Forum Announcement, Click Here to Read More From EA_Cade.

Giving past paid content away as free “new” content

«13
BOYBOY Posts: 540 Member
if there isn’t a boatload of new content to add in a patch, that’s fine. getting a new hairstyle is cool imo. but taking all of that past content that a lot of us paid for, and then adding it to base game for free and calling it new... doesn’t seem right. even if certain swatches remain part of the pack.

are we just buying swatches now? having recolored/recycled items in multiple packs was bad enough, this is even worse.

can this not become a thing?
Fairies & real Plantsims please!

Comments

  • puderosasimspuderosasims Posts: 522 Member
    I didn't mind it for a long time and always tried to stay positive, but this is getting ridiculous. They again sold off old content as something new and presented us a redesign nobody asked for. I was hoping they'd at least fix several bugs but nah. Honestly, I'm really annoyed.
    Origin ID: puderosasims | Simblr
    English isn't my first language, so please excuse any mistakes.
    tumblr_n8pqhqmpdh1th4xn0o1_400.gif
  • logionlogion Posts: 4,712 Member
    A lot of people are getting worried that publishers are trying to push developer studios to make as much money they can with minimum effort.

    It think we saw today how far they are willing to go. Next step will be to do this to DLC that they will charge you money for.
  • JoAnne65JoAnne65 Posts: 22,959 Member
    It’s starting to makes sense they got rid of CASt. It was part of a cunning plan.
    5JZ57S6.png
  • SimDestroyerSimDestroyer Posts: 334 Member
    What's next? Dancing skill from Get Together gets patched in, with "new dancing styles" that are actually reused from the dance floor? Might be an overestimation, but you never know with this company.
  • simrhinosimrhino Posts: 14 New Member
    I'd have been quite content with the fix to the vampire abilities the last patch broke, the new hair, and the bb.sholiveeditobjects cheat. Everything else is a nightmare. Will they be discounting packs to reflect the reduction in content?
  • Sigzy05Sigzy05 Posts: 19,406 Member
    simrhino wrote: »
    I'd have been quite content with the fix to the vampire abilities the last patch broke, the new hair, and the bb.sholiveeditobjects cheat. Everything else is a nightmare. Will they be discounting packs to reflect the reduction in content?

    Hopefully. But knowing EA, no.
    mHdgPlU.jpg?1
  • PassacaliaPassacalia Posts: 2 New Member
    I don't object to this so much as the fact that I am literally FORBIDDEN from bundling items together and getting a sale because I have bought too many of their items! Is there any way I can post a picture? Sorry, I'm new, and pretty irritated with EA's idea of a "brand loyalty."

    The bundle option was available for me in game, so I clicked on it. I own every expansion except for Island Adventures, some game packs, and most stuff packs. When I clicked on it, it told me that I couldn't purchase a bundle because of how much I owned.

    Nice to know they appreciate loyalty around here! Shouldn't I be getting stuff for free for sticking around, not being penalized? I mean, I don't want to sound entitled, but can I at least get the deal that you advertise when I open the game? Sheesh!
  • simrhinosimrhino Posts: 14 New Member
    Since I can't edit the earlier post, I should probably clarify that I appreciate the other bug fixes I failed to mention as well, but not the redesign and not the recycled content.
  • simrhinosimrhino Posts: 14 New Member
    > @Passacalia said:
    > I don't object to this so much as the fact that I am literally FORBIDDEN from bundling items together and getting a sale because I have bought too many of their items! Is there any way I can post a picture? Sorry, I'm new, and pretty irritated with EA's idea of a "brand loyalty."
    >
    > The bundle option was available for me in game, so I clicked on it. I own every expansion except for Island Adventures, some game packs, and most stuff packs. When I clicked on it, it told me that I couldn't purchase a bundle because of how much I owned.
    >
    > Nice to know they appreciate loyalty around here! Shouldn't I be getting stuff for free for sticking around, not being penalized? I mean, I don't want to sound entitled, but can I at least get the deal that you advertise when I open the game? Sheesh!

    A bundle always consists of one of each type of pack. You will be able to purchase bundles as more packs are released, though. From reviews I've seen of Island Living, it is closer to the size of a game pack than a full expansion, so we may not be missing much. Maybe some of the clothes and hair will even show up in a free patch if we hold out for new releases to get the bundle discount!
  • ListentoToppDoggListentoToppDogg Posts: 2,103 Member
    Renato10 wrote: »
    This is the third time happening and Im kinda glad more people are seeing this now! First was Get To Work photo skill and cameras, after that one of the Parenthood Windows and now this. This is just the cherry on top of the cake if we add the rebranding hot topic to this!

