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Should The Sims start catering more for the AFOTS?

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  • CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
    edited February 2020
    One thing to consider: Adult fans of The Sims (without children?) are not the only ones with incomes. All younger fans have parents/grandparents who also have incomes. Would all these parents and grandparents buy Sims games for their kids/grandkids if they are rated "Mature (whatever that entails)" instead of "Teens"?

    I don't think the OP is trying to request Mature, but at least return to the roots of The Sims back in TS1. How is it bad to show a girl jumping out of a cake (in TS1) but good for a couple (maybe even strangers) high five each other when they decide to woohoo. Seems a bit more childish this time around. Like nine year old boys hiding and giggling, type humor.

    Differences here to me are the fact I think TS4 caters in low brow humor where the others had more of a sophistication of some of it's humor, not all, but enough to appeal to those who aren't fans of low brow humor/ laughing at farts, talking toilet etc.
    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
  • king_of_simcity7king_of_simcity7 Posts: 25,102 Member
    @Cinebar wrote: »
    One thing to consider: Adult fans of The Sims (without children?) are not the only ones with incomes. All younger fans have parents/grandparents who also have incomes. Would all these parents and grandparents buy Sims games for their kids/grandkids if they are rated "Mature (whatever that entails)" instead of "Teens"?

    I don't think the OP is trying to request Mature, but at least return to the roots of The Sims back in TS1. How is it bad to show a girl jumping out of a cake (in TS1) but good for a couple (maybe even strangers) high five each other when they decide to woohoo. Seems a bit more childish this time around. Like nine year old boys hiding and giggling, type humor.

    Differences here to me are the fact I think TS4 caters in low brow humor where the others had more of a sophistication of some of it's humor, not all, but enough to appeal to those who aren't fans of low brow humor/ laughing at farts, talking toilet etc.

    Remember that when you woke a Sim up in TS1 they would always get angry? Both adults and kids? It was lighthearted humour but one of those things which made the game funny.

    I saw someone mention this years ago and they said that Will Wright put a lot of his humour into the game which you can clearly see in TS1 but not as much since.

    Seedy things like a burglar in the old stereotypical black and white stripes was part of that humour while the Grim Reaper turning up a Sim died did not get introduced until the first EP it carried that type of humour forward. Of course The Sims had ghosts as well
    Simbourne
    screenshot_original.jpg
  • JoAnne65JoAnne65 Posts: 22,959 Member
    One thing to consider: Adult fans of The Sims (without children?) are not the only ones with incomes. All younger fans have parents/grandparents who also have incomes. Would all these parents and grandparents buy Sims games for their kids/grandkids if they are rated "Mature (whatever that entails)" instead of "Teens"?
    It's kind of sad people can only think of one thing apparently when they hear mature. So absolutely not what the OP or anyone here means.
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  • CaptainElsaCaptainElsa Posts: 226 Member
    JoAnne65 wrote: »
    One thing to consider: Adult fans of The Sims (without children?) are not the only ones with incomes. All younger fans have parents/grandparents who also have incomes. Would all these parents and grandparents buy Sims games for their kids/grandkids if they are rated "Mature (whatever that entails)" instead of "Teens"?
    It's kind of sad people can only think of one thing apparently when they hear mature. So absolutely not what the OP or anyone here means.

    Right? I think more "mature" in gameplay... realistic relationships, acne, menstruation-run fertility cycles (it makes the game harder! I love my period mods!), cursing and fights. Illnesses, etc.
  • OldeseadoggeOldeseadogge Posts: 4,973 Member
    I can see both sides of this issue: but, it seems that PC folks are better off, as they are able to mod their game. I can see where it's tougher for console players (like myself), as we are probably always going to be saddle with a more "teen-friendly" edition of the game. I agree with many of you who aren't looking for a more "adults-only" style of game, but it seems that's the direction of the series now.

    Seems more to be the series is headed to T for toddler. What the folks in CA seem to be ingoring is that teens are in preparation for entry into the adult phase of life, with all the responsibilities that entails. They're not kids any longer, not yet adult, but are getting there and soon will be. TS1 & 2 caught that transition feel well, light-hearted but not afraid to face the reality side - which on occasion has its dark/sad moments.
  • Placebo7Placebo7 Posts: 107 Member
    I agree with OP, and I'm confused by the choices of the Sims franchise. Okay, they took out scenes that showed more...Sim desire, if you will. Too raunchy? But now it is MUCH easier to Woohoo with just about anyone. In the Sims 2, you had to have a high romance level, often love if a Sim was family oriented, before Sims would consent. So....how does this all work out? Hooking up with everyone is great as long as we don't see them make out on the couch? Strange.

