Maybe there would be less frustration if people knew ahead of time what was going to be discussed during a Maxis Monthly. A tweet that says "We're announcing something nifty" leads to speculation and potential disappointment. Why not a tweet that says "We've developed an Alexa skill! Come learn all about it"?
They mentioned somewhere that there are laws, not just corporate policy, actual legal law, that prevents them from doing that.
That said, Rachel Franklyn taught me to take nothing said at face value and to believe nothing unless it's shown.
How do you show a law? With a link to an online book of laws with a reference what to look for...
Before they do that, or something similar, that supposed law is as real as 3 is more than 5. At least to me.
Maybe there would be less frustration if people knew ahead of time what was going to be discussed during a Maxis Monthly. A tweet that says "We're announcing something nifty" leads to speculation and potential disappointment. Why not a tweet that says "We've developed an Alexa skill! Come learn all about it"?
They mentioned somewhere that there are laws, not just corporate policy, actual legal law, that prevents them from doing that.
That said, Rachel Franklyn taught me to take nothing said at face value and to believe nothing unless it's shown.
How do you show a law? With a link to an online book of laws with a reference what to look for...
Before they do that, or something similar, that supposed law is as real as 3 is more than 5. At least to me.
It's fine and sometimes healthy to be skeptical. But if you refuse to believe what anyone says, then there is very little value in us continuing to have any conversations.
We are trying to find a way to balance giving enough information beforehand to prevent unnecessary hype, but also keeping some of the mystery. I am not sure there is a perfect solution.
I hear that. It's probably unfortunate timing that two 'mystery features' announced pretty much back-to-back seemed to disappoint or frustrate players. Maybe ensuring that passion projects like this - especially ones which will not actually be part of the game itself - are announced alongside other game features at the same time would mitigate possible disappointment?
Aww!
So that means that any current issues aren't scheduled to be patched at least until January's over? Possibly even longer, if there isn't one scheduled for February.
I was kind of holding out hope that the more annoying issues like the "Care for Self" or the daycare stuff would be taken care of sooner rather than later.
Especially after the emergency patch for the Lin-Z in December.
It's getting really obstructive to my enjoyment having to attempt to work around issues for months on end, while hoping a patch will come out to smooth things out a bit more.
I read it as there was no content patch scheduled, but that there could be an emergency bug fix patch to fix any major bugs, like we got the patch to solve the CAS aging bug that sprang up after the pre-GF patch.
As I said, as of right now there is no patch, not even an emergency patch, scheduled for January. We did release an emergency patch after the Dec. patch to address some massive bugs that had cropped up for everyone.
Is it possible to share that information ahead of time? I think that would help with setting expectations and what to expect from a live stream? I know there is a lot of information that cannot be disclosed but even if that could be shared prior to a live stream? Maybe it would help?
I know for example with console, that wasn't getting a patch in December as Sim Guru Legacy said ahead of time which seemed to help a lot of the console community as they knew not to expect a patch in December following the December dlc releases.
We are trying to find a way to balance giving enough information beforehand to prevent unnecessary hype, but also keeping some of the mystery. I am not sure there is a perfect solution.
I hear that. It's probably unfortunate timing that two 'mystery features' announced pretty much back-to-back seemed to disappoint or frustrate players. Maybe ensuring that passion projects like this - especially ones which will not actually be part of the game itself - are announced alongside other game features at the same time would mitigate possible disappointment?
We cant always announce passion projects with in game content because of timing of when things release. Again, this is due to Dev Schedules.
Aww!
So that means that any current issues aren't scheduled to be patched at least until January's over? Possibly even longer, if there isn't one scheduled for February.
I was kind of holding out hope that the more annoying issues like the "Care for Self" or the daycare stuff would be taken care of sooner rather than later.
Especially after the emergency patch for the Lin-Z in December.
It's getting really obstructive to my enjoyment having to attempt to work around issues for months on end, while hoping a patch will come out to smooth things out a bit more.
I read it as there was no content patch scheduled, but that there could be an emergency bug fix patch to fix any major bugs, like we got the patch to solve the CAS aging bug that sprang up after the pre-GF patch.
As I said, as of right now there is no patch, not even an emergency patch, scheduled for January. We did release an emergency patch after the Dec. patch to address some massive bugs that had cropped up for everyone.
Is it possible to share that information ahead of time? I think that would help with setting expectations and what to expect from a live stream? I know there is a lot of information that cannot be disclosed but even if that could be shared prior to a live stream? Maybe it would help?
I know for example with console, that wasn't getting a patch in December as Sim Guru Legacy said ahead of time which seemed to help a lot of the console community as they knew not to expect a patch in December following the December dlc releases.
I commented on this a little earlier, but basically we want to balance how much we announce about the content of the live streams in advance, and what we save to be revealed in the live stream. I dont think there is a perfect solution. Oftentimes it feels like we are between a rock and ah hard place and that no matter what we do we will receive massive amounts of negativity.
Still catching up on the thread, but I do think, even if Maxis has nothing to announce, it would be a great idea to feature developers who do not have a Twitter presence, and are more so “behind the scenes” developing the game.
I think having that guru who is an engineer for TS4 is a great start. Why not have him talk about his experiences developing the game? Things that were a challenge, but was able to be resolved some way? Discussion with the fans on features they suggest? Things like that would still make for a very entertaining stream, without a single bit of content announcement.
Sure, Maxis is more than The Sims 4. However, EA managed to *royally* mess up the one other title it was renowned for (SimCity), and there are not many Sims Mobile fans that will sit down and watch a stream for a title they play for 5 mins, hosted on a PC game streaming oriented site. And, you can probably imagine it would only be a nuisance for us TS4 players to see The Sims Mobile. Keeping the stream to The Sims 4 is the smartest route, IMHO.
Other than that, it is great to see passion by the developers, and a stream like Maxis Monthly being held monthly. People will be toxic, but everyone can see how much dedication and passion you guys have for the series, and they aren’t even worth the acknowledgement.
Still catching up on the thread, but I do think, even if Maxis has nothing to announce, it would be a great idea to feature developers who do not have a Twitter presence, and are more so “behind the scenes” developing the game.
I think having that guru who is an engineer for TS4 is a great start. Why not have him talk about his experiences developing the game? Things that were a challenge, but was able to be resolved some way? Discussion with the fans on features they suggest? Things like that would still make for a very entertaining stream, without a single bit of content announcement.
I would actually prefer this over what happened yesterday.
Simming for 19 years! Family Tree Playing Mod & CC Free
Still catching up on the thread, but I do think, even if Maxis has nothing to announce, it would be a great idea to feature developers who do not have a Twitter presence, and are more so “behind the scenes” developing the game.
I think having that guru who is an engineer for TS4 is a great start. Why not have him talk about his experiences developing the game? Things that were a challenge, but was able to be resolved some way? Discussion with the fans on features they suggest? Things like that would still make for a very entertaining stream, without a single bit of content announcement.
Sure, Maxis is more than The Sims 4. However, EA managed to *royally* mess up the one other title it was renowned for (SimCity), and there are not many Sims Mobile fans that will sit down and watch a stream for a title they play for 5 mins, hosted on a PC game streaming oriented site. And, you can probably imagine it would only be a nuisance for us TS4 players to see The Sims Mobile. Keeping the stream to The Sims 4 is the smartest route, IMHO.
