Forum Announcement, Click Here to Read More From EA_Cade.

No more stuff packs and game packs in the future we need only expansion packs

124...Next

Comments

  • SimburianSimburian Posts: 6,907 Member
    edited December 2020
    Having tried to download all the Sims 3 Store Stuff I bought years ago again over the last 3 days and still not being able to use it I am much in favour of the way game and stuff packs come now.
  • SimmerGeorgeSimmerGeorge Posts: 2,724 Member
    It's crazy how easily people fall for the marketing schemes. Stuff packs are purely a marketing move. Most of the packs have objects that in the past have either been included in EPs or the base game like hot tubs, butlers, ice cream, movies, slip and slides, small pets etc.
    So they simply cut out content to put it in a 10$ stuff pack and also lock it behind a paywall for people who might want the gameplay objects (some of which are very essential and should even be base game).

    Now people are all like "we have gameplay in stuff packs, wow" even though that is only a way to get people who don't care about "stuff" to buy the packs just for the one gameplay objects to complete the EP they just bought.
    And comparing them to the Sims 3 Store doesn't make them better, the Sims 3 store was an absolute cash-grab and so are stuff packs in the Sims 4. Just because they aren't as terrible doesn't mean they are actually good. :P
    Where's my Sims 5 squad at?
  • mannannamannanna Posts: 466 Member
    It's crazy how easily people fall for the marketing schemes. Stuff packs are purely a marketing move. Most of the packs have objects that in the past have either been included in EPs or the base game like hot tubs, butlers, ice cream, movies, slip and slides, small pets etc.
    So they simply cut out content to put it in a 10$ stuff pack and also lock it behind a paywall for people who might want the gameplay objects (some of which are very essential and should even be base game).

    Now people are all like "we have gameplay in stuff packs, wow" even though that is only a way to get people who don't care about "stuff" to buy the packs just for the one gameplay objects to complete the EP they just bought.
    And comparing them to the Sims 3 Store doesn't make them better, the Sims 3 store was an absolute cash-grab and so are stuff packs in the Sims 4. Just because they aren't as terrible doesn't mean they are actually good. :P

    I agree with you about the marketing scheme but I also think that we as players had a hand in it becoming this way. I remember back in the Sims1 days when groups and individuals sold CC for $5/mos to download from their site or a set for a $2 "donation". It is understandable to me that EA wanted a slice of that cake. You can still download "stuff" for free but to make it more appealing or a must have they toss in a butler or a hot tub. Personally I rather pay the company $10 for a stuffpack than "donate" to some private person for a recolor. Then at least Maxis will continue to make games and expacks.
    ( The quality of expacks for Sims4 is a different discussion altogether )
  • paleplantpaleplant Posts: 17 Member
    edited December 2020
    I don't mind the different pack sizes. There was a time when I wouldn't have been able to afford $40 game expansions. I agree you probably could add the smaller packs into the larger expansion ones, for example it might be logical to put laundry in Parenthood. Though I think that sort just hides the bigger problem which is that the pack/expansions aren't as engaging and full of new content and gameplay as we wish there were. Also, some people might want the ability for their sims to do laundry but they aren't interested in a bigger expansion like Parenthood. I think the different sizes of packs are fine and even helpful at times depending on how much money you have or what you want for gameplay.
    EA ID: Angelictrait
  • SimmerGeorgeSimmerGeorge Posts: 2,724 Member
    paleplant wrote: »
    I don't mind the different pack sizes. There was a time when I wouldn't have been able to afford $40 game expansions. I agree you probably could add the smaller packs into the larger expansion ones, for example it might be logical to put laundry in Parenthood. Though I think that sort just hides the bigger problem which is that the pack/expansions aren't as engaging and full of new content and gameplay as we wish there were. Also, some people might want the ability for their sims to do laundry but they aren't interested in a bigger expansion like Parenthood. I think the different sizes of packs are fine and even helpful at times depending on how much money you have or what you want for gameplay.

