Of course it's all about money. Money makes the world go round as in a very old song. The Sims would not still be here for anyone to play from 2 and onward without EA putting their money in. They have a right to do what they like with it, even to the game failures like SimCity 5, (SimCity 4 was a good game though). But it was their investors' money they lost. Will Wright has moved on, he is brilliant but has had several failed games since because he didn't have backing or the game didn't take the public's imagination. I bought Spore myself but that wasn't sandbox, just grind, upgrading your creature.
Of course everyone complaining here could cloudfund a project to make a similar sandbox game if they wanted but remember Sims 4 is still surviving and doing well, judging from the online players I see online.
Of course it's all about money. Money makes the world go round as in a very old song. The Sims would not still be here for anyone to play from 2 and onward without EA putting their money in. They have a right to do what they like with it, even to the game failures like SimCity 5, (SimCity 4 was a good game though). But it was their investors' money they lost. Will Wright has moved on, he is brilliant but has had several failed games since because he didn't have backing or the game didn't take the public's imagination. I bought Spore myself but that wasn't sandbox, just grind, upgrading your creature.
Of course everyone complaining here could cloudfund a project to make a similar sandbox game if they wanted but remember Sims 4 is still surviving and doing well, judging from the online players I see online.
But from what I hear and read it seems they are bored with the concept of The Sims and want to try and experiment with different genres and ideas, when Simmers are waving hey, look here, we have even more ideas for the actual life simulator. Boredom, burn out and just not as interested in the actual Sims and it's life simulation may be the very reasons we see them trying to add linear and scripted play to this series. It's like they are tired to me, and want to build something else. Then they should let it go, and let another company have the life simulator and see what fresh and amazing ideas they can bring to a life simulator rather than trying to shove other genres into it.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
Really? Then why are you here. I'm not bored with the franchise but if we are going to have another three years of what's being produced then maybe we declare The Sims is dead.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
Really? Then why are you here. I'm not bored with the franchise but if we are going to have another three years of what's being produced then maybe we declare The Sims is dead.
I've had the fear that The Sims franchise is dying a slow death lately.
The new GP Strangerville is a perfect example. Instead of spending their resources on fixing the current problems, they are using their time and resources to develop a GP that tells their story in a linear fashion from what I am understanding. I'm all for new ideas, but not when it dictates how I play my game. New ideas should expand on my choices in MY world, not tell me how I have to play my game.
I'd much rather they used their resources to come out with a University EP (one of my personal favorites). I'm wondering though if I should even comment since I have given up on TS4 and don't even play it anymore. I guess I do want to give my input for the development of TS5 though. If some drastic changes aren't made, I'm afraid I'm done with this series that I have dearly loved for years. Ah well, it was a good ride (excluding TS4) while it lasted. sigh
The Sims needs competition right now! A lot of people just accept everything EA/Maxis does for The Sims. For me that Im a long time player that scares me!
Really? Then why are you here. I'm not bored with the franchise but if we are going to have another three years of what's being produced then maybe we declare The Sims is dead.
I've had the fear that The Sims franchise is dying a slow death lately.
The new GP Strangerville is a perfect example. Instead of spending their resources on fixing the current problems, they are using their time and resources to develop a GP that tells their story in a linear fashion from what I am understanding. I'm all for new ideas, but not when it dictates how I play my game. New ideas should expand on my choices in MY world, not tell me how I have to play my game.
I'd much rather they used their resources to come out with a University EP (one of my personal favorites). I'm wondering though if I should even comment since I have given up on TS4 and don't even play it anymore. I guess I do want to give my input for the development of TS5 though. If some drastic changes aren't made, I'm afraid I'm done with this series that I have dearly loved for years. Ah well, it was a good ride (excluding TS4) while it lasted. sigh
If it's about gaining new players then why isn't a billion dollars enough, lol. I'm all for them making money, as much as their coffers can hold, but throwing over their long time fanbase to gain new types of gamers to get them to play The Sims seems like such blashemy to me. Adding packs that are story driven to get a new player shows how much they don't understand some of the original players and or don't care as long as they gain new player types. I guess we can be thankful there might not be anything locked unless you play the new story, like something you can't use in the rest of your game unless you walk the line. But wait, I think the laptop is only available if you play it so far or whatever.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
Really? Then why are you here. I'm not bored with the franchise but if we are going to have another three years of what's being produced then maybe we declare The Sims is dead.
I've had the fear that The Sims franchise is dying a slow death lately.
The new GP Strangerville is a perfect example. Instead of spending their resources on fixing the current problems, they are using their time and resources to develop a GP that tells their story in a linear fashion from what I am understanding. I'm all for new ideas, but not when it dictates how I play my game. New ideas should expand on my choices in MY world, not tell me how I have to play my game.
I'd much rather they used their resources to come out with a University EP (one of my personal favorites). I'm wondering though if I should even comment since I have given up on TS4 and don't even play it anymore. I guess I do want to give my input for the development of TS5 though. If some drastic changes aren't made, I'm afraid I'm done with this series that I have dearly loved for years. Ah well, it was a good ride (excluding TS4) while it lasted. sigh
The GP I'm waiting for is the Bugfix GP. It adds nothing new to the game, just fixes the content we already own. And I'm ashamed at myself for being willing to pay for it.
Let's be honest, deep down, it's the game pack we all really want.
Really? Then why are you here. I'm not bored with the franchise but if we are going to have another three years of what's being produced then maybe we declare The Sims is dead.
I've had the fear that The Sims franchise is dying a slow death lately.
The new GP Strangerville is a perfect example. Instead of spending their resources on fixing the current problems, they are using their time and resources to develop a GP that tells their story in a linear fashion from what I am understanding. I'm all for new ideas, but not when it dictates how I play my game. New ideas should expand on my choices in MY world, not tell me how I have to play my game.