Other than that, it is great to see passion by the developers, and a stream like Maxis Monthly being held monthly. People will be toxic, but everyone can see how much dedication and passion you guys have for the series, and they aren’t even worth the acknowledgement.
While I do understand your sentiment, the stream was designed to be all things The Sims and Maxis. While I know this particular forum is for TS4, there is more to the The Sims franchise than just TS4. Maxis has many different things they are working on and supporting and we want to showcase all of them. I do acknowledge that historically only TS4 content was showing on the Twitch prior to my arrival, but change can be good, and we want the Maxis Monthly to be a place where all Maxis projects can be showcased. The majority of content on that channel continues to be TS4.
Ehh. I'm not really into that tech stuff so it fell on deaf ears for me.
I don't even do phone apps or tablets.
I don't understand why that Alexa thing is there anyway. From what I understand it's a device you tell things and it does it for you. I can do things myself, thanks. This invention sounds a lot like the certain japenese toilets.
Aww!
So that means that any current issues aren't scheduled to be patched at least until January's over? Possibly even longer, if there isn't one scheduled for February.
I was kind of holding out hope that the more annoying issues like the "Care for Self" or the daycare stuff would be taken care of sooner rather than later.
Especially after the emergency patch for the Lin-Z in December.
It's getting really obstructive to my enjoyment having to attempt to work around issues for months on end, while hoping a patch will come out to smooth things out a bit more.
I read it as there was no content patch scheduled, but that there could be an emergency bug fix patch to fix any major bugs, like we got the patch to solve the CAS aging bug that sprang up after the pre-GF patch.
As I said, as of right now there is no patch, not even an emergency patch, scheduled for January. We did release an emergency patch after the Dec. patch to address some massive bugs that had cropped up for everyone.
Is it possible to share that information ahead of time? I think that would help with setting expectations and what to expect from a live stream? I know there is a lot of information that cannot be disclosed but even if that could be shared prior to a live stream? Maybe it would help?
I know for example with console, that wasn't getting a patch in December as Sim Guru Legacy said ahead of time which seemed to help a lot of the console community as they knew not to expect a patch in December following the December dlc releases.
I commented on this a little earlier, but basically we want to balance how much we announce about the content of the live streams in advance, and what we save to be revealed in the live stream. I dont think there is a perfect solution. Oftentimes it feels like we are between a rock and ah hard place and that no matter what we do we will receive massive amounts of negativity.
Aww!
So that means that any current issues aren't scheduled to be patched at least until January's over? Possibly even longer, if there isn't one scheduled for February.
I was kind of holding out hope that the more annoying issues like the "Care for Self" or the daycare stuff would be taken care of sooner rather than later.
Especially after the emergency patch for the Lin-Z in December.
It's getting really obstructive to my enjoyment having to attempt to work around issues for months on end, while hoping a patch will come out to smooth things out a bit more.
I read it as there was no content patch scheduled, but that there could be an emergency bug fix patch to fix any major bugs, like we got the patch to solve the CAS aging bug that sprang up after the pre-GF patch.
As I said, as of right now there is no patch, not even an emergency patch, scheduled for January. We did release an emergency patch after the Dec. patch to address some massive bugs that had cropped up for everyone.
So it will likely be quite a wait still...
I'll be waiting for the next bug fix patch with bells on, then.
Whenever that ends up being.
Aww!
So that means that any current issues aren't scheduled to be patched at least until January's over? Possibly even longer, if there isn't one scheduled for February.
I was kind of holding out hope that the more annoying issues like the "Care for Self" or the daycare stuff would be taken care of sooner rather than later.
Especially after the emergency patch for the Lin-Z in December.
It's getting really obstructive to my enjoyment having to attempt to work around issues for months on end, while hoping a patch will come out to smooth things out a bit more.
I read it as there was no content patch scheduled, but that there could be an emergency bug fix patch to fix any major bugs, like we got the patch to solve the CAS aging bug that sprang up after the pre-GF patch.
As I said, as of right now there is no patch, not even an emergency patch, scheduled for January. We did release an emergency patch after the Dec. patch to address some massive bugs that had cropped up for everyone.
Is it possible to share that information ahead of time? I think that would help with setting expectations and what to expect from a live stream? I know there is a lot of information that cannot be disclosed but even if that could be shared prior to a live stream? Maybe it would help?
I know for example with console, that wasn't getting a patch in December as Sim Guru Legacy said ahead of time which seemed to help a lot of the console community as they knew not to expect a patch in December following the December dlc releases.
I commented on this a little earlier, but basically we want to balance how much we announce about the content of the live streams in advance, and what we save to be revealed in the live stream. I dont think there is a perfect solution. Oftentimes it feels like we are between a rock and ah hard place and that no matter what we do we will receive massive amounts of negativity.
I do agree there sadly.
But hey, I've made a nice little home in the spot between the rock and a hard place. It's not exactly comfy, but uh, it's interesting?
Still catching up on the thread, but I do think, even if Maxis has nothing to announce, it would be a great idea to feature developers who do not have a Twitter presence, and are more so “behind the scenes” developing the game.
I think having that guru who is an engineer for TS4 is a great start. Why not have him talk about his experiences developing the game? Things that were a challenge, but was able to be resolved some way? Discussion with the fans on features they suggest? Things like that would still make for a very entertaining stream, without a single bit of content announcement.
Sure, Maxis is more than The Sims 4. However, EA managed to *royally* mess up the one other title it was renowned for (SimCity), and there are not many Sims Mobile fans that will sit down and watch a stream for a title they play for 5 mins, hosted on a PC game streaming oriented site. And, you can probably imagine it would only be a nuisance for us TS4 players to see The Sims Mobile. Keeping the stream to The Sims 4 is the smartest route, IMHO.
Other than that, it is great to see passion by the developers, and a stream like Maxis Monthly being held monthly. People will be toxic, but everyone can see how much dedication and passion you guys have for the series, and they aren’t even worth the acknowledgement.
While I do understand your sentiment, the stream was designed to be all things The Sims and Maxis. While I know this particular forum is for TS4, there is more to the The Sims franchise than just TS4. Maxis has many different things they are working on and supporting and we want to showcase all of them. I do acknowledge that historically only TS4 content was showing on the Twitch prior to my arrival, but change can be good, and we want the Maxis Monthly to be a place where all Maxis projects can be showcased. The majority of content on that channel continues to be TS4.
I'm sure as a community manager, behind the scenes, you definitely know there are more things cooking at Maxis, but stressing it from my standpoint as a consumer, there isn't much else right now from The Sims or even Maxis as a whole, which is so unfortunate because I loved Maxis for many years, and truly wish there was more coming out from this studio.
But back to the topic, this is why I feel TS4, even if it's not entirely the stream, should always be forefront. Showing off things like Alexa's Sims content is cool and all, but there should always be a little segment each month where, maybe, you feature a new developer, talk about new things, brainstorm with fans on ideas, discuss feedback to existing content in the game, etc. We didn't get that from this stream, and I feel, showing off new content or not, a stream can still be awesome and well-received by fans, as long as TS4 fans are engaged in this kind of manner.
@SimGuruKate and others. I write it several times. This is not a personal attack, an attempt to be rude, entitlement or something like that. This is me criticising what happened.
Third, this sentiment that the Dev Team should remain chained to their desks and only work on in game content, and that passion projects are a waste of time.
I see gurus defending this claim. But I dont see anyone saying making that claim. If you see someone writing it, please direct me to it.
