It makes me sad that you have to write something like this. I rarely speak in this community even though I'm a long time player of the game. This just got to me.
You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all the people all of the time.
Everyone is shouting in reaction, but no one is talking about how to resolve this constant influx of twitter/forum hate and then we get these somewhat condescending toned replies which at best only serve to further infuriate and inflame the masses.
None of this is solving the big fat elephant in the room... the communication system is flawed.
If the public facing Maxis employees want better interactions between the Maxis team and the consumer (us), then the Maxis team needs to find a better way of communicating on both sides.
Perhaps someone on their team could make that the passion project so we can all stop fighting and get back to playing?
I read @SimGuruKate's Jan. 9 post over at SimsVIP & followed the link here to give feedback to any interested Gurus on how that post sounded to someone who didn't watch the MaxisMonthly or read the twitter comments, just Kate's Jan. 9 post and then the posts that followed it in this thread.
I'll put it this way. @SimGuruNinja and @SimGuruEmory wrote awesome, upbeat posts that left me feeling enthusiastic and friendly.
Kate, your Jan. 9 post affected me entirely differently. Having read the posts following yours, I now believe you were intent on defending your friends and coworkers. However, on that first reading over at SimsVIP, your Jan. 9 post came across to me as a lecture from someone whose anger was palpable. Perhaps it hit me this way precisely because I wasn't involved in any of this, but reading an angry lecture from the CM left me feeling hostile towards Maxis. (Especially the part about how it isn't "necessary" for customers to post--even amongst themselves, on these forums!--that they think something Maxis has done is 'stupid.' Yeah, we can say we think something is stupid. Customers are not required to talk like diplomats every time they post a criticism.)
Company representatives, unfortunately, are expected to talk like diplomats (partly because their comments can get copied over somewhere else where the context is lost!) Your instructions on how to express criticisms politely is likely to have further infuriated Maxis' critics, not disarmed them. Validating their concerns might have diffused their anger & made them feel heard; in my experience, this usually makes one's critics more willing to listen in turn. Invalidating their concerns, and painting them as ill-informed, boorish people, is not going to make them feel like listening to you.
'But their concerns weren't valid!,' I imagine someone saying. No, their concerns were based on a misunderstanding (which Kate addressed), but the concerns themselves were legit. Finding a way to acknowledge that at the outset would probably have helped.
Last point: It's not the job of the customers to validate paid content-providers. I've picked up more than a hint of that in various communications from various Maxis rep's over the years, and I picked up a hint of that again today in this thread.
I hope I have expressed my criticism in a friendly manner; such is my intent, but my skill is not always equal to my intent. (There's a reason I'm not in the pr-business. ) I also hope it is useful.
Haha, some of the posts on here almost seem to make Amazon Alexa out as some sort of sorcery, or a crutch, etc. They were on sale this past season, so a few of my relatives took advantage of it. The fam don't seem to be any different to me because of this, but time will tell, I guess. I have heard that they can spy on you, but hopefully that was a malfunction and not a feature. They are a thing, tho, I do believe, so it seems natural to make something to go along with it. There's an app for everything these days, doncha know.
Yep, between a rock and a hard place.....but with some terrain tools, perhaps one can make a bit of a cozy hollow, get a roof over your head, bring your Cat or Dog, put down a few pouf chairs, add your LinZ to play some Sims Tunes, look around the place in First Person View (Now with less nodding!), and call it a Home.
Because, yeah, no matter what is released, paid, free, or some combination, I can assure you, along with death and taxes, someone, somewhere, in the Sims Fanbase, will be offended, in some way or another. Even when bug fixes come out, there will be out and out wails of, "Another PATCH??!! My mods, my cc, augh, whoa is me...."
When we were BT (Before Toddlers) it was them. Then, it was Pets. Then, Seasons. Every release that was non-them, was met with desperate cries. Now--it is University......or another Occult. And if and when that comes in some form, it will be something else.
I think one must be a bit savage to work on a game where life itself is the gameplay. That is about the biggest premise that a game could tackle: "Say, there, The Sims Player/Developer, what is The Sims about, anyway?" "Um, eh, not too much, I guess. Just....life."
