It's marketing, pure and simple. That isn't bad in and of itself, because that's what companies do -- new logos, new colors, new graphics. But in this case I skeptically believe it's a last-gasp effort to attract more people (small children) to a dying franchise. It looks more like a sparkly Disney Princess game than ever before. Just pwecious.
also its only been 4 years of the Sims 4...
2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2018-2019. The game hits 4 in September and then goes into its 5th year in 2020. Since it came out September 2014. Also why are they dropping this in July when the game came out in September??
also its only been 4 years of the Sims 4...
2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2018-2019. The game hits 4 in September and then goes into its 5th year in 2020. Since it came out September 2014. Also why are they dropping this in July when the game came out in September??
Your math is off because your counting is off. You missed 2017-2018. The game will be five years old in September and will go into it's sixth year then.
Edit: I think they're rebranding because they want younger teens to buy the game -- I think by rebranding it, they're hoping to get a whole new audience who may have been too young to be interested in the game when it was first released.
also its only been 4 years of the Sims 4...
2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2018-2019. The game hits 4 in September and then goes into its 5th year in 2020. Since it came out September 2014. Also why are they dropping this in July when the game came out in September??
Your math is off because your counting is off. You missed 2017-2018. The game will be five years old in September and will go into it's sixth year then.
Edit: I think they're rebranding because they want younger teens to buy the game -- I think by rebranding it, they're hoping to get a whole new audience who may have been too young to be interested in the game when it was first released.
That's the whole point of rebranding - new market segment, new audience. Apparently they want younger players. The thing is the new look of the game, apart from the box, looks dated. I don't know how they are going to win that new audience with that look.
Edit: I think they're rebranding because they want younger teens to buy the game -- I think by rebranding it, they're hoping to get a whole new audience who may have been too young to be interested in the game when it was first released.
---and get rid of the older players (like myself) whom recogize so many bugs and complain about it.
„ - Criticism may not be agreeable, but it's sometimes necessary - “
I literally eneded up uninstalling The Sims 4 now. I don't care anymore!
Ha, that was my initial knee-plum reaction.
The question did come up, do I really want to continue with this series?
I really am waiting just for University and some magic.
And this is the first Sims series that I don't play like I have past games. I just sample and check new content out.
My main sims are on hold until we get Uni. I just temporary sims to try out new packs.
Each pack does bring good stuff, but also choices that make it all not so great and underwhelming.
Someone mentioned the series going on for another 5 years.
I really don't want this to go on for another 5 years. Maybe two. I like this series, but I don't love it.
10 years will just be milking it, probably without adding anything of substance that deepens game play.
At about $1000 or so over a ten year span, I guess some will say the cost was worth it to be entertained for that long.
But I think looking at the game itself, I don't think it will be worth a grand if you are paying all a once and playing for the first time.
I honestly understand the sentiment of wanting to just uninstall completely. The new “main characters” used to promote the game look awkward, like tweens/teens in young adult form. It’s very off-putting.
If there’s anything this update proved, it’s that, yet again, Maxis is out of touch.
They look melenial, very hipster melenial. Ugh I hate it.
Generation Z apparently (had never heard of it). Saw a Generation Z’er gloating that they are clearly the target group and I must admit that genuinely saddens me (in a ‘it’s really bugging me’ kind of way). That people actually enjoy the fact that they are catered and others are not. “I matter, you don’t, deal with it.” I regret that attitude. How are we still a “community”?
I literally eneded up uninstalling The Sims 4 now. I don't care anymore!
Ha, that was my initial knee-plum reaction.
The question did come up, do I really want to continue with this series?
I really am waiting just for University and some magic.
And this is the first Sims series that I don't play like I have past games. I just sample and check new content out.
My main sims are on hold until we get Uni. I just temporary sims to try out new packs.
Each pack does bring good stuff, but also choices that make it all not so great and underwhelming.
Someone mentioned the series going on for another 5 years.
I really don't want this to go on for another 5 years. Maybe two. I like this series, but I don't love it.
10 years will just be milking it, probably without adding anything of substance that deepens game play.
At about $1000 or so over a ten year span, I guess some will say the cost was worth it to be entertained for that long.
But I think looking at the game itself, I don't think it will be worth a grand if you are paying all a once and playing for the first time.
I honestly understand the sentiment of wanting to just uninstall completely. The new “main characters” used to promote the game look awkward, like tweens/teens in young adult form. It’s very off-putting.
If there’s anything this update proved, it’s that, yet again, Maxis is out of touch.