    Overally, I would like to see less emphasis on trends and branding, and a return to the more honest depictions in 2/3.
  • texxx78texxx78 Posts: 5,657 Member
    I think that it should also cater to us adults. The thing is it isn't at all. And it seems that this is the vision of the company and it wont change. I was 20 when it started and im 40 now. And let me tell you that im a much better client now than i was before. I now buy packs just to collect. I would never do that before.
  • texxx78texxx78 Posts: 5,657 Member
    JoAnne65 wrote: »
    I saw footage of a hot tub interaction in Sims 1 yesterday, on Twitter. The current generation of simmers reacted totally shocked, that’s all I’m going to say :D It’s absolutely unthinkable they’d do something like that nowadays. Unthinkable. Sometimes I wonder if we moved back to the fifties without realizing it.

    We def are moving back in times. It everywhere and in several things. Good and bad. I think we had a blessing childhood and teen years. Now there's a lot of morality concerns. And we all know that where's too much morality there's too much to hide ;)
  • SintheaSinthea Posts: 29 Member
    I'd love to see more complex gameplay. I miss the grocery system. I miss having to work to raise relationships and skills. I have so many mods to increase the complexity. In my games my sim's income is lowered, the cost of university is increased, pregnancy odds are manipulated, there is a risk of accidental pregnancy.

    I want the chance of things going sideways. I want sim's traits to change how my sim acts, not just what interactions are available to them. I want some personality, some attraction, some challenge, the option to have random events. I want the silly jokes, the slightly off center jokes. I've been playing The Sims since it came with our first computer when I was a kid and I'll be honest, I 100% forgot about the person in the cake thing and now I feel cheated that it's not in TS4.
    It's just one of those days...
    Remaking the Apocalypse Challenge
  • CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
    edited February 2020
    I don't think it's moving back in time at all. I mean woohooing several Sims isn't a moral thing of the past. Sims in the past wouldn't have that type of activity if they didn't love a Sim and have high relationship points. Heck TS1 the wife and husband wouldn't even actually sleep in same bed the first night because relationship points were not high enough. So, no it's not moving backwards, but a cut scene or a make out session on a couch is too much for TS4 when it's ok to woohoo anyone and every one without consequence. None of it makes sense to me. And adult doesn't mean about sex, but gameplay. Like someone just mentioned about groceries, they should at least run out of groceries and get off their duffs and get some groceries from a store or order them or something. It's way too easy peasy. And by that I don't mean gaining skills Maxis etc. I mean gameplay and life simulation. People have to buy groceries don't they? lol They don't magically pay the fridge to they? (Not yet, lol).
    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
  • SimAlexandriaSimAlexandria Posts: 4,845 Member
    Cinebar wrote: »
    I don't think it's moving back in time at all. I mean woohooing several Sims isn't a moral thing of the past. Sims in the past wouldn't have that type of activity if they didn't love a Sim and have high relationship points. Heck TS1 the wife and husband wouldn't even actually sleep in same bed the first night because relationship points were not high enough. So, no it's not moving backwards, but a cut scene or a make out session on a couch is too much for TS4 when it's ok to woohoo anyone and every one without consequence. None of it makes sense to me. And adult doesn't mean about sex, but gameplay. Like someone just mentioned about groceries, they should at least run out of groceries and get off their duffs and get some groceries from a store or order them or something. It's way too easy peasy. And by that I don't mean gaining skills Maxis etc. I mean gameplay and life simulation. People have to buy groceries don't they? lol They don't magically pay the fridge to they? (Not yet, lol).

    I hate this fist pump but I also hate cut scenes, haha! They annoy me as you can't do anything during them.I want to play a game, not watch TV.

    Sims 4 is my favourite, but Sims 2 has better animations interact with each other better. I wish that'd be brought to Sims 4 in the form of animations but not Sims 2 personalities which I don't like. I think the animations could make it more mature and yes def things like grocery shopping, banking, maybe kids who need the parents help and influence abit more often and free babies,and to-do lists, maybe even caring for elderly parents, child support, joint custody of kids (have kids go back and forth if parents aren't married.. optional of course for players on short life span or100 baby challenge or just not wanting this), etc etc. THat's what I'd like to see added anyways haha
  • BoergeAarg61BoergeAarg61 Posts: 949 Member
    Adult fans of The Sims.