    @paleplant But then again this lacks in practicality because if you're only interested in laundry, you still have to buy and pay 10$ for all the other items you are getting with the pack, which some people just don't care about. If they sold they ability to do laundry for 1-2$ and just that, maybe it would be fine but having to pay 10$ for stuff you don't want, that was always included in bigger packs in the past, just to get a butler (when this feature already fits in perfectly with an already existing pack!). That's just not customer-friendly.
    Where's my Sims 5 squad at?
  • KatAnubisKatAnubis Posts: 3,241 Member
    paleplant wrote: »
    I don't mind the different pack sizes. There was a time when I wouldn't have been able to afford $40 game expansions. I agree you probably could add the smaller packs into the larger expansion ones, for example it might be logical to put laundry in Parenthood. Though I think that sort just hides the bigger problem which is that the pack/expansions aren't as engaging and full of new content and gameplay as we wish there were. Also, some people might want the ability for their sims to do laundry but they aren't interested in a bigger expansion like Parenthood. I think the different sizes of packs are fine and even helpful at times depending on how much money you have or what you want for gameplay.

    @paleplant But then again this lacks in practicality because if you're only interested in laundry, you still have to buy and pay 10$ for all the other items you are getting with the pack, which some people just don't care about. If they sold they ability to do laundry for 1-2$ and just that, maybe it would be fine but having to pay 10$ for stuff you don't want, that was always included in bigger packs in the past, just to get a butler (when this feature already fits in perfectly with an already existing pack!). That's just not customer-friendly.

    They actually did things like that for TS3 with the store. But people complained so they dropped doing it and did it in SPs and GPs instead. (But I want my laundry set to be *decorative* only, which I couldn't have in TS3 or now in TS4. I hate all the laundry all over the house which you get without a mod.)
  • SimmerGeorgeSimmerGeorge Posts: 2,724 Member
    KatAnubis wrote: »
    paleplant wrote: »
    I don't mind the different pack sizes. There was a time when I wouldn't have been able to afford $40 game expansions. I agree you probably could add the smaller packs into the larger expansion ones, for example it might be logical to put laundry in Parenthood. Though I think that sort just hides the bigger problem which is that the pack/expansions aren't as engaging and full of new content and gameplay as we wish there were. Also, some people might want the ability for their sims to do laundry but they aren't interested in a bigger expansion like Parenthood. I think the different sizes of packs are fine and even helpful at times depending on how much money you have or what you want for gameplay.

    @paleplant But then again this lacks in practicality because if you're only interested in laundry, you still have to buy and pay 10$ for all the other items you are getting with the pack, which some people just don't care about. If they sold they ability to do laundry for 1-2$ and just that, maybe it would be fine but having to pay 10$ for stuff you don't want, that was always included in bigger packs in the past, just to get a butler (when this feature already fits in perfectly with an already existing pack!). That's just not customer-friendly.

    They actually did things like that for TS3 with the store. But people complained so they dropped doing it and did it in SPs and GPs instead. (But I want my laundry set to be *decorative* only, which I couldn't have in TS3 or now in TS4. I hate all the laundry all over the house which you get without a mod.)

    @KatAnubis Yes they did it with the Sims 3 Store which I also deeply disliked, but to be fair many things that were in the Store were either not seen before features or features that were similar to things we ended up getting in Expansion packs later, like the magic stuff from the store but we still got Supernatural later.
    The thing is that they never restricted such important features to extra DLC before like eating an ice cream. Tons if the things that come in SPs feel like cut content, how is the butler not in Get Famous, how is the ice cream not in Seasons, how are the little Pets not in the Cats and Dogs expansion pack?
    Where's my Sims 5 squad at?
  • KatAnubisKatAnubis Posts: 3,241 Member
    KatAnubis wrote: »
    paleplant wrote: »
    I don't mind the different pack sizes. There was a time when I wouldn't have been able to afford $40 game expansions. I agree you probably could add the smaller packs into the larger expansion ones, for example it might be logical to put laundry in Parenthood. Though I think that sort just hides the bigger problem which is that the pack/expansions aren't as engaging and full of new content and gameplay as we wish there were. Also, some people might want the ability for their sims to do laundry but they aren't interested in a bigger expansion like Parenthood. I think the different sizes of packs are fine and even helpful at times depending on how much money you have or what you want for gameplay.

    @paleplant But then again this lacks in practicality because if you're only interested in laundry, you still have to buy and pay 10$ for all the other items you are getting with the pack, which some people just don't care about. If they sold they ability to do laundry for 1-2$ and just that, maybe it would be fine but having to pay 10$ for stuff you don't want, that was always included in bigger packs in the past, just to get a butler (when this feature already fits in perfectly with an already existing pack!). That's just not customer-friendly.

