be able to see whats PR related and what's not.
That still doesn't mean everything is a hint.
"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning." - William Henry Gates III
Guys, the gurus do not 'need to be more careful about what they post'. It is not their fault people are jumping to conclusions about everything. That's a you problem, not a them problem.
Many people keep saying that they understand they are not allowed to talk about things in the forums. So why then would it be OK for them to talk about it on Twitter? It makes no sense. Some of you are sounding like the crazy conspiracy theorists, what you are saying sounds completely ridiculous, and there is no evidence of any of it, but everyone else is stupid for not believing you. You alone know what's going on! You see hints where there are none.
And because the company is not giving us information is not free reign to treat someone awfully over a twitter comment. Again, not their fault you are jumping to unconfirmed conclusions. Still a you problem.
Visit me in the gallery! CC-free builds under origin name Piperbird!
There has been an increasing amount of threads added to the forums on "hints" that turned out to be not "hints" for the Sims 4.
It's okay to speculate but I really feel for the Guru's as they would always have to think twice when posting on Twitter. It must get annoying for them.
Like it is for us that they use Twitter instead of the official forums to talk about the official game? Let'em be annoyed. They always have the option to come here and communicate with the fans so that they don't have to speculate, don't they? Also, in TS2, fans knew what was coming as soon as they purchased their games.
Lack of communication is on Maxis, not on the fans for speculating. No sympathy here... none whatsoever.
Reckon if they were allowed to have "followers" in the forum, they'd be more active here. Hate Twitter and Twitter culture... so happy it's not turning profit. Wonder where EA will go when it shuts down.
The forums are a small fraction of the ss fan base. Believe it or not we're really only the hard core dedicated simmers and we don't even make up 1 percent of the population. MOST simmers are on social media like facebook, twitter and Tumblr.
I'm sorry if you don't like it but social media IS the way of the present and the future. They're going to be where they get the most reach to simmers.
There is nothing stopping you from making a twitter just for sims. I did that and honestly the gurus respond to 70 percent of everything I tag them in. Just because they're not actice here doesn't mean they're not active.
They are very active, we strike up conversations with them every day. They are also real people with real lives. They are in fact their personal accounts. Your argument is that they can't post certain things due to the company. MANY companies have you sign contracts that regulate your social media postings. Even on your personal fb etc you can't say anything that makes the company look bad or risk getting fired.
I don't have a problem with social media being used as a platform to talk about what is coming up etc but what I do not understand is why nobody at EA can be bothered to filter the information provided there down to their own forum. I could understand it if this was a fansite, but it's not, it's their official forum that they set up on their official website and yet the majority of the time anything I learn here about the game comes second-hand from another user who is a member of the various social media websites. It just doesn't make sense.
If EA aren't going to bother putting information here then why does this forum exist in the first place? Why didn't they just axe the idea of having an official forum when they closed the TS3 side down and went to the trouble of moving everything over to here? Why did the moderators spend all that time cleaning up all of the spam that happened a few weeks back and all of the other troll-ish nonsense that has happened since this site went live?
Really, what IS the point of keeping this place going when it seems nobody at EA can even be bothered to put up ANYTHING at all related to what they're doing with the game.
When a company has gone to the trouble of setting up their own official forum users of said forum shouldn't have to then set up accounts on social media just to hear about what the company is doing - why is this even a thing?
If EA aren't going to bother putting information here then why does this forum exist in the first place?
Well, for one, because they probably know there are people who don't want to use social media but do want to use forums. They're catering to those people by maintaining a web forum. (Worth considering, when those people feel ignored here, that the company has the option of not catering to this 1% or whatever it is at all.)
Second, it provides a focused discussion format that's searchable and therefore particularly valuable. I would imagine it gets used by Simmers who aren't logged in to find info about stuff. I believe only the Modding category and post ratings are invisible to non-logged-in users. In a sense, the 1% (or whatever) of users who post here are providing a service to others every time they post their game tips, likes, and dislikes. This is part of why I find it frustrating that so many people who like the current game won't post here anymore: the discussion isn't as balanced as it would have been had they stuck around in spite of the atmosphere here that initially drove them away. That atmosphere's gone, but people don't come back after they get used to not being somewhere.
Plus, there is information here. There used to be Q&As here (until people stopped respecting the Q&A rules). There are info posts.
Plus, it's a Simmers' forum, for Simmers to post on. EA posts information in the News area of the site (which is separate from the forums but you can just click at the top to get to it). And staff double-post patch notes here for people who can't be bothered to look anywhere but the fan forum for information.
EA CREATOR NETWORK MEMBER — Want to be notified of patches, new Broken Mods threads, and urgent Sims 4 news? Follow me at https://www.patreon.com/luthienrising.