They look melenial, very hipster melenial. Ugh I hate it.
Generation Z apparently (had never heard of it). Saw a Generation Z’er gloating that they are clearly the target group and I must admit that genuinely saddens me (in a ‘it’s really bugging me’ kind of way). That people actually enjoy the fact that they are catered and others are not. “I matter, you don’t, deal with it.” I regret that attitude. How are we still a “community”?
I'm an early generation z we do not dress like that.
I literally eneded up uninstalling The Sims 4 now. I don't care anymore!
Ha, that was my initial knee-plum reaction.
The question did come up, do I really want to continue with this series?
I really am waiting just for University and some magic.
And this is the first Sims series that I don't play like I have past games. I just sample and check new content out.
My main sims are on hold until we get Uni. I just temporary sims to try out new packs.
Each pack does bring good stuff, but also choices that make it all not so great and underwhelming.
Someone mentioned the series going on for another 5 years.
I really don't want this to go on for another 5 years. Maybe two. I like this series, but I don't love it.
10 years will just be milking it, probably without adding anything of substance that deepens game play.
At about $1000 or so over a ten year span, I guess some will say the cost was worth it to be entertained for that long.
But I think looking at the game itself, I don't think it will be worth a grand if you are paying all a once and playing for the first time.
I honestly understand the sentiment of wanting to just uninstall completely. The new “main characters” used to promote the game look awkward, like tweens/teens in young adult form. It’s very off-putting.
If there’s anything this update proved, it’s that, yet again, Maxis is out of touch.
They look melenial, very hipster melenial. Ugh I hate it.
Generation Z apparently (had never heard of it). Saw a Generation Z’er gloating that they are clearly the target group and I must admit that genuinely saddens me (in a ‘it’s really bugging me’ kind of way). That people actually enjoy the fact that they are catered and others are not. “I matter, you don’t, deal with it.” I regret that attitude. How are we still a “community”?
also its only been 4 years of the Sims 4...
2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2018-2019. The game hits 4 in September and then goes into its 5th year in 2020. Since it came out September 2014. Also why are they dropping this in July when the game came out in September??
Your math is off because your counting is off. You missed 2017-2018. The game will be five years old in September and will go into it's sixth year then.
Edit: I think they're rebranding because they want younger teens to buy the game -- I think by rebranding it, they're hoping to get a whole new audience who may have been too young to be interested in the game when it was first released.
Exactly, as we are in an mobile period and who is more into mobile, young adults of course so for me it looks like EA/Maxis is trying to get into the mobile scene. I am older now and I dislike mobile games as they tend to be weak in performance but tablets and smartphones are becoming more advanced but they all have something in common, small screens and hate small screens and it has to be 27" or better.
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Generation Z apparently (had never heard of it). Saw a Generation Z’er gloating that they are clearly the target group and I must admit that genuinely saddens me (in a ‘it’s really bugging me’ kind of way). That people actually enjoy the fact that they are catered and others are not. “I matter, you don’t, deal with it.” I regret that attitude. How are we still a “community”?
"Gloating" really. How was that gloating ? Let people be happy and like things, there was nothing more to it.
Anyone remember how great the Sims 1 covers were? Not cluttered-looking like the Sims 3 cover,and not focused on YA like the Sims 4 cover. The Sims 1 covers were nicely done and had all sorts of diveristy and colors that didn't clash. I'm hoping that Sims 4 will have the plug pulled in 2020-2021,and that we'll get Sims 5. Sims 4 has gone on for a few years now,and it will be time to end it soon.
I assume marketing picked this render to be on the load screen. Alright, what does it show? A transgender couple? A black girl who seems to be disturbed by the white guy touching her shoulder, someone using a phone for a selfie, and some others eating food. O.K. I guess that is all this game is about now. I wouldn't have picked this render. It doesn't do any justice to the game at all. It seems to be pandering. Where are the elders, the toddlers, the kids and other type couples? Where are other type races such as Asian? There is a lot missing there, but marketing picked the render to be on loading screen..so if you never played and this was your first time loading the game the message would be this is what you can do in this game...well...that is one of the worst examples ever. ETA: And oh, lots of gadget such as phones and camara. I guess this is all this game offers then if that is the example they want to use. Make transgender couples, use a phone, eat food. That doesn't scream fun to me.