Even though I wanted most of the content I've mentioned quite frantically, I picture myself working at a Maxis desk (probably a standing desk, with no need for a treadmill because we have a gym) and suddenly thinking, "Oh. Dear. Llama. The enormity of this task. The players....the players....they want so much. No. No, I can't think about that. I'm just going to work on this piece, and make it the best that I can."
And then, they do. I admit there have been times when I have expressed strong criticism of the game on this forum. But I have tried to be quite civil. Over all, my wish has been for less "stuff" and more animations and interactive gameplay. I see that happening. It takes more time, though, just as your pyramid illustrates.
So I'd like to thank the devs and support staff for their efforts. I also appreciate them taking the time to interact with us on this forum, and to express the fact that they love the game, and love working on it. I greatly appreciate the base game content that has been shared for no extra cost. The surprises that came this past year were quite fun. I have enjoyed The Sims 4 a great deal, warts and all. It is when I pay special attention to the things I like, and push the warts to a back burner, that I enjoy it the most. That is a gift I give myself.
Happy Simming!
Not a malfunction but the main function and yes, they do spy, it has been reported by a great number of people, how after getting this device or whatever it is and talking of items they thought of buying, doing etc, their mobiles where inundated with adverts of such items, and offers deals and the rest.
One of this persons is my own daughter, so I have a member of my family whom I trust making this claim.
Amazon was questioned over these claims and denied them, of course, however then came some news from The USA that a murder had been solved "thanks to Alexa". Was this just journalists making up stories? I don't know, but if it's true and they did solve a crime in the States because Alexa eavesdropped on the murder being committed then the denial by Amazon was a lie and Alexa is a spying device (scary).
Either way I will not trust it, despite the fact that I understand how very useful it can be to people with disabilities.
I lost respect for the gurus a long time ago, based on reading responses from them. I did not participate in their "livestreams" because I saw those as a waste of time. With every livestream I hear about, I just keep getting an even more negative impression. The latest lecture post from our GM only assisted in my negative view.
About the "alexa" thing. Basically the marketing of that has been viewed negatively for multiple reasons. Mostly because I see all electronic assistant devices/programs/apps to be bloatware aka worthless junk. So the announcement had a double negative impression.
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"?
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.
why does there have to be a mystery, if the new feature is being announced the same day? i think that its evident that many players are frustrated with the mystery and want to know what to expect @SimGuruKate
The reveal of this was very much a let down. Its hard to believe the things they think will be well received. After all this time, you would think that they can see how hungry a lot of the community is for new sims 4 content. Of course, this has been a good year. Seasons and Get Famous came out relatively close together and were nice additions. But I think it would be so much more fun if they could be more transparent and less "mystery". We want something to be excited over. A monthly patch that adds a useful new tool/feature/useful addition would be so much more appreciated than an app that is frankly, boring.
You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all the people all of the time.
Everyone is shouting in reaction, but no one is talking about how to resolve this constant influx of twitter/forum hate and then we get these somewhat condescending toned replies which at best only serve to further infuriate and inflame the masses.
None of this is solving the big fat elephant in the room... the communication system is flawed.
If the public facing Maxis employees want better interactions between the Maxis team and the consumer (us), then the Maxis team needs to find a better way of communicating on both sides.
Perhaps someone on their team could make that the passion project so we can all stop fighting and get back to playing?
Yep I was arguing with a Troll on Twitter. He was bashing the Gurus and said I was a 🐸🐸🐸🐸 for defending them.
Edit
I didn't curse but the forum changed my word sh-ep-le to plum.
To be clear even though I am excited about The Sims coming to Alexa I'm still very hungry for some new content. I hope we're getting a Gamepack in February.
To be clear even though I am excited about The Sims coming to Alexa I'm still very hungry for some new content. I hope we're getting a Gamepack in February.
Same I really am hoping for a Farm GP next or a supernatural GP.
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller
I read @SimGuruKate's Jan. 9 post over at SimsVIP & followed the link here to give feedback to any interested Gurus on how that post sounded to someone who didn't watch the MaxisMonthly or read the twitter comments, just Kate's Jan. 9 post and then the posts that followed it in this thread.