I'd much rather they used their resources to come out with a University EP (one of my personal favorites). I'm wondering though if I should even comment since I have given up on TS4 and don't even play it anymore. I guess I do want to give my input for the development of TS5 though. If some drastic changes aren't made, I'm afraid I'm done with this series that I have dearly loved for years. Ah well, it was a good ride (excluding TS4) while it lasted. sigh
If it's about gaining new players then why isn't a billion dollars enough, lol. I'm all for them making money, as much as their coffers can hold, but throwing over their long time fanbase to gain new types of gamers to get them to play The Sims seems like such blashemy to me. Adding packs that are story driven to get a new player shows how much they don't understand some of the original players and or don't care as long as they gain new player types. I guess we can be thankful there might not be anything locked unless you play the new story, like something you can't use in the rest of your game unless you walk the line. But wait, I think the laptop is only available if you play it so far or whatever.
Everyone is obsessed with chasing these imaginary friend new players / fans these days. Problem is they are imaginary, they don't exist, and it just ends in failure, which is blamed on the "toxic" fans.
Really? Then why are you here. I'm not bored with the franchise but if we are going to have another three years of what's being produced then maybe we declare The Sims is dead.
We, if we are going to use the Royal prerogative and meaning me in this case don't consider it dead at all. "We" like the way it is going and I've played every iteration since 2001.
The Sims games seem to come out around or to be tested against Microsoft Windows releases, Both Windows 7 and Sims 3 2009, Sims 4 was one of a couple tested by Microsoft for Windows 10 as I remember seeing online, and if Windows 10 is not superceded by 11 or 12 I expect Sims 4 could go on for several more years than 3 or 4 and grow with it.
Really? Then why are you here. I'm not bored with the franchise but if we are going to have another three years of what's being produced then maybe we declare The Sims is dead.
I've had the fear that The Sims franchise is dying a slow death lately.
The new GP Strangerville is a perfect example. Instead of spending their resources on fixing the current problems, they are using their time and resources to develop a GP that tells their story in a linear fashion from what I am understanding. I'm all for new ideas, but not when it dictates how I play my game. New ideas should expand on my choices in MY world, not tell me how I have to play my game.
I'd much rather they used their resources to come out with a University EP (one of my personal favorites). I'm wondering though if I should even comment since I have given up on TS4 and don't even play it anymore. I guess I do want to give my input for the development of TS5 though. If some drastic changes aren't made, I'm afraid I'm done with this series that I have dearly loved for years. Ah well, it was a good ride (excluding TS4) while it lasted. sigh
If it's about gaining new players then why isn't a billion dollars enough, lol. I'm all for them making money, as much as their coffers can hold, but throwing over their long time fanbase to gain new types of gamers to get them to play The Sims seems like such blashemy to me. Adding packs that are story driven to get a new player shows how much they don't understand some of the original players and or don't care as long as they gain new player types. I guess we can be thankful there might not be anything locked unless you play the new story, like something you can't use in the rest of your game unless you walk the line. But wait, I think the laptop is only available if you play it so far or whatever.
Everyone is obsessed with chasing these imaginary friend new players / fans these days. Problem is they are imaginary, they don't exist, and it just ends in failure, which is blamed on the "toxic" fans.
This is far from the truth. Sims 4 has picked up a huge new player base, there's nothing "imaginary" about it. New players mainly include the next generation of gamers, who tend to be younger. This has happened with every iteration in the series. Some people started with Sims 3, some with Sims 2, some with Sims 1 and now, Sims 4. What do you think happens when Simmers have children of their own? Those children become the new players of the latest generation of Sims. Why do you think change even happens in the game in the first place? Why don't they just repeat the same exact formula of the previous version? To update the content to reflect what's going on in the current timeline that we live in. That, in itself, keeps it new and fresh and appealing to those new players who will find the latest version of the game relatable and be more likely to try it out. As times change, so does the Sims franchise. Plus, why would a company spend those resources in the first place just to develop an exact replica of a game that already exists, but with better graphics? To bring nothing new, ever, would be pointless.
The world continues to populate and as long as it does so, there will always be new young players to appeal to. It's what keeps companies in business. If each new Sims game didn't grow their player base, the company would have no reason to keep it going. It's the unfortunate truth of Capitalism.
Of course it's all about money. Money makes the world go round as in a very old song. The Sims would not still be here for anyone to play from 2 and onward without EA putting their money in. They have a right to do what they like with it, even to the game failures like SimCity 5, (SimCity 4 was a good game though). But it was their investors' money they lost. Will Wright has moved on, he is brilliant but has had several failed games since because he didn't have backing or the game didn't take the public's imagination. I bought Spore myself but that wasn't sandbox, just grind, upgrading your creature.
Of course everyone complaining here could cloudfund a project to make a similar sandbox game if they wanted but remember Sims 4 is still surviving and doing well, judging from the online players I see online.
I mean, I know it's "about money" and that as a business, they have a right to do with it as they wish, as long as it's legal. I would just personally prefer to invest my money somewhere that cares about how they present themselves to the customer, the quality of what they make, etc., because a company producing a game should, I think, care about the game they're making and the people playing it and how they feel, not just about how much they make. They should have integrity. I don't like 100% money-centered businesses, and go out of my way not to support places like that, and I will do the same here if and when I see fit.
I also don't judge the success of the game with the same standards you do--amount of people playing is only a part of what makes something a success. We don't know how happy/unhappy people may be with the game, just because they're playing it. I value other player's opinions, and that's why I like to read this thread, even when I don't agree with some of them. There's nothing wrong with us "complaining" here. We have concerns. We're allowed to voice them and share and learn from each other, find out if others feel similarly or not and why. It might benefit you to remember that people's opinions shared in this thread may not be their only opinions. I have many concerns about the game, mostly because of the company running it, but there are also many things I like. I share those things on other threads because that's what they're there for.
I also don't judge the success of the game with the same standards you do--amount of people playing is only a part of what makes something a success. We don't know how happy/unhappy people may be with the game, just because they're playing it. I value other player's opinions, and that's why I like to read this thread, even when I don't agree with some of them. There's nothing wrong with us "complaining" here. We have concerns. We're allowed to voice them and share and learn from each other, find out if others feel similarly or not and why. It might benefit you to remember that people's opinions shared in this thread may not be their only opinions. I have many concerns about the game, mostly because of the company running it, but there are also many things I like. I share those things on other threads because that's what they're there for.