    They actually did things like that for TS3 with the store. But people complained so they dropped doing it and did it in SPs and GPs instead. (But I want my laundry set to be *decorative* only, which I couldn't have in TS3 or now in TS4. I hate all the laundry all over the house which you get without a mod.)

    @KatAnubis Yes they did it with the Sims 3 Store which I also deeply disliked, but to be fair many things that were in the Store were either not seen before features or features that were similar to things we ended up getting in Expansion packs later, like the magic stuff from the store but we still got Supernatural later.
    The thing is that they never restricted such important features to extra DLC before like eating an ice cream. Tons if the things that come in SPs feel like cut content, how is the butler not in Get Famous, how is the ice cream not in Seasons, how are the little Pets not in the Cats and Dogs expansion pack?

    One of the things that Simmers constantly complain about is that they don't like EPs to be "carbon copies" of previous EPs. So they try to switch the various things around into different EPs. I know that my Sims were able to eat ice cream (in a cone or in a bowl) from one of the later ones. (But that's not an "important feature" but a "minor detail." Frankly, I rarely even use it!) But there were things in Seasons that used to be in other EPs. I can't disagree about the "Little Pets" stuff except that in TS3, they had lots of stuff in the store that you could buy that were related to previous EPs. This time they just put them in a stuff pack instead of in the store.
  • SimmerGeorgeSimmerGeorge Posts: 2,724 Member
    KatAnubis wrote: »
    I know that my Sims were able to eat ice cream (in a cone or in a bowl) from one of the later ones. (But that's not an "important feature" but a "minor detail." Frankly, I rarely even use it!) But there were things in Seasons that used to be in other EPs. I can't disagree about the "Little Pets" stuff except that in TS3

    @KatAnubis ice creams, movies, butlers, hot tubs, laundry, bowling were pretty important features in my book so I can't justify them being locked behind a paywall especially when they fit so well with existing EPs.
    To me it does feel like they are taking out requested features to get extra 10$, many Simmers only buy SPs for the one gameplay item too.
    Where's my Sims 5 squad at?
  • KatAnubisKatAnubis Posts: 3,241 Member
    KatAnubis wrote: »
    I know that my Sims were able to eat ice cream (in a cone or in a bowl) from one of the later ones. (But that's not an "important feature" but a "minor detail." Frankly, I rarely even use it!) But there were things in Seasons that used to be in other EPs. I can't disagree about the "Little Pets" stuff except that in TS3

    @KatAnubis ice creams, movies, butlers, hot tubs, laundry, bowling were pretty important features in my book so I can't justify them being locked behind a paywall especially when they fit so well with existing EPs.
    To me it does feel like they are taking out requested features to get extra 10$, many Simmers only buy SPs for the one gameplay item too.

    And yet other people would prefer to have them in Stuff Packs so that they don't have to have what the EPs have. (Like some people don't like to have Seasons in their game but do want some of the other things from it. And I have to put up with vampires in my game because I wanted the clothes and buy/build items in it.)

    This is something that EA can't win because no matter what they do, someone will hate what they've done. And believe me, I see people complaining about *both* sides. Not everyone likes everything that others like. It's like how everyone seems to "play" differently. For example, some people want everything controlled only by them. Others (who seem to be the exact opposite) like to have their Sims fully autonomous so that they can set them to doing their own thing and get "drama." (I love it that they have a switch so that you can choose to turn off autonomy or you can let them go. Mine have far too much "drama" when they're left on their own.)
  • SimmerGeorgeSimmerGeorge Posts: 2,724 Member
    KatAnubis wrote: »
    KatAnubis wrote: »
    I know that my Sims were able to eat ice cream (in a cone or in a bowl) from one of the later ones. (But that's not an "important feature" but a "minor detail." Frankly, I rarely even use it!) But there were things in Seasons that used to be in other EPs. I can't disagree about the "Little Pets" stuff except that in TS3

    @KatAnubis ice creams, movies, butlers, hot tubs, laundry, bowling were pretty important features in my book so I can't justify them being locked behind a paywall especially when they fit so well with existing EPs.
    To me it does feel like they are taking out requested features to get extra 10$, many Simmers only buy SPs for the one gameplay item too.