    Should they be catered for? One of my concerns with TS4 is that it is aimed at the younger crowds which is all very well but that age group will grow up at times and adding to the ever growing adult fans. I am not saying that the game as to be all mature but it should be taken into account that there are a lot of adult players.

    I am a 58 years old Dane. I prefer playing TS4 to relax and watch the sims as a kind of show with options to influence the game play. I prefer the clear destinction between game and real life.

    From my point of view, a mature variant of TS4 is called Real Life.

  • king_of_simcity7king_of_simcity7 Posts: 25,102 Member
    @Cinebar I used to struggle getting a ‘husband and wife’ to get to know each other. All household Sims started with knowing other Sims by 20 points. There was no official or family relationships whatsoever. The only thing they could get was friends, enemies or love.
    Simbourne
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  • AnthonydyerAnthonydyer Posts: 1,197 Member
    edited February 2020
    I believe an appropriate age range for the sims is age 13-60. It is not a game for young children. The related series "My Sims" with the cube-like people is for little children, just like My Sims the 2007 game. I loved that game as a child.

    I think The Sims should continue what they have been doing since Sims 1. It always has been slightly edgy but it never crossed the line into what would be M rated. The series has always followed a quasi-reality, meaning it is realistic to real life, but introduces a touch of fantasy to make it a game and more appropriate. For example, look at the way the series have handled crime. Crime can include horrible things that I will not mention here, but the game made crime game appropriate by having a burglar rob the house and get into a cartoon-style fight with the police (even in a comedic way) or the unsavory charlatan pickpocket you. I have noticed that Sims 4 has moved towards political correctness and appropriate for young children, when that is not what the series originally intended. I believe that is a shame.

    I think adults need a quasi-reality game that will appeal to them. I never enjoyed violent video games, but I enjoy The Sims as it is a nice constructive game with the right touch of adult content, but not in a way that is overt to children.

    I miss the touches of reality where in Sims 2, if you didn't go grocery shopping, there would be no food. Sims 4 seems to be missing the chores that keep life going. The game could use a few situations that you should react to, such as when the unsavory charlatan shows up, you should leave or stay away from him. Let me also emphasize that whatever the unsavory charlatan and burglar does to you is an annoyance, but never anything devastating. In the sims 4, nothing can ever happen to you.
  • SimAlexandriaSimAlexandria Posts: 4,845 Member
    I believe an appropriate age range for the sims is age 13-60. It is not a game for young children. The related series "My Sims" with the cube-like people is for little children, just like My Sims the 2007 game. I loved that game as a child.

    I think The Sims should continue what they have been doing since Sims 1. It always has been slightly edgy but it never crossed the line into what would be M rated. The series has always followed a quasi-reality, meaning it is realistic to real life, but introduces a touch of fantasy to make it a game and more appropriate. I have noticed that Sims 4 has moved towards political correctness and appropriate for young children, when that is not what the series originally intended. I believe that is a shame.

    I think adults need a quasi-reality game that will appeal to them. I never enjoyed violent video games, but I enjoy The Sims as it is a nice constructive game with the right touch of adult content, but not in a way that is overt to children.

    I miss the touches of reality where in Sims 2, if you didn't go grocery shopping, there would be no food. Sims 4 seems to be missing the chores that keep life going.

    So it's inappropriatefor 61+? haha

    As a parent personally feel it's around 13+now though. Maybe I'd let a mature 12 year old play.
  • AnthonydyerAnthonydyer Posts: 1,197 Member
    Hestia wrote: »
    I think they should. I don't think Will Wright's original intention was to target children. I am actually happy that they made Sim spin-offs for younger ones, such as My Sims. I think they should continue to keep games like that and develop them so that the original franchise doesn't lose the original touch.

    Bachelor parties? The Sims 4 could never!

    Look at those facial expressions. The emotions... the happiness of each Sim. None of this emotions system was ever needed. In my opinion... these Sims were a lot smarter back then.

    I don't want an "adult-rated" game like The Witcher. If I want to play that fantastic game, I'll open it up. I just want the original feel of The Sims back in the franchise again.