I agree with everything you said. I don't trust the people who just promote TS4 even when there are grave concerns about it and how it's being promoted and sold - I see people trying to convince others that they should accept less of TS4 for more money (because times are changing - LAME!) That's just outrageous! That only benefits EA, and leaves the simmers with the short end of the stick!
Really? Then why are you here. I'm not bored with the franchise but if we are going to have another three years of what's being produced then maybe we declare The Sims is dead.
I've had the fear that The Sims franchise is dying a slow death lately.
The new GP Strangerville is a perfect example. Instead of spending their resources on fixing the current problems, they are using their time and resources to develop a GP that tells their story in a linear fashion from what I am understanding. I'm all for new ideas, but not when it dictates how I play my game. New ideas should expand on my choices in MY world, not tell me how I have to play my game.
I'd much rather they used their resources to come out with a University EP (one of my personal favorites). I'm wondering though if I should even comment since I have given up on TS4 and don't even play it anymore. I guess I do want to give my input for the development of TS5 though. If some drastic changes aren't made, I'm afraid I'm done with this series that I have dearly loved for years. Ah well, it was a good ride (excluding TS4) while it lasted. sigh
If it's about gaining new players then why isn't a billion dollars enough, lol. I'm all for them making money, as much as their coffers can hold, but throwing over their long time fanbase to gain new types of gamers to get them to play The Sims seems like such blashemy to me. Adding packs that are story driven to get a new player shows how much they don't understand some of the original players and or don't care as long as they gain new player types. I guess we can be thankful there might not be anything locked unless you play the new story, like something you can't use in the rest of your game unless you walk the line. But wait, I think the laptop is only available if you play it so far or whatever.
Everyone is obsessed with chasing these imaginary friend new players / fans these days. Problem is they are imaginary, they don't exist, and it just ends in failure, which is blamed on the "toxic" fans.
This is far from the truth. Sims 4 has picked up a huge new player base, there's nothing "imaginary" about it. New players mainly include the next generation of gamers, who tend to be younger. This has happened with every iteration in the series. Some people started with Sims 3, some with Sims 2, some with Sims 1 and now, Sims 4. What do you think happens when Simmers have children of their own? Those children become the new players of the latest generation of Sims. Why do you think change even happens in the game in the first place? Why don't they just repeat the same exact formula of the previous version? To update the content to reflect what's going on in the current timeline that we live in. That, in itself, keeps it new and fresh and appealing to those new players who will find the latest version of the game relatable and be more likely to try it out. As times change, so does the Sims franchise. Plus, why would a company spend those resources in the first place just to develop an exact replica of a game that already exists, but with better graphics? To bring nothing new, ever, would be pointless.
The world continues to populate and as long as it does so, there will always be new young players to appeal to. It's what keeps companies in business. If each new Sims game didn't grow their player base, the company would have no reason to keep it going. It's the unfortunate truth of Capitalism.
It has far more to do with a lack of competition. Sims is a de facto monopoly in the life sim sandbox market. EAxis is completely out of touch, the game launched without toddlers. Let me say that again. THE GAME LAUNCHED WITHOUT TODDLERS. When you find your market you build on your success. You don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. And they literally did just that. There are no babies in the game, there's furniture.
I agree with what you been posting, and I feel Sims 3 was before it's time as far as features goes and whatever hindered for some folks falls on the Devs Imo as they truly did not take the time to fix what was wrong with it for them.I only had problems when it was an problem with coding that was done by the devs like the AMB patch which was not based on an systems specs but an patch created by the Devs.
I agree. Despite it not being perfect, TS3 was truly a brilliant piece of work in terms of a fully open world that not only kept track of your own sims, but also all of the townies (which to me is amazing - it's the first time in Sims that I really felt my sims was part of the town) and all the unpredictable events (the equivalent of TS2 chance cards1). I think the problems it has for some were a little intimidating though and this is why some people won't play it, but I think if they realized just how easy the problems are to fix, then they would like it. That's why I always encourage people to try it out and if they have a problem with it to bring it to the TS3 forum and ask for help.
Also I think some people don't like it because they don't know what it can do. I would read about how some people don't think it can do rotational play for example, but it actually can. It does need the NRaas SP mod though and to configure it for rotational play, but I know Igazor can help out with that.
I can think of a few issues I know I still had by the end of The Sims 3 before I started using mods and I know people had more major problems than those that were easily fixed with mods or someone like ellacharmed fixing the worlds. But where was the offical fix? I think that's also what turns people off. The problems were so well documented and even fixed by other people for free but as much as I love what modders do for the community they shouldn't be the maintenance men and women for these games. I think some people would rather go with the current one because there stands a more of a chance that any problems with it will be fixed but that's not necessarily true.
I don't have any doubts that if they were to announce a Sims 5 tomorrow or three years from now that most of the problems piling for a lot of players since the base game of The Sims 4 will never be fixed by EA. I hope I'm wrong but I have more faith in modders to fix it than EA. What I also hope will be different is that because of this day and age with social media and more people on board, especially if they are targeting a younger audience, they'll have a fire lit under them to actually fix the known and documented problems in the game before moving on unless the series just ends with this game.
Of course it's all about money. Money makes the world go roundas in a very old song. The Sims would not still be here for anyone to play from 2 and onward without EA putting their money in. They have a right to do what they like with it, even to the game failures like SimCity 5, (SimCity 4 was a good game though). But it was their investors' money they lost. Will Wright has moved on, he is brilliant but has had several failed games since because he didn't have backing or the game didn't take the public's imagination. I bought Spore myself but that wasn't sandbox, just grind, upgrading your creature.
Of course everyone complaining here could cloudfund a project to make a similar sandbox game if they wanted but remember Sims 4 is still surviving and doing well, judging from the online players I see online.