ETA: Notice the black girl has red hair, I assume to message you can have different unnatural hair color, the white guy (but looks female to me) made him blond and wearing glasses to read his phone. Where are any heavy set Sims...none, absent..what does that say? Where is a true Scottish redhead? None, what does that say? Where is an Asian guy, none, where is the Indian guy or woman? none. Where is the black guy? We get the message Maxis you want to market everyone is pretty, we can dye hair and males are nerds, (look at them) and females rule, and it's about gender patch and food and phones.
Post edited by Cinebar on
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
I assume marketing picked this render to be on the load screen. Alright, what does it show? A transgender couple? A black girl who seems to be disturbed by the white guy touching her shoulder, someone using a phone for a selfie, and some others eating food. O.K. I guess that is all this game is about now. I wouldn't have picked this render. It doesn't do any justice to the game at all. It seems to be pandering. Where are the elders, the toddlers, the kids and other type couples? Where are other type races such as Asian? There is a lot missing there, but marketing picked the render to be on loading screen..so if you never played and this was your first time loading the game the message would be this is what you can do in this game...well...that is one of the worst examples ever.
The new cover sims are horrible.
I personally don't even know why the sims are eating in the cover, is that suppose to be qUiRkY? I don't understand this food glorification Maxis keeps putting forward. Literally two people on the render are messing with their phones and there's only 3 males between 9 sims. And all sims seem to have the same personality, same age and same body shape.
I don't see how any of this is an improvement over the previous one, which had a 50/50 male, female presence on the cover, an asian girl (June), a bigger guy (Steve), an older lady (Gladys), a latina (Cassidy), a black guy (Ollie), a "sexy girl" (Babs), an adult (Vernon) and a millennial type white guy (Andre).
The Sims 3 is probably one of the better cover arts of the series, since it includes... well almost all kinds of Sims. Children, police, burglar, firefighter, and all sorts of personalities can be seen. I guess.
Oh, tell me you just didn't. Ohhhh you just did!
Though yes, the previous cover art of TS4 was better than previous one and show just that diversity. Which is something I stated elsewhere, but I can repeat.
I don't mind the rebranding, but it would be nice if they finished the base game of TS5 and release it concurrantly as they continue to put out packs for TS4 for several more years.
If we're no longer the target group for TS4, then please give us TS5 when it's ready regardless of whether TS4 is still being worked on or not. It will be a win-win for those who prefer TS4 and for those who want to move on to TS5. And EA will win too because they'll have recaptured the veteran base that either could never stomach the awfulness of TS4 or who have entirely given up on it.
EA is rich. Honestly, they can withstand making packs for both TS5 and TS4 at the same time. But if they continue to drag TS4 on and not answer to the needs of the simmers waiting for TS5 (quite a good number have been waiting 5 years, like me!), these simmers are just going to go somewhere else. EA would have to be blind not to see that competition is already working on better sims games to draw them away, just like with Cities: Skylines, when EA dropped the ball with SimCity.
Generation Z apparently (had never heard of it). Saw a Generation Z’er gloating that they are clearly the target group and I must admit that genuinely saddens me (in a ‘it’s really bugging me’ kind of way). That people actually enjoy the fact that they are catered and others are not. “I matter, you don’t, deal with it.” I regret that attitude. How are we still a “community”?
"Gloating" really. How was that gloating ? Let people be happy and like things, there was nothing more to it.
You’re right, the use of the word ‘gloating’ is wrong, reason being that I thought it meant something slightly different. Gleaming is what I meant. But clearly not caring if others feel represented. I’d just love a game where each life stage is represented by its own generation. The elders being the baby boomers, the adults generation x, the young adults generation y. In a tongue in cheek way. Instead we have elders in the game that grab their mobile phone to take selfies just like their grandchildren.
It's simple. In previous iterations of The Sims, the packaging changed after about five years because they were changing the game: The Sims to TS2, TS2 to TS3, and so on.
This game is five years old, but there are no plans to abandon this version any time soon. TS5 is no more than speculation, and maybe, possibly, in some sort of rought pre-concept planning stage.
But TS4 is in fact more robust and popular than The Sims ever has been and, as a way to keep the visual profile fresh and contemporary, rather than stale or dated, Maxis is doing what companies do, and having its design team put together a sleeker, more contemporary presentation.
This is a standard business practice. Design teams do this kind of work routinely. Re-styling an existing, established brand is probably more common than establishing a new one.
The Sims is an astonishingly successful video game franchise, with nearly twenty years' prominence in the industry. It is worth their time to make it look like a current game - which it is.
None of this means they are not also working to resolve bugs and performance issues, because of course they are. They are explicitly not ending development of new content and playability. All of that is still going on. All the more reason to keep the packaging current. It's standard business practice.