I'll put it this way. @SimGuruNinja and @SimGuruEmory wrote awesome, upbeat posts that left me feeling enthusiastic and friendly.
Kate, your Jan. 9 post affected me entirely differently. Having read the posts following yours, I now believe you were intent on defending your friends and coworkers. However, on that first reading over at SimsVIP, your Jan. 9 post came across to me as a lecture from someone whose anger was palpable. Perhaps it hit me this way precisely because I wasn't involved in any of this, but reading an angry lecture from the CM left me feeling hostile towards Maxis. (Especially the part about how it isn't "necessary" for customers to post--even amongst themselves, on these forums!--that they think something Maxis has done is 'stupid.' Yeah, we can say we think something is stupid. Customers are not required to talk like diplomats every time they post a criticism.)
Company representatives, unfortunately, are expected to talk like diplomats (partly because their comments can get copied over somewhere else where the context is lost!) Your instructions on how to express criticisms politely is likely to have further infuriated Maxis' critics, not disarmed them. Validating their concerns might have diffused their anger & made them feel heard; in my experience, this usually makes one's critics more willing to listen in turn. Invalidating their concerns, and painting them as ill-informed, boorish people, is not going to make them feel like listening to you.
'But their concerns weren't valid!,' I imagine someone saying. No, their concerns were based on a misunderstanding (which Kate addressed), but the concerns themselves were legit. Finding a way to acknowledge that at the outset would probably have helped.
Last point: It's not the job of the customers to validate paid content-providers. I've picked up more than a hint of that in various communications from various Maxis rep's over the years, and I picked up a hint of that again today in this thread.
I hope I have expressed my criticism in a friendly manner; such is my intent, but my skill is not always equal to my intent. (There's a reason I'm not in the pr-business. ) I also hope it is useful.
I could not have put this better myself, exactly. I felt the exact same way when I read Kate’s post. I felt I was being patronised and was being told off for something I hadn’t done... I haven’t said one word about the Alexa project, I’m just waiting for the next pack announcement!
I understand that it must be hard for the developers and Kate to get nasty comments but unfortunately everyone with a larger online presence gets them and these people who majorly overstep the mark are in the minority, a blanket statement accusing the whole community of not behaving in a decent way is not the right way to combat it. The gurus who have posted here have got it right in my opinion, clarify misunderstandings in a positive way and ignore the trolls!
Some quotes taken from the SimsVIP comment section that perfectly sums up my opinion:
"I find this talk of ‘passion projects’ very strange. I mean sure... game developers need time to pursue their passions, but that is what free time is for. Hobbies have no place at work. I'd imagine if I walked up to my manager and asked for a 'passion project' he'd laugh and tell me I had work to do."
"People are over the constant disappointment and deceit that is a reoccurring theme with this dev team."
"I completely understand a directive being sent down to handle the negative public reaction to the last info dump. I can also understand Kate being upset about her tribe being "attacked" by the very people they're working to serve. I can even understand some EA or Maxis corporate monkey looking at their forum and social media accounts as a business asset being subverted as a means of damaging the product, and sending down censorship guidance.
What I cannot accept is, as a customer, being angrily lectured by the corporate mouthpiece. Angry apologist is not effective; back office staff going off script and lecturing the customer is something PR apologizes for, not something PR does itself. Allowing your rage to seep through, and make your customers feel bad is not acceptable. If this was the first time this had happened, it would be one thing, but after the monologue we got in October, it's crystal clear Kate is not the person who should be speaking for the brand.
This just needs to get pushed into the attention sphere of EA corporate, once that happens, it will resolve itself."
"It’s quite telling that they have to address mass complaints almost every time they release/announce something like this. Not the first time they’ve done this and won’t be the last.
Here’s the thing, this franchise is almost 19 years old. With each passing year, expectations get higher and higher and quite frankly, they aren’t being met. The Sims 2 does things that Sims 4 will never do. That game came out in 2004. At this point, I expect more than what we’re giving. If the game was where it should be, this Alexa thing wouldn’t be so disliked."
Oh, give me a break. Stop it, stop the madness! Lol. Did we all read the same post?
