@SimGuruKate can only answer us with the information she is given, If they are not clear on their plans how can she tell us a definite yes or no. I think it could still all be undecided even to the team working on things.
So maybe they will Make more GP's or maybe even a stuff pack someday again.
Things have changed for us Simmers especially when we get new information on their plans of when we will get something new or what it will be.
It does not seem it will change in the near future, We are not even sure If we will get a Sims 5, But what they seem to be sure about is that they will keep making content for Sims 4 for some years. Most are not even sure about that.
I know they can't tell us. But what's the point of always saying 'maybe' . I don't know who decides what we are allowed to know but an actual answer would be nice, even if it were bad news. Then we would at least know what to expect.
It's so frustating to not get a real answer, and I think it's just as frustating for SimGuruKate as it is for us.
I agree with you on, an actual answer would be nice even if it was bad news. Sure we are all happy when we get a surprise release. It's just a bit stressful not knowing.
So what's new for me is that if we will get free content they can not show the free content coming until the month of.
Some may think getting two EPs a year gives more content, even if that was so it could mean less variety.
Like some simmers said Some of the GPs bought more enjoyment and meaning to the game then and overloaded EP. I am sure it is not always the case, but it does make a point.
we'll give you a full refund. Just make sure you make your request within 24 hours after you first launch the game, within seven days from your date of purchase, or within seven days from the game's release date if you pre-ordered, whichever comes first.
Who said EA doesn't have a sense of humor
I'm worried about this tweet. Basically someone is asking 'will we still have SP's' and the answer is 'maybe we will one day make a SP or GP again'
I feels as if the sims team considers GP's and SP's to be the same while they are in reality to totally different concepts. SP's are just stuff with a nice feature added, while GP's are closer to EP's with real new gameplay. I think the GP's are some of the best packs for the sims 4 and it's sad to hear the sims team doesn't seem to be interested in them any more. Some of the GP's are more important then EP's for my personal gameplay (parenthood, dine out and vacation packs)
I remember people complaining about get famous, calling it a GP which was upgraded to an EP. I didn't believe it ... until I read this tweet. I'm starting to believe that might have actually happened. Because DLC doesn't seem to sell very good compared to EP's. This news supports the theory there will be no more or very few SP's and GP's.
There have been too many SP's in the past, I can understand if there would be fewer SP's. But GP's offered a lot of gameplay, especially parenthood. I will miss them if they stop. With sims 4 EP's offering so little features besides the core theme of an EP, it would be nice to have two GP's instead of one additional EP each year. This way we can have a little more variety of content for a game which still feels as if it is lacking depth and content.
But what is really sad is the question is never answered directly. Why answer with a maybe and not a simple 'no we are not making any at the moment' or 'yes there are a few SP's planned'. That would be a clear message, without room for speculation. I question in the tweet asked for transparency, but that's the one thing I can't find in the answer.
I personally would take 2 EP's a year over SP's and GP's. I think we get more content that way.
Yes but we have too many content and news droughts this way and if they continue with just 2 eps a year we're going to be waiting a long time for them to catch up to TS3.
I would atleast like to see 1 GP,1 SP and 2 Expansions this year.
I'm worried about this tweet. Basically someone is asking 'will we still have SP's' and the answer is 'maybe we will one day make a SP or GP again'
I feels as if the sims team considers GP's and SP's to be the same while they are in reality to totally different concepts. SP's are just stuff with a nice feature added, while GP's are closer to EP's with real new gameplay. I think the GP's are some of the best packs for the sims 4 and it's sad to hear the sims team doesn't seem to be interested in them any more. Some of the GP's are more important then EP's for my personal gameplay (parenthood, dine out and vacation packs)
I remember people complaining about get famous, calling it a GP which was upgraded to an EP. I didn't believe it ... until I read this tweet. I'm starting to believe that might have actually happened. Because DLC doesn't seem to sell very good compared to EP's. This news supports the theory there will be no more or very few SP's and GP's.
There have been too many SP's in the past, I can understand if there would be fewer SP's. But GP's offered a lot of gameplay, especially parenthood. I will miss them if they stop. With sims 4 EP's offering so little features besides the core theme of an EP, it would be nice to have two GP's instead of one additional EP each year. This way we can have a little more variety of content for a game which still feels as if it is lacking depth and content.
But what is really sad is the question is never answered directly. Why answer with a maybe and not a simple 'no we are not making any at the moment' or 'yes there are a few SP's planned'. That would be a clear message, without room for speculation. I question in the tweet asked for transparency, but that's the one thing I can't find in the answer.
I personally would take 2 EP's a year over SP's and GP's. I think we get more content that way.
Yes but we have too many content and news droughts this way and if they continue with just 2 eps a year we're going to be waiting a long time for them to catch up to TS3.
I would atleast like to see 1 GP,1 SP and 2 Expansions this year.
This has already happened. TS4 didn't catch up 4 years in and that's mainly because we had 3 years with just one EP a year.
I like sims 4 a lot. But wow, Im bored right now and I have never said that.
I still have a lot of exploring to do with Get Famous. But seasons was just weather and a calendar, which is fine, thats all it was supposed to be.And I finally got that swing id been missing and a toddler pool. But...I really need more gameplay content! Jungle Adventures is nice. But Im not going to take most of my households to the jungle.
I am missing something from my game! I hope we get an announcement in Feb. And a new game pack or expansion in March! Because I NEED it! I was playing Sims 4 every day. But now I only feel the need to maybe play once or twice a month . But I cant exaggerate too strongly , I only just stopped playing every day
Im kind of sad in real life right now and need the sims for a cheer me up!
For me it's the opposite. I was only playing once in awhile, then GF hit and I got my singer Sim back. I hate when I can't play the game all day, every day. LOL But, I do appreciate where you're at. I had a love/hate relationship with Sims3.
I think EA and Maxis greatly discredit the power of "hype" and how teasers and "this is what we're working on" videos can really build up a burning desire in players for that content. I've played many different online games, and they periodically release teasers and even really early versions of bits from upcoming content, and even something as mediocre as a plant that might be found in the world can spark people to get excited wondering what kind of world might spawn such a plant, and so forth. Even Pokémon has taken this approach after the last like 8 years of having the entire Pokedex datamined when early copies/demos got out - with Sun/Moon they started slowly releasing new Pokémon over the course of like 3 months as the global release date approached, and this was an amazing way to get people excited for the new games. EA and Maxis should really take this approach when it comes to Sims content. It doesn't even have to be something big - like I mentioned above, even something mediocre like a counter or a chair could spark imaginations and give us something to theorize and get excited about.
Their inability to do this, which is fairly simple in my eyes, tells me that there's probably a lot of inconsistent upheaval in their production queues, or that EA doesn't have faith in the product to the point where they think building hype will result in a let down.