Sometimes a Dev's passion project is something like First Person Camera. Sometimes it's something like a new career or NPC in the game. And yes, sometimes it's creating a fun little Alexa skill for those who have an Alexa and love The Sims. For passion projects Devs are encouraged to work on things they find interesting because when you work on things you enjoy it means you will produce high quality results.
Same with this point. Everyone received the terrain tool, the camera, the gardener. All side projects as I was told yesterday. One side chose to use them, the other side did not. Im one of the players who use them and Im grateful that you chose to include this into the base game. Thank the responsible devs for those. I can only speak for myself when I say that the stream and the presentation of the alexa trivia was just bad. It should have been presented next to something the people are more interested in than a side project.
Now, Maxis Monthly. When we first announced Maxis Monthly I stated that not every Maxis Monthly would include revealing new content for TS4 (or TSM or TSFP). I also made it very clear from the first Maxis Monthly that new PAID content (that means EPs/GPs/SPs) would not be announced during these streams. There are multiple reasons for this, but basically it comes down to the way we announce new paid content. Now that being said, the goal of Maxis Monthly was to talk ALL things Maxis. This means that sometimes we would have something new to show for every single current game in our portfolio, and sometimes (like this month) we would have nothing. This is simply the nature of how game development works.
A side project that hasnt been developed by maxis or in cooperation with an outside company for the gamers sounds by definition not at all "ALL things Maxis". Frankly it was presented as maxis' next golden cow because you dedicated an entire stream to it. This is not the nature of how game developement works. Imagine microsoft did that. Oh boy, would the internet be grabbing forks and torches. Well, people did here. *hides torch*
It's pure luck (or coincidence) that prior to yesterday every Maxis Monthly had included new content reveals for TS4. Yes, I know this meant the community had come to expect certain things in the streams. Yes, I knew that the first MM in which we didn't reveal new content for TS4 would result in dissatisfaction.
Deliberately upsetting the majority of the community that watches developer streams aka maxis monthly and then calling people trolls escalated things unfortunately.
Though some many not think so, I know this community VERY well.
Im one of them. You should have predicted that not talking about the game will upset the majority of those watching the stream when you present something thats outside the game for a probably tiny minority. But still you chose to go with it.
I could not have been more clear and forthcoming that the January MM would not be showing off new TS4 content.
There is more to talk about than side projects or new content:
- what happened within the team since the last big expansion hit
- which content is a priority right now (base game, specific problematic DLC/pack)
- which content will be getting attention in the next month(s)
- will there be a small pack or game pack coming next
- did any suggestion catch your eye from the forum that you like to implement
- your thoughts on mods and cc in general or after a new pack is released
- big topics on social media
- side projects (not necessarily last)
- upcoming changes within the company/forums/social media/teams perhaps
- other maxis games (not ancient games)
However all that being said, the level of vitriol seen during yesterday's announcement was beyond what even I expected, and to be honest, was beyond what was appropriate. Do I think it would have been better to not show off Alexa during the stream? Absolutely not. That stream was the perfect place to show off this cool new product. Yes, we could have immediately said up front at the top of the stream that it was not sponsored/paid, and that was a huge learning lesson.
Not all was vitriol. Many people provided valid criticism about how it was presented and how our expectations werent met at a minimum level. Not everyone has twitter or follows you to know what to expect in this new grand streaming plan. When you advertise it on the sims forum, people expect sims 4 related topics. Not necessarily new content. If you had done some talk about the game, some of the "TON currently in developement" nobody would have made an outcry.
When you dont share anything with the community, the community gets the impression you arent working on the game. You dedicated one entire stream for something other than the game which only reinforced this impression. Thats partially why people are angry. Me included.
So knowing some of the community wouldn't be happy with no new content coming for TS4...
The wording of this sentence seems rather unfortunate. On one side you say there is something in developement, that you can in general share something up to a limit but you dont share anything at all and the above statement contradicts your statement about things being in developement. Someone who doesnt follow the forum or social media might read this statement as "the end of sims 4 is nigh!!!"
...why didn't I wait to share Alexa? Because it's coming out next week and the Devs who worked on it wanted to show it off and this was the right time and way to do so.
Again. Would it have been presented next to something game related (not necessarily new content) nobody would mind. Right time, wrong approach. Its not an attack on your passion or dedication. Just criticism on the execution of your presentation.
But why didn't I talk about things coming later this year? Because I can't. My hands are literally tied. Due to some interesting legal reasons (it's pretty in depth and complicated) revealing content too early would result in us being in some legal and financial hot water. Additionally doing so would not only result in me likely losing my job, but could put our Development and Marketing Teams in very difficult positions.
Im in the gaming industry for 20 years and never heard anything like this before. Im aware that the company should give permission before employees share information. But a complete news blackout especially for the only opportunity to directly interact with the community is probably unique in the gaming industry. Ive seen companies sharing plans for up to 12 months with the community. But maxis cant share anything until the product is about to be released? Thats very strange.
And remember, though at this point I sound like a broken record, just because we don't explicitly share what the team is working on at the moment (because we can't), doesn't mean we aren't working on multiple packs, free content, and more. We will continue to evaluate how we approach content announcements and whether or not the Maxis Monthly adds value for enough individuals and make changes where/if necessary.
Unfortunately some of us heard this too many times. From several companies. Having heard promises of heavenly content and beyond but seeing nothing concrete gets boring very quickly. Its frustrating and frankly at some point I can only doubt every statement made by you or any other game company representative. Just like I would with any other non-gaming company or person. I hope you can relate to that.
Now the final thing I want to address is that passion and frustration never excuses basic human decency in how you interact with others. While everyone, especially a consumer of a product, has a right to express frustration, or be critical of the product, this does not give them the right to hurl insults at the Developers (or creator of the product). And if a person does choose to engage this way (which free will and freedom of speech allows) the individual which they are directing it at is under no obligation to listen or engage with that individual (because free will and all). It does not matter if that person is a Developer, a Customer Service person, or yes, a Community Manager. Yes, we choose these careers, and yes some of us even put ourselves in the public eye, but that does not mean we have to tolerate individuals spewing hate or vitriol. There are many appropriate ways to provide criticism or share your opinion in a way that does not include excessive ongoing negativity or insults.
It also should follow that you take responsibility when you anger the people that decently and humanly express their anger. In our twitter conversation, as short as it was until I was the one being insulted by someone else, and since the stream on the forum I did my best not to give the mods a reason to ban me (again).
Appropriate: I have zero interest in this new Alexa Skill they announced and I wish it had been something different. I feel they could have used their time differently or developed something different.
Unnecessary: This Alexa Skill is so stupid, why are they wasting their time on this? They are so stupid and this is pointless and they never listen to us and the game is doomed.
No argument from me. Im ok with things that I wont enjoy. Im happy when others enjoy them. But I expected more in the stream than just one side project.
I have seen a number who have stated their thoughts in the first way, but have seen far more communicating in the second manner. And even with the first way of sharing your thoughts, we often wont reply. And not because we don't see it or only want positive feedback, but because not every message needs a response. Oftentimes there is almost nothing one could say to either of the above that would add value or make the individual happy or satisfied. So many times in these situations it is better to say nothing at all. We gather the feedback and we pass it onto those who can impact change.
Personally I would be happy with an apology because you angered a large portion of the community for the above reasons. I think thats a reasonable thing to ask for. Basic human decency should go both ways.