I think the problem is when there's not good enough quality. An article I read some weeks ago was talking about EA as opposed to Disney and the author of it said something along the lines of greed isn't EA's problem, because Disney is greedy as well, but Disney wouldn't put out a movie missing important scenes and parts just because they were coming up to the deadline and would go over budget. That's EA's problem. They would put out a game like that or cut it in favor of a smaller scale game they can get results from in their desired time frame. And maybe they'll fix or patch in whatever, maybe they won't. They don't care as long as they make money. But imagine how much more money they could make if their product was better, if when problems arose they addressed and fixed them, and if they listened to their players instead of trying to force a certain way to play on them.
The Sims also wouldn't have made it this far if it wasn't for the players who loved this game from the start, purchased the game and packs, provided feedback, and helped make it popular. And it being a sandbox to tell their own stories in is what hooked most of them. So EA put their money into The Sims 1 but we wouldn't be at The Sims 4 without players putting their money in too. It's when players stop loving this franchise enough to sink money into that it will be problematic. And from what I've seen from players online, they're starting to cut it close. While the game may be well financially there are a lot of disgruntled customers. The majority of comments I tend to see are neutral or negative. And a few I know used to be super positive about this game. Usually their problems are bugs or too small of a sandbox/not enough tools or options. Even the positive comments I see sometimes acknowledge those issues. That's just my experience with other players though.
And why are you here if you don't want to listen? The forums are a place to talk, learn, ask questions, share thoughts, voice concerns, share ideas, etc..
I agree with what you been posting, and I feel Sims 3 was before it's time as far as features goes and whatever hindered for some folks falls on the Devs Imo as they truly did not take the time to fix what was wrong with it for them.I only had problems when it was an problem with coding that was done by the devs like the AMB patch which was not based on an systems specs but an patch created by the Devs.
I agree. Despite it not being perfect, TS3 was truly a brilliant piece of work in terms of a fully open world that not only kept track of your own sims, but also all of the townies (which to me is amazing - it's the first time in Sims that I really felt my sims was part of the town) and all the unpredictable events (the equivalent of TS2 chance cards1). I think the problems it has for some were a little intimidating though and this is why some people won't play it, but I think if they realized just how easy the problems are to fix, then they would like it. That's why I always encourage people to try it out and if they have a problem with it to bring it to the TS3 forum and ask for help.
Also I think some people don't like it because they don't know what it can do. I would read about how some people don't think it can do rotational play for example, but it actually can. It does need the NRaas SP mod though and to configure it for rotational play, but I know Igazor can help out with that.
I can think of a few issues I know I still had by the end of The Sims 3 before I started using mods and I know people had more major problems than those that were easily fixed with mods or someone like ellacharmed fixing the worlds. But where was the offical fix? I think that's also what turns people off. The problems were so well documented and even fixed by other people for free but as much as I love what modders do for the community they shouldn't be the maintenance men and women for these games. I think some people would rather go with the current one because there stands a more of a chance that any problems with it will be fixed but that's not necessarily true.
I don't have any doubts that if they were to announce a Sims 5 tomorrow or three years from now that most of the problems piling for a lot of players since the base game of The Sims 4 will never be fixed by EA. I hope I'm wrong but I have more faith in modders to fix it than EA. What I also hope will be different is that because of this day and age with social media and more people on board, especially if they are targeting a younger audience, they'll have a fire lit under them to actually fix the known and documented problems in the game before moving on unless the series just ends with this game.
Of course it's all about money. Money makes the world go roundas in a very old song. The Sims would not still be here for anyone to play from 2 and onward without EA putting their money in. They have a right to do what they like with it, even to the game failures like SimCity 5, (SimCity 4 was a good game though). But it was their investors' money they lost. Will Wright has moved on, he is brilliant but has had several failed games since because he didn't have backing or the game didn't take the public's imagination. I bought Spore myself but that wasn't sandbox, just grind, upgrading your creature.
Of course everyone complaining here could cloudfund a project to make a similar sandbox game if they wanted but remember Sims 4 is still surviving and doing well, judging from the online players I see online.
I think the problem is when there's not good enough quality. An article I read some weeks ago was talking about EA as opposed to Disney and the author of it said something along the lines of greed isn't EA's problem, because Disney is greedy as well, but Disney wouldn't put out a movie missing important scenes and parts just because they were coming up to the deadline and would go over budget. That's EA's problem. They would put out a game like that or cut it in favor of a smaller scale game they can get results from in their desired time frame. And maybe they'll fix or patch in whatever, maybe they won't. They don't care as long as they make money. But imagine how much more money they could make if their product was better, if when problems arose they addressed and fixed them, and if they listened to their players instead of trying to force a certain way to play on them.
The Sims also wouldn't have made it this far if it wasn't for the players who loved this game from the start, purchased the game and packs, provided feedback, and helped make it popular. And it being a sandbox to tell their own stories in is what hooked most of them. So EA put their money into The Sims 1 but we wouldn't be at The Sims 4 without players putting their money in too. It's when players stop loving this franchise enough to sink money into that it will be problematic. And from what I've seen from players online, they're starting to cut it close. While the game may be well financially there are a lot of disgruntled customers. The majority of comments I tend to see are neutral or negative. And a few I know used to be super positive about this game. Usually their problems are bugs or too small of a sandbox/not enough tools or options. Even the positive comments I see sometimes acknowledge those issues. That's just my experience with other players though.
And why are you here if you don't want to listen?
The forums are a place to talk, learn, ask questions, share thoughts, voice concerns, share ideas, etc..
As far as I'm concerned they stick that line as the description of this section. Including the added phrase "for all simmers out there, no matter what version they play and prefer".
Really? Then why are you here. I'm not bored with the franchise but if we are going to have another three years of what's being produced then maybe we declare The Sims is dead.
I've had the fear that The Sims franchise is dying a slow death lately.