I think EA and Maxis greatly discredit the power of "hype" and how teasers and "this is what we're working on" videos can really build up a burning desire in players for that content. I've played many different online games, and they periodically release teasers and even really early versions of bits from upcoming content, and even something as mediocre as a plant that might be found in the world can spark people to get excited wondering what kind of world might spawn such a plant, and so forth. Even Pokémon has taken this approach after the last like 8 years of having the entire Pokedex datamined when early copies/demos got out - with Sun/Moon they started slowly releasing new Pokémon over the course of like 3 months as the global release date approached, and this was an amazing way to get people excited for the new games. EA and Maxis should really take this approach when it comes to Sims content. It doesn't even have to be something big - like I mentioned above, even something mediocre like a counter or a chair could spark imaginations and give us something to theorize and get excited about.
Their inability to do this, which is fairly simple in my eyes, tells me that there's probably a lot of inconsistent upheaval in their production queues, or that EA doesn't have faith in the product to the point where they think building hype will result in a let down.
According to statements from the devs, there are actually legal obligations to adhere to that restrict their ability to talk about future content. It goes beyond company policy. I believe Grant said it was tied into Federal restrictions. I'm not sure exactly what those laws and restrictions say, but that's what was explained.
I think EA and Maxis greatly discredit the power of "hype" and how teasers and "this is what we're working on" videos can really build up a burning desire in players for that content. I've played many different online games, and they periodically release teasers and even really early versions of bits from upcoming content, and even something as mediocre as a plant that might be found in the world can spark people to get excited wondering what kind of world might spawn such a plant, and so forth. Even Pokémon has taken this approach after the last like 8 years of having the entire Pokedex datamined when early copies/demos got out - with Sun/Moon they started slowly releasing new Pokémon over the course of like 3 months as the global release date approached, and this was an amazing way to get people excited for the new games. EA and Maxis should really take this approach when it comes to Sims content. It doesn't even have to be something big - like I mentioned above, even something mediocre like a counter or a chair could spark imaginations and give us something to theorize and get excited about.
Their inability to do this, which is fairly simple in my eyes, tells me that there's probably a lot of inconsistent upheaval in their production queues, or that EA doesn't have faith in the product to the point where they think building hype will result in a let down.
According to statements from the devs, there are actually legal obligations to adhere to that restrict their ability to talk about future content. It goes beyond company policy. I believe Grant said it was tied into Federal restrictions. I'm not sure exactly what those laws and restrictions say, but that's what was explained.
Yes they are right to be careful Don’t Game Your Players
a bit of the rule they are attaining to.
They do not want to mislead their players by showing them something early and then deciding to remove what they showed them later in the development.
Example: Say if a company advertised their new game 4 months before release. In the center of the trailer, it was a huge tree and it had sparkles and smoke and fire shooting out from the tree.
Later the company found that all the sparkles and smoke, fire shooting out of the tree caused to much lag and replaced it with just a rainbow colored tree.
So that would be wrong, the people got hyped because of the tree that they saw.
This could be why they only want to show us what's in the game much closer to the release of the game.
I have seen us simmers try to get things changed from what we saw in the trailer.
Now that is what they do not want, they want to show us what we are getting in the game and not change what was advertised.
Some simmers were very demanding about what they wanted to be changed. So that puts them in a bad place, or between a rock and a hard place sort of speak.
Not to blame us but we simmers could be partially the blame for them keeping it under lock and key up to the last days.
We only think of it as our Sims game, But they look at the business side.
we'll give you a full refund. Just make sure you make your request within 24 hours after you first launch the game, within seven days from your date of purchase, or within seven days from the game's release date if you pre-ordered, whichever comes first.
Who said EA doesn't have a sense of humor
I still play sims 4 and I still have fun. When I said im bored, I mean bored of waiting for news. I am bored of wondering whats next. I am bored of waiting for highly anticipated releases, such as University or an Island Pack. I am bored of not knowing. I easily choose sims 4 as my most favorite sims game. It's modern , looks good and runs great. But I am bored as ever with the lack of transparency and not having anything exciting to look forward to for months on end.
I am genuinely curious, how it would hurt their bottom line to announce what they are working on.
Post edited by EnjoyfulSimmer on
"Let Our Hearts And Hands Be Streched Out In Compassion Toward Others."
I think EA and Maxis greatly discredit the power of "hype" and how teasers and "this is what we're working on" videos can really build up a burning desire in players for that content. I've played many different online games, and they periodically release teasers and even really early versions of bits from upcoming content, and even something as mediocre as a plant that might be found in the world can spark people to get excited wondering what kind of world might spawn such a plant, and so forth. Even Pokémon has taken this approach after the last like 8 years of having the entire Pokedex datamined when early copies/demos got out - with Sun/Moon they started slowly releasing new Pokémon over the course of like 3 months as the global release date approached, and this was an amazing way to get people excited for the new games. EA and Maxis should really take this approach when it comes to Sims content. It doesn't even have to be something big - like I mentioned above, even something mediocre like a counter or a chair could spark imaginations and give us something to theorize and get excited about.
Their inability to do this, which is fairly simple in my eyes, tells me that there's probably a lot of inconsistent upheaval in their production queues, or that EA doesn't have faith in the product to the point where they think building hype will result in a let down.
According to statements from the devs, there are actually legal obligations to adhere to that restrict their ability to talk about future content. It goes beyond company policy. I believe Grant said it was tied into Federal restrictions. I'm not sure exactly what those laws and restrictions say, but that's what was explained.
Well that's a first. Who knew their legal system was so interested in how they divulge information on a software product? 🤔
Don't manhandle the urchin. He's not for sale. FIND YOUR OWN! - Xenon the Antiquarian, Dragon Age II
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
I still play sims 4 and I still have fun. When I said im bored, I mean bored of waiting for news. I am bored of wondering whats next. I am bored of waiting for highly anticipated releases, such as University or an Island Pack. I am bored of not knowing. I easily choose sims 4 as my most favorite sims game. It's modern , looks good and runs great. But I am bored as ever with the lack of transparency and not having anything exciting to look forward to for months on end.
I am genuinely curious, how it would hurt their bottom line to announce what they are working on.
I think they should tell us what they are working on, then give us and disclaimer allowing them to change anything or everything.
And come on I know we all love free things but are we that desperate, lol 😂 Yes we are.
we'll give you a full refund. Just make sure you make your request within 24 hours after you first launch the game, within seven days from your date of purchase, or within seven days from the game's release date if you pre-ordered, whichever comes first.
Who said EA doesn't have a sense of humor
I think EA and Maxis greatly discredit the power of "hype" and how teasers and "this is what we're working on" videos can really build up a burning desire in players for that content. I've played many different online games, and they periodically release teasers and even really early versions of bits from upcoming content, and even something as mediocre as a plant that might be found in the world can spark people to get excited wondering what kind of world might spawn such a plant, and so forth. Even Pokémon has taken this approach after the last like 8 years of having the entire Pokedex datamined when early copies/demos got out - with Sun/Moon they started slowly releasing new Pokémon over the course of like 3 months as the global release date approached, and this was an amazing way to get people excited for the new games. EA and Maxis should really take this approach when it comes to Sims content. It doesn't even have to be something big - like I mentioned above, even something mediocre like a counter or a chair could spark imaginations and give us something to theorize and get excited about.