I hope this has helped provide more clarity or insight. Remember, I dont expect every individual to like every single thing that we do, or even like me or the Devs. That's absolutely ok and to be expected. One of the best things (but sometimes the hardest thing to handle) about The Sims community is how varied it is. This is an incredibly diverse community and there are so many different ways to enjoy The Sims. But what I do expect is for people to be respectful.
I have the same expectations towards companies. Towards anyone actually. Dont take this as a personal attack. I have yet to hear you consider that the presentation in the stream did anger us because it was not at all about the game and you should take responsibility for it. (you kinda did in a comment written after I wrote this) When you mention human decency, how we (the players) interact with others and be respectful, you appear unapologetic. What you expect from us, we expect from you too. Again, this is not intended as an attack or being rude. This is a direct response to what you said above.
Noted on that suggestion. Normally I try to start out every stream with a rundown of what to expect, but because we were only focusing on the Alexa Skill yesterday, I didn't do it this time around. That may have been a poor choice.
Im glad you take responsibility for that. Thats a compliment (yes, I have to write that).
Personally I judge people the way they act based on what they say. If there are promises to change but no change happening, I wont listen to those people. It drives me away from them. At some point I stop buying products of such companies and wont suggest others to try it. And communication is a big problem for maxis.
Still catching up on the thread, but I do think, even if Maxis has nothing to announce, it would be a great idea to feature developers who do not have a Twitter presence, and are more so “behind the scenes” developing the game.
I think having that guru who is an engineer for TS4 is a great start. Why not have him talk about his experiences developing the game? Things that were a challenge, but was able to be resolved some way? Discussion with the fans on features they suggest? Things like that would still make for a very entertaining stream, without a single bit of content announcement.
Sure, Maxis is more than The Sims 4. However, EA managed to *royally* mess up the one other title it was renowned for (SimCity), and there are not many Sims Mobile fans that will sit down and watch a stream for a title they play for 5 mins, hosted on a PC game streaming oriented site. And, you can probably imagine it would only be a nuisance for us TS4 players to see The Sims Mobile. Keeping the stream to The Sims 4 is the smartest route, IMHO.
Other than that, it is great to see passion by the developers, and a stream like Maxis Monthly being held monthly. People will be toxic, but everyone can see how much dedication and passion you guys have for the series, and they aren’t even worth the acknowledgement.
While I do understand your sentiment, the stream was designed to be all things The Sims and Maxis. While I know this particular forum is for TS4, there is more to the The Sims franchise than just TS4. Maxis has many different things they are working on and supporting and we want to showcase all of them. I do acknowledge that historically only TS4 content was showing on the Twitch prior to my arrival, but change can be good, and we want the Maxis Monthly to be a place where all Maxis projects can be showcased. The majority of content on that channel continues to be TS4.
I'm sure as a community manager, behind the scenes, you definitely know there are more things cooking at Maxis, but stressing it from my standpoint as a consumer, there isn't much else right now from The Sims or even Maxis as a whole, which is so unfortunate because I loved Maxis for many years, and truly wish there was more coming out from this studio.
But back to the topic, this is why I feel TS4, even if it's not entirely the stream, should always be forefront. Showing off things like Alexa's Sims content is cool and all, but there should always be a little segment each month where, maybe, you feature a new developer, talk about new things, brainstorm with fans on ideas, discuss feedback to existing content in the game, etc. We didn't get that from this stream, and I feel, showing off new content or not, a stream can still be awesome and well-received by fans, as long as TS4 fans are engaged in this kind of manner.
I wont be speaking on the first part, but on the suggestion of making TS4 the forefront of every stream, this is not the purpose of the stream. And TS4 has PLENTY of opportunities to be the only thing showcased and focused on in both the Maxis Monthly streams and other streams. This month we did not have anything to talk about in game for TS4, so we didnt. We also didn't have anything for TSM or TSFP. So instead we gave a couple of Developers and opportunity to share a fun and cool project they had worked on and were proud of. The Alexa Skill, while not for one of our current platforms, is still part of Maxis and still part of The Sims.
Still catching up on the thread, but I do think, even if Maxis has nothing to announce, it would be a great idea to feature developers who do not have a Twitter presence, and are more so “behind the scenes” developing the game.
I think having that guru who is an engineer for TS4 is a great start. Why not have him talk about his experiences developing the game? Things that were a challenge, but was able to be resolved some way? Discussion with the fans on features they suggest? Things like that would still make for a very entertaining stream, without a single bit of content announcement.
Sure, Maxis is more than The Sims 4. However, EA managed to *royally* mess up the one other title it was renowned for (SimCity), and there are not many Sims Mobile fans that will sit down and watch a stream for a title they play for 5 mins, hosted on a PC game streaming oriented site. And, you can probably imagine it would only be a nuisance for us TS4 players to see The Sims Mobile. Keeping the stream to The Sims 4 is the smartest route, IMHO.
Other than that, it is great to see passion by the developers, and a stream like Maxis Monthly being held monthly. People will be toxic, but everyone can see how much dedication and passion you guys have for the series, and they aren’t even worth the acknowledgement.
While I do understand your sentiment, the stream was designed to be all things The Sims and Maxis. While I know this particular forum is for TS4, there is more to the The Sims franchise than just TS4. Maxis has many different things they are working on and supporting and we want to showcase all of them. I do acknowledge that historically only TS4 content was showing on the Twitch prior to my arrival, but change can be good, and we want the Maxis Monthly to be a place where all Maxis projects can be showcased. The majority of content on that channel continues to be TS4.
I'm sure as a community manager, behind the scenes, you definitely know there are more things cooking at Maxis, but stressing it from my standpoint as a consumer, there isn't much else right now from The Sims or even Maxis as a whole, which is so unfortunate because I loved Maxis for many years, and truly wish there was more coming out from this studio.
But back to the topic, this is why I feel TS4, even if it's not entirely the stream, should always be forefront. Showing off things like Alexa's Sims content is cool and all, but there should always be a little segment each month where, maybe, you feature a new developer, talk about new things, brainstorm with fans on ideas, discuss feedback to existing content in the game, etc. We didn't get that from this stream, and I feel, showing off new content or not, a stream can still be awesome and well-received by fans, as long as TS4 fans are engaged in this kind of manner.
I wont be speaking on the first part, but on the suggestion of making TS4 the forefront of every stream, this is not the purpose of the stream. And TS4 has PLENTY of opportunities to be the only thing showcased and focused on in both the Maxis Monthly streams and other streams. This month we did not have anything to talk about in game for TS4, so we didnt. We also didn't have anything for TSM or TSFP. So instead we gave a couple of Developers and opportunity to share a fun and cool project they had worked on and were proud of. The Alexa Skill, while not for one of our current platforms, is still part of Maxis and still part of The Sims.
I appreciate that there will be months when there will be nothing to show, to be honest I expect it, its normal. (My Husband is a game dev for a major studio) I'm guessing (and please correct me if I'm wrong) but is not streaming when there is no content available on any platfrom not an option? Or is that part of the rock and hard place?
Still catching up on the thread, but I do think, even if Maxis has nothing to announce, it would be a great idea to feature developers who do not have a Twitter presence, and are more so “behind the scenes” developing the game.
I think having that guru who is an engineer for TS4 is a great start. Why not have him talk about his experiences developing the game? Things that were a challenge, but was able to be resolved some way? Discussion with the fans on features they suggest? Things like that would still make for a very entertaining stream, without a single bit of content announcement.