    @Hestia I agree. The Sims 4 has become watered down, perhaps as an effort to appeal to more people, but they are losing touch with what made the game great in the first place. I don't believe The Sims targets young children either. I started playing when I was 14. By that age, I had more of an appreciation for the tools and gameplay and an understanding on why things are the way they are. For example, imagine an 8 year old trying to build a house. Not going to end well. The building tools are also watered down. Now I acknowledge that they did introduce some good things, such as wall heights but there are missing features from the sims 2 and 3; TS4 focuses too much on prefabricated content and causes havoc on builders like myself. The spinoff, My Sims is an appropriate game for young children and I would encourage EA to continue with both series.
  • Vivi_WillowTreeVivi_WillowTree Posts: 451 Member
    I let my 8 year old play TS4 without mods. She gets more enjoyment out of it than I do. IMO the "teen" rating doesn't stand with this iteration. Eveything is drastically dumbed down. Nothing happens without you making it so, sometimes sims don't even go through with actions you've told them to do. Go empty your bladder, no, I think I'm going to go take a nap instead. However if they went back to their roots I'd agree with the teen rating. My daughter has asked to play two that's a heavy nope wait till your 13 then ask.
  • JoAnne65JoAnne65 Posts: 22,959 Member
    edited February 2020
    Adult fans of The Sims.

    Should they be catered for? One of my concerns with TS4 is that it is aimed at the younger crowds which is all very well but that age group will grow up at times and adding to the ever growing adult fans. I am not saying that the game as to be all mature but it should be taken into account that there are a lot of adult players.

    I am a 58 years old Dane. I prefer playing TS4 to relax and watch the sims as a kind of show with options to influence the game play. I prefer the clear destinction between game and real life.

    From my point of view, a mature variant of TS4 is called Real Life.
    That's the whole point, Sims 4 is less of a game and more of a show like you put it. A show in which nothing happens. I appreciate for many people it's enough that they turned it into some kind of show (they indeed said so, they called it a soap I believe, instead of life simulation), but where's the interaction, where's the depth, where's the gameplay. It's all paint, preset and devs telling us their story. It's not a game, it's pushing around sims. Again, it's great when you find that relaxing and sufficient, but it's also tame and for many people very boring.
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  • OldeseadoggeOldeseadogge Posts: 4,973 Member
    The other day I played an early Sims version where the 1st indication of loading was the spinning EA disk and the vocal 'EA Games, challenge everything!'. The way the game is now the only challenge is staying awake while playing. Not a problem with the older versions.
  • SheepilingSheepiling Posts: 579 Member
    I can't remember where I heard this, but I remember someone mentioning that an interview with someone on the sims staff said that EA isn't worried about long-time players, because "we just buy all the packs anyways" and they're focusing on bringing in new players.

    But take that with a grain of salt because I can't remember my source of that information so it's pretty much just gossip.

    Honestly, I see it though. Even someone in this thread already mentioned that they buy packs just to complete the collection. If the game is selling well, that's telling EA that it's a good game and they should keep doing what they're doing.

    Also, I think a big consumer focus is on younger people that have a problem with micro-transactions. There are a lot of really crazy people out there. I play an MMORPG where people will pay $1k real life money just for a single material to craft a weapon. There are plenty of people that spend that type of money on mobile games as well. Those are the people Sims 4 is catering to, imo, and as long as people keep buying the packs that's how it's going to stay. Older fans are not a concern to them at all. Even if they do lose us eventually, as long as they get micro-transaction-addicted teens / YAs on board, they're probably going to be happy with that.
  • WaitWhatYTWaitWhatYT Posts: 512 Member
    I believe an appropriate age range for the sims is age 13-60. It is not a game for young children. The related series "My Sims" with the cube-like people is for little children, just like My Sims the 2007 game. I loved that game as a child.

    I think The Sims should continue what they have been doing since Sims 1. It always has been slightly edgy but it never crossed the line into what would be M rated. The series has always followed a quasi-reality, meaning it is realistic to real life, but introduces a touch of fantasy to make it a game and more appropriate. For example, look at the way the series have handled crime. Crime can include horrible things that I will not mention here, but the game made crime game appropriate by having a burglar rob the house and get into a cartoon-style fight with the police (even in a comedic way) or the unsavory charlatan pickpocket you. I have noticed that Sims 4 has moved towards political correctness and appropriate for young children, when that is not what the series originally intended. I believe that is a shame.

    I think adults need a quasi-reality game that will appeal to them. I never enjoyed violent video games, but I enjoy The Sims as it is a nice constructive game with the right touch of adult content, but not in a way that is overt to children.

    I miss the touches of reality where in Sims 2, if you didn't go grocery shopping, there would be no food. Sims 4 seems to be missing the chores that keep life going. The game could use a few situations that you should react to, such as when the unsavory charlatan shows up, you should leave or stay away from him. Let me also emphasize that whatever the unsavory charlatan and burglar does to you is an annoyance, but never anything devastating. In the sims 4, nothing can ever happen to you.