Their inability to do this, which is fairly simple in my eyes, tells me that there's probably a lot of inconsistent upheaval in their production queues, or that EA doesn't have faith in the product to the point where they think building hype will result in a let down.
According to statements from the devs, there are actually legal obligations to adhere to that restrict their ability to talk about future content. It goes beyond company policy. I believe Grant said it was tied into Federal restrictions. I'm not sure exactly what those laws and restrictions say, but that's what was explained.
I remember that, and that's what they say, yet other companies have no issues. World.of warcraft can talk about free patch content half a year before its release, as can most mmo's that use live service formula. So if sims 4 is a live service, what's the reasoning here?
I think EA and Maxis greatly discredit the power of "hype" and how teasers and "this is what we're working on" videos can really build up a burning desire in players for that content. I've played many different online games, and they periodically release teasers and even really early versions of bits from upcoming content, and even something as mediocre as a plant that might be found in the world can spark people to get excited wondering what kind of world might spawn such a plant, and so forth. Even Pokémon has taken this approach after the last like 8 years of having the entire Pokedex datamined when early copies/demos got out - with Sun/Moon they started slowly releasing new Pokémon over the course of like 3 months as the global release date approached, and this was an amazing way to get people excited for the new games. EA and Maxis should really take this approach when it comes to Sims content. It doesn't even have to be something big - like I mentioned above, even something mediocre like a counter or a chair could spark imaginations and give us something to theorize and get excited about.
Their inability to do this, which is fairly simple in my eyes, tells me that there's probably a lot of inconsistent upheaval in their production queues, or that EA doesn't have faith in the product to the point where they think building hype will result in a let down.
According to statements from the devs, there are actually legal obligations to adhere to that restrict their ability to talk about future content. It goes beyond company policy. I believe Grant said it was tied into Federal restrictions. I'm not sure exactly what those laws and restrictions say, but that's what was explained.
I remember that, and that's what they say, yet other companies have no issues. World.of warcraft can talk about free patch content half a year before its release, as can most mmo's that use live service formula. So if sims 4 is a live service, what's the reasoning here?
I don't claim to know the answer to that because I'm not a game developer. But it could have to do with one of many reasons. It could be because EA seems to function and plan their years and content within the quarters of each fiscal year, so their financial reports are probably also quarterly (I think I saw something about this from a dev once, but I only vaguely remember the details) and this might put restrictions on them that another company who does reports yearly or bi-annually or whatever, doesn't have. A huge company like EA has a lot of financial idiosyncrasies to juggle and if they stand to risk losing multi-millions of dollars from publicly releasing information that they then don't deliver, or that even gets altered and can be claimed it wasn't "as promised", you can best believe that they are going to clamp down and make certain that this kind of error doesn't happen.
I can assure you that businesses have a lot of taxation and income rules and laws to deal with. I ran a small business for several years and the accounting was way more complicated than I wanted to deal with, lol. And that was just a simple business with no employees or anything, and it gets a lot more complicated as a business grows and expands. When it comes to corporate and big money companies, the complications are going to multiply, and then you have certain types of businesses that have their own special sets of laws to consider.
So, again, I don't know the exact reasons for this, but I don't really find it hard to believe, either. And I have a feeling that even if we got the long answer to this question, many of us probably still wouldn't understand it, lol.
Monthly Maxis was introduced to communicate with us in a new way but I don't feel like this is communication. I really don't care about the game influencers no offense to anyone and I don't really care about how they got their start on the sims...again no offense. I love the Gurus but I want game information otherwise, I don't need to see a show.
I want to know what is on the horizon even if it is a picture that we can speculate about. Sure we may be disappointed when we find out the truth of what the pack is about but it is better than patting our feet while waiting six months for a morsel of information. The speculation is part of the fun. When we got the expansion pack in Sims 2, the next pack hint was in there and we could get even more excited. Sims 3, when they did twitch we usually got a hint or something. I never wanted to miss a video. My favorite hint was the sim in the boat for sims 3. I don't get excited when I hear the Maxis Monthly is coming.
Monthly Maxis was introduced to communicate with us in a new way but I don't feel like this is communication. I really don't care about the game influencers no offense to anyone and I don't really care about how they got their start on the sims...again no offense. I love the Gurus but I want game information otherwise, I don't need to see a show.
I want to know what is on the horizon even if it is a picture that we can speculate about. Sure we may be disappointed when we find out the truth of what the pack is about but it is better than patting our feet while waiting six months for a morsel of information. The speculation is part of the fun. When we got the expansion pack in Sims 2, the next pack hint was in there and we could get even more excited. Sims 3, when they did twitch we usually got a hint or something. I never wanted to miss a video. My favorite hint was the sim in the boat for sims 3. I don't get excited when I hear the Maxis Monthly is coming.
You know how the trick-or-treaters come by and people give them a few pieces of candy? That's how I felt afterward.
Their minds seem to be so far away and out of touch with our reality. 19 years and not even a cake server?. I would expect plates that said something about EA/Maxis on them or at lease colorful 19 years plats and napkins.
Actors, pretending to us, I think hiding Sims 5 for sure. At the lease a New EP maybe even cars.
I saw no stress, they are happy and as comfortable as being in their own living room? Why worry us. They introduced us to someone we never saw before. What did this person do that merits him and proper introduction, Did he make us a new EP? Is it time for a big surprise.
Or is it like a movie of a girl planning her wedding but her fiance has already broken up with her in his mind. and moved on to a different girl, but he is afraid to hurt her, so he says nothing.
He knows he has something better in the works and he really just do not care in more.
Yep I think Sims 4 is being replaced by no other than its predecessor, Sims 5
we'll give you a full refund. Just make sure you make your request within 24 hours after you first launch the game, within seven days from your date of purchase, or within seven days from the game's release date if you pre-ordered, whichever comes first.
Who said EA doesn't have a sense of humor
I think EA and Maxis greatly discredit the power of "hype" and how teasers and "this is what we're working on" videos can really build up a burning desire in players for that content. I've played many different online games, and they periodically release teasers and even really early versions of bits from upcoming content, and even something as mediocre as a plant that might be found in the world can spark people to get excited wondering what kind of world might spawn such a plant, and so forth. Even Pokémon has taken this approach after the last like 8 years of having the entire Pokedex datamined when early copies/demos got out - with Sun/Moon they started slowly releasing new Pokémon over the course of like 3 months as the global release date approached, and this was an amazing way to get people excited for the new games. EA and Maxis should really take this approach when it comes to Sims content. It doesn't even have to be something big - like I mentioned above, even something mediocre like a counter or a chair could spark imaginations and give us something to theorize and get excited about.
Their inability to do this, which is fairly simple in my eyes, tells me that there's probably a lot of inconsistent upheaval in their production queues, or that EA doesn't have faith in the product to the point where they think building hype will result in a let down.
According to statements from the devs, there are actually legal obligations to adhere to that restrict their ability to talk about future content. It goes beyond company policy. I believe Grant said it was tied into Federal restrictions. I'm not sure exactly what those laws and restrictions say, but that's what was explained.
