Steam's summer sale has just started and I was totally surprised that The Sims 3 is NOT on sale. I'm surprised because the game had ALWAYS reliably been on sale at this time of the year for $4.99 each. I know a lot of people wait and watch for Steam's summer sale just to buy TS3's EPs and SPs at this time.
Consequently, all of The Sims 4 stuff at Steam is on sale but not on Origin right now (first time in a long while, lol!) and of course The Sims 3 stuff is not on sale there either.
I point these things out because it is a change in EA's selling tactics for TS3. I guess I'm posting about that here, because I want to know if other people have opinions about this.
For me, I have mixed emotions about it. I'm sad for the people who've been waiting for the summer sale to buy the packs at great discount and are going to be disappointed. I'm also a little miffed at EA for this tactic and the fact that they charge more for it in Europe. I know TS3 brings in good money for them, but sheesh! Now I'm wondering if they'll put it on sale for Christmas at Steam like they normally do or not. If not, will it ever go on sale some time in the year at all?
PS - At the same time, I'm also proud of it that it is doing so well and that people love it so much that EA feels it can withstand not going on sale. It's just the frugal part of me is all flustered that's all, lol!
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One thing I will say is that the subsequent outrage, indignation, feelings of entitlement, and unsubstantiated theories about TS3 soon to be taken off the market being expressed about the game being left out of the sale this year thus far on the Steam forums is bordering on absurd (although it's also pretty much par for the course over there). I'm sorry to have to state it quite this way, but this is a First World Problem and even in the First World many of us have more pressing issues to contend with right now. Disappointing to many players who were waiting for this sale and expecting it to be taking place right now to be sure, but hardly worth getting so upset about.
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When I was talking about Steam sales earlier somewhere else and mentioned that it is not EA who decides the price of the games and then I got this linked in exchange which does imply EA decides the price. https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/store/pricing
So what is correct?
Also I was really pummed about TS3 not being on a sale, especially since they finally lowered the base price in Europe some time ago. If there would have been a sale, this would have been the first time I would have been able to purchase TS3 basegame (requirement for EPS) on Steam for less than what 1000 Simpoints costs in Origin.
I don't see how that applies to a contract between Steam and EA, especially the ones that dictate a special version of the game is required to be provided (TS3) and/or a somewhat behind the scenes Origin tie-in (TS4) to manage DRM. I believe the way this really works is that Steam/Valve is an authorized re-seller in kind of the same way (with a bunch of extra stuff attached) that Walmart or GameStop might be. If an authorized re-seller wishes to acquire legitimate licenses for the game from EA in bulk to sell to the players, which at the end of the day is what they all do, and charge a lower or higher price than Origin does (again within reason) or choose to have sales or combo pack specials, without being privy to the legal documents involved it seems to me that they should be able to.
It's very possible I am missing something here as again I'm not a heavy Steam user, but I don't really think that EA went through Steamworks and its Developers Kit to create Sims games for Steam and set the prices for their own products as part of the agreement/procedure that is in place as I would be doing if I had a game of my own creation to sell myself.
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Ooh, I didn't know there was drama going on in the TS3 forums over on Steam. Let me run over there right now!
Lol, God bless'em!
I'd feel this way too if I didn't have the whole collection already!
Sims 3 Forum reaction back then:
Now after seeing me having bought ALL the expansion packs...
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
Lol! TS3 is so addictive! What stuff packs do you still have to get?
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
Ah okay. Yeah, High End Loft is a great stuff pack! So you've got 1, 8 stuff packs more to go....
I would go over to Carl's Sims 3 Guide for a full description of what each pack has so you can make a decision about which packs you want to buy next.
Here are the others that I really like and use quite often:
I don't use these as much, but I think they do come in handy for specific settings:
If Steam doesn't have this on sale, there are other game sites who do sell them, it's just that overall, they have ALL raised their prices of TS3 stuff.
I'm from the US, but I'm stuck overseas because of COVID-19. I'm making the most of the situation by finding things to focus on OTHER than this pandemic, such as things that are "normal" like being flustered over The Sims 3 not being on sale.
I don't want my situation to be always shoved in my face and stressing me out. I think that is the true difference between people who are relatively comfortable in their own homes and shaming other people about what people should or shouldn't focus on, and people who are directly affected by this pandemic.
I mean what more could you want from everybody? They are all practicing social distancing and helping wherever they can, and the people who could, are researching cures for the pandemic now. I don't understand why it's bad to talk about something "normal" like this - especially for people directly affected by it. People need "normalcy" to get through tough times!
I'm hoping there will be an off-season sale at Steam for The Sims 3 after this main summer sale is over. I've looked at Amazon.com too and they don't have a sale for TS3 either. There are other digital game stores out there, but I don't know how reliable they are.
But take heart. I think TS3 would have to go on sale sooner or later this year. You can save that money and add more to it as you wait, so by the time the sale is on, you can get all of them and finish your collection all at once!
^ I think this is very much possible
Yes, I think the EPs are more important than the stuff packs since they add major gameplay features, but the stuff packs have some really nice things too! They come in handy when a stuff pack has something that an EP has that you don't want to load. For example, the all-in-one bathroom that only takes up one tile is really handy. That was first introduced in the Island Paradise EP and there was also a different model in Into the Future. The Movie SP has one too that looks like an outhouse, but you can use it indoors too if you change its color and pattern. So if you don't feel like installing Island Paradise or Into the Future, but still want an all-in-one, you can just install The Movie SP.
I agree with you - I would have loved it if simpoints were also sold at Steam! The last time I bought any was during Sims 3's 10th Anniversary and the simpoints were 50% off at Origin.
I also have the Mass Effect Trilogy (EA customer service gave it to me free when one of the first two games I bought from Steam wouldn't register on Origin so I basically got Mass Effect 3 free) and bought the DLC bundles for Mass 2 and 3 on sale at Origin for money instead of buying points to get it. Points there are so expensive!
WHAT?!??? (*Runs over to Steam to check it out!*)
Taking out a popular bundle so people would have to buy them separately? Oh that is such a low blow!
I remembered that once in a while, they used to bundle the WHOLE collection for super cheap, like under $100!
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
I'm reading the reviews and some are unable to activate the game so some sellers there are not reliable. I think people need to be cautious and carefully review the sellers before buying from them there.
IG is selling own keys, i got most of Sims 3 stuff there, i had there only one time problem with Monte Vista key, but it was resolved withing 24 hours with a new key.