    And yet other people would prefer to have them in Stuff Packs so that they don't have to have what the EPs have. (Like some people don't like to have Seasons in their game but do want some of the other things from it. And I have to put up with vampires in my game because I wanted the clothes and buy/build items in it.)

    @KatAnubis But separating features and putting them in 10$ is a lot less customer-friendly than putting them in packs a lot of people would buy anyway even if those particular features weren't included. Also a lot of features people don't want can be turned off in the settings.

    With your logic, the Sims Team should then sell every single sims feature seperately for 1-2$ each so everyone can put anything they want in the game...
    Where's my Sims 5 squad at?
  • KatAnubisKatAnubis Posts: 3,241 Member
    KatAnubis wrote: »
    KatAnubis wrote: »
    I know that my Sims were able to eat ice cream (in a cone or in a bowl) from one of the later ones. (But that's not an "important feature" but a "minor detail." Frankly, I rarely even use it!) But there were things in Seasons that used to be in other EPs. I can't disagree about the "Little Pets" stuff except that in TS3

    @KatAnubis ice creams, movies, butlers, hot tubs, laundry, bowling were pretty important features in my book so I can't justify them being locked behind a paywall especially when they fit so well with existing EPs.
    To me it does feel like they are taking out requested features to get extra 10$, many Simmers only buy SPs for the one gameplay item too.

    And yet other people would prefer to have them in Stuff Packs so that they don't have to have what the EPs have. (Like some people don't like to have Seasons in their game but do want some of the other things from it. And I have to put up with vampires in my game because I wanted the clothes and buy/build items in it.)

    @KatAnubis But separating features and putting them in 10$ is a lot less customer-friendly than putting them in packs a lot of people would buy anyway even if those particular features weren't included. Also a lot of features people don't want can be turned off in the settings.

    With your logic, the Sims Team should then sell every single sims feature seperately for 1-2$ each so everyone can put anything they want in the game...

    They won't do that because that's what they did for TS3 in a lot of ways. It didn't go over well. Doing all the features separately is too extreme as is putting too much into each EP (because that gets a ton of complaints as well). But they're trying for a middle ground that works for the majority of people. That's being sensitive to their consumer base.
  • ZenSimbuildsZenSimbuilds Posts: 29 Member
    I actually dont like any of the Game packs all that much. I think the themes of the expansion packs are far better. I could live without all of the GPs they made so far, but I like most Expansions.
  • SimburianSimburian Posts: 6,907 Member
    edited December 2020
    I get the impression that the game has gone this route because the packs have to slot in to work with the ones before and those coming out in the future. The inclusion of Spas, and rental house, onsens in other worlds for example. There must be a massive amount of work employed behind the scenes sorting out the codes enabling such interactions. I'm finding, with all packs installed that new commands or links have been put in all of them with the game getting deeper the more packs you have.

    Those that have few or only the basic packs don't see this and that's why mods have to update frequently. I'm not bothering with any of them and don't see as many bugs as those who play with them.

    G.d forbid we go back to the Sims 3 store. :#
  • LoanetLoanet Posts: 4,079 Member
    I don't like what Game Packs have become - some sort of attempt to pander to the Console base, and put, you know, a 'game' into the simulation of life. Strangerville was bad enough, then we have the 'Star Wars' story? We're here to make our own stories, devise our own tortures!

    And what a coincidence, eh, that it starts JUST as the game's ported to Console.
    Prepping a list of mods to add after Infants are placed into the game. Because real life isn't 'nice'.
  • PlayerSinger2010PlayerSinger2010 Posts: 3,267 Member
    KatAnubis wrote: »
    KatAnubis wrote: »
    I know that my Sims were able to eat ice cream (in a cone or in a bowl) from one of the later ones. (But that's not an "important feature" but a "minor detail." Frankly, I rarely even use it!) But there were things in Seasons that used to be in other EPs. I can't disagree about the "Little Pets" stuff except that in TS3

    @KatAnubis ice creams, movies, butlers, hot tubs, laundry, bowling were pretty important features in my book so I can't justify them being locked behind a paywall especially when they fit so well with existing EPs.
    To me it does feel like they are taking out requested features to get extra 10$, many Simmers only buy SPs for the one gameplay item too.