Sure, Maxis is more than The Sims 4. However, EA managed to *royally* mess up the one other title it was renowned for (SimCity), and there are not many Sims Mobile fans that will sit down and watch a stream for a title they play for 5 mins, hosted on a PC game streaming oriented site. And, you can probably imagine it would only be a nuisance for us TS4 players to see The Sims Mobile. Keeping the stream to The Sims 4 is the smartest route, IMHO.
Other than that, it is great to see passion by the developers, and a stream like Maxis Monthly being held monthly. People will be toxic, but everyone can see how much dedication and passion you guys have for the series, and they aren’t even worth the acknowledgement.
While I do understand your sentiment, the stream was designed to be all things The Sims and Maxis. While I know this particular forum is for TS4, there is more to the The Sims franchise than just TS4. Maxis has many different things they are working on and supporting and we want to showcase all of them. I do acknowledge that historically only TS4 content was showing on the Twitch prior to my arrival, but change can be good, and we want the Maxis Monthly to be a place where all Maxis projects can be showcased. The majority of content on that channel continues to be TS4.
I'm sure as a community manager, behind the scenes, you definitely know there are more things cooking at Maxis, but stressing it from my standpoint as a consumer, there isn't much else right now from The Sims or even Maxis as a whole, which is so unfortunate because I loved Maxis for many years, and truly wish there was more coming out from this studio.
But back to the topic, this is why I feel TS4, even if it's not entirely the stream, should always be forefront. Showing off things like Alexa's Sims content is cool and all, but there should always be a little segment each month where, maybe, you feature a new developer, talk about new things, brainstorm with fans on ideas, discuss feedback to existing content in the game, etc. We didn't get that from this stream, and I feel, showing off new content or not, a stream can still be awesome and well-received by fans, as long as TS4 fans are engaged in this kind of manner.
I wont be speaking on the first part, but on the suggestion of making TS4 the forefront of every stream, this is not the purpose of the stream. And TS4 has PLENTY of opportunities to be the only thing showcased and focused on in both the Maxis Monthly streams and other streams. This month we did not have anything to talk about in game for TS4, so we didnt. We also didn't have anything for TSM or TSFP. So instead we gave a couple of Developers and opportunity to share a fun and cool project they had worked on and were proud of. The Alexa Skill, while not for one of our current platforms, is still part of Maxis and still part of The Sims.
What I mean by forefront (perhaps I should have picked a different word) is that I feel, as a fan, there should always be reserved time on the stream to talk The Sims' PC franchise. Even if there's nothing new to show off. Anything could pass for this -- such as spending a few minutes interviewing that engineer guru that was on stream, since he is pertinent to The Sims on PC. Questions about his experiences developing with Maxis/other titles or past Sims games -- not even specifically TS4. Maybe transition into another segment featuring some cool in-game builds or CAS creations from other Sims PC titles that people submit, fan art of Bella Goth... anything!
In short, to me, Maxis Monthly should be a great tool for fans to become more acquainted with Maxis staff we usually don't hear from. It should also, IMO, be used to engage The Sims PC fans in many different ways, since that is the bulk of what makes up Maxis today, presently.
Maybe these suggestions just aren't really meshing with the vision for Maxis Monthly. But they are ideas that would make me, as a fan, excited to tune in for half an hour and watch. The current model of Maxis Monthly does not do that for me, going by the last stream. If Maxis Monthly is simply envisioned quite differently from what I would hope for, then that's ok, and I look forward to a stream series, which could hopefully one day achieve the ideas I suggested, by Maxis!
Still catching up on the thread, but I do think, even if Maxis has nothing to announce, it would be a great idea to feature developers who do not have a Twitter presence, and are more so “behind the scenes” developing the game.
I think having that guru who is an engineer for TS4 is a great start. Why not have him talk about his experiences developing the game? Things that were a challenge, but was able to be resolved some way? Discussion with the fans on features they suggest? Things like that would still make for a very entertaining stream, without a single bit of content announcement.
Sure, Maxis is more than The Sims 4. However, EA managed to *royally* mess up the one other title it was renowned for (SimCity), and there are not many Sims Mobile fans that will sit down and watch a stream for a title they play for 5 mins, hosted on a PC game streaming oriented site. And, you can probably imagine it would only be a nuisance for us TS4 players to see The Sims Mobile. Keeping the stream to The Sims 4 is the smartest route, IMHO.
Other than that, it is great to see passion by the developers, and a stream like Maxis Monthly being held monthly. People will be toxic, but everyone can see how much dedication and passion you guys have for the series, and they aren’t even worth the acknowledgement.
While I do understand your sentiment, the stream was designed to be all things The Sims and Maxis. While I know this particular forum is for TS4, there is more to the The Sims franchise than just TS4. Maxis has many different things they are working on and supporting and we want to showcase all of them. I do acknowledge that historically only TS4 content was showing on the Twitch prior to my arrival, but change can be good, and we want the Maxis Monthly to be a place where all Maxis projects can be showcased. The majority of content on that channel continues to be TS4.
I'm sure as a community manager, behind the scenes, you definitely know there are more things cooking at Maxis, but stressing it from my standpoint as a consumer, there isn't much else right now from The Sims or even Maxis as a whole, which is so unfortunate because I loved Maxis for many years, and truly wish there was more coming out from this studio.
But back to the topic, this is why I feel TS4, even if it's not entirely the stream, should always be forefront. Showing off things like Alexa's Sims content is cool and all, but there should always be a little segment each month where, maybe, you feature a new developer, talk about new things, brainstorm with fans on ideas, discuss feedback to existing content in the game, etc. We didn't get that from this stream, and I feel, showing off new content or not, a stream can still be awesome and well-received by fans, as long as TS4 fans are engaged in this kind of manner.
I wont be speaking on the first part, but on the suggestion of making TS4 the forefront of every stream, this is not the purpose of the stream. And TS4 has PLENTY of opportunities to be the only thing showcased and focused on in both the Maxis Monthly streams and other streams. This month we did not have anything to talk about in game for TS4, so we didnt. We also didn't have anything for TSM or TSFP. So instead we gave a couple of Developers and opportunity to share a fun and cool project they had worked on and were proud of. The Alexa Skill, while not for one of our current platforms, is still part of Maxis and still part of The Sims.
What I mean by forefront (perhaps I should have picked a different word) is that I feel, as a fan, there should always be reserved time on the stream to talk The Sims' PC franchise. Even if there's nothing new to show off. Anything could pass for this -- such as spending a few minutes interviewing that engineer guru that was on stream, since he is pertinent to The Sims on PC. Questions about his experiences developing with Maxis/other titles or past Sims games -- not even specifically TS4. Maybe transition into another segment featuring some cool in-game builds or CAS creations from other Sims PC titles that people submit, fan art of Bella Goth... anything!
In short, to me, Maxis Monthly should be a great tool for fans to become more acquainted with Maxis staff we usually don't hear from. It should also, IMO, be used to engage The Sims PC fans in many different ways, since that is the bulk of what makes up Maxis today, presently.
Maybe these suggestions just aren't really meshing with the vision for Maxis Monthly. But they are ideas that would make me, as a fan, excited to tune in for half an hour and watch. The current model of Maxis Monthly does not do that for me, going by the last stream. If Maxis Monthly is simply envisioned quite differently from what I would hope for, then that's ok, and I look forward to a stream series, which could hopefully one day achieve the ideas I suggested, by Maxis!