I'm sure it is annoying for them but it's annoying for all of us fans as well. We're used to getting info on future content the way it is right now is quite boring...it's hard to stay interested in a game like the sims with no promotional info to get excited about and look forward to. ::yawn:: this community used to be so fun! I miss live-streams & pamphlets!
It's great that you mention your interest in more live streams. I'm currently working on a plan for doing more regular live streams to provide additional ways for the SimGurus to engage with the community. It is a great way to allow for a more live Q&A as well as allow the community to participate in creating a story with the Sims we make in the live streams.
Nice to see you pop into a thread even though I was asleep at that time
I'm sure it is annoying for them but it's annoying for all of us fans as well. We're used to getting info on future content the way it is right now is quite boring...it's hard to stay interested in a game like the sims with no promotional info to get excited about and look forward to. ::yawn:: this community used to be so fun! I miss live-streams & pamphlets!
It's great that you mention your interest in more live streams. I'm currently working on a plan for doing more regular live streams to provide additional ways for the SimGurus to engage with the community. It is a great way to allow for a more live Q&A as well as allow the community to participate in creating a story with the Sims we make in the live streams.
'
Ugh, what is the point. Every question asked will be met with "Oh, we can't talk about that."
-gets mad about the fact the gurus aren't communicating-
-guru comes in and states they're making plans on doing live streams and working on communication more-
-gets mad and says whats the point-
What?
Which in a nutshell sums up the forums and answers why they rarely communicate here anyway.
There has been an increasing amount of threads added to the forums on "hints" that turned out to be not "hints" for the Sims 4.
It's okay to speculate but I really feel for the Guru's as they would always have to think twice when posting on Twitter. It must get annoying for them.
There is a simple solution, don't tweet.
I don't take anything they say as a hint. I can't even trust actual statements from them, so never speculate on what they say.
If EA aren't going to bother putting information here then why does this forum exist in the first place?
Well, for one, because they probably know there are people who don't want to use social media but do want to use forums. They're catering to those people by maintaining a web forum. (Worth considering, when those people feel ignored here, that the company has the option of not catering to this 1% or whatever it is at all.)
Second, it provides a focused discussion format that's searchable and therefore particularly valuable. I would imagine it gets used by Simmers who aren't logged in to find info about stuff. I believe only the Modding category and post ratings are invisible to non-logged-in users. In a sense, the 1% (or whatever) of users who post here are providing a service to others every time they post their game tips, likes, and dislikes. This is part of why I find it frustrating that so many people who like the current game won't post here anymore: the discussion isn't as balanced as it would have been had they stuck around in spite of the atmosphere here that initially drove them away. That atmosphere's gone, but people don't come back after they get used to not being somewhere.
Plus, there is information here. There used to be Q&As here (until people stopped respecting the Q&A rules). There are info posts.
Plus, it's a Simmers' forum, for Simmers to post on. EA posts information in the News area of the site (which is separate from the forums but you can just click at the top to get to it). And staff double-post patch notes here for people who can't be bothered to look anywhere but the fan forum for information.
To loop in on this: I do put information up in the news section when announcements are made all the time. I also post patch notes (written by the awesome SimGuruGnome) to make sure everyone knows what new features or fixes have been put in with a new update.
I appreciate the feedback everyone is providing regarding the SimGurus but I do want to make some things clear: Their twitter accounts are not the place for any announcements -that is what the official @TheSims twitter account is for. The SimGurus have social media accounts to directly engage with the community about The Sims but also about other things they enjoy (because, just like all of you, they have other things they love as well.)
As for the question about "why do we have forums" - Forums are a great place for lengthy and open discussions about content we have released and content that you would like to see, for players having issues in their game to have a direct place to report them, and for the community to share and promote the things they have created (builds, households, stories, art, etc.)
I'm sure it is annoying for them but it's annoying for all of us fans as well. We're used to getting info on future content the way it is right now is quite boring...it's hard to stay interested in a game like the sims with no promotional info to get excited about and look forward to. ::yawn:: this community used to be so fun! I miss live-streams & pamphlets!
I'm sure it is annoying for them but it's annoying for all of us fans as well. We're used to getting info on future content the way it is right now is quite boring...it's hard to stay interested in a game like the sims with no promotional info to get excited about and look forward to. ::yawn:: this community used to be so fun! I miss live-streams & pamphlets!
It's great that you mention your interest in more live streams. I'm currently working on a plan for doing more regular live streams to provide additional ways for the SimGurus to engage with the community. It is a great way to allow for a more live Q&A as well as allow the community to participate in creating a story with the Sims we make in the live streams.
'
Ugh, what is the point. Every question asked will be met with "Oh, we can't talk about that."
-gets mad about the fact the gurus aren't communicating-
-guru comes in and states they're making plans on doing live streams and working on communication more-
-gets mad and says whats the point-
What?
