@ChadSims2 , yup. Kids are smarter than people give them credit for, and they too, know what they like to play. My 16 year old, upon playing TS4 after of bought it, was almost on the verge of tears. She was so upset that EA/Maxis ruined the game so badly. When I am playing it, she won't even come into my bedroom. lol
@ChadSims2 , yup. Kids are smarter than people give them credit for, and they too, know what they like to play. My 16 year old, upon playing TS4 after of bought it, was almost on the verge of tears. She was so upset that EA/Maxis ruined the game so badly. When I am playing it, she won't even come into my bedroom. lol
I know the feeling. Trusting without reservation and then being viciously betrayed cuts pretty deeply.
You say you listen to your fans. You say you care about your customer's wishes. If that's true, then why do you ignore family players? They're your fans too. All these gamepacks, stuff packs, and expansion packs have one thing in common: parties. All you care about is party, party, party, party, party.
Why do you constantly ignore the family players of the sims? They're your customers too. http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/801025/ea-silence-on-family-play-and-family-play-fans#latest
Because that's what 12 year olds, their apparent target audience who spend more than a half of their lives in social media and playing mobile games on their pretty phones and tablets, think adult life is, party party party.
Ya just wait until they grow up and find out that Real Life is not always a Party, there are Jobs to go to, and Bills to Pay, Kids to take care of as well as pets, it is a lot of work, not to mention Homes to clean and take care of, .
@ChadSims2 , yup. Kids are smarter than people give them credit for, and they too, know what they like to play. My 16 year old, upon playing TS4 after of bought it, was almost on the verge of tears. She was so upset that EA/Maxis ruined the game so badly. When I am playing it, she won't even come into my bedroom. lol
It's funny cause it seems a lot like EA/Maxis is trying to target kids but my 8 year old (who loves Sims 3) doesn't like 4 either and never plays it. I was placing the "telescope" the other day on a lot and he asked what it was. I told him it's a telescope and his response was "that doesn't look like a telescope, it looks like a little kid's toy" and by little he usually means 3-5 year old range, so a Playskool type of item. Then he just walked off thoroughly uninterested. If EA/Maxis is trying to attract and develop this new younger market I really wonder how it's paying off.
The sad thing is that they are giving us what we ask for but in little pieces of stuff packs. Kids Room and Movie Hangout should've been part of Generations, Backyard and Spooky Stuff should've been part of Seasons, Hot Tubs should've been added in the base game (They were a base game object in The Sims 1), etc.
I do agree that they focus a little bit too much on the party thing, especially with Get Together. It's not really the main focus of the game and I usually make my Sims party like once or twice a week, I do more stuff at home or just take advantage of other packs (Outdoor, Spa, Dine Out) which are really nice.
I wish they'd merge Generations + TS2 FreeTime and make a great pack for those of us who enjoy having our Sims at home or just hang around the neighborhood. I must say that with Windenburg I started to explore the game more and go from place to place but it's not always going to be like that.
I played sims since I was a kid and I honestly feel it is a bit unfair to state that the target audience is kids, because of the party theme. I have no idea what their target audience is, but I feel like lots of kids love to play with families. Just saying
I played sims since I was a kid and I honestly feel it is a bit unfair to state that the target audience is kids, because of the party theme. I have no idea what their target audience is, but I feel like lots of kids love to play with families. Just saying
Exactly this. I was fairly young when I started playing the franchise, myself, and I remember all my friends at school and I, were making families, and babies, and having a ball naming them - you know, as kids do. I mean...nightlife doesn't concern kids just yet...right? Then again, that's just my experience. And I honestly disagree that TS4 focuses on parties, I think it's focus is more on young adults (I mean just look at the teens).
If anything the target seems to be somewhere around 13-16.
@ChadSims2 , yup. Kids are smarter than people give them credit for, and they too, know what they like to play. My 16 year old, upon playing TS4 after of bought it, was almost on the verge of tears. She was so upset that EA/Maxis ruined the game so badly. When I am playing it, she won't even come into my bedroom. lol
It's funny cause it seems a lot like EA/Maxis is trying to target kids but my 8 year old (who loves Sims 3) doesn't like 4 either and never plays it. I was placing the "telescope" the other day on a lot and he asked what it was. I told him it's a telescope and his response was "that doesn't look like a telescope, it looks like a little kid's toy" and by little he usually means 3-5 year old range, so a Playskool type of item. Then he just walked off thoroughly uninterested. If EA/Maxis is trying to attract and develop this new younger market I really wonder how it's paying off.
You know, the game is fine and dandy for younger kids who have never played and of The Sims series of games. So they are coming into this with no expectations of a quality game. This game is designed to fit into what they are use to playing (i.e. tablet and mobile games) its just bigger and costs more money.