I remember that, and that's what they say, yet other companies have no issues. World.of warcraft can talk about free patch content half a year before its release, as can most mmo's that use live service formula. So if sims 4 is a live service, what's the reasoning here?
I don't claim to know the answer to that because I'm not a game developer. But it could have to do with one of many reasons. It could be because EA seems to function and plan their years and content within the quarters of each fiscal year, so their financial reports are probably also quarterly (I think I saw something about this from a dev once, but I only vaguely remember the details) and this might put restrictions on them that another company who does reports yearly or bi-annually or whatever, doesn't have. A huge company like EA has a lot of financial idiosyncrasies to juggle and if they stand to risk losing multi-millions of dollars from publicly releasing information that they then don't deliver, or that even gets altered and can be claimed it wasn't "as promised", you can best believe that they are going to clamp down and make certain that this kind of error doesn't happen.
I can assure you that businesses have a lot of taxation and income rules and laws to deal with. I ran a small business for several years and the accounting was way more complicated than I wanted to deal with, lol. And that was just a simple business with no employees or anything, and it gets a lot more complicated as a business grows and expands. When it comes to corporate and big money companies, the complications are going to multiply, and then you have certain types of businesses that have their own special sets of laws to consider.
So, again, I don't know the exact reasons for this, but I don't really find it hard to believe, either. And I have a feeling that even if we got the long answer to this question, many of us probably still wouldn't understand it, lol.
I think you're on to something with the quarterly reports. Both of these companies are publicly-traded, and you do have to be very careful about making promises that don't deliver - if the SEC doesn't come down on you, you could face a stockholder suit. Also, there is a bit of a difference between talking about a patch expected in a year and a half, and stating that paid content is coming next quarter. If you can't deliver in time for the quarter's end, you've got a problem, and software development doesn't always conform to marketing timetables. (Bugs happen.)
I think EA and Maxis greatly discredit the power of "hype" and how teasers and "this is what we're working on" videos can really build up a burning desire in players for that content. I've played many different online games, and they periodically release teasers and even really early versions of bits from upcoming content, and even something as mediocre as a plant that might be found in the world can spark people to get excited wondering what kind of world might spawn such a plant, and so forth. Even Pokémon has taken this approach after the last like 8 years of having the entire Pokedex datamined when early copies/demos got out - with Sun/Moon they started slowly releasing new Pokémon over the course of like 3 months as the global release date approached, and this was an amazing way to get people excited for the new games. EA and Maxis should really take this approach when it comes to Sims content. It doesn't even have to be something big - like I mentioned above, even something mediocre like a counter or a chair could spark imaginations and give us something to theorize and get excited about.
Their inability to do this, which is fairly simple in my eyes, tells me that there's probably a lot of inconsistent upheaval in their production queues, or that EA doesn't have faith in the product to the point where they think building hype will result in a let down.
According to statements from the devs, there are actually legal obligations to adhere to that restrict their ability to talk about future content. It goes beyond company policy. I believe Grant said it was tied into Federal restrictions. I'm not sure exactly what those laws and restrictions say, but that's what was explained.
I remember that, and that's what they say, yet other companies have no issues. World.of warcraft can talk about free patch content half a year before its release, as can most mmo's that use live service formula. So if sims 4 is a live service, what's the reasoning here?
I don't claim to know the answer to that because I'm not a game developer. But it could have to do with one of many reasons. It could be because EA seems to function and plan their years and content within the quarters of each fiscal year, so their financial reports are probably also quarterly (I think I saw something about this from a dev once, but I only vaguely remember the details) and this might put restrictions on them that another company who does reports yearly or bi-annually or whatever, doesn't have. A huge company like EA has a lot of financial idiosyncrasies to juggle and if they stand to risk losing multi-millions of dollars from publicly releasing information that they then don't deliver, or that even gets altered and can be claimed it wasn't "as promised", you can best believe that they are going to clamp down and make certain that this kind of error doesn't happen.
I can assure you that businesses have a lot of taxation and income rules and laws to deal with. I ran a small business for several years and the accounting was way more complicated than I wanted to deal with, lol. And that was just a simple business with no employees or anything, and it gets a lot more complicated as a business grows and expands. When it comes to corporate and big money companies, the complications are going to multiply, and then you have certain types of businesses that have their own special sets of laws to consider.
So, again, I don't know the exact reasons for this, but I don't really find it hard to believe, either. And I have a feeling that even if we got the long answer to this question, many of us probably still wouldn't understand it, lol.
I think you're on to something with the quarterly reports. Both of these companies are publicly-traded, and you do have to be very careful about making promises that don't deliver - if the SEC doesn't come down on you, you could face a stockholder suit. Also, there is a bit of a difference between talking about a patch expected in a year and a half, and stating that paid content is coming next quarter. If you can't deliver in time for the quarter's end, you've got a problem, and software development doesn't always conform to marketing timetables. (Bugs happen.)
I totally get the whole quarter thing. Maybe they should call it a teaser instead of a quarterly teaser. This way they are not put on any kind of time frame. The reason she gave of about possibly not fulfilling the quarter promise is easily resolved by a name change. Gaming companies do this all the time. CD Project Red showed their first trailer of Cyberpunk back in 2012 and the game still is not out seven years later...lol If we need an American\EA example, they released the first Anthem teaser trailer in like 2017 and it is coming out this month. How is it other games can do this but the SEC is going to coming down on the Sims for doing it? Something feels off about that unless expansions are considered DLC and there are different rules for that.
The constant flow of content kept me playing in the prior years.
Now I hardly play at all. I am still waiting for University though. I don't want to advance my sims past Teens without it.
The Sims 4 is not like TS2 and TS3 for me. The game play of those games kept me interested. TS4 keeps me interested from one DLC to the next. Since the flow has died down, I don't play as much.
I think EA and Maxis greatly discredit the power of "hype" and how teasers and "this is what we're working on" videos can really build up a burning desire in players for that content. I've played many different online games, and they periodically release teasers and even really early versions of bits from upcoming content, and even something as mediocre as a plant that might be found in the world can spark people to get excited wondering what kind of world might spawn such a plant, and so forth. Even Pokémon has taken this approach after the last like 8 years of having the entire Pokedex datamined when early copies/demos got out - with Sun/Moon they started slowly releasing new Pokémon over the course of like 3 months as the global release date approached, and this was an amazing way to get people excited for the new games. EA and Maxis should really take this approach when it comes to Sims content. It doesn't even have to be something big - like I mentioned above, even something mediocre like a counter or a chair could spark imaginations and give us something to theorize and get excited about.
Their inability to do this, which is fairly simple in my eyes, tells me that there's probably a lot of inconsistent upheaval in their production queues, or that EA doesn't have faith in the product to the point where they think building hype will result in a let down.
According to statements from the devs, there are actually legal obligations to adhere to that restrict their ability to talk about future content. It goes beyond company policy. I believe Grant said it was tied into Federal restrictions. I'm not sure exactly what those laws and restrictions say, but that's what was explained.
I remember that, and that's what they say, yet other companies have no issues. World.of warcraft can talk about free patch content half a year before its release, as can most mmo's that use live service formula. So if sims 4 is a live service, what's the reasoning here?