There's not really too much point when everything they will do is answer questions anyone on these forums could answer, while playing the game (something a lot of people do on youtube)
They will basically just be normal people playing a Sims game, that's not what i want. I want to talk with a developer from TS4 that answer questions only he knows.
If EA aren't going to bother putting information here then why does this forum exist in the first place?
Well, for one, because they probably know there are people who don't want to use social media but do want to use forums. They're catering to those people by maintaining a web forum. (Worth considering, when those people feel ignored here, that the company has the option of not catering to this 1% or whatever it is at all.)
Second, it provides a focused discussion format that's searchable and therefore particularly valuable. I would imagine it gets used by Simmers who aren't logged in to find info about stuff. I believe only the Modding category and post ratings are invisible to non-logged-in users. In a sense, the 1% (or whatever) of users who post here are providing a service to others every time they post their game tips, likes, and dislikes. This is part of why I find it frustrating that so many people who like the current game won't post here anymore: the discussion isn't as balanced as it would have been had they stuck around in spite of the atmosphere here that initially drove them away. That atmosphere's gone, but people don't come back after they get used to not being somewhere.
Plus, there is information here. There used to be Q&As here (until people stopped respecting the Q&A rules). There are info posts.
Plus, it's a Simmers' forum, for Simmers to post on. EA posts information in the News area of the site (which is separate from the forums but you can just click at the top to get to it). And staff double-post patch notes here for people who can't be bothered to look anywhere but the fan forum for information.
Yup. Exactly. That is all I ever used the Sims 3 forum for. To find answers to issues I was having in game. I didn't actually start posting in the forums until the exciting news about Sims 4 finally coming.
If EA aren't going to bother putting information here then why does this forum exist in the first place?
Well, for one, because they probably know there are people who don't want to use social media but do want to use forums. They're catering to those people by maintaining a web forum. (Worth considering, when those people feel ignored here, that the company has the option of not catering to this 1% or whatever it is at all.)
Second, it provides a focused discussion format that's searchable and therefore particularly valuable. I would imagine it gets used by Simmers who aren't logged in to find info about stuff. I believe only the Modding category and post ratings are invisible to non-logged-in users. In a sense, the 1% (or whatever) of users who post here are providing a service to others every time they post their game tips, likes, and dislikes. This is part of why I find it frustrating that so many people who like the current game won't post here anymore: the discussion isn't as balanced as it would have been had they stuck around in spite of the atmosphere here that initially drove them away. That atmosphere's gone, but people don't come back after they get used to not being somewhere.
Plus, there is information here. There used to be Q&As here (until people stopped respecting the Q&A rules). There are info posts.
Plus, it's a Simmers' forum, for Simmers to post on. EA posts information in the News area of the site (which is separate from the forums but you can just click at the top to get to it). And staff double-post patch notes here for people who can't be bothered to look anywhere but the fan forum for information.
To loop in on this: I do put information up in the news section when announcements are made all the time. I also post patch notes (written by the awesome SimGuruGnome) to make sure everyone knows what new features or fixes have been put in with a new update.
I appreciate the feedback everyone is providing regarding the SimGurus but I do want to make some things clear: Their twitter accounts are not the place for any announcements -that is what the official @TheSims twitter account is for. The SimGurus have social media accounts to directly engage with the community about The Sims but also about other things they enjoy (because, just like all of you, they have other things they love as well.)
As for the question about "why do we have forums" - Forums are a great place for lengthy and open discussions about content we have released and content that you would like to see, for players having issues in their game to have a direct place to report them, and for the community to share and promote the things they have created (builds, households, stories, art, etc.)
@SimGuruDrake Can you please sticky this response somewhere for everyone to read?
"That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed without a doubt, a real superhero." - Stan Lee
There has been an increasing amount of threads added to the forums on "hints" that turned out to be not "hints" for the Sims 4.
It's okay to speculate but I really feel for the Guru's as they would always have to think twice when posting on Twitter. It must get annoying for them.
Like it is for us that they use Twitter instead of the official forums to talk about the official game? Let'em be annoyed. They always have the option to come here and communicate with the fans so that they don't have to speculate, don't they? Also, in TS2, fans knew what was coming as soon as they purchased their games.
Lack of communication is on Maxis, not on the fans for speculating. No sympathy here... none whatsoever.
Reckon if they were allowed to have "followers" in the forum, they'd be more active here. Hate Twitter and Twitter culture... so happy it's not turning profit. Wonder where EA will go when it shuts down.
The forums are a small fraction of the ss fan base. Believe it or not we're really only the hard core dedicated simmers and we don't even make up 1 percent of the population. MOST simmers are on social media like facebook, twitter and Tumblr.