This overblown melodrama is getting so outrageous, it's almost laughable at this point. I love this community, I honestly do, but some people are upset now because Kate didn't coddle and candy-coat her words and speak to us like we were sweet little children who never do wrong, especially after how some people treated them during the stream? I'm sorry guys, but being candid and speaking frankly isn't "insulting the community" unless the truth hurts. And I'd much rather see her speak a direct ugly truth out of honesty, rather than falsely tiptoe around it like I'm a fragile child. Just because she didn't tell you what you want to hear doesn't mean she was demeaning. Yes, she's a representative of the company, but she's a real person, and the people employed by that company are real people - and no matter how dissatisfied you might be, you still have a personal responsibility to reign in your own behavior and keep it respectful. As soon as you make the choice to absolve yourself of that responsibility, they owe you nothing. Treat others as you expect to be treated and as if they were sitting right in front of you. It's really that simple.
Think of it this way...if you walked into the Maxis building to speak to someone face-to-face, and you immediately start in with snarkiness, insults, and self-important shouting... you're very likely going to get thrown right out onto your tuckus on the pavement. Moreso, no one in the company is going to want anything to do with you. Why should it be any different on Twitch, Twitter, the Forums or anywhere else? And for the record, those who know how to approach the Gurus with common courtesy are the ones who get their attention and questions answered. You don't have to be schmoozy, nor do you have to be overly irate. That's where constructive criticism comes in handy, and I will emphasize: constructive criticism, which essentially means "useful" in that context. If you truly want to be heard and if you really want the Gurus to engage you, you'll get a lot more from them by dropping the nerd rage and addressing them human to human like mature people do in real life.
The days of catering to the indignant customer are over. Like it or not, with the anonymity of the internet, people are becoming ruder, brattier, and more obnoxious because they can hide behind a keyboard, and this kind of anger just starts to become redundant and predictable. Companies no longer carry policies of "the customer is always right", because they simply aren't. Entitlement behavior and reckless intolerance is a huge thing now in gaming communities, and people are known to do it as a manipulation tactic to make themselves appear important in an attempt to get what they want and it just wastes everyone's time and energy and drains the life out of communities like this.
And here's another thing. They may not be able to share more information as we'd like, but they can always share less. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if they went back to radio silence after this. If they can't share info, they can't share it. All the complaining in the world can't change it, so get used to it and move on. Learn how to shrug off disappointment, it's healthy.
Holy smack, all of this fuss over an Alexa app. Honestly people, choose your battles.
I don't get how a game is supposed to be inside a home assistant. Maybe I should actually watch the stream to see what it's about but at the same time, I probably shouldn't waste my time since I don't have an Alexa. XD
I don't get how a game is supposed to be inside a home assistant. Maybe I should actually watch the stream to see what it's about but at the same time, I probably shouldn't waste my time since I don't have an Alexa. XD
It isn't. It's going to play Sims music and trivia. That's it.
I don't get how a game is supposed to be inside a home assistant. Maybe I should actually watch the stream to see what it's about but at the same time, I probably shouldn't waste my time since I don't have an Alexa. XD
It's about listening to The Sims 1-4 Music on Alexa,Playing Trivia and Sim Facts. It's complimenting the Lidz Speaker in The Sims 4 but it's not adding anything to the game itself. I just hope I can hear some of the CAS/Buy Build Music on Alexa that isn't currently released anywhere else. Right now we can only hear it in game.
You can listen to the complete soundtracks of all Sims games on Youtube.
PLEASE FIX TEENS IN TS4! I NEED YOUNGER TEENS NOT YA TEENS! (^_^)Please add Music Bands with lead singers! Please add vehicles and garages! Vehicles have always been part of The Sims.
You can listen to the complete soundtracks of all Sims games on Youtube.
What about the CAS/Buy Build Music from The Sims 4?
Those are also available via youtube. At least as far as I am aware since I did not actively look and got them as options while looking for something else.
Oh, give me a break. Stop it, stop the madness! Lol. Did we all read the same post?