I don't claim to know the answer to that because I'm not a game developer. But it could have to do with one of many reasons. It could be because EA seems to function and plan their years and content within the quarters of each fiscal year, so their financial reports are probably also quarterly (I think I saw something about this from a dev once, but I only vaguely remember the details) and this might put restrictions on them that another company who does reports yearly or bi-annually or whatever, doesn't have. A huge company like EA has a lot of financial idiosyncrasies to juggle and if they stand to risk losing multi-millions of dollars from publicly releasing information that they then don't deliver, or that even gets altered and can be claimed it wasn't "as promised", you can best believe that they are going to clamp down and make certain that this kind of error doesn't happen.
I can assure you that businesses have a lot of taxation and income rules and laws to deal with. I ran a small business for several years and the accounting was way more complicated than I wanted to deal with, lol. And that was just a simple business with no employees or anything, and it gets a lot more complicated as a business grows and expands. When it comes to corporate and big money companies, the complications are going to multiply, and then you have certain types of businesses that have their own special sets of laws to consider.
So, again, I don't know the exact reasons for this, but I don't really find it hard to believe, either. And I have a feeling that even if we got the long answer to this question, many of us probably still wouldn't understand it, lol.
I think you're on to something with the quarterly reports. Both of these companies are publicly-traded, and you do have to be very careful about making promises that don't deliver - if the SEC doesn't come down on you, you could face a stockholder suit. Also, there is a bit of a difference between talking about a patch expected in a year and a half, and stating that paid content is coming next quarter. If you can't deliver in time for the quarter's end, you've got a problem, and software development doesn't always conform to marketing timetables. (Bugs happen.)
I totally get the whole quarter thing. Maybe they should call it a teaser instead of a quarterly teaser. This way they are not put on any kind of time frame. The reason she gave of about possibly not fulfilling the quarter promise is easily resolved by a name change. Gaming companies do this all the time. CD Project Red showed their first trailer of Cyberpunk back in 2012 and the game still is not out seven years later...lol If we need an American\EA example, they released the first Anthem teaser trailer in like 2017 and it is coming out this month. How is it other games can do this but the SEC is going to coming down on the Sims for doing it? Something feels off about that unless expansions are considered DLC and there are different rules for that.
No, it's not resolvable by a name change. The SEC has legally-mandated regulations specific to publicly traded software companies about what can be promised in one quarter but not delivered in that quarter. (Back in '15, when this issue first blew up in Sims world, I had a link to the regulation details.) The quarter exists whether you use the word or not. And EA has clearly decided to play it safe on the SEC regulations.
EA CREATOR NETWORK MEMBER — Want to be notified of patches, new Broken Mods threads, and urgent Sims 4 news? Follow me at https://www.patreon.com/luthienrising.
Monthly Maxis was introduced to communicate with us in a new way but I don't feel like this is communication. I really don't care about the game influencers no offense to anyone and I don't really care about how they got their start on the sims...again no offense. I love the Gurus but I want game information otherwise, I don't need to see a show.
I want to know what is on the horizon even if it is a picture that we can speculate about. Sure we may be disappointed when we find out the truth of what the pack is about but it is better than patting our feet while waiting six months for a morsel of information. The speculation is part of the fun. When we got the expansion pack in Sims 2, the next pack hint was in there and we could get even more excited. Sims 3, when they did twitch we usually got a hint or something. I never wanted to miss a video. My favorite hint was the sim in the boat for sims 3. I don't get excited when I hear the Maxis Monthly is coming.
You know how the trick-or-treaters come by and people give them a few pieces of candy? That's how I felt afterward.
Their minds seem to be so far away and out of touch with our reality. 19 years and not even a cake server?. I would expect plates that said something about EA/Maxis on them or at lease colorful 19 years plats and napkins.
Actors, pretending to us, I think hiding Sims 5 for sure. At the lease a New EP maybe even cars.
I saw no stress, they are happy and as comfortable as being in their own living room? Why worry us. They introduced us to someone we never saw before. What did this person do that merits him and proper introduction, Did he make us a new EP? Is it time for a big surprise.
Or is it like a movie of a girl planning her wedding but her fiance has already broken up with her in his mind. and moved on to a different girl, but he is afraid to hurt her, so he says nothing.
He knows he has something better in the works and he really just do not care in more.
Yep I think Sims 4 is being replaced by no other than its predecessor, Sims 5
HA!! I feel like I went trick or treating and got a few pennies instead of candy..lol
I have tried very hard to get the whole cake thing out of my head because I am a germaphobe. I will just leave it at that because I don't want to offend. LOL your examples are priceless, I feel the same way. I don't think they understand what it means when we say we want communication. I don't want to speak for anyone else, but when I say I want communication, I want to know what is up and coming not get to know the gurus on a personal level..lol
I think EA and Maxis greatly discredit the power of "hype" and how teasers and "this is what we're working on" videos can really build up a burning desire in players for that content. I've played many different online games, and they periodically release teasers and even really early versions of bits from upcoming content, and even something as mediocre as a plant that might be found in the world can spark people to get excited wondering what kind of world might spawn such a plant, and so forth. Even Pokémon has taken this approach after the last like 8 years of having the entire Pokedex datamined when early copies/demos got out - with Sun/Moon they started slowly releasing new Pokémon over the course of like 3 months as the global release date approached, and this was an amazing way to get people excited for the new games. EA and Maxis should really take this approach when it comes to Sims content. It doesn't even have to be something big - like I mentioned above, even something mediocre like a counter or a chair could spark imaginations and give us something to theorize and get excited about.
Their inability to do this, which is fairly simple in my eyes, tells me that there's probably a lot of inconsistent upheaval in their production queues, or that EA doesn't have faith in the product to the point where they think building hype will result in a let down.
According to statements from the devs, there are actually legal obligations to adhere to that restrict their ability to talk about future content. It goes beyond company policy. I believe Grant said it was tied into Federal restrictions. I'm not sure exactly what those laws and restrictions say, but that's what was explained.
I remember that, and that's what they say, yet other companies have no issues. World.of warcraft can talk about free patch content half a year before its release, as can most mmo's that use live service formula. So if sims 4 is a live service, what's the reasoning here?
I don't claim to know the answer to that because I'm not a game developer. But it could have to do with one of many reasons. It could be because EA seems to function and plan their years and content within the quarters of each fiscal year, so their financial reports are probably also quarterly (I think I saw something about this from a dev once, but I only vaguely remember the details) and this might put restrictions on them that another company who does reports yearly or bi-annually or whatever, doesn't have. A huge company like EA has a lot of financial idiosyncrasies to juggle and if they stand to risk losing multi-millions of dollars from publicly releasing information that they then don't deliver, or that even gets altered and can be claimed it wasn't "as promised", you can best believe that they are going to clamp down and make certain that this kind of error doesn't happen.