I'm sorry if you don't like it but social media IS the way of the present and the future. They're going to be where they get the most reach to simmers.
There is nothing stopping you from making a twitter just for sims. I did that and honestly the gurus respond to 70 percent of everything I tag them in. Just because they're not actice here doesn't mean they're not active.
They are very active, we strike up conversations with them every day. They are also real people with real lives. They are in fact their personal accounts. Your argument is that they can't post certain things due to the company. MANY companies have you sign contracts that regulate your social media postings. Even on your personal fb etc you can't say anything that makes the company look bad or risk getting fired.
1 percent? You have facts...numbers?
Are you sure it's the Future and not just a stopping post to a different future? I bet a lot of people thought Disco was the future of dance clubs.
I don't know or care to know any Guru's personal account. I only see them for this game, nothing personal but I'm not personal here nor would I be on twitter.
I would think they could take a few moments from their day and drop by and I am always appreciative of any SimGuru who does.
It's not unprecedented for this company to shut down a forum when they consider it no longer useful, or when they have an ulterior motive. Case in point: The Sims 2 forums remained open for a few years even after the Sims 3 was released before they were shut down. Not so the Sims 3 forums, though. The Sims 3 forums were shut down and made read only right around the time that the Sims 4 was released, and the Sims 3 forums were moved here. Why? Clearly, it was to force players to come to the new website and to push the new game on us; I suspect because, the company feared that if players were left to their own devices, they'd go back to playing the Sims 3 and posting their feelings about the Sims 4 in the Sims 3 forums...and therefore, the Sims 4 forums wouldn't have as much activity as the company wanted it to have. A quiet forum wouldn't necessarily make a good first impression on any new players who were unfamiliar with the Sims franchise, apparently.
I have no doubt that the possibility of shutting down this forum, the minute it ceases to be useful, still exists. Take a good look at the forums in the Sims 4 section and see how quiet they are compared to the way they were back in September 2014. I think you will find a level of frustration that will result in some fans being burnt out on the forums and no longer bothering to participate. The Sims Medieval forums are gone. Sim City Societies forum? Gone. Spore forum? Gone or inactive. So...the Sims 3 forum was moved over here, but it's not the same. The only thing left is the store.
Sure, the forums remain open...for now. But, I suspect that's subject to change.
EA Marketing Department Motto:
"We Don't Care If You LIKE The Game, Just As Long As You BUY The Game!"
I Disapprove (Naturally) I Took The Pledge!
To loop in on this: I do put information up in the news section when announcements are made all the time. I also post patch notes (written by the awesome SimGuruGnome) to make sure everyone knows what new features or fixes have been put in with a new update.
I appreciate the feedback everyone is providing regarding the SimGurus but I do want to make some things clear: Their twitter accounts are not the place for any announcements -that is what the official @TheSims twitter account is for. The SimGurus have social media accounts to directly engage with the community about The Sims but also about other things they enjoy (because, just like all of you, they have other things they love as well.)
As for the question about "why do we have forums" - Forums are a great place for lengthy and open discussions about content we have released and content that you would like to see, for players having issues in their game to have a direct place to report them, and for the community to share and promote the things they have created (builds, households, stories, art, etc.)
Lengthy and Open discussion about content...~ but only between the players, right? Since the Devs rarely visit any more. It's always fun to see one but they're as rare as a snowflake in ... a fiery place.
Anything besides a direct place to report... to whom do we report, by the way? Is there an assigned Guru in that section? .... this is what every other Fansite is about. Pretty much this isn't an Official site, it's just a fan site. No Official news on a Portal Page... I don't know, it feels empty of Maxis here. -this is my opinion.
It's not unprecedented for this company to shut down a forum when they consider it no longer useful, or when they have an ulterior motive. Case in point: The Sims 2 forums remained open for a few years even after the Sims 3 was released before they were shut down. Not so the Sims 3 forums, though. The Sims 3 forums were shut down and made read only right around the time that the Sims 4 was released, and the Sims 3 forums were moved here. Why? Clearly, it was to force players to come to the new website and to push the new game on us; I suspect because, the company feared that if players were left to their own devices, they'd go back to playing the Sims 3 and posting their feelings about the Sims 4 in the Sims 3 forums...and therefore, the Sims 4 forums wouldn't have as much activity as the company wanted it to have. A quiet forum wouldn't necessarily make a good first impression on any new players who were unfamiliar with the Sims franchise, apparently.
I have no doubt that the possibility of shutting down this forum, the minute it ceases to be useful, still exists. Take a good look at the forums in the Sims 4 section and see how quiet they are compared to the way they were back in September 2014. I think you will find a level of frustration that will result in some fans being burnt out on the forums and no longer bothering to participate. The Sims Medieval forums are gone. Sim City Societies forum? Gone. Spore forum? Gone or inactive. So...the Sims 3 forum was moved over here, but it's not the same. The only thing left is the store.