Still catching up on the thread, but I do think, even if Maxis has nothing to announce, it would be a great idea to feature developers who do not have a Twitter presence, and are more so “behind the scenes” developing the game.
I think having that guru who is an engineer for TS4 is a great start. Why not have him talk about his experiences developing the game? Things that were a challenge, but was able to be resolved some way? Discussion with the fans on features they suggest? Things like that would still make for a very entertaining stream, without a single bit of content announcement.
Sure, Maxis is more than The Sims 4. However, EA managed to *royally* mess up the one other title it was renowned for (SimCity), and there are not many Sims Mobile fans that will sit down and watch a stream for a title they play for 5 mins, hosted on a PC game streaming oriented site. And, you can probably imagine it would only be a nuisance for us TS4 players to see The Sims Mobile. Keeping the stream to The Sims 4 is the smartest route, IMHO.
Other than that, it is great to see passion by the developers, and a stream like Maxis Monthly being held monthly. People will be toxic, but everyone can see how much dedication and passion you guys have for the series, and they aren’t even worth the acknowledgement.
While I do understand your sentiment, the stream was designed to be all things The Sims and Maxis. While I know this particular forum is for TS4, there is more to the The Sims franchise than just TS4. Maxis has many different things they are working on and supporting and we want to showcase all of them. I do acknowledge that historically only TS4 content was showing on the Twitch prior to my arrival, but change can be good, and we want the Maxis Monthly to be a place where all Maxis projects can be showcased. The majority of content on that channel continues to be TS4.
I'm sure as a community manager, behind the scenes, you definitely know there are more things cooking at Maxis, but stressing it from my standpoint as a consumer, there isn't much else right now from The Sims or even Maxis as a whole, which is so unfortunate because I loved Maxis for many years, and truly wish there was more coming out from this studio.
But back to the topic, this is why I feel TS4, even if it's not entirely the stream, should always be forefront. Showing off things like Alexa's Sims content is cool and all, but there should always be a little segment each month where, maybe, you feature a new developer, talk about new things, brainstorm with fans on ideas, discuss feedback to existing content in the game, etc. We didn't get that from this stream, and I feel, showing off new content or not, a stream can still be awesome and well-received by fans, as long as TS4 fans are engaged in this kind of manner.
I wont be speaking on the first part, but on the suggestion of making TS4 the forefront of every stream, this is not the purpose of the stream. And TS4 has PLENTY of opportunities to be the only thing showcased and focused on in both the Maxis Monthly streams and other streams. This month we did not have anything to talk about in game for TS4, so we didnt. We also didn't have anything for TSM or TSFP. So instead we gave a couple of Developers and opportunity to share a fun and cool project they had worked on and were proud of. The Alexa Skill, while not for one of our current platforms, is still part of Maxis and still part of The Sims.
What I mean by forefront (perhaps I should have picked a different word) is that I feel, as a fan, there should always be reserved time on the stream to talk The Sims' PC franchise. Even if there's nothing new to show off. Anything could pass for this -- such as spending a few minutes interviewing that engineer guru that was on stream, since he is pertinent to The Sims on PC. Questions about his experiences developing with Maxis/other titles or past Sims games -- not even specifically TS4. Maybe transition into another segment featuring some cool in-game builds or CAS creations from other Sims PC titles that people submit, fan art of Bella Goth... anything!
In short, to me, Maxis Monthly should be a great tool for fans to become more acquainted with Maxis staff we usually don't hear from. It should also, IMO, be used to engage The Sims PC fans in many different ways, since that is the bulk of what makes up Maxis today, presently.
Maybe these suggestions just aren't really meshing with the vision for Maxis Monthly. But they are ideas that would make me, as a fan, excited to tune in for half an hour and watch. The current model of Maxis Monthly does not do that for me, going by the last stream. If Maxis Monthly is simply envisioned quite differently from what I would hope for, then that's ok, and I look forward to a stream series, which could hopefully one day achieve the ideas I suggested, by Maxis!
I think these are very valid and good suggestions, particularly for when we dont ANYTHING new to show. But I also don't want to add content to the stream just for the sake of doing so, particularly because this can pull away the Devs from other things they are working on at that moment. Additionally I want to keep these streams at 30 minutes and as you may have noticed, this time around the Alexa Skill demo took up the entire time (so much so that we missed sharing a couple of key things about it). For any future streams where we dont have something like this to show, we can definitely consider many of these cool ideas. Also remember TS4 may be the most important Maxis product to you, but its not the only important one to Maxis.
I commented on this a little earlier, but basically we want to balance how much we announce about the content of the live streams in advance, and what we save to be revealed in the live stream. I don't think there is a perfect solution. Oftentimes it feels like we are between a rock and ah hard place and that no matter what we do we will receive massive amounts of negativity.
I remember something SimGuruSteve that perfection is boring. I don't think all negativity is bad, but when it is used to harm other human beings it can be. It is like the Sims has positive and negative and everything in between to make it the great franchise it is today. I guess all in all, I get tired of labels like positive and negative being drawn onto Simmers since I joined forums in 2015. That there needs to be some distinction of what makes someone a lover or a hater or whatever nonsense. It is like by the end of the day we are all Simmers and really don't need to be marginalized to a specific title if that makes sense. I see how much you love the franchise as much as we do and honestly your deserve to be apart of the Sims community just as much as anyone else and so do the rest of the Gurus.
I have personally seen good friends of mine receive death threats within the Sims community before and honestly threats in general of Simmers telling others to get off forums and that they don't deserve to be called a Simmer for whatever reason that day. At times like those I hope the community and mods come together to stop that toxic action. I've even asked people why they do it and the answer I get "well I do it because others are doing it". So thank you for being a good role model on how to combat cyberbullying. It is a real thing that I've noticed has gotten worst especially within the past few years. I do agree using tools sometimes is needed for it too. I've had to unfollow channels even on Twitch before because the amount of toxic behavior shown towards people wasn't worth sticking around for. Anyway don't worry as a Sims builder, you can always build onto the rock and the hard place and create a stable build for Sims. If anything I learned with the Sims is good things can come out of bad things. I mean the history of the franchise was built on a "negative" thing a house fire and without that, something wonderful like the Sims was born. That's life, it's a balance between bad and good and everything in between and figuring out what tools we need to use to progress through it. You'll be fine and honestly if I didn't think you were up to the job of being a community manager, I wouldn't have said I wish we could clone you for the position when you worked for the Sims Mobile.
I can't promise I'll always be positive or negative myself. All I can be is me and although it doesn't always make others happy I've learned it is ok to be different from others. I don't need to follow a crowd or be labeled like a piece of fruit. I guess my path is I joined forums because I thought I was going to die from having a major surgery and figured well if Sims 4 is going to be my last Sims game might as well voice my opinion on toddler while I could so that at least others could enjoy them even if I were gone. Thankfully I survived despite doctors saying I could die and was able to see toddlers myself and with another iteration they still remain my favorite life stage. Anyway I'm just one of millions of other Simmers that has their own story. True there will always be people that are toxic even when dealing with people in real life, but I hope that those real threats won't prevent people for being able to report bugs to the QA Gurus, provide feedback on a feature in any of the games, and just be allowed to share photos and stories of their characters no matter what Maxis product it comes from. I just hope the ill actions of a few don't ruin communication for the rest of us no matter how big or small we are. It's bad enough seeing one community I was apart of having financial issues, I didn't want the same to happen to the Sims. I want the franchise to continue. Also sorry for my wall of text.