This overblown melodrama is getting so outrageous, it's almost laughable at this point. I love this community, I honestly do, but some people are upset now because Kate didn't coddle and candy-coat her words and speak to us like we were sweet little children who never do wrong, especially after how some people treated them during the stream? I'm sorry guys, but being candid and speaking frankly isn't "insulting the community" unless the truth hurts. And I'd much rather see her speak a direct ugly truth out of honesty, rather than falsely tiptoe around it like I'm a fragile child. Just because she didn't tell you what you want to hear doesn't mean she was demeaning. Yes, she's a representative of the company, but she's a real person, and the people employed by that company are real people - and no matter how dissatisfied you might be, you still have a personal responsibility to reign in your own behavior and keep it respectful. As soon as you make the choice to absolve yourself of that responsibility, they owe you nothing. Treat others as you expect to be treated and as if they were sitting right in front of you. It's really that simple.
Think of it this way...if you walked into the Maxis building to speak to someone face-to-face, and you immediately start in with snarkiness, insults, and self-important shouting... you're very likely going to get thrown right out onto your tuckus on the pavement. Moreso, no one in the company is going to want anything to do with you. Why should it be any different on Twitch, Twitter, the Forums or anywhere else? And for the record, those who know how to approach the Gurus with common courtesy are the ones who get their attention and questions answered. You don't have to be schmoozy, nor do you have to be overly irate. That's where constructive criticism comes in handy, and I will emphasize: constructive criticism, which essentially means "useful" in that context. If you truly want to be heard and if you really want the Gurus to engage you, you'll get a lot more from them by dropping the nerd rage and addressing them human to human like mature people do in real life.
The days of catering to the indignant customer are over. Like it or not, with the anonymity of the internet, people are becoming ruder, brattier, and more obnoxious because they can hide behind a keyboard, and this kind of anger just starts to become redundant and predictable. Companies no longer carry policies of "the customer is always right", because they simply aren't. Entitlement behavior and reckless intolerance is a huge thing now in gaming communities, and people are known to do it as a manipulation tactic to make themselves appear important in an attempt to get what they want and it just wastes everyone's time and energy and drains the life out of communities like this.
And here's another thing. They may not be able to share more information as we'd like, but they can always share less. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if they went back to radio silence after this. If they can't share info, they can't share it. All the complaining in the world can't change it, so get used to it and move on. Learn how to shrug off disappointment, it's healthy.
Holy smack, all of this fuss over an Alexa app. Honestly people, choose your battles.
I don’t agree... I find being told how to conduct myself online patronising. I’ve managed quite well to distinguish between what is obnoxious and what is constructive in my 30+ years.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and people should respect that instead of shooting people down and thinking theirs is the only one that matters. I don’t personally see how you would find it patronising if Kate didn’t post what she did but you’re entitled to think that way.
I was never bothered about the Alexa thing anyway... I just didn’t think Kate went about this in the right way by potentially alienating the community when the majority are perfectly capable of behaving appropriately online. Unfortunately you can’t tell a troll to stop being a troll you’ll probably just give them more fuel for their sad little fire.
Right I’m off back to the speculation forum to tide me over until the next pack announcement...
Comments
Dunno. Just an idea. Wild, I know.
Everyone is shouting in reaction, but no one is talking about how to resolve this constant influx of twitter/forum hate and then we get these somewhat condescending toned replies which at best only serve to further infuriate and inflame the masses.
None of this is solving the big fat elephant in the room... the communication system is flawed.
If the public facing Maxis employees want better interactions between the Maxis team and the consumer (us), then the Maxis team needs to find a better way of communicating on both sides.
Perhaps someone on their team could make that the passion project so we can all stop fighting and get back to playing?
I'll put it this way. @SimGuruNinja and @SimGuruEmory wrote awesome, upbeat posts that left me feeling enthusiastic and friendly.
Kate, your Jan. 9 post affected me entirely differently. Having read the posts following yours, I now believe you were intent on defending your friends and coworkers. However, on that first reading over at SimsVIP, your Jan. 9 post came across to me as a lecture from someone whose anger was palpable. Perhaps it hit me this way precisely because I wasn't involved in any of this, but reading an angry lecture from the CM left me feeling hostile towards Maxis. (Especially the part about how it isn't "necessary" for customers to post--even amongst themselves, on these forums!--that they think something Maxis has done is 'stupid.' Yeah, we can say we think something is stupid. Customers are not required to talk like diplomats every time they post a criticism.)