Sure, the forums remain open...for now. But, I suspect that's subject to change.
Maybe they moved them because they wanted to centralize their forums to make it easier for moderators and players. And maybe the reason why the Sims 4 forums are becoming more and more quiet is because people like you who continue to stomp on positive threads whenever you can find the chance.
To loop in on this: I do put information up in the news section when announcements are made all the time. I also post patch notes (written by the awesome SimGuruGnome) to make sure everyone knows what new features or fixes have been put in with a new update.
I appreciate the feedback everyone is providing regarding the SimGurus but I do want to make some things clear: Their twitter accounts are not the place for any announcements -that is what the official @TheSims twitter account is for. The SimGurus have social media accounts to directly engage with the community about The Sims but also about other things they enjoy (because, just like all of you, they have other things they love as well.)
As for the question about "why do we have forums" - Forums are a great place for lengthy and open discussions about content we have released and content that you would like to see, for players having issues in their game to have a direct place to report them, and for the community to share and promote the things they have created (builds, households, stories, art, etc.)
Lengthy and Open discussion about content...~ but only between the players, right? Since the Devs rarely visit any more. It's always fun to see one but they're as rare as a snowflake in ... a fiery place.
Anything besides a direct place to report... to whom do we report, by the way? Is there an assigned Guru in that section? .... this is what every other Fansite is about. Pretty much this isn't an Official site, it's just a fan site. No Official news on a Portal Page... I don't know, it feels empty of Maxis here. -this is my opinion.
I share that opinion with you.
Might I also add, that it would be nice if we had some sort of acknowledgement that they are reading our suggestions and questions with flag system of some sort. Specifically the Feedback and Bug sections. Also, a Guru comment once in awhile would be great for the simmers posting essay-like wishlists in the Ideas Corner.
It's not unprecedented for this company to shut down a forum when they consider it no longer useful, or when they have an ulterior motive. Case in point: The Sims 2 forums remained open for a few years even after the Sims 3 was released before they were shut down. Not so the Sims 3 forums, though. The Sims 3 forums were shut down and made read only right around the time that the Sims 4 was released, and the Sims 3 forums were moved here. Why? Clearly, it was to force players to come to the new website and to push the new game on us; I suspect because, the company feared that if players were left to their own devices, they'd go back to playing the Sims 3 and posting their feelings about the Sims 4 in the Sims 3 forums...and therefore, the Sims 4 forums wouldn't have as much activity as the company wanted it to have. A quiet forum wouldn't necessarily make a good first impression on any new players who were unfamiliar with the Sims franchise, apparently.
I have no doubt that the possibility of shutting down this forum, the minute it ceases to be useful, still exists. Take a good look at the forums in the Sims 4 section and see how quiet they are compared to the way they were back in September 2014. I think you will find a level of frustration that will result in some fans being burnt out on the forums and no longer bothering to participate. The Sims Medieval forums are gone. Sim City Societies forum? Gone. Spore forum? Gone or inactive. So...the Sims 3 forum was moved over here, but it's not the same. The only thing left is the store.
Sure, the forums remain open...for now. But, I suspect that's subject to change.
Maybe they moved them because they wanted to centralize their forums to make it easier for moderators and players. And maybe the reason why the Sims 4 forums are becoming more and more quiet is because people like you who continue to stomp on positive threads whenever you can find the chance.
Oh, really? THIS is a positive thread? I don't think so. And when was the last time you ever saw me post on the Favorite Screenshot thread or the Sims Happy Play thread? I'll tell you when: Never. That's because I have nothing to contribute to those threads and so I stay clear of them. No, don't blame me for the fact that this forum is slowly dying. Blame the company for the fact that their policies regarding this game has created the current climate of dissatisfaction. And if *this* is a positive thread, then I'm the Queen of England, but you can call me Queenie.
No, it wasn't because they wanted to centralize the forums. If that were the case, they could have closed down the Sims 2 forums the minute the Sims 3 came out and moved everything over to the Sims 3. But they didn't do that; they left the Sims 2 forums alone until it became clear that nobody was participating on those forums. THEN they shut them down. But people were still active on the Sims 3 forums even after these forums were open. It would actually have been easier for the company to have left both Sims 3 and Sims 4 forums open, because it would have minimized the damage; namely, those who preferred the Sims 3 would have continued to be active on those forums and stayed away from the Sims 4 forums. But then again, it would have made this forum less active, if everyone who went back to The Sims 3 also went back to the Sims 3 forums and ignored this one.