The new GP Strangerville is a perfect example. Instead of spending their resources on fixing the current problems, they are using their time and resources to develop a GP that tells their story in a linear fashion from what I am understanding. I'm all for new ideas, but not when it dictates how I play my game. New ideas should expand on my choices in MY world, not tell me how I have to play my game.
I'd much rather they used their resources to come out with a University EP (one of my personal favorites). I'm wondering though if I should even comment since I have given up on TS4 and don't even play it anymore. I guess I do want to give my input for the development of TS5 though. If some drastic changes aren't made, I'm afraid I'm done with this series that I have dearly loved for years. Ah well, it was a good ride (excluding TS4) while it lasted. sigh
If it's about gaining new players then why isn't a billion dollars enough, lol. I'm all for them making money, as much as their coffers can hold, but throwing over their long time fanbase to gain new types of gamers to get them to play The Sims seems like such blashemy to me. Adding packs that are story driven to get a new player shows how much they don't understand some of the original players and or don't care as long as they gain new player types. I guess we can be thankful there might not be anything locked unless you play the new story, like something you can't use in the rest of your game unless you walk the line. But wait, I think the laptop is only available if you play it so far or whatever.
Everyone is obsessed with chasing these imaginary friend new players / fans these days. Problem is they are imaginary, they don't exist, and it just ends in failure, which is blamed on the "toxic" fans.
This is far from the truth. Sims 4 has picked up a huge new player base, there's nothing "imaginary" about it. New players mainly include the next generation of gamers, who tend to be younger. This has happened with every iteration in the series. Some people started with Sims 3, some with Sims 2, some with Sims 1 and now, Sims 4. What do you think happens when Simmers have children of their own? Those children become the new players of the latest generation of Sims. Why do you think change even happens in the game in the first place? Why don't they just repeat the same exact formula of the previous version? To update the content to reflect what's going on in the current timeline that we live in. That, in itself, keeps it new and fresh and appealing to those new players who will find the latest version of the game relatable and be more likely to try it out. As times change, so does the Sims franchise. Plus, why would a company spend those resources in the first place just to develop an exact replica of a game that already exists, but with better graphics? To bring nothing new, ever, would be pointless.
The world continues to populate and as long as it does so, there will always be new young players to appeal to. It's what keeps companies in business. If each new Sims game didn't grow their player base, the company would have no reason to keep it going. It's the unfortunate truth of Capitalism.
It has far more to do with a lack of competition. Sims is a de facto monopoly in the life sim sandbox market. EAxis is completely out of touch, the game launched without toddlers. Let me say that again. THE GAME LAUNCHED WITHOUT TODDLERS. When you find your market you build on your success. You don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. And they literally did just that. There are no babies in the game, there's furniture.
I was merely responding to your statement that new players don't exist, which didn't make sense to me because it's just not true. I don't know what this rant has to do with my response, or why my pointing out that having new players is a common and expected thing should upset you. But now it seems you are changing to say that new players do exist, but only because there is no competition, which, to a degree, I can agree that it's probably a contributing factor.
I do think competition would be nice to have, if it were the kind of competition we wanted. It would give us, as simulation gamers, more options. But I think that it's important to be realistic about what that competition would actually look like. Now, other people might have their own ideas, but personally, I don't think a competitor's life simulation would be anywhere near the scale or breadth of the Sims games. If another game company took the plunge, they certainly aren't going to make something exactly like what Maxis has done, they are going to do something different, something of their own take on what it should be. It's going to be a brand new vision, something that costs a lot less and most likely simplified. It might revolve around playing a single character and a single home. It would probably have a lot more limits in building and decorating choices. It might put the focus on daily chores, or getting a career and progressing to the top. It might focus on wandering around an open world but with limited, static venues. It might be something geared more to all ages or it could be something specifically more mature. We have no idea how another company would design a life simulation or what their priorities would be, and they wouldn't have an existing player base or telemetry or feedback so they certainly wouldn't be trying to please us. If anything, they'd be focusing on something new and innovative, so things like toddlers are probably not even going to exist. Also, there are other types of simulation games out there, but look at how much smaller they are compared to a Sims game. So a new competitor might be about the size of a Sims base game with one EP and not meant to be built and expanded on. They certainly aren't likely to have a budget anywhere near what EA can afford.
Of course, we would all like to see someone do something that's inspired by the Sims games, but I think there's a very good reason why nobody will even go near it. I mean, the Sims is nineteen years old and the only thing remotely close (to my knowledge) is the online game Second Life. Take a look at that some time if you haven't. It's old, but it should give you an idea of what other companies might do. The truth is, an extensive life simulation game like the Sims is a huge, complicated undertaking. It has so many moving and flexible and changeable parts that have to be programmed to be altered in hundreds of ways. Every interactable piece has to be able to work with specific other interactable pieces, and be manipulated by a variety of life stages and states and animals. This is why toddlers took over two years alone to get right. This is why Cats and Dogs took years to finish. The Sims games as we know them are in a constant state of development. We start playing from the initial base game and add as we go. When you think about the actual time span it takes to create a Sims game from start to the end of the last DLC pack, these games take a good nine or ten years to complete. That is a very big risk to take for a new company. It just isn't feasible unless it's another giant publisher like EA, and even then, it will have to be able to hold its own and successfully compete with a well-known, popular franchise. And if it's another publishing giant, it will have to be a money maker.
I know this might sound absurd to you, but we might actually be better off sticking with the Sims as we know it. At least the developers are taking feedback into consideration. At least they have the information and there's a chance of incorporating material that we ask for. At least there's a basic structure that we're familiar with. At least there's a good possibility of a brand new, shiny edition in the works, due to come out in another three or five or whatever years. Sure, it feels like a long time to wait for a gamble, but if/when it happens, we'll all have that new game to consider and a new choice to make.
I don't think a competitor's life simulation would be anywhere near the scale or breadth of the Sims games.
Considering that cities skylines happened, I think that everything is possible. That being said as I no longer consider The Sims 4 worth playing, anything would be welcome in life simulation genre.