I can assure you that businesses have a lot of taxation and income rules and laws to deal with. I ran a small business for several years and the accounting was way more complicated than I wanted to deal with, lol. And that was just a simple business with no employees or anything, and it gets a lot more complicated as a business grows and expands. When it comes to corporate and big money companies, the complications are going to multiply, and then you have certain types of businesses that have their own special sets of laws to consider.
So, again, I don't know the exact reasons for this, but I don't really find it hard to believe, either. And I have a feeling that even if we got the long answer to this question, many of us probably still wouldn't understand it, lol.
I think you're on to something with the quarterly reports. Both of these companies are publicly-traded, and you do have to be very careful about making promises that don't deliver - if the SEC doesn't come down on you, you could face a stockholder suit. Also, there is a bit of a difference between talking about a patch expected in a year and a half, and stating that paid content is coming next quarter. If you can't deliver in time for the quarter's end, you've got a problem, and software development doesn't always conform to marketing timetables. (Bugs happen.)
I totally get the whole quarter thing. Maybe they should call it a teaser instead of a quarterly teaser. This way they are not put on any kind of time frame. The reason she gave of about possibly not fulfilling the quarter promise is easily resolved by a name change. Gaming companies do this all the time. CD Project Red showed their first trailer of Cyberpunk back in 2012 and the game still is not out seven years later...lol If we need an American\EA example, they released the first Anthem teaser trailer in like 2017 and it is coming out this month. How is it other games can do this but the SEC is going to coming down on the Sims for doing it? Something feels off about that unless expansions are considered DLC and there are different rules for that.
No, it's not resolvable by a name change. The SEC has legally-mandated regulations specific to publicly traded software companies about what can be promised in one quarter but not delivered in that quarter. (Back in '15, when this issue first blew up in Sims world, I had a link to the regulation details.) The quarter exists whether you use the word or not. And EA has clearly decided to play it safe on the SEC regulations.
So why are they able to announce other games years before something is release?? What exactly are the regulations? Is it because the expansions are considered DLC and have difference regulations?
I think EA and Maxis greatly discredit the power of "hype" and how teasers and "this is what we're working on" videos can really build up a burning desire in players for that content. I've played many different online games, and they periodically release teasers and even really early versions of bits from upcoming content, and even something as mediocre as a plant that might be found in the world can spark people to get excited wondering what kind of world might spawn such a plant, and so forth. Even Pokémon has taken this approach after the last like 8 years of having the entire Pokedex datamined when early copies/demos got out - with Sun/Moon they started slowly releasing new Pokémon over the course of like 3 months as the global release date approached, and this was an amazing way to get people excited for the new games. EA and Maxis should really take this approach when it comes to Sims content. It doesn't even have to be something big - like I mentioned above, even something mediocre like a counter or a chair could spark imaginations and give us something to theorize and get excited about.
Their inability to do this, which is fairly simple in my eyes, tells me that there's probably a lot of inconsistent upheaval in their production queues, or that EA doesn't have faith in the product to the point where they think building hype will result in a let down.
According to statements from the devs, there are actually legal obligations to adhere to that restrict their ability to talk about future content. It goes beyond company policy. I believe Grant said it was tied into Federal restrictions. I'm not sure exactly what those laws and restrictions say, but that's what was explained.
I remember that, and that's what they say, yet other companies have no issues. World.of warcraft can talk about free patch content half a year before its release, as can most mmo's that use live service formula. So if sims 4 is a live service, what's the reasoning here?
I don't claim to know the answer to that because I'm not a game developer. But it could have to do with one of many reasons. It could be because EA seems to function and plan their years and content within the quarters of each fiscal year, so their financial reports are probably also quarterly (I think I saw something about this from a dev once, but I only vaguely remember the details) and this might put restrictions on them that another company who does reports yearly or bi-annually or whatever, doesn't have. A huge company like EA has a lot of financial idiosyncrasies to juggle and if they stand to risk losing multi-millions of dollars from publicly releasing information that they then don't deliver, or that even gets altered and can be claimed it wasn't "as promised", you can best believe that they are going to clamp down and make certain that this kind of error doesn't happen.
I can assure you that businesses have a lot of taxation and income rules and laws to deal with. I ran a small business for several years and the accounting was way more complicated than I wanted to deal with, lol. And that was just a simple business with no employees or anything, and it gets a lot more complicated as a business grows and expands. When it comes to corporate and big money companies, the complications are going to multiply, and then you have certain types of businesses that have their own special sets of laws to consider.
So, again, I don't know the exact reasons for this, but I don't really find it hard to believe, either. And I have a feeling that even if we got the long answer to this question, many of us probably still wouldn't understand it, lol.
I think you're on to something with the quarterly reports. Both of these companies are publicly-traded, and you do have to be very careful about making promises that don't deliver - if the SEC doesn't come down on you, you could face a stockholder suit. Also, there is a bit of a difference between talking about a patch expected in a year and a half, and stating that paid content is coming next quarter. If you can't deliver in time for the quarter's end, you've got a problem, and software development doesn't always conform to marketing timetables. (Bugs happen.)
I totally get the whole quarter thing. Maybe they should call it a teaser instead of a quarterly teaser. This way they are not put on any kind of time frame. The reason she gave of about possibly not fulfilling the quarter promise is easily resolved by a name change. Gaming companies do this all the time. CD Project Red showed their first trailer of Cyberpunk back in 2012 and the game still is not out seven years later...lol If we need an American\EA example, they released the first Anthem teaser trailer in like 2017 and it is coming out this month. How is it other games can do this but the SEC is going to coming down on the Sims for doing it? Something feels off about that unless expansions are considered DLC and there are different rules for that.
No, it's not resolvable by a name change. The SEC has legally-mandated regulations specific to publicly traded software companies about what can be promised in one quarter but not delivered in that quarter. (Back in '15, when this issue first blew up in Sims world, I had a link to the regulation details.) The quarter exists whether you use the word or not. And EA has clearly decided to play it safe on the SEC regulations.
So why are they able to announce other games years before something is release?? What exactly are the regulations? Is it because the expansions are considered DLC and have difference regulations?
The SEC regulations that I looked at have to do with updates, not add-ons: with changes to the original software. If what is said will be changed in the base software isn't actually what that software is sold as by the end of that quarter, the company cannot claim that quarter's new sales of the base software; it has to postpone them in the accounting. This means a bunch of revenue that can't be accessed or reported to investors as revenue for that quarter. EA seems to have decided that neither the internal sudden revenue allocation changes nor the investor fallout are worth it. Some other companies may have made other decisions on this or are not publicly traded companies on US stock exchanges.
EA CREATOR NETWORK MEMBER — Want to be notified of patches, new Broken Mods threads, and urgent Sims 4 news? Follow me at https://www.patreon.com/luthienrising.
I think EA and Maxis greatly discredit the power of "hype" and how teasers and "this is what we're working on" videos can really build up a burning desire in players for that content. I've played many different online games, and they periodically release teasers and even really early versions of bits from upcoming content, and even something as mediocre as a plant that might be found in the world can spark people to get excited wondering what kind of world might spawn such a plant, and so forth. Even Pokémon has taken this approach after the last like 8 years of having the entire Pokedex datamined when early copies/demos got out - with Sun/Moon they started slowly releasing new Pokémon over the course of like 3 months as the global release date approached, and this was an amazing way to get people excited for the new games. EA and Maxis should really take this approach when it comes to Sims content. It doesn't even have to be something big - like I mentioned above, even something mediocre like a counter or a chair could spark imaginations and give us something to theorize and get excited about.