There's nothing convenient about having everything squashed together like this, but it does make this website look more active, since people continue to post in the Sims 3 section of this forum. But I know that many players would prefer to have the old Sims 3 website back and those forums open because they don't like this game and want nothing to do with it. The Sims 2 forums remained active with only one moderator who only stopped by once in a blue moon. I have no doubt the Sims 3 forums would have remained the same, if they'd only been left alone.
EA Marketing Department Motto:
"We Don't Care If You LIKE The Game, Just As Long As You BUY The Game!"
I Disapprove (Naturally) I Took The Pledge!
If EA aren't going to bother putting information here then why does this forum exist in the first place?
Well, for one, because they probably know there are people who don't want to use social media but do want to use forums. They're catering to those people by maintaining a web forum. (Worth considering, when those people feel ignored here, that the company has the option of not catering to this 1% or whatever it is at all.)
Second, it provides a focused discussion format that's searchable and therefore particularly valuable. I would imagine it gets used by Simmers who aren't logged in to find info about stuff. I believe only the Modding category and post ratings are invisible to non-logged-in users. In a sense, the 1% (or whatever) of users who post here are providing a service to others every time they post their game tips, likes, and dislikes. This is part of why I find it frustrating that so many people who like the current game won't post here anymore: the discussion isn't as balanced as it would have been had they stuck around in spite of the atmosphere here that initially drove them away. That atmosphere's gone, but people don't come back after they get used to not being somewhere.
Plus, there is information here. There used to be Q&As here (until people stopped respecting the Q&A rules). There are info posts.
Plus, it's a Simmers' forum, for Simmers to post on. EA posts information in the News area of the site (which is separate from the forums but you can just click at the top to get to it). And staff double-post patch notes here for people who can't be bothered to look anywhere but the fan forum for information.
To loop in on this: I do put information up in the news section when announcements are made all the time. I also post patch notes (written by the awesome SimGuruGnome) to make sure everyone knows what new features or fixes have been put in with a new update.
I appreciate the feedback everyone is providing regarding the SimGurus but I do want to make some things clear: Their twitter accounts are not the place for any announcements -that is what the official @TheSims twitter account is for. The SimGurus have social media accounts to directly engage with the community about The Sims but also about other things they enjoy (because, just like all of you, they have other things they love as well.)
As for the question about "why do we have forums" - Forums are a great place for lengthy and open discussions about content we have released and content that you would like to see, for players having issues in their game to have a direct place to report them, and for the community to share and promote the things they have created (builds, households, stories, art, etc.)
Thanks for popping in again to answer our questions
To be honest it feels like both parties are at fault here:
The fans for taking every little thing as a hint towards new content and the Gurus for essentially not being careful at what they post DESPITE knowing how rampant speculation is on the boards.
I'm sure it is annoying for them but it's annoying for all of us fans as well. We're used to getting info on future content the way it is right now is quite boring...it's hard to stay interested in a game like the sims with no promotional info to get excited about and look forward to. ::yawn:: this community used to be so fun! I miss live-streams & pamphlets!
It's great that you mention your interest in more live streams. I'm currently working on a plan for doing more regular live streams to provide additional ways for the SimGurus to engage with the community. It is a great way to allow for a more live Q&A as well as allow the community to participate in creating a story with the Sims we make in the live streams.
'
Ugh, what is the point. Every question asked will be met with "Oh, we can't talk about that."
-gets mad about the fact the gurus aren't communicating-
-guru comes in and states they're making plans on doing live streams and working on communication more-
-gets mad and says whats the point-
What?
Lol you're funny. Am I mad? Hmmmm...no, I don't think so and unless you're in the same room as me, you don't know what I am. You know what they say about assuming...
There's a difference between them voluntarily giving us information without having to beg and pull teeth for it and them holding a Q&A where they literally have no response for anything most of us actually want to know.
And I'm going to leave it at that as I really could care less if you understand or not.
I'm sure it is annoying for them but it's annoying for all of us fans as well. We're used to getting info on future content the way it is right now is quite boring...it's hard to stay interested in a game like the sims with no promotional info to get excited about and look forward to. ::yawn:: this community used to be so fun! I miss live-streams & pamphlets!
It's great that you mention your interest in more live streams. I'm currently working on a plan for doing more regular live streams to provide additional ways for the SimGurus to engage with the community. It is a great way to allow for a more live Q&A as well as allow the community to participate in creating a story with the Sims we make in the live streams.
'
Ugh, what is the point. Every question asked will be met with "Oh, we can't talk about that."
-gets mad about the fact the gurus aren't communicating-
-guru comes in and states they're making plans on doing live streams and working on communication more-
-gets mad and says whats the point-
What?
Lol you're funny. Am I mad? Hmmmm...no, I don't think so and unless you're in the same room as me, you don't know what I am. You know what they say about assuming...
There's a difference between them voluntarily giving us information without having to beg and pull teeth for it and them holding a Q&A where they literally have no response for anything most of us actually want to know.