But when you have children who have played even Sims 3 and then they get this game, they have expectations that they are going to expect to be fulfilled, just like an older player who has been around since The Sims or even Sims 2. And when what the player - regardless of the age - is crushed because of this underwhelming experience, they are mad.
EA/Maxis wants new blood, but they have alienated a huge segment of players because of that. Like you, I really want to see how well their plan has worked out for them.
I played sims since I was a kid and I honestly feel it is a bit unfair to state that the target audience is kids, because of the party theme. I have no idea what their target audience is, but I feel like lots of kids love to play with families. Just saying
Exactly this. I was fairly young when I started playing the franchise, myself, and I remember all my friends at school and I, were making families, and babies, and having a ball naming them - you know, as kids do. I mean...nightlife doesn't concern kids just yet...right? Then again, that's just my experience. And I honestly disagree that TS4 focuses on parties, I think it's focus is more on young adults (I mean just look at the teens).
If anything the target seems to be somewhere around 13-16.
When I say that EA/Maxis is focusing on a younger audience, I base this on their potty humor. I mean, when I was 13, or even 16 I would not have found an 'angry poop" funny, neither "peeing like a champ". That's asinine, and I don't see how that made it into the game. My 11 year old doesn't even find that funny. And then the whole "Weirder stories." That, to me, screaming juvenile. Children also have refined tastes when it comes to gaming, and they don't need potty humor to make things funny. They don't need over the top walking animations to express how a sim feels. They don't need their sims changing their emotions on the drop of a dime to be able to play. But this, and the fact that the game has been so watered down from the originals, screams Young Players.
You say you listen to your fans. You say you care about your customer's wishes. If that's true, then why do you ignore family players? They're your fans too. All these gamepacks, stuff packs, and expansion packs have one thing in common: parties. All you care about is party, party, party, party, party.
Why do you constantly ignore the family players of the sims? They're your customers too. http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/801025/ea-silence-on-family-play-and-family-play-fans#latest
Because that's what 12 year olds, their apparent target audience who spend more than a half of their lives in social media and playing mobile games on their pretty phones and tablets, think adult life is, party party party.
Nope. My 11.5 year old hates the game. She's sticking to Sims 2 and Sims 3 for now. It's not about the parties for her, it's about family life and playing with toddlers. That's her favorite life stage.
The Sims was t even out when I was 11 so I have no idea what my favorite life stage wold have been at that age. I used to like the adult stage and child stage equally in TS1 though
That was all we had. lol But like you I enjoyed those two lifestages! But was thrilled when Maxis listened to players and added more lifestages in Sims 2.
Well we did have object babies as well
But back in the TS1 days the lifestage that was most requested was the teenagers and I was very happy to see them in TS2
Oh yes, object baby. But it belonged in Sims 1. Yes, there were two most requested lifestages, toddlers and teens. Oh, and pregnancy. I remember I had a mod in Sims 1 that gave the illusion that your female sim was pregnant. You would get a pop up saying that she felt the baby move for the first time, or that she was sick from morning sickness. I really liked that.
To be fair I cannot remember anyone ever requesting toddlers in TS1. Not saying that they where not requested as they obviously would have been but the only other life stage I remember being requested other than teens was 'Grandparents' who would have been the elders. I am sure there was a variety of other suggestions being put forward as well but the teens did create a lot of interested on and off over the TS1 days.
Oh I remember. It was on the forums along with teens and pregnancy. When the Maxoids would ask plays what they would want to see in a new game. They were most requested, along with seasons, more supernaturals, driveable cars, being able to own a restaurant, and more.
I remember reading it too back then I wanted toddlers back then too
When I say that EA/Maxis is focusing on a younger audience, I base this on their potty humor. I mean, when I was 13, or even 16 I would not have found an 'angry poop" funny, neither "peeing like a champ". That's asinine, and I don't see how that made it into the game. My 11 year old doesn't even find that funny.
Whilst I wholeheartedly agree I always saw the humour fails as desperately poor attempt to be as quirky as the previous iterations (especially the first two). And to be honest, even though we may not find that funny, I've come across a few occasions where people 16+ were at least temporarily amused by it (through LPs and comments I've read online, even on this very forum).
You say you listen to your fans. You say you care about your customer's wishes. If that's true, then why do you ignore family players? They're your fans too. All these gamepacks, stuff packs, and expansion packs have one thing in common: parties. All you care about is party, party, party, party, party.
Why do you constantly ignore the family players of the sims? They're your customers too. http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/801025/ea-silence-on-family-play-and-family-play-fans#latest
Because that's what 12 year olds, their apparent target audience who spend more than a half of their lives in social media and playing mobile games on their pretty phones and tablets, think adult life is, party party party.