Company representatives, unfortunately, are expected to talk like diplomats (partly because their comments can get copied over somewhere else where the context is lost!) Your instructions on how to express criticisms politely is likely to have further infuriated Maxis' critics, not disarmed them. Validating their concerns might have diffused their anger & made them feel heard; in my experience, this usually makes one's critics more willing to listen in turn. Invalidating their concerns, and painting them as ill-informed, boorish people, is not going to make them feel like listening to you.
'But their concerns weren't valid!,' I imagine someone saying. No, their concerns were based on a misunderstanding (which Kate addressed), but the concerns themselves were legit. Finding a way to acknowledge that at the outset would probably have helped.
Last point: It's not the job of the customers to validate paid content-providers. I've picked up more than a hint of that in various communications from various Maxis rep's over the years, and I picked up a hint of that again today in this thread.
I hope I have expressed my criticism in a friendly manner; such is my intent, but my skill is not always equal to my intent. (There's a reason I'm not in the pr-business.
Not a malfunction but the main function and yes, they do spy, it has been reported by a great number of people, how after getting this device or whatever it is and talking of items they thought of buying, doing etc, their mobiles where inundated with adverts of such items, and offers deals and the rest.
One of this persons is my own daughter, so I have a member of my family whom I trust making this claim.
Amazon was questioned over these claims and denied them, of course, however then came some news from The USA that a murder had been solved "thanks to Alexa". Was this just journalists making up stories? I don't know, but if it's true and they did solve a crime in the States because Alexa eavesdropped on the murder being committed then the denial by Amazon was a lie and Alexa is a spying device (scary).
Either way I will not trust it, despite the fact that I understand how very useful it can be to people with disabilities.
About the "alexa" thing. Basically the marketing of that has been viewed negatively for multiple reasons. Mostly because I see all electronic assistant devices/programs/apps to be bloatware aka worthless junk. So the announcement had a double negative impression.
why does there have to be a mystery, if the new feature is being announced the same day? i think that its evident that many players are frustrated with the mystery and want to know what to expect
Yep I was arguing with a Troll on Twitter. He was bashing the Gurus and said I was a 🐸🐸🐸🐸 for defending them.
Edit
I didn't curse but the forum changed my word sh-ep-le to plum.
I could not have put this better myself, exactly. I felt the exact same way when I read Kate’s post. I felt I was being patronised and was being told off for something I hadn’t done... I haven’t said one word about the Alexa project, I’m just waiting for the next pack announcement!
I understand that it must be hard for the developers and Kate to get nasty comments but unfortunately everyone with a larger online presence gets them and these people who majorly overstep the mark are in the minority, a blanket statement accusing the whole community of not behaving in a decent way is not the right way to combat it. The gurus who have posted here have got it right in my opinion, clarify misunderstandings in a positive way and ignore the trolls!
"I find this talk of ‘passion projects’ very strange. I mean sure... game developers need time to pursue their passions, but that is what free time is for. Hobbies have no place at work. I'd imagine if I walked up to my manager and asked for a 'passion project' he'd laugh and tell me I had work to do."
"People are over the constant disappointment and deceit that is a reoccurring theme with this dev team."
"I completely understand a directive being sent down to handle the negative public reaction to the last info dump.
I can also understand Kate being upset about her tribe being "attacked" by the very people they're working to serve.
I can even understand some EA or Maxis corporate monkey looking at their forum and social media accounts as a business asset being subverted as a means of damaging the product, and sending down censorship guidance.
What I cannot accept is, as a customer, being angrily lectured by the corporate mouthpiece. Angry apologist is not effective; back office staff going off script and lecturing the customer is something PR apologizes for, not something PR does itself. Allowing your rage to seep through, and make your customers feel bad is not acceptable.
If this was the first time this had happened, it would be one thing, but after the monologue we got in October, it's crystal clear Kate is not the person who should be speaking for the brand.
This just needs to get pushed into the attention sphere of EA corporate, once that happens, it will resolve itself."