    And yet other people would prefer to have them in Stuff Packs so that they don't have to have what the EPs have. (Like some people don't like to have Seasons in their game but do want some of the other things from it. And I have to put up with vampires in my game because I wanted the clothes and buy/build items in it.)

    @KatAnubis But separating features and putting them in 10$ is a lot less customer-friendly than putting them in packs a lot of people would buy anyway even if those particular features weren't included. Also a lot of features people don't want can be turned off in the settings.

    With your logic, the Sims Team should then sell every single sims feature seperately for 1-2$ each so everyone can put anything they want in the game...

    They tried that. It was called The Sims 3 Store and it was (and still is!) a complete ripoff.
  • KatAnubisKatAnubis Posts: 3,241 Member
    KatAnubis wrote: »
    KatAnubis wrote: »
    I know that my Sims were able to eat ice cream (in a cone or in a bowl) from one of the later ones. (But that's not an "important feature" but a "minor detail." Frankly, I rarely even use it!) But there were things in Seasons that used to be in other EPs. I can't disagree about the "Little Pets" stuff except that in TS3

    @KatAnubis ice creams, movies, butlers, hot tubs, laundry, bowling were pretty important features in my book so I can't justify them being locked behind a paywall especially when they fit so well with existing EPs.
    To me it does feel like they are taking out requested features to get extra 10$, many Simmers only buy SPs for the one gameplay item too.

    And yet other people would prefer to have them in Stuff Packs so that they don't have to have what the EPs have. (Like some people don't like to have Seasons in their game but do want some of the other things from it. And I have to put up with vampires in my game because I wanted the clothes and buy/build items in it.)

    @KatAnubis But separating features and putting them in 10$ is a lot less customer-friendly than putting them in packs a lot of people would buy anyway even if those particular features weren't included. Also a lot of features people don't want can be turned off in the settings.

    With your logic, the Sims Team should then sell every single sims feature seperately for 1-2$ each so everyone can put anything they want in the game...

    They tried that. It was called The Sims 3 Store and it was (and still is!) a complete ripoff.

    Exactly. We need "middle ground".
  • CaitiplaysgamesCaitiplaysgames Posts: 21 Member
    I agree!!! Except I believe the gamepacks are decent but to me stuff packs SHOULD NOT exist also seasons is my favourite ep but WHY doesn't it come with basegame because every other game you don't have to buy the weather so why should we have to in the sims4?!
  • CaitiplaysgamesCaitiplaysgames Posts: 21 Member
    @MeowchaFrappe your point is very valid but the thing is are the ep really worth 35.00 no they aren't and the majority of the stuff packs don't have enough things inside them to be worth 10 pounds so it's ridiculous that things that should already be there are sold as expensive add-ons
  • MeowchaFrappeMeowchaFrappe Posts: 840 Member
    @MeowchaFrappe your point is very valid but the thing is are the ep really worth 35.00 no they aren't and the majority of the stuff packs don't have enough things inside them to be worth 10 pounds so it's ridiculous that things that should already be there are sold as expensive add-ons

    To be fair, I have nothing to compare to since this is the first of the Sims games I've ever played. So I can't really answer the question of whether they're worth full price or not. And I also only get the packs during origin sales or other sites for an even lower price. I get that a lot of people do pay full price, but I never have. Maybe I'm just patient enough to wait until they go on sale?
  • IsharellIsharell Posts: 1,158 Member
    For me, the Stuff packs are nice. I think you get a lot in them, and if you get them on sale (especially 50% off) they are a real bargain! Game packs aren't that expensive, and, again, with a sale (especially 50%) they are pretty great. The Expansion packs, in my opinion, are overpriced at $40 US. They don't seem to offer double the content of a Game pack (I admit I always expect a lot more in terms of CC and BB with EP's than we ever get so maybe I'm just not looking at them right). 50% makes them affordable and a good deal.
  • Simslover1998Simslover1998 Posts: 1 New Member
    I would really like an adult expansion pack with like going to jail, drugs, stds getting treated, actually getting drunk, more clubs, maybe an amusement park,and your partner finding out your cheating. just something more to that wave length that still correlates with the other packs without having to jail break the game and possibly put a virus on your device
Sign In or Register to comment.
Return to top