I don't think a competitor's life simulation would be anywhere near the scale or breadth of the Sims games.
Considering that cities skylines happened, I think that everything is possible. That being said as I no longer consider The Sims 4 worth playing, anything would be welcome in life simulation genre.
Regardless of my view on the current iteration, competition can only be a healthy thing to push companies to develop better products. In that sense I agree it needs a competitor badly.
LOL, I just saw where the new houses in the new world don't even come with furniture. The new world also reuses a base game house in one spot. And the bunker in the airplane, Sims can't use the kitchen, because no one play tested to see if they had counter space. Talk about half baked, there you go. And they want me to cheer for three more years of a lack of quality control, half done worlds (houses without furniture) and reused base game houses coming in new worlds? I don't think so.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
LOL, I just saw where the new houses in the new world don't even come with furniture. The new world also reuses a base game house in one spot. And the bunker in the airplane, Sims can't use the kitchen, because no one play tested to see if they had counter space. Talk about half baked, there you go. And they want me to cheer for three more years of a lack of quality control, half done worlds (houses without furniture) and reused base game houses coming in new worlds? I don't think so.
Sadly, I'm not even surprised to read this. Doesn't bode well for TS4 or the future of this franchise.
Well this is the franchise that forgot to put a toilet in a house in the last world. How can you build a bathroom and forget a toilet?
There are lots of things like that. One of the apartments in city living the lobby part isn’t painted properly, they uploaded a restaurant under their account that was built by them that didn’t work and or wasn’t fully decorated with sections missed out.
@MidnightAura Speaking of builders (not that I am one), I never did like how the apartments in SM didn't allow for me to build on my apartment lot. So I was stuck with the layout and could only paint and refurbish.
DO WE REALLY NEED ANOTHER THREE YEARS? TS4 AT FOUR YEARS OLD
I think it's worth noting that the game was obviously rushed and it's extremely difficult to say that the game was released in an actual finished state. 4 years? I'd count its lifespan starting with toddlers update. Before that the game was in early access/open beta state at best. I mean, we're talking about a game which actually had no pools or ghosts or even generation trees on release. EA seriously damaged the game by releasing it in incomplete state as an official complete product and sadly this business practice is nothing new.
With that said, I think the game does need more time because it still has (and can) to catch up to previous games. I mean, it already did in some areas and outperformed previous games (see Vampires, Generations, etc) but there are things left which have to be improved (and if it's true that Military career in upcoming GP has mostly sports related tasks which is a big shame I can already bet that it's still an improvement over previous games, I'll never forget "Astronaut" joke in Sims 3). The only problem I see is a waste of time. Story-driven pack maybe isn't the most terrible thing but I'd rather they hesitated on releasing them constantly and focusing on them too much because there are way better things which this game still misses. I really hope they'll do their research and get the idea why people will be getting the pack because that "if that success then yes" tweet is concerning a bit. I know that my priority about getting it is Military career which I missed since the day the game came out and now I have much less reasons to play TS3.
Also I really hope they fix these bugs. Sims 3 is very annoying in this department and routing issues aren't the only unfixed problem this game has to this day. Sims 2 had it much better (in many ways actually).
P.S.: I'd rather see them bringing back story progression and improving it drastically compared to TS3 instead of story-driven and scripted content.
It never will be. I wish another game company would come in and eat their lunch. If they won't give us what we want, maybe someone else will.
That unfortunately will not happen with modern video game industry at its current state. Only changing that will make any difference. I don't even think a fluke can happen.
Considering that cities skylines happened, I think that everything is possible.
Games like The Sims are very ambitious and it's one of a very few exceptions in this industry when you really need a big team to produce such big project. Sims is much bigger and more complex game compared to Simcity. Only AAA dev is capable to produce something like that and they will never touch it because it would mean taking risks.
Games like The Sims are very ambitious and it's one of a very few exceptions in this industry when you really need a big team to produce such big project. Sims is much bigger and more complex game compared to Simcity. Only AAA dev is capable to produce something like that and they will never touch it because it would mean taking risks.
I really don't see any risk for another company producing a simulation game if they have the capability to do it. The Sims franchise has made millions and is still making a lot of money on TS4 despite the quality and content being a lot less than desired. Frankly, I'm surprised that a company hasn't taken advantage of how EA has created a lot of unhappy simmers. Sure, there are still a lot of simmers who are happy with TS4, but "blind" loyalty only goes so far in my opinion. Especially, if a better option for the same type of gameplay becomes available.
Comments
Of course everyone complaining here could cloudfund a project to make a similar sandbox game if they wanted but remember Sims 4 is still surviving and doing well, judging from the online players I see online.
But from what I hear and read it seems they are bored with the concept of The Sims and want to try and experiment with different genres and ideas, when Simmers are waving hey, look here, we have even more ideas for the actual life simulator. Boredom, burn out and just not as interested in the actual Sims and it's life simulation may be the very reasons we see them trying to add linear and scripted play to this series. It's like they are tired to me, and want to build something else. Then they should let it go, and let another company have the life simulator and see what fresh and amazing ideas they can bring to a life simulator rather than trying to shove other genres into it.
Really? Then why are you here. I'm not bored with the franchise but if we are going to have another three years of what's being produced then maybe we declare The Sims is dead.
I've had the fear that The Sims franchise is dying a slow death lately.
The new GP Strangerville is a perfect example. Instead of spending their resources on fixing the current problems, they are using their time and resources to develop a GP that tells their story in a linear fashion from what I am understanding. I'm all for new ideas, but not when it dictates how I play my game. New ideas should expand on my choices in MY world, not tell me how I have to play my game.