    @Renato10 It also happened with Toddler Stuff. Boys got 2 new hairs, but 1 was later added to the BG along with a pair of shoes. I don't even remember if they announced that that was happening because I sure wasn't aware of it. But I was certainly mad when I found out. :/

    It's annoying to give away stuff for free that a lot of us already paid for. And I see people are shrugging off because "iT's oNlY 9 tHiNgS". That's how it starts, a few CAS items here and there. Then they'll start giving away more major features and skills like they did with photography from GTW. Before you know it, they'll patch in the butlers from Vintage Glamour, or the archaeology skill from JA. Heck, maybe one day they'll decided to give away the fame from Get Famous. Who knows that they're fine giving away for free that was specifically developed for one pack.
  • silentcyborgsilentcyborg Posts: 210 Member
    I'm also pretty unhappy with this, and think it's a really nasty move. It's super unfair for the players who have bought most/all of the packs, (like, why punish your loyal customers for showing brand loyalty and actively boosting your profits?!) and unfair to players who are planning to get the packs in the future, because they get less content. The only people it benefits are base-game only simmers, and that doesn't make sense, because the idea is to encourage them to become more invested in the game and buy more content.

    I am especially mad about the amount of fitness stuff patched in (jacket and tights) because it's an sp, so it's not like there was heaps of content to begin with. I remember comparing stuff pack item amounts on origin a couple of months ago, and noticed some items were (and still are) missing from the pack content, because it's one of my most-used packs in cas. One of them is that jumper. I will be very annoyed if the rest of the 'missing' items turn up in a 'free' patch.

    GTW is also really ugh, because the aliens are still not fixed like vampires and mermaids; you can't copy their normal form. Instead of fixing it for the people who bought it, they took one of the unique aspects of the pack (cameras) and added it to the base game, and then added outfits in this newest update. Cameras were really the only thing I played with from the pack; with even less ep content now, I'm wishing I'd never bought it.
  • AnmirlaAnmirla Posts: 3,835 Member
    Passacalia wrote: »
    I don't object to this so much as the fact that I am literally FORBIDDEN from bundling items together and getting a sale because I have bought too many of their items! Is there any way I can post a picture? Sorry, I'm new, and pretty irritated with EA's idea of a "brand loyalty."

    The bundle option was available for me in game, so I clicked on it. I own every expansion except for Island Adventures, some game packs, and most stuff packs. When I clicked on it, it told me that I couldn't purchase a bundle because of how much I owned.

    Nice to know they appreciate loyalty around here! Shouldn't I be getting stuff for free for sticking around, not being penalized? I mean, I don't want to sound entitled, but can I at least get the deal that you advertise when I open the game? Sheesh!

    Island Living is off limits right now in Build a Bundle because of the sale. When the sale ends, it will be available again to bundle (just like Seasons and Get Famous were right after release).
    If it follows the same pattern as those two, it will only be 25% off for the next one or two sales coming. They definitely changed their tactic because before Seasons, all EPs were on sale at 50% off on the very next sale after release.
    baby%20bat_zpsgzvzhrnc.gif
  • drake_mccartydrake_mccarty Posts: 6,114 Member
    Expect to see more of this. Island Living was created almost entirely from recycling content that was already in the game, most of which we already had to pay for. They really like doing this.

    They can make new assets when they want to, and you would think that a big brand refresh would warrant more than minimal effort. Apparently not, but perhaps that represents what this rebrand really means - to expect minimal effort going forward, as if that’s anything new.
  • JoAnne65JoAnne65 Posts: 22,959 Member
    edited July 2019
    Expect to see more of this. Island Living was created almost entirely from recycling content that was already in the game, most of which we already had to pay for. They really like doing this.