And I'm going to leave it at that as I really could care less if you understand or not.
Clearly nobody cares if I understand them or not. People in this thread have been saying they're mad about the lack of communication, now you're saying you're not? Which is it?
I'm not trying to be rude but this thread is extremely toxic and it just makes my nerves shoot up just being in it.
Comments
-gets mad about the fact the gurus aren't communicating-
-guru comes in and states they're making plans on doing live streams and working on communication more-
-gets mad and says whats the point-
What?
Great to hear! I loved the live streams the gurus did back in the Sims 3 days, especially the store world live streams, I don't think I ever missed one!
I think it's naive to think that SimGurus would post anything on their accounts without thinking twice. They represent EA after all, and when you look at their job descriptions you should be able to see whats PR related and what's not.
That still doesn't mean everything is a hint.
Many people keep saying that they understand they are not allowed to talk about things in the forums. So why then would it be OK for them to talk about it on Twitter? It makes no sense. Some of you are sounding like the crazy conspiracy theorists, what you are saying sounds completely ridiculous, and there is no evidence of any of it, but everyone else is stupid for not believing you. You alone know what's going on! You see hints where there are none.
And because the company is not giving us information is not free reign to treat someone awfully over a twitter comment. Again, not their fault you are jumping to unconfirmed conclusions. Still a you problem.
I don't have a problem with social media being used as a platform to talk about what is coming up etc but what I do not understand is why nobody at EA can be bothered to filter the information provided there down to their own forum. I could understand it if this was a fansite, but it's not, it's their official forum that they set up on their official website and yet the majority of the time anything I learn here about the game comes second-hand from another user who is a member of the various social media websites. It just doesn't make sense.
If EA aren't going to bother putting information here then why does this forum exist in the first place? Why didn't they just axe the idea of having an official forum when they closed the TS3 side down and went to the trouble of moving everything over to here? Why did the moderators spend all that time cleaning up all of the spam that happened a few weeks back and all of the other troll-ish nonsense that has happened since this site went live?
Really, what IS the point of keeping this place going when it seems nobody at EA can even be bothered to put up ANYTHING at all related to what they're doing with the game.
When a company has gone to the trouble of setting up their own official forum users of said forum shouldn't have to then set up accounts on social media just to hear about what the company is doing - why is this even a thing?
Well, for one, because they probably know there are people who don't want to use social media but do want to use forums. They're catering to those people by maintaining a web forum. (Worth considering, when those people feel ignored here, that the company has the option of not catering to this 1% or whatever it is at all.)
Second, it provides a focused discussion format that's searchable and therefore particularly valuable. I would imagine it gets used by Simmers who aren't logged in to find info about stuff. I believe only the Modding category and post ratings are invisible to non-logged-in users. In a sense, the 1% (or whatever) of users who post here are providing a service to others every time they post their game tips, likes, and dislikes. This is part of why I find it frustrating that so many people who like the current game won't post here anymore: the discussion isn't as balanced as it would have been had they stuck around in spite of the atmosphere here that initially drove them away. That atmosphere's gone, but people don't come back after they get used to not being somewhere.
Plus, there is information here. There used to be Q&As here (until people stopped respecting the Q&A rules). There are info posts.
Plus, it's a Simmers' forum, for Simmers to post on. EA posts information in the News area of the site (which is separate from the forums but you can just click at the top to get to it). And staff double-post patch notes here for people who can't be bothered to look anywhere but the fan forum for information.
Nice to see you pop into a thread even though I was asleep at that time
Which in a nutshell sums up the forums and answers why they rarely communicate here anyway.
There is a simple solution, don't tweet.
I don't take anything they say as a hint. I can't even trust actual statements from them, so never speculate on what they say.
To loop in on this: I do put information up in the news section when announcements are made all the time. I also post patch notes (written by the awesome SimGuruGnome) to make sure everyone knows what new features or fixes have been put in with a new update.
I appreciate the feedback everyone is providing regarding the SimGurus but I do want to make some things clear: Their twitter accounts are not the place for any announcements -that is what the official @TheSims twitter account is for. The SimGurus have social media accounts to directly engage with the community about The Sims but also about other things they enjoy (because, just like all of you, they have other things they love as well.)
As for the question about "why do we have forums" - Forums are a great place for lengthy and open discussions about content we have released and content that you would like to see, for players having issues in their game to have a direct place to report them, and for the community to share and promote the things they have created (builds, households, stories, art, etc.)
I agree.
There's not really too much point when everything they will do is answer questions anyone on these forums could answer, while playing the game (something a lot of people do on youtube)
They will basically just be normal people playing a Sims game, that's not what i want. I want to talk with a developer from TS4 that answer questions only he knows.