I'd much rather they used their resources to come out with a University EP (one of my personal favorites). I'm wondering though if I should even comment since I have given up on TS4 and don't even play it anymore. I guess I do want to give my input for the development of TS5 though. If some drastic changes aren't made, I'm afraid I'm done with this series that I have dearly loved for years. Ah well, it was a good ride (excluding TS4) while it lasted. sigh
If it's about gaining new players then why isn't a billion dollars enough, lol. I'm all for them making money, as much as their coffers can hold, but throwing over their long time fanbase to gain new types of gamers to get them to play The Sims seems like such blashemy to me. Adding packs that are story driven to get a new player shows how much they don't understand some of the original players and or don't care as long as they gain new player types. I guess we can be thankful there might not be anything locked unless you play the new story, like something you can't use in the rest of your game unless you walk the line. But wait, I think the laptop is only available if you play it so far or whatever.
The GP I'm waiting for is the Bugfix GP. It adds nothing new to the game, just fixes the content we already own. And I'm ashamed at myself for being willing to pay for it.
Let's be honest, deep down, it's the game pack we all really want.
Everyone is obsessed with chasing these imaginary friend new players / fans these days. Problem is they are imaginary, they don't exist, and it just ends in failure, which is blamed on the "toxic" fans.
We, if we are going to use the Royal prerogative and meaning me in this case don't consider it dead at all. "We" like the way it is going and I've played every iteration since 2001.
The Sims games seem to come out around or to be tested against Microsoft Windows releases, Both Windows 7 and Sims 3 2009, Sims 4 was one of a couple tested by Microsoft for Windows 10 as I remember seeing online, and if Windows 10 is not superceded by 11 or 12 I expect Sims 4 could go on for several more years than 3 or 4 and grow with it.
This is far from the truth. Sims 4 has picked up a huge new player base, there's nothing "imaginary" about it. New players mainly include the next generation of gamers, who tend to be younger. This has happened with every iteration in the series. Some people started with Sims 3, some with Sims 2, some with Sims 1 and now, Sims 4. What do you think happens when Simmers have children of their own? Those children become the new players of the latest generation of Sims. Why do you think change even happens in the game in the first place? Why don't they just repeat the same exact formula of the previous version? To update the content to reflect what's going on in the current timeline that we live in. That, in itself, keeps it new and fresh and appealing to those new players who will find the latest version of the game relatable and be more likely to try it out. As times change, so does the Sims franchise. Plus, why would a company spend those resources in the first place just to develop an exact replica of a game that already exists, but with better graphics? To bring nothing new, ever, would be pointless.
The world continues to populate and as long as it does so, there will always be new young players to appeal to. It's what keeps companies in business. If each new Sims game didn't grow their player base, the company would have no reason to keep it going. It's the unfortunate truth of Capitalism.
I mean, I know it's "about money" and that as a business, they have a right to do with it as they wish, as long as it's legal. I would just personally prefer to invest my money somewhere that cares about how they present themselves to the customer, the quality of what they make, etc., because a company producing a game should, I think, care about the game they're making and the people playing it and how they feel, not just about how much they make. They should have integrity. I don't like 100% money-centered businesses, and go out of my way not to support places like that, and I will do the same here if and when I see fit.
I also don't judge the success of the game with the same standards you do--amount of people playing is only a part of what makes something a success. We don't know how happy/unhappy people may be with the game, just because they're playing it. I value other player's opinions, and that's why I like to read this thread, even when I don't agree with some of them. There's nothing wrong with us "complaining" here. We have concerns. We're allowed to voice them and share and learn from each other, find out if others feel similarly or not and why. It might benefit you to remember that people's opinions shared in this thread may not be their only opinions. I have many concerns about the game, mostly because of the company running it, but there are also many things I like. I share those things on other threads because that's what they're there for.
I agree with everything you said. I don't trust the people who just promote TS4 even when there are grave concerns about it and how it's being promoted and sold - I see people trying to convince others that they should accept less of TS4 for more money (because times are changing - LAME!) That's just outrageous! That only benefits EA, and leaves the simmers with the short end of the stick!
It has far more to do with a lack of competition. Sims is a de facto monopoly in the life sim sandbox market. EAxis is completely out of touch, the game launched without toddlers. Let me say that again. THE GAME LAUNCHED WITHOUT TODDLERS. When you find your market you build on your success. You don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. And they literally did just that. There are no babies in the game, there's furniture.
I can think of a few issues I know I still had by the end of The Sims 3 before I started using mods and I know people had more major problems than those that were easily fixed with mods or someone like ellacharmed fixing the worlds. But where was the offical fix? I think that's also what turns people off. The problems were so well documented and even fixed by other people for free but as much as I love what modders do for the community they shouldn't be the maintenance men and women for these games. I think some people would rather go with the current one because there stands a more of a chance that any problems with it will be fixed but that's not necessarily true.
I don't have any doubts that if they were to announce a Sims 5 tomorrow or three years from now that most of the problems piling for a lot of players since the base game of The Sims 4 will never be fixed by EA. I hope I'm wrong but I have more faith in modders to fix it than EA. What I also hope will be different is that because of this day and age with social media and more people on board, especially if they are targeting a younger audience, they'll have a fire lit under them to actually fix the known and documented problems in the game before moving on unless the series just ends with this game.
I think the problem is when there's not good enough quality. An article I read some weeks ago was talking about EA as opposed to Disney and the author of it said something along the lines of greed isn't EA's problem, because Disney is greedy as well, but Disney wouldn't put out a movie missing important scenes and parts just because they were coming up to the deadline and would go over budget. That's EA's problem. They would put out a game like that or cut it in favor of a smaller scale game they can get results from in their desired time frame. And maybe they'll fix or patch in whatever, maybe they won't. They don't care as long as they make money. But imagine how much more money they could make if their product was better, if when problems arose they addressed and fixed them, and if they listened to their players instead of trying to force a certain way to play on them.
The Sims also wouldn't have made it this far if it wasn't for the players who loved this game from the start, purchased the game and packs, provided feedback, and helped make it popular. And it being a sandbox to tell their own stories in is what hooked most of them. So EA put their money into The Sims 1 but we wouldn't be at The Sims 4 without players putting their money in too. It's when players stop loving this franchise enough to sink money into that it will be problematic. And from what I've seen from players online, they're starting to cut it close. While the game may be well financially there are a lot of disgruntled customers. The majority of comments I tend to see are neutral or negative. And a few I know used to be super positive about this game. Usually their problems are bugs or too small of a sandbox/not enough tools or options. Even the positive comments I see sometimes acknowledge those issues. That's just my experience with other players though.