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller
My goodness. To be an interactive SimGuru these days, you almost have to be a psychologist.
Thank you, @SimGuruKate for taking some time to post on the forums. (Wish I was here when it was happening!) I'm sorry you have to deal with so many stressful, inappropriate people, it's not exactly the kind of representation that some of us want for the Sims Community. I'd like to see Common Courtesy and behavioral accountability become a thing again, especially on the internet, and I hope you know that there are still many of us who truly appreciate those of you at Maxis who put yourselves out there in the public eye to share what information you can with us. Peace to you.
Comments
They mentioned somewhere that there are laws, not just corporate policy, actual legal law, that prevents them from doing that.
That said, Rachel Franklyn taught me to take nothing said at face value and to believe nothing unless it's shown.
How do you show a law? With a link to an online book of laws with a reference what to look for...
Before they do that, or something similar, that supposed law is as real as 3 is more than 5. At least to me.
It's fine and sometimes healthy to be skeptical. But if you refuse to believe what anyone says, then there is very little value in us continuing to have any conversations.
Yup! Myself and the other Mods here do just that. We get an amazing report of what is happening in the forums every single week!
I hear that. It's probably unfortunate timing that two 'mystery features' announced pretty much back-to-back seemed to disappoint or frustrate players. Maybe ensuring that passion projects like this - especially ones which will not actually be part of the game itself - are announced alongside other game features at the same time would mitigate possible disappointment?
Is it possible to share that information ahead of time? I think that would help with setting expectations and what to expect from a live stream? I know there is a lot of information that cannot be disclosed but even if that could be shared prior to a live stream? Maybe it would help?
I know for example with console, that wasn't getting a patch in December as Sim Guru Legacy said ahead of time which seemed to help a lot of the console community as they knew not to expect a patch in December following the December dlc releases.
We cant always announce passion projects with in game content because of timing of when things release. Again, this is due to Dev Schedules.
I commented on this a little earlier, but basically we want to balance how much we announce about the content of the live streams in advance, and what we save to be revealed in the live stream. I dont think there is a perfect solution. Oftentimes it feels like we are between a rock and ah hard place and that no matter what we do we will receive massive amounts of negativity.
I think having that guru who is an engineer for TS4 is a great start. Why not have him talk about his experiences developing the game? Things that were a challenge, but was able to be resolved some way? Discussion with the fans on features they suggest? Things like that would still make for a very entertaining stream, without a single bit of content announcement.
Sure, Maxis is more than The Sims 4. However, EA managed to *royally* mess up the one other title it was renowned for (SimCity), and there are not many Sims Mobile fans that will sit down and watch a stream for a title they play for 5 mins, hosted on a PC game streaming oriented site. And, you can probably imagine it would only be a nuisance for us TS4 players to see The Sims Mobile. Keeping the stream to The Sims 4 is the smartest route, IMHO.
Other than that, it is great to see passion by the developers, and a stream like Maxis Monthly being held monthly. People will be toxic, but everyone can see how much dedication and passion you guys have for the series, and they aren’t even worth the acknowledgement.
I would actually prefer this over what happened yesterday.
Family Tree
Playing Mod & CC Free
While I do understand your sentiment, the stream was designed to be all things The Sims and Maxis. While I know this particular forum is for TS4, there is more to the The Sims franchise than just TS4. Maxis has many different things they are working on and supporting and we want to showcase all of them. I do acknowledge that historically only TS4 content was showing on the Twitch prior to my arrival, but change can be good, and we want the Maxis Monthly to be a place where all Maxis projects can be showcased. The majority of content on that channel continues to be TS4.
I don't even do phone apps or tablets.
I don't understand why that Alexa thing is there anyway. From what I understand it's a device you tell things and it does it for you. I can do things myself, thanks. This invention sounds a lot like the certain japenese toilets.
I do agree there sadly.
So it will likely be quite a wait still...
I'll be waiting for the next bug fix patch with bells on, then.
Whenever that ends up being.
But hey, I've made a nice little home in the spot between the rock and a hard place. It's not exactly comfy, but uh, it's interesting?
I definitely think, in the future, it could be a great way to showcase all that is Maxis and The Sims. I am mainly referring to the present, now though. I mean, looking at Maxis' own page on the EA website, and from the standpoint of myself, as a consumer, there isn't much to Maxis right now. The games page, which I have hyperlinked on to this post, only shows off The Sims 4, The Sims Mobile, and SimCity (which was poorly received by us SimCity fans, and whose development has since ceased for many years). Titles such as The Sims 1, 2, and 3, Spore, MySims, etc. are all shoved at the bottom in small squares as "classics," and here on the forum, they're regarded as legacy titles.
I'm sure as a community manager, behind the scenes, you definitely know there are more things cooking at Maxis, but stressing it from my standpoint as a consumer, there isn't much else right now from The Sims or even Maxis as a whole, which is so unfortunate because I loved Maxis for many years, and truly wish there was more coming out from this studio.
But back to the topic, this is why I feel TS4, even if it's not entirely the stream, should always be forefront. Showing off things like Alexa's Sims content is cool and all, but there should always be a little segment each month where, maybe, you feature a new developer, talk about new things, brainstorm with fans on ideas, discuss feedback to existing content in the game, etc. We didn't get that from this stream, and I feel, showing off new content or not, a stream can still be awesome and well-received by fans, as long as TS4 fans are engaged in this kind of manner.
So... Hi. I see gurus defending this claim. But I dont see anyone saying making that claim. If you see someone writing it, please direct me to it.
Same with this point. Everyone received the terrain tool, the camera, the gardener. All side projects as I was told yesterday. One side chose to use them, the other side did not. Im one of the players who use them and Im grateful that you chose to include this into the base game. Thank the responsible devs for those. I can only speak for myself when I say that the stream and the presentation of the alexa trivia was just bad. It should have been presented next to something the people are more interested in than a side project.
A side project that hasnt been developed by maxis or in cooperation with an outside company for the gamers sounds by definition not at all "ALL things Maxis". Frankly it was presented as maxis' next golden cow because you dedicated an entire stream to it. This is not the nature of how game developement works. Imagine microsoft did that. Oh boy, would the internet be grabbing forks and torches. Well, people did here. *hides torch*
Deliberately upsetting the majority of the community that watches developer streams aka maxis monthly and then calling people trolls escalated things unfortunately.
Im one of them. You should have predicted that not talking about the game will upset the majority of those watching the stream when you present something thats outside the game for a probably tiny minority. But still you chose to go with it.
There is more to talk about than side projects or new content:
- what happened within the team since the last big expansion hit
- which content is a priority right now (base game, specific problematic DLC/pack)
- which content will be getting attention in the next month(s)
- will there be a small pack or game pack coming next
- did any suggestion catch your eye from the forum that you like to implement
- your thoughts on mods and cc in general or after a new pack is released
- big topics on social media
- side projects (not necessarily last)
- upcoming changes within the company/forums/social media/teams perhaps
- other maxis games (not ancient games)
Not all was vitriol. Many people provided valid criticism about how it was presented and how our expectations werent met at a minimum level. Not everyone has twitter or follows you to know what to expect in this new grand streaming plan. When you advertise it on the sims forum, people expect sims 4 related topics. Not necessarily new content. If you had done some talk about the game, some of the "TON currently in developement" nobody would have made an outcry.