Yup. Exactly. That is all I ever used the Sims 3 forum for. To find answers to issues I was having in game. I didn't actually start posting in the forums until the exciting news about Sims 4 finally coming.
@SimGuruDrake Can you please sticky this response somewhere for everyone to read?
1 percent? You have facts...numbers?
Are you sure it's the Future and not just a stopping post to a different future? I bet a lot of people thought Disco was the future of dance clubs.
I don't know or care to know any Guru's personal account. I only see them for this game, nothing personal but I'm not personal here nor would I be on twitter.
I would think they could take a few moments from their day and drop by and I am always appreciative of any SimGuru who does.
I have no doubt that the possibility of shutting down this forum, the minute it ceases to be useful, still exists. Take a good look at the forums in the Sims 4 section and see how quiet they are compared to the way they were back in September 2014. I think you will find a level of frustration that will result in some fans being burnt out on the forums and no longer bothering to participate. The Sims Medieval forums are gone. Sim City Societies forum? Gone. Spore forum? Gone or inactive. So...the Sims 3 forum was moved over here, but it's not the same. The only thing left is the store.
Sure, the forums remain open...for now. But, I suspect that's subject to change.
"We Don't Care If You LIKE The Game, Just As Long As You BUY The Game!"
I Disapprove (Naturally)
I Took The Pledge!
Lengthy and Open discussion about content...~ but only between the players, right? Since the Devs rarely visit any more. It's always fun to see one but they're as rare as a snowflake in ... a fiery place.
Anything besides a direct place to report... to whom do we report, by the way? Is there an assigned Guru in that section? .... this is what every other Fansite is about. Pretty much this isn't an Official site, it's just a fan site. No Official news on a Portal Page... I don't know, it feels empty of Maxis here. -this is my opinion.
Maybe they moved them because they wanted to centralize their forums to make it easier for moderators and players. And maybe the reason why the Sims 4 forums are becoming more and more quiet is because people like you who continue to stomp on positive threads whenever you can find the chance.
I share that opinion with you.
Might I also add, that it would be nice if we had some sort of acknowledgement that they are reading our suggestions and questions with flag system of some sort. Specifically the Feedback and Bug sections. Also, a Guru comment once in awhile would be great for the simmers posting essay-like wishlists in the Ideas Corner.
Oh, really? THIS is a positive thread? I don't think so. And when was the last time you ever saw me post on the Favorite Screenshot thread or the Sims Happy Play thread? I'll tell you when: Never. That's because I have nothing to contribute to those threads and so I stay clear of them. No, don't blame me for the fact that this forum is slowly dying. Blame the company for the fact that their policies regarding this game has created the current climate of dissatisfaction. And if *this* is a positive thread, then I'm the Queen of England, but you can call me Queenie.
No, it wasn't because they wanted to centralize the forums. If that were the case, they could have closed down the Sims 2 forums the minute the Sims 3 came out and moved everything over to the Sims 3. But they didn't do that; they left the Sims 2 forums alone until it became clear that nobody was participating on those forums. THEN they shut them down. But people were still active on the Sims 3 forums even after these forums were open. It would actually have been easier for the company to have left both Sims 3 and Sims 4 forums open, because it would have minimized the damage; namely, those who preferred the Sims 3 would have continued to be active on those forums and stayed away from the Sims 4 forums. But then again, it would have made this forum less active, if everyone who went back to The Sims 3 also went back to the Sims 3 forums and ignored this one.
There's nothing convenient about having everything squashed together like this, but it does make this website look more active, since people continue to post in the Sims 3 section of this forum. But I know that many players would prefer to have the old Sims 3 website back and those forums open because they don't like this game and want nothing to do with it. The Sims 2 forums remained active with only one moderator who only stopped by once in a blue moon. I have no doubt the Sims 3 forums would have remained the same, if they'd only been left alone.
"We Don't Care If You LIKE The Game, Just As Long As You BUY The Game!"
I Disapprove (Naturally)
I Took The Pledge!
Thanks for popping in again to answer our questions
The fans for taking every little thing as a hint towards new content and the Gurus for essentially not being careful at what they post DESPITE knowing how rampant speculation is on the boards.
Lol you're funny. Am I mad? Hmmmm...no, I don't think so and unless you're in the same room as me, you don't know what I am. You know what they say about assuming...
There's a difference between them voluntarily giving us information without having to beg and pull teeth for it and them holding a Q&A where they literally have no response for anything most of us actually want to know.
And I'm going to leave it at that as I really could care less if you understand or not.
Clearly nobody cares if I understand them or not. People in this thread have been saying they're mad about the lack of communication, now you're saying you're not? Which is it?
I'm not trying to be rude but this thread is extremely toxic and it just makes my nerves shoot up just being in it.