And why are you here if you don't want to listen? The forums are a place to talk, learn, ask questions, share thoughts, voice concerns, share ideas, etc..
I was merely responding to your statement that new players don't exist, which didn't make sense to me because it's just not true. I don't know what this rant has to do with my response, or why my pointing out that having new players is a common and expected thing should upset you. But now it seems you are changing to say that new players do exist, but only because there is no competition, which, to a degree, I can agree that it's probably a contributing factor.
I do think competition would be nice to have, if it were the kind of competition we wanted. It would give us, as simulation gamers, more options. But I think that it's important to be realistic about what that competition would actually look like. Now, other people might have their own ideas, but personally, I don't think a competitor's life simulation would be anywhere near the scale or breadth of the Sims games. If another game company took the plunge, they certainly aren't going to make something exactly like what Maxis has done, they are going to do something different, something of their own take on what it should be. It's going to be a brand new vision, something that costs a lot less and most likely simplified. It might revolve around playing a single character and a single home. It would probably have a lot more limits in building and decorating choices. It might put the focus on daily chores, or getting a career and progressing to the top. It might focus on wandering around an open world but with limited, static venues. It might be something geared more to all ages or it could be something specifically more mature. We have no idea how another company would design a life simulation or what their priorities would be, and they wouldn't have an existing player base or telemetry or feedback so they certainly wouldn't be trying to please us. If anything, they'd be focusing on something new and innovative, so things like toddlers are probably not even going to exist. Also, there are other types of simulation games out there, but look at how much smaller they are compared to a Sims game. So a new competitor might be about the size of a Sims base game with one EP and not meant to be built and expanded on. They certainly aren't likely to have a budget anywhere near what EA can afford.
Of course, we would all like to see someone do something that's inspired by the Sims games, but I think there's a very good reason why nobody will even go near it. I mean, the Sims is nineteen years old and the only thing remotely close (to my knowledge) is the online game Second Life. Take a look at that some time if you haven't. It's old, but it should give you an idea of what other companies might do. The truth is, an extensive life simulation game like the Sims is a huge, complicated undertaking. It has so many moving and flexible and changeable parts that have to be programmed to be altered in hundreds of ways. Every interactable piece has to be able to work with specific other interactable pieces, and be manipulated by a variety of life stages and states and animals. This is why toddlers took over two years alone to get right. This is why Cats and Dogs took years to finish. The Sims games as we know them are in a constant state of development. We start playing from the initial base game and add as we go. When you think about the actual time span it takes to create a Sims game from start to the end of the last DLC pack, these games take a good nine or ten years to complete. That is a very big risk to take for a new company. It just isn't feasible unless it's another giant publisher like EA, and even then, it will have to be able to hold its own and successfully compete with a well-known, popular franchise. And if it's another publishing giant, it will have to be a money maker.
I know this might sound absurd to you, but we might actually be better off sticking with the Sims as we know it. At least the developers are taking feedback into consideration. At least they have the information and there's a chance of incorporating material that we ask for. At least there's a basic structure that we're familiar with. At least there's a good possibility of a brand new, shiny edition in the works, due to come out in another three or five or whatever years. Sure, it feels like a long time to wait for a gamble, but if/when it happens, we'll all have that new game to consider and a new choice to make.
Considering that cities skylines happened, I think that everything is possible. That being said as I no longer consider The Sims 4 worth playing, anything would be welcome in life simulation genre.
Regardless of my view on the current iteration, competition can only be a healthy thing to push companies to develop better products. In that sense I agree it needs a competitor badly.
Sadly, I'm not even surprised to read this. Doesn't bode well for TS4 or the future of this franchise.
There are lots of things like that. One of the apartments in city living the lobby part isn’t painted properly, they uploaded a restaurant under their account that was built by them that didn’t work and or wasn’t fully decorated with sections missed out.
I guess to them it’s leave it to the builders.
With that said, I think the game does need more time because it still has (and can) to catch up to previous games. I mean, it already did in some areas and outperformed previous games (see Vampires, Generations, etc) but there are things left which have to be improved (and if it's true that Military career in upcoming GP has mostly sports related tasks which is a big shame I can already bet that it's still an improvement over previous games, I'll never forget "Astronaut" joke in Sims 3). The only problem I see is a waste of time. Story-driven pack maybe isn't the most terrible thing but I'd rather they hesitated on releasing them constantly and focusing on them too much because there are way better things which this game still misses. I really hope they'll do their research and get the idea why people will be getting the pack because that "if that success then yes" tweet is concerning a bit. I know that my priority about getting it is Military career which I missed since the day the game came out and now I have much less reasons to play TS3.
Also I really hope they fix these bugs. Sims 3 is very annoying in this department and routing issues aren't the only unfixed problem this game has to this day. Sims 2 had it much better (in many ways actually).
P.S.: I'd rather see them bringing back story progression and improving it drastically compared to TS3 instead of story-driven and scripted content.
That unfortunately will not happen with modern video game industry at its current state. Only changing that will make any difference. I don't even think a fluke can happen.
Games like The Sims are very ambitious and it's one of a very few exceptions in this industry when you really need a big team to produce such big project. Sims is much bigger and more complex game compared to Simcity. Only AAA dev is capable to produce something like that and they will never touch it because it would mean taking risks.
I really don't see any risk for another company producing a simulation game if they have the capability to do it. The Sims franchise has made millions and is still making a lot of money on TS4 despite the quality and content being a lot less than desired. Frankly, I'm surprised that a company hasn't taken advantage of how EA has created a lot of unhappy simmers. Sure, there are still a lot of simmers who are happy with TS4, but "blind" loyalty only goes so far in my opinion. Especially, if a better option for the same type of gameplay becomes available.