    Wholeheartedly agree! The series used to be so good at balancing that "acceptable for pretty much everyone" basic gameplay with raunchier jokes that more "mature" players could enjoy, but which never crossed the line into being inappropriate. As a kid playing the Sims 1, I was aware of stuff like the heart-bed and hot tub and maybe got a few childish laughs from them but they never phased me, it wasn't like I was scarred for life at the implication of two simulated people having a fun time. I largely ignored stuff like that and focused on the aspects of the game that appealed to me, and in that way I see the older sims games as something that everyone can enjoy, as opposed to Sims 4 which I see as mostly just a game for kids and teens (and even those teens are likely to get bored with it after a while).

    As you stated, things like the burglar did great at taking a negative, sometimes tragic event that happens in real life and representing it in a cartoony, even fun way which was inoffensive and added depth and challenge to the game. Even then it wasn't that challenging, me and my cousins got in the habit of just slapping burglar alarms outside our homes so the police would come pretty much the moment the burglar spawned on the lot, but it was still an extra layer of gameplay that kept things interesting. I see nothing like this in 4, there is no challenge, nothing even remotely risqué, it's become sanitized to the point of no longer representing real life, and to me personally, that's freaking BORING.

    I echo other posters' sentiment in not wanting the game to become "mature" to the point of having to up the rating, but as I see it, there's literally no chance of that ever happening so why worry about it? As I see it, there's no chance of them even returning to the risqué but harmless fun of the previous games. I miss the days of Will Wright and adding subtly humorous little details into the game. I have no problem with the silly walkstyles and whatnot, I can take some immature humor, but did we really have to can the mature humor to make room for it? I miss when this game was fun for everyone.

    Heck, just look at the Urbz. idk where y'all stand on the urbz but as limited as it was, I LOVED that game, and it makes me sad knowing EA would likely never put out a sims game like that ever again. Sims with their thongs showing, throwing up gang signs, taming ferrets (...on second thought, the ferret taming can stay in the past), romancing sims to get info out of them, the "suck face" interaction... all things that we will likely never see again in a sims game under this new direction. It's insulting not just to longtime players who enjoyed the old content, but to new players as well, as if they couldn't "handle" the old sims games and need to have their hand held through a life simulator which feels more like a Stepford Wives simulator than anything else.
  • JoAnne65JoAnne65 Posts: 22,959 Member
    Sheepiling wrote: »
    I can't remember where I heard this, but I remember someone mentioning that an interview with someone on the sims staff said that EA isn't worried about long-time players, because "we just buy all the packs anyways" and they're focusing on bringing in new players.

    But take that with a grain of salt because I can't remember my source of that information so it's pretty much just gossip.


    Honestly, I see it though. Even someone in this thread already mentioned that they buy packs just to complete the collection. If the game is selling well, that's telling EA that it's a good game and they should keep doing what they're doing.

    Also, I think a big consumer focus is on younger people that have a problem with micro-transactions. There are a lot of really crazy people out there. I play an MMORPG where people will pay $1k real life money just for a single material to craft a weapon. There are plenty of people that spend that type of money on mobile games as well. Those are the people Sims 4 is catering to, imo, and as long as people keep buying the packs that's how it's going to stay. Older fans are not a concern to them at all. Even if they do lose us eventually, as long as they get micro-transaction-addicted teens / YAs on board, they're probably going to be happy with that.
    No, that’s not gossip, that was actually said on Twitter by - I believe - a former CM.
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  • windweaverwindweaver Posts: 7,372 Member
    The sims 2 was just right, as far as adult v teen. The child wasn't in the mix. It seems that after EA learned parents were letting their little ones play the game, the moral police came out and, in my opinion, ruined the fun. The Sims 2 was just plain funny, after that in 3 and 4 and I do expect thereafter, it just became boring. I don't know why EA can't leave the little kids alone with Mysims and leave the rest of us have the sims. Just my opinion.
    My Origin Name is: Cynconzola8
  • JoAnne65JoAnne65 Posts: 22,959 Member
    I wonder if ‘teen-rated’ necessarily has to mean La-La-Land to be honest, as EA seems to think.
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  • SimmingalSimmingal Posts: 8,885 Member
    edited February 2020
    JoAnne65 wrote: »
    I wonder if ‘teen-rated’ necessarily has to mean La-La-Land to be honest, as EA seems to think.

    Honestly I'd even be good with La La Land
    at least in La La Land there is couple dance and such
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