It's simple. In previous iterations of The Sims, the packaging changed after about five years because they were changing the game: The Sims to TS2, TS2 to TS3, and so on.
This game is five years old, but there are no plans to abandon this version any time soon. TS5 is no more than speculation, and maybe, possibly, in some sort of rought pre-concept planning stage.
But TS4 is in fact more robust and popular than The Sims ever has been and, as a way to keep the visual profile fresh and contemporary, rather than stale or dated, Maxis is doing what companies do, and having its design team put together a sleeker, more contemporary presentation.
This is a standard business practice. Design teams do this kind of work routinely. Re-styling an existing, established brand is probably more common than establishing a new one.
The Sims is an astonishingly successful video game franchise, with nearly twenty years' prominence in the industry. It is worth their time to make it look like a current game - which it is.
None of this means they are not also working to resolve bugs and performance issues, because of course they are. They are explicitly not ending development of new content and playability. All of that is still going on. All the more reason to keep the packaging current. It's standard business practice.
I'm not opposed to them re-branding it I just think maybe they could have done better in some areas. TS3 BG also changed cover in the middle of development for that bland white one. I was so confused when my origin changed the game's cover at the time lol because I preferred the first one and I still do.
I have no problem with rebranding, marketing is marketing and I think the timing is good; it's just not that attractive to me. I guess it's just not my style.
It's simple. In previous iterations of The Sims, the packaging changed after about five years because they were changing the game: The Sims to TS2, TS2 to TS3, and so on.
This game is five years old, but there are no plans to abandon this version any time soon. TS5 is no more than speculation, and maybe, possibly, in some sort of rought pre-concept planning stage.
But TS4 is in fact more robust and popular than The Sims ever has been and, as a way to keep the visual profile fresh and contemporary, rather than stale or dated, Maxis is doing what companies do, and having its design team put together a sleeker, more contemporary presentation.
This is a standard business practice. Design teams do this kind of work routinely. Re-styling an existing, established brand is probably more common than establishing a new one.
The Sims is an astonishingly successful video game franchise, with nearly twenty years' prominence in the industry. It is worth their time to make it look like a current game - which it is.
None of this means they are not also working to resolve bugs and performance issues, because of course they are. They are explicitly not ending development of new content and playability. All of that is still going on. All the more reason to keep the packaging current. It's standard business practice.
Lol (bold) No it’s not but EA doesn’t care, that much is true. It is logical they change the looks for a bit (they’ve done that for the earlier versions as well actually). I don’t think it’s that what people mind about. They mind it looks like it’s a game for five year olds now and I think there’s a reason it looks like a game meant for five year olds. They are more and more targeting kids and young teens. And not everybody likes that. This just makes people realize that.
This rebranding is really just frivolous at best. With that said, their marketing team and marketing efforts have never been worse than with The Sims 4.
The whole "Get -" naming scheme of expansions is used inconsistently, their release schedule is all over the place and random, and packs marketed/labeled as expansions feel like game packs, never consistently sticking to one method of unveiling future content, certain gurus making off-hand Tweets towards players, etc...
It just comes off as messy. Then you hop into the game, try to play live mode, and that's an even bigger mess.
All of this. Thank you.
I know it doesn't affect gameplay or whatever but the inconsistency of using "get" annoys me beyond belief. Also sticking random celebrities into promotion/the game itself? First of all tacky, second of all probably a waste of money. It's an obvious push to reach a young girl audience because I don't know any person who's a girl over the age of 11 that cares about or even knows who Baby Ariel and the voice actress of Moana are. But even within that demographic, I don't think the celebs they've chosen are all that popular.
Ditto!...and they've been on hold since ~2015. I've been playing with #tortureyoursims sims, though I take excellent care of almost all of them now. There are one or two that get their just desserts! The drama-prone sims that I started with, who I'd expected to be able to send to college, have slowly died off (I play with aging-off, but even so, time must pass eventually!). Maybe their grandkids, who I'm slowly aging into teens, or their great grand-kids, will get to go to Uni. Maybe.
But the sims that I love? Still waiting in savefile-limbo for a University pack.
If the rebrand was to attract young teens, it fails. Showed pictures it to both my teen and pre-teen, and both said it looked ugly. They may be bias though, as they already were playing "mom's game."
Comments
2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2018-2019. The game hits 4 in September and then goes into its 5th year in 2020. Since it came out September 2014. Also why are they dropping this in July when the game came out in September??