Nope. My 11.5 year old hates the game. She's sticking to Sims 2 and Sims 3 for now. It's not about the parties for her, it's about family life and playing with toddlers. That's her favorite life stage.
The Sims was t even out when I was 11 so I have no idea what my favorite life stage wold have been at that age. I used to like the adult stage and child stage equally in TS1 though
If I was 13 or 14 yrs old and got TS4 as my first Sims game then I would probably love it for the following reasons:
1. It is about partying and not about babysitting for toddlers.
2. It is about fast changing emotions which I would know from myself because they are characteristic for young teens.
3. I would love to have the same height as adult like the teen in my game which I would see as a version of myself.
4. The game is much about teens and young adults which live like myself and like I am planning for my future.
So I would probably find TS4 very inspiring if only I was a teen and got TS4 as my first Sims game. So I actually believe that such young teen simmers were just what EA and the developers had in mind when they designed TS4.
The problem is that the game doesn't work nearly as well for most of us who instead are much older and expected yet another version of the same game with much more focus also on the other age groups which all are neglected, simplified or even omitted in TS4. But EA apparently wanted to change the game in a completely new direction and thereby hoped to get many more young teens motivated to play the game.
You say you listen to your fans. You say you care about your customer's wishes. If that's true, then why do you ignore family players? They're your fans too. All these gamepacks, stuff packs, and expansion packs have one thing in common: parties. All you care about is party, party, party, party, party.
Why do you constantly ignore the family players of the sims? They're your customers too. http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/801025/ea-silence-on-family-play-and-family-play-fans#latest
Because that's what 12 year olds, their apparent target audience who spend more than a half of their lives in social media and playing mobile games on their pretty phones and tablets, think adult life is, party party party.
Nope. My 11.5 year old hates the game. She's sticking to Sims 2 and Sims 3 for now. It's not about the parties for her, it's about family life and playing with toddlers. That's her favorite life stage.
The Sims was t even out when I was 11 so I have no idea what my favorite life stage wold have been at that age. I used to like the adult stage and child stage equally in TS1 though
If I was 13 or 14 yrs old and got TS4 as my first Sims game then I would probably love it for the following reasons:
1. It is about partying and not about babysitting for toddlers.
2. It is about fast changing emotions which I would know from myself because they are characteristic for young teens.
3. I would love to have the same height as adult like the teen in my game which I would see as a version of myself.
4. The game is much about teens and young adults which live like myself and like I am planning for my future.
So I would probably find TS4 very inspiring if only I was a teen and got TS4 as my first Sims game. So I actually believe that such young teen simmers were just what EA and the developers had in mind when they designed TS4.
The problem is that the game doesn't work nearly as well for most of us who instead are much older and expected yet another version of the same game with much more focus also on the other age groups which all are neglected, simplified or even omitted in TS4. But EA apparently wanted to change the game in a completely new direction and thereby hoped to get many more young teens motivated to play the game.
Interesting points.
I myself would like to see a more gritty take on The Sims, not a full on adult game but not so much pink candy floss trees and selfies in the park which is on offer at the moment.
If I was 13 or 14 yrs old and got TS4 as my first Sims game then I would probably love it for the following reasons:
1. It is about partying and not about babysitting for toddlers.
2. It is about fast changing emotions which I would know from myself because they are characteristic for young teens.
3. I would love to have the same height as adult like the teen in my game which I would see as a version of myself.
4. The game is much about teens and young adults which live like myself and like I am planning for my future.
So I would probably find TS4 very inspiring if only I was a teen and got TS4 as my first Sims game. So I actually believe that such young teen simmers were just what EA and the developers had in mind when they designed TS4.
The problem is that the game doesn't work nearly as well for most of us who instead are much older and expected yet another version of the same game with much more focus also on the other age groups which all are neglected, simplified or even omitted in TS4. But EA apparently wanted to change the game in a completely new direction and thereby hoped to get many more young teens motivated to play the game.
They did say that "forget everything about previous Sims games" was one theme throughout development. It would have been a great move if The Sims was a new (or long-dormant) IP trying to make a big splash.
Featuring young adults as the leading characters was a good choice if aiming towards an early teen audience. Children's / teen entertainment really resonates with the audience when the characters are slightly older than the audience, as it plays to the audience's aspirations. Notice how Disney and Nickelodeon tween shows feature teen characters (and before that, Archie Comics set the standard for teen characters being sold to preteens), and how "Young Adult" literature means stuff like Twilight and Hunger Games, starring late teens through early twenty-somethings but being enjoyed most by younger teens.
However, lots of those young teens are already Simmers, with expectations shaped by having experienced TS2/TS3. They won't be impressed by a game pandering to them.
Actually only a tiny minority of the population ever own a Sims game. This fact is obvious if you compare the 5-10 million copies that each Sims game has sold worldwide with the size of the population. So obviously it must be more attractive for EA to attract new teens (who never played a Sims game before) than just attempting to keep most of the old customers.