Their inability to do this, which is fairly simple in my eyes, tells me that there's probably a lot of inconsistent upheaval in their production queues, or that EA doesn't have faith in the product to the point where they think building hype will result in a let down.
According to statements from the devs, there are actually legal obligations to adhere to that restrict their ability to talk about future content. It goes beyond company policy. I believe Grant said it was tied into Federal restrictions. I'm not sure exactly what those laws and restrictions say, but that's what was explained.
I remember that, and that's what they say, yet other companies have no issues. World.of warcraft can talk about free patch content half a year before its release, as can most mmo's that use live service formula. So if sims 4 is a live service, what's the reasoning here?
I don't claim to know the answer to that because I'm not a game developer. But it could have to do with one of many reasons. It could be because EA seems to function and plan their years and content within the quarters of each fiscal year, so their financial reports are probably also quarterly (I think I saw something about this from a dev once, but I only vaguely remember the details) and this might put restrictions on them that another company who does reports yearly or bi-annually or whatever, doesn't have. A huge company like EA has a lot of financial idiosyncrasies to juggle and if they stand to risk losing multi-millions of dollars from publicly releasing information that they then don't deliver, or that even gets altered and can be claimed it wasn't "as promised", you can best believe that they are going to clamp down and make certain that this kind of error doesn't happen.
I can assure you that businesses have a lot of taxation and income rules and laws to deal with. I ran a small business for several years and the accounting was way more complicated than I wanted to deal with, lol. And that was just a simple business with no employees or anything, and it gets a lot more complicated as a business grows and expands. When it comes to corporate and big money companies, the complications are going to multiply, and then you have certain types of businesses that have their own special sets of laws to consider.
So, again, I don't know the exact reasons for this, but I don't really find it hard to believe, either. And I have a feeling that even if we got the long answer to this question, many of us probably still wouldn't understand it, lol.
I think you're on to something with the quarterly reports. Both of these companies are publicly-traded, and you do have to be very careful about making promises that don't deliver - if the SEC doesn't come down on you, you could face a stockholder suit. Also, there is a bit of a difference between talking about a patch expected in a year and a half, and stating that paid content is coming next quarter. If you can't deliver in time for the quarter's end, you've got a problem, and software development doesn't always conform to marketing timetables. (Bugs happen.)
I totally get the whole quarter thing. Maybe they should call it a teaser instead of a quarterly teaser. This way they are not put on any kind of time frame. The reason she gave of about possibly not fulfilling the quarter promise is easily resolved by a name change. Gaming companies do this all the time. CD Project Red showed their first trailer of Cyberpunk back in 2012 and the game still is not out seven years later...lol If we need an American\EA example, they released the first Anthem teaser trailer in like 2017 and it is coming out this month. How is it other games can do this but the SEC is going to coming down on the Sims for doing it? Something feels off about that unless expansions are considered DLC and there are different rules for that.
No, it's not resolvable by a name change. The SEC has legally-mandated regulations specific to publicly traded software companies about what can be promised in one quarter but not delivered in that quarter. (Back in '15, when this issue first blew up in Sims world, I had a link to the regulation details.) The quarter exists whether you use the word or not. And EA has clearly decided to play it safe on the SEC regulations.
So why are they able to announce other games years before something is release?? What exactly are the regulations? Is it because the expansions are considered DLC and have difference regulations?
The SEC regulations that I looked at have to do with updates, not add-ons: with changes to the original software. If what is said will be changed in the base software isn't actually what that software is sold as by the end of that quarter, the company cannot claim that quarter's new sales of the base software; it has to postpone them in the accounting. This means a bunch of revenue that can't be accessed or reported to investors as revenue for that quarter. EA seems to have decided that neither the internal sudden revenue allocation changes nor the investor fallout are worth it. Some other companies may have made other decisions on this or are not publicly traded companies on US stock exchanges.
Maybe I am misunderstanding...LOL Sorry @luthienrising. So the regulations have nothing to do with Expansions, Game Packs or stuff packs because they would be considered add-ons only Patches\updates, right?? If this is the case, the whole reason behind no teasers seems to be invalid.
Also I gave an EA example of the announcement of Anthem in 2017 but I am assuming because it is a new IP, there are different regulations around that.
Comments
I agree with you on, an actual answer would be nice even if it was bad news. Sure we are all happy when we get a surprise release. It's just a bit stressful not knowing.
So what's new for me is that if we will get free content they can not show the free content coming until the month of.
Some may think getting two EPs a year gives more content, even if that was so it could mean less variety.
Like some simmers said Some of the GPs bought more enjoyment and meaning to the game then and overloaded EP. I am sure it is not always the case, but it does make a point.
Who said EA doesn't have a sense of humor
Yes but we have too many content and news droughts this way and if they continue with just 2 eps a year we're going to be waiting a long time for them to catch up to TS3.
I would atleast like to see 1 GP,1 SP and 2 Expansions this year.
This has already happened. TS4 didn't catch up 4 years in and that's mainly because we had 3 years with just one EP a year.
For me it's the opposite. I was only playing once in awhile, then GF hit and I got my singer Sim back. I hate when I can't play the game all day, every day. LOL But, I do appreciate where you're at. I had a love/hate relationship with Sims3.
http://www.getfreeebooks.com/star-trek-original-series-fan-fiction-trilogy/
Their inability to do this, which is fairly simple in my eyes, tells me that there's probably a lot of inconsistent upheaval in their production queues, or that EA doesn't have faith in the product to the point where they think building hype will result in a let down.
According to statements from the devs, there are actually legal obligations to adhere to that restrict their ability to talk about future content. It goes beyond company policy. I believe Grant said it was tied into Federal restrictions. I'm not sure exactly what those laws and restrictions say, but that's what was explained.
Yes they are right to be careful Don’t Game Your Players
a bit of the rule they are attaining to.
They do not want to mislead their players by showing them something early and then deciding to remove what they showed them later in the development.
Example: Say if a company advertised their new game 4 months before release. In the center of the trailer, it was a huge tree and it had sparkles and smoke and fire shooting out from the tree.
Later the company found that all the sparkles and smoke, fire shooting out of the tree caused to much lag and replaced it with just a rainbow colored tree.
So that would be wrong, the people got hyped because of the tree that they saw.
This could be why they only want to show us what's in the game much closer to the release of the game.
I have seen us simmers try to get things changed from what we saw in the trailer.
Now that is what they do not want, they want to show us what we are getting in the game and not change what was advertised.
Some simmers were very demanding about what they wanted to be changed. So that puts them in a bad place, or between a rock and a hard place sort of speak.
Not to blame us but we simmers could be partially the blame for them keeping it under lock and key up to the last days.
We only think of it as our Sims game, But they look at the business side.