Your math is off because your counting is off. You missed 2017-2018. The game will be five years old in September and will go into it's sixth year then.
Edit: I think they're rebranding because they want younger teens to buy the game -- I think by rebranding it, they're hoping to get a whole new audience who may have been too young to be interested in the game when it was first released.
That's the whole point of rebranding - new market segment, new audience. Apparently they want younger players. The thing is the new look of the game, apart from the box, looks dated. I don't know how they are going to win that new audience with that look.
---and get rid of the older players (like myself) whom recogize so many bugs and complain about it.
I'm an early generation z we do not dress like that.
Not even the Generation Z likes these.
Exactly, as we are in an mobile period and who is more into mobile, young adults of course so for me it looks like EA/Maxis is trying to get into the mobile scene. I am older now and I dislike mobile games as they tend to be weak in performance but tablets and smartphones are becoming more advanced but they all have something in common, small screens and hate small screens and it has to be 27" or better.
ETA: Notice the black girl has red hair, I assume to message you can have different unnatural hair color, the white guy (but looks female to me) made him blond and wearing glasses to read his phone. Where are any heavy set Sims...none, absent..what does that say? Where is a true Scottish redhead? None, what does that say? Where is an Asian guy, none, where is the Indian guy or woman? none. Where is the black guy? We get the message Maxis you want to market everyone is pretty, we can dye hair and males are nerds, (look at them) and females rule, and it's about gender patch and food and phones.
The new cover sims are horrible.
I personally don't even know why the sims are eating in the cover, is that suppose to be qUiRkY? I don't understand this food glorification Maxis keeps putting forward. Literally two people on the render are messing with their phones and there's only 3 males between 9 sims. And all sims seem to have the same personality, same age and same body shape.
I don't see how any of this is an improvement over the previous one, which had a 50/50 male, female presence on the cover, an asian girl (June), a bigger guy (Steve), an older lady (Gladys), a latina (Cassidy), a black guy (Ollie), a "sexy girl" (Babs), an adult (Vernon) and a millennial type white guy (Andre).
LMAO how come I only saw this now xD
Though yes, the previous cover art of TS4 was better than previous one and show just that diversity. Which is something I stated elsewhere, but I can repeat.
If we're no longer the target group for TS4, then please give us TS5 when it's ready regardless of whether TS4 is still being worked on or not. It will be a win-win for those who prefer TS4 and for those who want to move on to TS5. And EA will win too because they'll have recaptured the veteran base that either could never stomach the awfulness of TS4 or who have entirely given up on it.
EA is rich. Honestly, they can withstand making packs for both TS5 and TS4 at the same time. But if they continue to drag TS4 on and not answer to the needs of the simmers waiting for TS5 (quite a good number have been waiting 5 years, like me!), these simmers are just going to go somewhere else. EA would have to be blind not to see that competition is already working on better sims games to draw them away, just like with Cities: Skylines, when EA dropped the ball with SimCity.
This game is five years old, but there are no plans to abandon this version any time soon. TS5 is no more than speculation, and maybe, possibly, in some sort of rought pre-concept planning stage.
But TS4 is in fact more robust and popular than The Sims ever has been and, as a way to keep the visual profile fresh and contemporary, rather than stale or dated, Maxis is doing what companies do, and having its design team put together a sleeker, more contemporary presentation.
This is a standard business practice. Design teams do this kind of work routinely. Re-styling an existing, established brand is probably more common than establishing a new one.
The Sims is an astonishingly successful video game franchise, with nearly twenty years' prominence in the industry. It is worth their time to make it look like a current game - which it is.
None of this means they are not also working to resolve bugs and performance issues, because of course they are. They are explicitly not ending development of new content and playability. All of that is still going on. All the more reason to keep the packaging current. It's standard business practice.
I'm not opposed to them re-branding it I just think maybe they could have done better in some areas. TS3 BG also changed cover in the middle of development for that bland white one. I was so confused when my origin changed the game's cover at the time lol because I preferred the first one and I still do.
All of this. Thank you.
I know it doesn't affect gameplay or whatever but the inconsistency of using "get" annoys me beyond belief. Also sticking random celebrities into promotion/the game itself? First of all tacky, second of all probably a waste of money. It's an obvious push to reach a young girl audience because I don't know any person who's a girl over the age of 11 that cares about or even knows who Baby Ariel and the voice actress of Moana are. But even within that demographic, I don't think the celebs they've chosen are all that popular.
But the sims that I love? Still waiting in savefile-limbo for a University pack.