What have they even added to do with parties this year though.
I think Sims 4 isn't so much literally about parties, but about socializing and me me me here and now having a blast. Which I think causes the association with parties.
What have they even added to do with parties this year though.
I think Sims 4 isn't so much literally about parties, but about socializing and me me me here and now having a blast. Which I think causes the association with parties.
This is still just how egoistic and impulsive almost all teens are So again something which shows us that TS4 is even more targeted at teens than all the earlier Sims games were.
Comments
I know the feeling. Trusting without reservation and then being viciously betrayed cuts pretty deeply.
Ya just wait until they grow up and find out that Real Life is not always a Party, there are Jobs to go to, and Bills to Pay, Kids to take care of as well as pets, it is a lot of work, not to mention Homes to clean and take care of,
It's funny cause it seems a lot like EA/Maxis is trying to target kids but my 8 year old (who loves Sims 3) doesn't like 4 either and never plays it. I was placing the "telescope" the other day on a lot and he asked what it was. I told him it's a telescope and his response was "that doesn't look like a telescope, it looks like a little kid's toy" and by little he usually means 3-5 year old range, so a Playskool type of item. Then he just walked off thoroughly uninterested. If EA/Maxis is trying to attract and develop this new younger market I really wonder how it's paying off.
I do agree that they focus a little bit too much on the party thing, especially with Get Together. It's not really the main focus of the game and I usually make my Sims party like once or twice a week, I do more stuff at home or just take advantage of other packs (Outdoor, Spa, Dine Out) which are really nice.
I wish they'd merge Generations + TS2 FreeTime and make a great pack for those of us who enjoy having our Sims at home or just hang around the neighborhood. I must say that with Windenburg I started to explore the game more and go from place to place but it's not always going to be like that.
Exactly this. I was fairly young when I started playing the franchise, myself, and I remember all my friends at school and I, were making families, and babies, and having a ball naming them - you know, as kids do. I mean...nightlife doesn't concern kids just yet...right? Then again, that's just my experience. And I honestly disagree that TS4 focuses on parties, I think it's focus is more on young adults (I mean just look at the teens).
If anything the target seems to be somewhere around 13-16.
You know, the game is fine and dandy for younger kids who have never played and of The Sims series of games. So they are coming into this with no expectations of a quality game. This game is designed to fit into what they are use to playing (i.e. tablet and mobile games) its just bigger and costs more money.
But when you have children who have played even Sims 3 and then they get this game, they have expectations that they are going to expect to be fulfilled, just like an older player who has been around since The Sims or even Sims 2. And when what the player - regardless of the age - is crushed because of this underwhelming experience, they are mad.
EA/Maxis wants new blood, but they have alienated a huge segment of players because of that. Like you, I really want to see how well their plan has worked out for them.
When I say that EA/Maxis is focusing on a younger audience, I base this on their potty humor. I mean, when I was 13, or even 16 I would not have found an 'angry poop" funny, neither "peeing like a champ". That's asinine, and I don't see how that made it into the game. My 11 year old doesn't even find that funny. And then the whole "Weirder stories." That, to me, screaming juvenile. Children also have refined tastes when it comes to gaming, and they don't need potty humor to make things funny. They don't need over the top walking animations to express how a sim feels. They don't need their sims changing their emotions on the drop of a dime to be able to play. But this, and the fact that the game has been so watered down from the originals, screams Young Players.
I remember reading it too back then
Whilst I wholeheartedly agree I always saw the humour fails as desperately poor attempt to be as quirky as the previous iterations (especially the first two). And to be honest, even though we may not find that funny, I've come across a few occasions where people 16+ were at least temporarily amused by it (through LPs and comments I've read online, even on this very forum).
1. It is about partying and not about babysitting for toddlers.
2. It is about fast changing emotions which I would know from myself because they are characteristic for young teens.
3. I would love to have the same height as adult like the teen in my game which I would see as a version of myself.
4. The game is much about teens and young adults which live like myself and like I am planning for my future.
So I would probably find TS4 very inspiring if only I was a teen and got TS4 as my first Sims game. So I actually believe that such young teen simmers were just what EA and the developers had in mind when they designed TS4.
The problem is that the game doesn't work nearly as well for most of us who instead are much older and expected yet another version of the same game with much more focus also on the other age groups which all are neglected, simplified or even omitted in TS4. But EA apparently wanted to change the game in a completely new direction and thereby hoped to get many more young teens motivated to play the game.
Interesting points.
I myself would like to see a more gritty take on The Sims, not a full on adult game but not so much pink candy floss trees and selfies in the park which is on offer at the moment.
They should have added more party stuff with the nanny to spice her up a little bit more: