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Reason Behind Packs
WolfNate
Posts: 2,340 Member
So besides money is there a practical reason for Stuff Packs Game Packs and Expansion Packs? I'm really curious if EA/Sims Team mentioned a justification for it besides money.
Occultism in Sims is family-friendly and should not be watered down to cater to realism players
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If you're asking why they don't just add content to the game for free, it's because labor isn't free
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I'm not questioning prices just curious about the reason behind splitting everything up beyond 'we make more simoleons' I have my own opinions on why: More customizable this way. But wanted to ask the forums.
Well yes, game packs and stuff packs in particular allow the player more freedom in how they spend their money.
The downside of expansion packs is that everyone is going to inevitably pay for features that they either don't like or aren't going to use. For example, if you want active careers but don't like aliens, you're still going to be paying for aliens when you buy GTW.
With game packs, it becomes less likely to end up with features you might not want, since the themes are more specific. It's still possible, just less likely (and this is probably why people tend to be more satisfied with game packs than they are with expansions)
With stuff packs, the themes are extremely specific and it's very easy for the consumer to completely ignore the ones they don't like, and buy the ones that they do.
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Stuff packs are a combination of what was in Sims 2 and Sims 3 store/packs; though they do offer some interactive objects or even skills, they still are hit or miss for many at a $10 price point. I think for EA it's a quick buck, honestly.
Game packs have become my favorite over expansions almost, actually. This is because they tend to be focused on niche ideas but they polish those ideas very well for the most part. I would much rather have a smaller but more complete pack. for $20 it's a steal in my opinion.
Expansion packs were always considered the best of the best for the Sims series. In the Sims 4, I think they are also hit or miss. I own all of them and like features in all but I will say that some definitely feel like they either should have been a game pack or needed more features to be worth the $40 price tag. For example, I love Seasons and all it adds but felt like Island Living could have been a game pack almost.
Ultimately, I think that the developers are doing the best they can to be innovative and bring back favorites whilst trying to keep EA happy with the amount of profit/copies sold. Hence why I think there are three different packs--for different avenues of profit and for more variety for players.
Origin ID: simaddict1990
Agreed.
I also think the developers want to release content sooner to eagerly waiting fans/consumers.
I could be completely wrong, but whenever I look at GTW it just feels--to me--as if a lot of it was intended to be released as part of the base game, had the team had more time. When base game was first released it was exceptionally bare-boned and lacking. Later, when GTW was released, it's this mishmash of stuff--I mean, CAS and BB is packed into that EP and the careers feel all over the place. Aliens are included because they go well with the fleshed out scientist career; and they add quirkiness to the game (which, it's The Sims, quirkiness is peppered throughout this franchise, wouldn't be the same without it, wouldn't be The Sims). But the other two active careers types? They're both so lackluster and empty they feel almost tacked on so there'd be more than one active career option for the EP.
Besides being able to delve into niche interests or, in theory, flesh out areas that are missing. or would improve the game, I believe there's also a desire to keep people interested in the game by adding new content. That is, to keep players engaged with the game. Adding to an existing base is much cheaper and faster to do than building a whole new game to keep consumer/fan interest.
If so, are Allen abductions only possible in this world, or do they happen in existing places like Newcrest and Willow Creek?
I don't really understand how the expansions work. Thanks in advance for the clarification.
Get to Work comes with a retail centered world that has nothing to do with aliens. It is designed for your Sim to set up his or her own business.
However, there is an alien "world". It is just a secret lot like the one in Willow Creek you can get to from the magic tree. Only this one you access by building a wormhole generator, usually as part of the science career. However, if you purchase and upgrade a space ship, you can access the secret lot that way as well.
Alien abductions can happen anywhere, but you have to trigger them. The best way to do that is with an antenna that you invent in the science career that contacts aliens. But spending lots of time at night observing the sky may work.
Males can return pregnant from an abduction, but females cannot without mods.
For the career part, do you actually get to see your sims at work, unlike now where you just have a few controls but don't actually see them working?
the entire appeal of GTW was this feature
I have never had a Sim abducted who wasn't a scientist or one I tried to have abducted for story purposes. Most of my Sims don't know that aliens exist.
And as the poster above said, the main selling point of GTW is the ability to follow your Sims to work. The three active careers work much like goaled social events. I love the scientist one, but it is a little buggy. I have to bring any plant items needed from home because the garden doesn't work. Yet you still get goals for it. The notebook for the career can also be glitch. And there is another goal to transform grass that can't be done.
Fortunately, you only need to do a few goals to get gold, and then you can do whatever you want. I even have my Sim do her skill goals using items at work, and she takes her showers there too. Haha.
but you know what, however, my theory is that EA being EA, if you know what am mean, is just #milkingthefanbase.
the more low quality packs they create with little effort and cheap budget, the bigger profit they tryna rake to fund other EA titles.
the sims is simply being a glorious cash cow for 'em and EA doesn't care about our voices as long as we letting them to make the shmoney moves if you know what am saying.
I love it when a new pack drops - I usually spend the first week or so in a new save, just exploring all the new stuff. Then, I go back to my main save and play the new things that I liked.
Expansion packs always had a big theme with a lot of ground to cover and that's why they worked in the past iterations. I'm pretty sure there were times in the past when people would get a pack and comment on how they really only care about one part of it. A lot of things nowadays (games and otherwise) focus on allowing for customization: make the game what you want it to be. Some do this via stores, some via microtransactions, the TS4 team made the choice to do it through Game Packs which have a narrower focus for a theme than EPs do.
Personally, I'm glad they've broken up Occults this way as I have zero interest in vamps and all the interest in magic.
Bottom line: there were always going to be DLC packs because that's how Sims games work. I'm glad they have a variety the way it is now, not just with themes but also types of packs.
The cost is also a factor, some people can't afford as much and have to pick and choose more carefully. They have options this way. Also it's a way to keep up excitement for those that enjoy the game.. and it works.
I don't ever see it as purely money grabbing. People work and they need to get paid and businesses need to make money or they go under. If the formula works they are going to use it.
That is my impression - it lets people choose the content they want. I have 0 interest in Vampires, but my interest in Spellcasters is high. I'll probably never buy the Vampires game pack, but am looking forward to Realms of Magic. I prefer Stuff Packs to buying sets or items a la carte from the TS3 store. I am choosy about my content, and what I add to the game. A lot of stuff I can skip. And with a range of pack pricing, I can usually afford to add something to my game at some scale, when things need a bit of novelty.
It was designed that way by the games creator - Will Wright - as he said he observed life - and the average people start out with just the basics so they can survive in their own place. In his own life he saw stages where things happened which most likely would make someone want to add to their basic stuff in their house. Like moving in with other people who bring some of their own stuff - adding more chairs at a kitchen table - or in his own case getting married and his new wife having a lot of things to add to the house including lots of art and nicer furniture. It was like needing a stuff pack of new stuff not in the game already in a roommate move in - and an entire new house, his wife line of work added to his own life well in the game needing an expansion to bring these things to the life game - even the wedding itself.
Will said when he had a fire in his own family house and had to rebuild and replace all their stuff - well he really saw how things can change and how much new stuff was needed to start over and at the same time get back to where they were - but this time in terms of all different items - creating the need for another stuff pack and expansion to show a fire in a sims life and rebuilding everything.
But everything that caused Will in his real life to see things change needed it's story told and needed new stuff that was not already in the game. When they had his baby daughter - to reflect this it needed an expansion in the game. As the daughter grew she needed stuff not already in their house - toys - books - etc - so the game needed this too. But expansions covered things very slightly (mostly the main new event) in Sims 1 - Sims 2 added stuff packs.... and they represent things people acquire, stories that affect the people lives, and stuff they need as life goes on a smaller scale than an ep.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
I don't think it's all about money but it's not just a way for simmers to get content they want and avoid stuff they don't (if it was, icons of all the packs wouldn't be present on the start screen😌).
Let's be real. They want us to buy all the content and play all the content. SPs in TS4 are supplemental and entirely aesthetic. They tie us over while we wait for the game changing content that comes with EPs. It also gives the devs a chance to refine the textures and modeling of certain assets on a more fine tuned scale. Cas in the early SPs was 100% better than the base game and the early GPs and EPs. I'm convinced working with the models and textures of the SP items over and over helped improve the look of the content to where it is now.