"It’s quite telling that they have to address mass complaints almost every time they release/announce something like this. Not the first time they’ve done this and won’t be the last.
Here’s the thing, this franchise is almost 19 years old. With each passing year, expectations get higher and higher and quite frankly, they aren’t being met. The Sims 2 does things that Sims 4 will never do. That game came out in 2004. At this point, I expect more than what we’re giving. If the game was where it should be, this Alexa thing wouldn’t be so disliked."
This overblown melodrama is getting so outrageous, it's almost laughable at this point. I love this community, I honestly do, but some people are upset now because Kate didn't coddle and candy-coat her words and speak to us like we were sweet little children who never do wrong, especially after how some people treated them during the stream? I'm sorry guys, but being candid and speaking frankly isn't "insulting the community" unless the truth hurts. And I'd much rather see her speak a direct ugly truth out of honesty, rather than falsely tiptoe around it like I'm a fragile child. Just because she didn't tell you what you want to hear doesn't mean she was demeaning. Yes, she's a representative of the company, but she's a real person, and the people employed by that company are real people - and no matter how dissatisfied you might be, you still have a personal responsibility to reign in your own behavior and keep it respectful. As soon as you make the choice to absolve yourself of that responsibility, they owe you nothing. Treat others as you expect to be treated and as if they were sitting right in front of you. It's really that simple.
Think of it this way...if you walked into the Maxis building to speak to someone face-to-face, and you immediately start in with snarkiness, insults, and self-important shouting... you're very likely going to get thrown right out onto your tuckus on the pavement. Moreso, no one in the company is going to want anything to do with you. Why should it be any different on Twitch, Twitter, the Forums or anywhere else? And for the record, those who know how to approach the Gurus with common courtesy are the ones who get their attention and questions answered. You don't have to be schmoozy, nor do you have to be overly irate. That's where constructive criticism comes in handy, and I will emphasize: constructive criticism, which essentially means "useful" in that context. If you truly want to be heard and if you really want the Gurus to engage you, you'll get a lot more from them by dropping the nerd rage and addressing them human to human like mature people do in real life.
The days of catering to the indignant customer are over. Like it or not, with the anonymity of the internet, people are becoming ruder, brattier, and more obnoxious because they can hide behind a keyboard, and this kind of anger just starts to become redundant and predictable. Companies no longer carry policies of "the customer is always right", because they simply aren't. Entitlement behavior and reckless intolerance is a huge thing now in gaming communities, and people are known to do it as a manipulation tactic to make themselves appear important in an attempt to get what they want and it just wastes everyone's time and energy and drains the life out of communities like this.
And here's another thing. They may not be able to share more information as we'd like, but they can always share less. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if they went back to radio silence after this. If they can't share info, they can't share it. All the complaining in the world can't change it, so get used to it and move on. Learn how to shrug off disappointment, it's healthy.
Holy smack, all of this fuss over an Alexa app. Honestly people, choose your battles.
It isn't. It's going to play Sims music and trivia. That's it.
It's about listening to The Sims 1-4 Music on Alexa,Playing Trivia and Sim Facts. It's complimenting the Lidz Speaker in The Sims 4 but it's not adding anything to the game itself. I just hope I can hear some of the CAS/Buy Build Music on Alexa that isn't currently released anywhere else. Right now we can only hear it in game.
What about the CAS/Buy Build Music from The Sims 4?
Those are also available via youtube. At least as far as I am aware since I did not actively look and got them as options while looking for something else.
I don’t agree... I find being told how to conduct myself online patronising. I’ve managed quite well to distinguish between what is obnoxious and what is constructive in my 30+ years.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and people should respect that instead of shooting people down and thinking theirs is the only one that matters. I don’t personally see how you would find it patronising if Kate didn’t post what she did but you’re entitled to think that way.
I was never bothered about the Alexa thing anyway... I just didn’t think Kate went about this in the right way by potentially alienating the community when the majority are perfectly capable of behaving appropriately online. Unfortunately you can’t tell a troll to stop being a troll you’ll probably just give them more fuel for their sad little fire.
Right I’m off back to the speculation forum to tide me over until the next pack announcement...