When you dont share anything with the community, the community gets the impression you arent working on the game. You dedicated one entire stream for something other than the game which only reinforced this impression. Thats partially why people are angry. Me included.
The wording of this sentence seems rather unfortunate. On one side you say there is something in developement, that you can in general share something up to a limit but you dont share anything at all and the above statement contradicts your statement about things being in developement. Someone who doesnt follow the forum or social media might read this statement as "the end of sims 4 is nigh!!!"
Again. Would it have been presented next to something game related (not necessarily new content) nobody would mind. Right time, wrong approach. Its not an attack on your passion or dedication. Just criticism on the execution of your presentation.
Im in the gaming industry for 20 years and never heard anything like this before. Im aware that the company should give permission before employees share information. But a complete news blackout especially for the only opportunity to directly interact with the community is probably unique in the gaming industry. Ive seen companies sharing plans for up to 12 months with the community. But maxis cant share anything until the product is about to be released? Thats very strange.
Unfortunately some of us heard this too many times. From several companies. Having heard promises of heavenly content and beyond but seeing nothing concrete gets boring very quickly. Its frustrating and frankly at some point I can only doubt every statement made by you or any other game company representative. Just like I would with any other non-gaming company or person. I hope you can relate to that.
It also should follow that you take responsibility when you anger the people that decently and humanly express their anger. In our twitter conversation, as short as it was until I was the one being insulted by someone else, and since the stream on the forum I did my best not to give the mods a reason to ban me (again).
No argument from me. Im ok with things that I wont enjoy. Im happy when others enjoy them. But I expected more in the stream than just one side project.
Personally I would be happy with an apology because you angered a large portion of the community for the above reasons. I think thats a reasonable thing to ask for. Basic human decency should go both ways.
I have the same expectations towards companies. Towards anyone actually. Dont take this as a personal attack. I have yet to hear you consider that the presentation in the stream did anger us because it was not at all about the game and you should take responsibility for it. (you kinda did in a comment written after I wrote this) When you mention human decency, how we (the players) interact with others and be respectful, you appear unapologetic. What you expect from us, we expect from you too. Again, this is not intended as an attack or being rude. This is a direct response to what you said above.
Im glad you take responsibility for that. Thats a compliment (yes, I have to write that).
Personally I judge people the way they act based on what they say. If there are promises to change but no change happening, I wont listen to those people. It drives me away from them. At some point I stop buying products of such companies and wont suggest others to try it. And communication is a big problem for maxis.
I wont be speaking on the first part, but on the suggestion of making TS4 the forefront of every stream, this is not the purpose of the stream. And TS4 has PLENTY of opportunities to be the only thing showcased and focused on in both the Maxis Monthly streams and other streams. This month we did not have anything to talk about in game for TS4, so we didnt. We also didn't have anything for TSM or TSFP. So instead we gave a couple of Developers and opportunity to share a fun and cool project they had worked on and were proud of. The Alexa Skill, while not for one of our current platforms, is still part of Maxis and still part of The Sims.
I appreciate that there will be months when there will be nothing to show, to be honest I expect it, its normal. (My Husband is a game dev for a major studio) I'm guessing (and please correct me if I'm wrong) but is not streaming when there is no content available on any platfrom not an option? Or is that part of the rock and hard place?
What I mean by forefront (perhaps I should have picked a different word) is that I feel, as a fan, there should always be reserved time on the stream to talk The Sims' PC franchise. Even if there's nothing new to show off. Anything could pass for this -- such as spending a few minutes interviewing that engineer guru that was on stream, since he is pertinent to The Sims on PC. Questions about his experiences developing with Maxis/other titles or past Sims games -- not even specifically TS4. Maybe transition into another segment featuring some cool in-game builds or CAS creations from other Sims PC titles that people submit, fan art of Bella Goth... anything!
In short, to me, Maxis Monthly should be a great tool for fans to become more acquainted with Maxis staff we usually don't hear from. It should also, IMO, be used to engage The Sims PC fans in many different ways, since that is the bulk of what makes up Maxis today, presently.
Maybe these suggestions just aren't really meshing with the vision for Maxis Monthly. But they are ideas that would make me, as a fan, excited to tune in for half an hour and watch. The current model of Maxis Monthly does not do that for me, going by the last stream. If Maxis Monthly is simply envisioned quite differently from what I would hope for, then that's ok, and I look forward to a stream series, which could hopefully one day achieve the ideas I suggested, by Maxis!
I like sound of that!
I think these are very valid and good suggestions, particularly for when we dont ANYTHING new to show. But I also don't want to add content to the stream just for the sake of doing so, particularly because this can pull away the Devs from other things they are working on at that moment. Additionally I want to keep these streams at 30 minutes and as you may have noticed, this time around the Alexa Skill demo took up the entire time (so much so that we missed sharing a couple of key things about it). For any future streams where we dont have something like this to show, we can definitely consider many of these cool ideas. Also remember TS4 may be the most important Maxis product to you, but its not the only important one to Maxis.
I have personally seen good friends of mine receive death threats within the Sims community before and honestly threats in general of Simmers telling others to get off forums and that they don't deserve to be called a Simmer for whatever reason that day. At times like those I hope the community and mods come together to stop that toxic action. I've even asked people why they do it and the answer I get "well I do it because others are doing it". So thank you for being a good role model on how to combat cyberbullying. It is a real thing that I've noticed has gotten worst especially within the past few years. I do agree using tools sometimes is needed for it too. I've had to unfollow channels even on Twitch before because the amount of toxic behavior shown towards people wasn't worth sticking around for. Anyway don't worry as a Sims builder, you can always build onto the rock and the hard place and create a stable build for Sims. If anything I learned with the Sims is good things can come out of bad things. I mean the history of the franchise was built on a "negative" thing a house fire and without that, something wonderful like the Sims was born. That's life, it's a balance between bad and good and everything in between and figuring out what tools we need to use to progress through it. You'll be fine and honestly if I didn't think you were up to the job of being a community manager, I wouldn't have said I wish we could clone you for the position when you worked for the Sims Mobile.
I can't promise I'll always be positive or negative myself. All I can be is me and although it doesn't always make others happy I've learned it is ok to be different from others. I don't need to follow a crowd or be labeled like a piece of fruit. I guess my path is I joined forums because I thought I was going to die from having a major surgery and figured well if Sims 4 is going to be my last Sims game might as well voice my opinion on toddler while I could so that at least others could enjoy them even if I were gone. Thankfully I survived despite doctors saying I could die and was able to see toddlers myself and with another iteration they still remain my favorite life stage. Anyway I'm just one of millions of other Simmers that has their own story. True there will always be people that are toxic even when dealing with people in real life, but I hope that those real threats won't prevent people for being able to report bugs to the QA Gurus, provide feedback on a feature in any of the games, and just be allowed to share photos and stories of their characters no matter what Maxis product it comes from. I just hope the ill actions of a few don't ruin communication for the rest of us no matter how big or small we are. It's bad enough seeing one community I was apart of having financial issues, I didn't want the same to happen to the Sims. I want the franchise to continue. Also sorry for my wall of text.
Thank you, @SimGuruKate for taking some time to post on the forums. (Wish I was here when it was happening!) I'm sorry you have to deal with so many stressful, inappropriate people, it's not exactly the kind of representation that some of us want for the Sims Community.