    They can make new assets when they want to, and you would think that a big brand refresh would warrant more than minimal effort. Apparently not, but perhaps that represents what this rebrand really means - to expect minimal effort going forward, as if that’s anything new.
    Dark thought maybe, but what if Sims 4 was planned this way? The first few years we develop new stuff for the game, the second half we’ll mainly focus on tapping into a new target audience. Seduce them into playing the then oldish game by rebranding it, give it a face-lift, offering it - or some stuff - for free (or a very reduced price) and once they’re in, they’re in. We keep developing new, shiny stuff to keep everyone already playing satisfied and hungry, but with less resources and less people. Using what’s already in the game. For me also IL falls into place that way. Even Sims 3 still costs money. Because they couldn’t care less if people play that game or not and every dime it makes is in the pocket. That simple.
    5JZ57S6.png
  • Anfernee93PAnfernee93P Posts: 42 Member
    It's a huge slap in the face. I personally have bought every released pack, it's really irritating that content I paid for is now being released publicly for base game players.
  • LuteLute Posts: 60 Member
    Are you guys really complaining about free content?

    Don't buy the stuff packs any more and save your money. Be happy that from now on your game will be updated with things it should have without costing you anything.
  • TiarellaTiarella Posts: 661 Member
    As far as I can recall, they did this to a small degree in the earlier iterations of the game, too. I remember getting a pack with...hot tubs? in TS2 or 3, & then they later gave some of that away for free, & the vampires I got in a pack in TS3 were also added into the TS3 magic-pack--all if I'm remembering correctly. But it was only a couple things, a couple times.

    And they got away with it, so they're doing it more and more. I can imagine them arguing that people who buy the packs right away are simply paying for early access to the content, & that those who wait can buy the same items for far less, or if they wait long enough, get it for free. If they actually said this was what they're doing in the small print (do they?), it'd probably pass muster.

    If you're really unhappy, though, in the US you can file official complaints with your state's Atty Gen. for Consumer Affairs, and there's the Consumer Protection Bureau, too. I'm sure there are similar gov't bureaus in other countries/the EU, etc.--some with stronger consumer-protection laws than here. If enough people complain officially, EA might actually have a rethink.
  • WaitWhatYTWaitWhatYT Posts: 512 Member
    I am especially mad about the amount of fitness stuff patched in (jacket and tights) because it's an sp, so it's not like there was heaps of content to begin with. I remember comparing stuff pack item amounts on origin a couple of months ago, and noticed some items were (and still are) missing from the pack content, because it's one of my most-used packs in cas. One of them is that jumper. I will be very annoyed if the rest of the 'missing' items turn up in a 'free' patch.

    Thank you! The fitness pack was one of my more recent purchases and, as long as I had ignored it, I was excited to have a bit more stuff to do and wear with my sporty sims, and now they've moved the pack a little closer to being completely obsolete, it's a huge slap to the face. It's as if they genuinely believed nobody would notice or care, that we're so braindead that we'll just accept whatever reused assets they want to throw at us under the guise of "new" content...
  • Bagoas77Bagoas77 Posts: 3,064 Member
    why are they giving away content? is nobody buying it anymore? hopefully ts4 wrapping up.
  • Writin_RegWritin_Reg Posts: 28,907 Member
    edited July 2019
    Tiarella wrote: »
    As far as I can recall, they did this to a small degree in the earlier iterations of the game, too. I remember getting a pack with...hot tubs? in TS2 or 3, & then they later gave some of that away for free, & the vampires I got in a pack in TS3 were also added into the TS3 magic-pack--all if I'm remembering correctly. But it was only a couple things, a couple times.

    And they got away with it, so they're doing it more and more. I can imagine them arguing that people who buy the packs right away are simply paying for early access to the content, & that those who wait can buy the same items for far less, or if they wait long enough, get it for free. If they actually said this was what they're doing in the small print (do they?), it'd probably pass muster.

    If you're really unhappy, though, in the US you can file official complaints with your state's Atty Gen. for Consumer Affairs, and there's the Consumer Protection Bureau, too. I'm sure there are similar gov't bureaus in other countries/the EU, etc.--some with stronger consumer-protection laws than here. If enough people complain officially, EA might actually have a rethink.

    Read The TOS - you cannot - all you can do is not click "I Agree" and not install the game - the TOS says you agree and you give them permission. Read it and see. You have no rights to complain when you give them the okay to do that - in other words. The best you can hope for is arbitration on a dispute - but you play the game you said what ever they do is okay basically. It spells it out in the TOS loud and clear.

    In sims 3 when they added vamps to supernatural they had different things not to do with the earlier Vamps in Night life. The were well - re-vamped... and much better than the earlier ones. If you did not get the supernatural ep - you did not get the additions to the Vamps from the earlier ep.

    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.

    In dreams - I LIVE!
    In REALITY, I simply exist.....

Sign In or Register to comment.
Return to top