Who said EA doesn't have a sense of humor
I still play sims 4 and I still have fun. When I said im bored, I mean bored of waiting for news. I am bored of wondering whats next. I am bored of waiting for highly anticipated releases, such as University or an Island Pack. I am bored of not knowing. I easily choose sims 4 as my most favorite sims game. It's modern , looks good and runs great. But I am bored as ever with the lack of transparency and not having anything exciting to look forward to for months on end.
I am genuinely curious, how it would hurt their bottom line to announce what they are working on.
Well that's a first. Who knew their legal system was so interested in how they divulge information on a software product? 🤔
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
I think they should tell us what they are working on, then give us and disclaimer allowing them to change anything or everything.
And come on I know we all love free things but are we that desperate, lol 😂 Yes we are.
Who said EA doesn't have a sense of humor
I remember that, and that's what they say, yet other companies have no issues. World.of warcraft can talk about free patch content half a year before its release, as can most mmo's that use live service formula. So if sims 4 is a live service, what's the reasoning here?
I don't claim to know the answer to that because I'm not a game developer. But it could have to do with one of many reasons. It could be because EA seems to function and plan their years and content within the quarters of each fiscal year, so their financial reports are probably also quarterly (I think I saw something about this from a dev once, but I only vaguely remember the details) and this might put restrictions on them that another company who does reports yearly or bi-annually or whatever, doesn't have. A huge company like EA has a lot of financial idiosyncrasies to juggle and if they stand to risk losing multi-millions of dollars from publicly releasing information that they then don't deliver, or that even gets altered and can be claimed it wasn't "as promised", you can best believe that they are going to clamp down and make certain that this kind of error doesn't happen.
I can assure you that businesses have a lot of taxation and income rules and laws to deal with. I ran a small business for several years and the accounting was way more complicated than I wanted to deal with, lol. And that was just a simple business with no employees or anything, and it gets a lot more complicated as a business grows and expands. When it comes to corporate and big money companies, the complications are going to multiply, and then you have certain types of businesses that have their own special sets of laws to consider.
So, again, I don't know the exact reasons for this, but I don't really find it hard to believe, either. And I have a feeling that even if we got the long answer to this question, many of us probably still wouldn't understand it, lol.
Monthly Maxis was introduced to communicate with us in a new way but I don't feel like this is communication. I really don't care about the game influencers no offense to anyone and I don't really care about how they got their start on the sims...again no offense. I love the Gurus but I want game information otherwise, I don't need to see a show.
I want to know what is on the horizon even if it is a picture that we can speculate about. Sure we may be disappointed when we find out the truth of what the pack is about but it is better than patting our feet while waiting six months for a morsel of information. The speculation is part of the fun. When we got the expansion pack in Sims 2, the next pack hint was in there and we could get even more excited. Sims 3, when they did twitch we usually got a hint or something. I never wanted to miss a video. My favorite hint was the sim in the boat for sims 3. I don't get excited when I hear the Maxis Monthly is coming.
Me too, I don’t use custom content or mods, and really looked forward to stuff packs....
You know how the trick-or-treaters come by and people give them a few pieces of candy? That's how I felt afterward.
Their minds seem to be so far away and out of touch with our reality. 19 years and not even a cake server?. I would expect plates that said something about EA/Maxis on them or at lease colorful 19 years plats and napkins.
Actors, pretending to us, I think hiding Sims 5 for sure. At the lease a New EP maybe even cars.
I saw no stress, they are happy and as comfortable as being in their own living room? Why worry us. They introduced us to someone we never saw before. What did this person do that merits him and proper introduction, Did he make us a new EP? Is it time for a big surprise.
Or is it like a movie of a girl planning her wedding but her fiance has already broken up with her in his mind. and moved on to a different girl, but he is afraid to hurt her, so he says nothing.
He knows he has something better in the works and he really just do not care in more.
Yep I think Sims 4 is being replaced by no other than its predecessor, Sims 5
Who said EA doesn't have a sense of humor
I think you're on to something with the quarterly reports. Both of these companies are publicly-traded, and you do have to be very careful about making promises that don't deliver - if the SEC doesn't come down on you, you could face a stockholder suit. Also, there is a bit of a difference between talking about a patch expected in a year and a half, and stating that paid content is coming next quarter. If you can't deliver in time for the quarter's end, you've got a problem, and software development doesn't always conform to marketing timetables. (Bugs happen.)
So what I gather from that is that we can expect there to be upcoming quarters with no packs being released.
Saying "not to be rude", then blatently being rude does not excuse rude behavior.
I totally get the whole quarter thing. Maybe they should call it a teaser instead of a quarterly teaser. This way they are not put on any kind of time frame. The reason she gave of about possibly not fulfilling the quarter promise is easily resolved by a name change. Gaming companies do this all the time. CD Project Red showed their first trailer of Cyberpunk back in 2012 and the game still is not out seven years later...lol If we need an American\EA example, they released the first Anthem teaser trailer in like 2017 and it is coming out this month. How is it other games can do this but the SEC is going to coming down on the Sims for doing it? Something feels off about that unless expansions are considered DLC and there are different rules for that.
Now I hardly play at all. I am still waiting for University though. I don't want to advance my sims past Teens without it.
The Sims 4 is not like TS2 and TS3 for me. The game play of those games kept me interested. TS4 keeps me interested from one DLC to the next. Since the flow has died down, I don't play as much.
No, it's not resolvable by a name change. The SEC has legally-mandated regulations specific to publicly traded software companies about what can be promised in one quarter but not delivered in that quarter. (Back in '15, when this issue first blew up in Sims world, I had a link to the regulation details.) The quarter exists whether you use the word or not. And EA has clearly decided to play it safe on the SEC regulations.
HA!! I feel like I went trick or treating and got a few pennies instead of candy..lol
I have tried very hard to get the whole cake thing out of my head because I am a germaphobe. I will just leave it at that because I don't want to offend. LOL your examples are priceless, I feel the same way. I don't think they understand what it means when we say we want communication. I don't want to speak for anyone else, but when I say I want communication, I want to know what is up and coming not get to know the gurus on a personal level..lol
So why are they able to announce other games years before something is release?? What exactly are the regulations? Is it because the expansions are considered DLC and have difference regulations?
The SEC regulations that I looked at have to do with updates, not add-ons: with changes to the original software. If what is said will be changed in the base software isn't actually what that software is sold as by the end of that quarter, the company cannot claim that quarter's new sales of the base software; it has to postpone them in the accounting. This means a bunch of revenue that can't be accessed or reported to investors as revenue for that quarter. EA seems to have decided that neither the internal sudden revenue allocation changes nor the investor fallout are worth it. Some other companies may have made other decisions on this or are not publicly traded companies on US stock exchanges.
Maybe I am misunderstanding...LOL Sorry @luthienrising. So the regulations have nothing to do with Expansions, Game Packs or stuff packs because they would be considered add-ons only Patches\updates, right?? If this is the case, the whole reason behind no teasers seems to be invalid.
Also I gave an EA example of the announcement of Anthem in 2017 but I am assuming because it is a new IP, there are different regulations around that.