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Turnover rate of Sims players between games, according to EA
TOLKIEN
Posts: 1,594 Member
I mentioned in another topic I'd recently spoken to a friend of mine who works at EA Sports in Burnaby, besides a few rumors and a bunch of sports stuff (I've quickly forgotten) he talked about the turnover rate of players between games in certain series. I brought up the Sims and he pointed out that apparently that unlike other EA titles (especially) with a stronger male player presence like Battlefield or Fifa - the Sims series sees a larger turnover rate (of players) then any other EA game series (game to game) over time between games.
I actually agree with this, a lot of people I know who played the Sims just don't have the time anymore as they've grown older, due to family or careers. I find this especially true with my female friends, many who loved previous sims games but never continued on to the next game in the series. While for a lot of younger people I work with or meet, the Sims 4 is their very FIRST Sims game.
Even looking at creator content, everything from mods to clothing much has been created often by a new generation of simmers for each game. Certainly theres a few familiar faces creating content between each game, but they are often in the minority. Much of the CC I download for the Sims 4 is not from the same sites I downloaded Sims 3 CC. .
My friend claims that when the Sims 4 was first released, a large portion of the day 1 sales came from fans of the series (something like 65%) - but (with the Sims) over time that margin turns on its head where the large buyer base becomes new players during the games life cycle (as each Sim game usually lasts 3 years with expansion releases, ect).
So I suppose what I took from this was, that each Sims game is made for a new generation to some degree. I know certain community managers have mentioned in passing that the Sims 4's target audience is teenage girls, while that does seem like a stretch - I can actually understand it more realistically when you put all this into perspective that NEW sales will come from a younger generation who have never played a Sims game before.
Its rather fascinating and I'm sure explains why certain changes and evolution's happen in the game due to each new generation of players.
I actually agree with this, a lot of people I know who played the Sims just don't have the time anymore as they've grown older, due to family or careers. I find this especially true with my female friends, many who loved previous sims games but never continued on to the next game in the series. While for a lot of younger people I work with or meet, the Sims 4 is their very FIRST Sims game.
Even looking at creator content, everything from mods to clothing much has been created often by a new generation of simmers for each game. Certainly theres a few familiar faces creating content between each game, but they are often in the minority. Much of the CC I download for the Sims 4 is not from the same sites I downloaded Sims 3 CC. .
My friend claims that when the Sims 4 was first released, a large portion of the day 1 sales came from fans of the series (something like 65%) - but (with the Sims) over time that margin turns on its head where the large buyer base becomes new players during the games life cycle (as each Sim game usually lasts 3 years with expansion releases, ect).
So I suppose what I took from this was, that each Sims game is made for a new generation to some degree. I know certain community managers have mentioned in passing that the Sims 4's target audience is teenage girls, while that does seem like a stretch - I can actually understand it more realistically when you put all this into perspective that NEW sales will come from a younger generation who have never played a Sims game before.
Its rather fascinating and I'm sure explains why certain changes and evolution's happen in the game due to each new generation of players.
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I don't really agree with this, I know a ton of people who played Fifa since they were younger and still play it into middle age. Heck look at the Final Fantasy series back in the early 90's and still play the newest game in the series each time its released?
The Sims however seems to just get one generation per game and I don't think thats as common compared to other game series. From a developer point of view I imagine that could be a bit frustrating when half your community is screaming at you for all the mistakes you made in the new 'version' of the Sims, while an entirely new generation is loving every moment of this new experience for them.
I suppose the take away is that while the sales might be coming from the younger/new generation, the voice of the older generation influence the younger generation to think the same and demand the same things (like toddlers) - so it actually works out for the best as each side benefits.
Most Skyrim players never touched Oblivion, and most Elder Scrolls Online players picking up the Morrowind expansion have no idea there was ever an entire game called Morrowind, set on that exact island.
Most people who jumped on the Breath of the Wild bandwagon have never touched a Zelda game before.
It's the nature of the industry.
Um I agree with every example BUT but Zelda, Zelda has a HUUUUGE following of all ages.
I honestly don't have enough fingers and toes on my body to count the sheer amount of people I know who have played some previous version of Zelda.
Never doubt the reach of Nintendo - Its been nearly everybody's home or you've been in somebody's home who's had a Nintendo at some life stage and it never lets go. I would say everybody I know who got a switch bought it to play Zelda because they were such a huge fan from previous games.
Certainly it will have new players, but Zelda's reach is massive.
Nobody likes Zelda
Whether this is true of the Bethesda playerbase, I don't know. But I can say for certain that it is not true of the modding community, many of whom have been around for more than a decade, going all the way to Morrowind and many even further.
I think there is certainly a LOT of older Beth players, I actually bought Arena and Daggerfall way back when. That said Skyrim amassed a whole new audience and that audience devoured Fallout 4. So yes there was a always a player base but somehow Skyrim capture a lot more attention then any previous game they'd made.
Yes and no. Changes in life as one gets older also has a major part in things as well. The things I did and the games I played took the back burner when my daughter was younger. Now that she is an adult and out on her own, I have more time on my hands and my likes and dislikes have changed. I can't be the only person in world who has gone though this and that is why I say your scenario is true with any long running game. It also true of any other hobby out there. I rather scrapbook the old fashion way with paper, scissors and glue, but the new generation would rather do digital scrapbooking.
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Sorry dude, I think your friend was embellishing in order to prove his personal political views. I'm sure it included ranting about "safe spaces" and "liberals"/"feminists" and "SJWs" -- in which case there really isn't as much of an obligation to truthful/factual support. Also, why the 🐸🐸🐸🐸 plum would he be working for super progressive Maxis with those kind of views? LOL.
I call BS. The logic doesn't check out.
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You're also overlooking the entire MMO genre, wherein the majority of players are in their very late 20s, early 30s, and those games require a much greater time commitment than something like the Sims where you can pick up where you left off no matter how long you've been gone. I run into more adult sims players in the community than I do little kids/teens.
It's not about different generations even (because these alleged views aren't exclusive to the sub-20 set) but rather change in the overall culture - millennials (born between 1982-2004) are just now starting to outnumber baby boomers, but predominant views/social norms have been constantly evolving for as long as our species has existed. Boomers just seem more fearful of change, and thus more aggressive toward the unknown.
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They do not very nice things to my men folk against my will.
*tRiGGeReDdddd*
Oh yeah not to mention vampires that can supposedly break in (none ever do in my households because the doors are locked and usually set to private)
Bring back the charlatan, the burglars, the firemen and the policemen! I want them all!