Sims 3 biggest launch in EA history

[maniac19642003]

EA announced that The Sims 3 is EA's best launch game in company history. 1.4 million copies of the game have been sold in the first week of release. EA is not just happy with the large sales, but also for receiving so many positive reviews.
Read the story here: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Millions-Embrace-The-Sims-3-bw-15481064.html

[Paden]

I love how those idiots don't even admit that negative opinions exist, don't you?

[roerzman]

No wonder they can't help anyone, 1.4 millions requests for help, they're overloaded.

[Wednesday17]

Wow, I thought they expected to loose all of their well earned profit due to piracy? They forget all about their whining?
I do not "embrace" a game, am I crazy or what? Okay, I am, but not that kind of crazy.

[PixieStyx26]

All anyone has to do is go to Amazon and see the real truth. The Sims 3 only got 2 and a half stars. We should be used to stuff like this, EA is used to lying. After all they are the ones who said the leaked game was "buggy" and "unstable" but there seems to be no proof to back any of their claims up. No doubt that sales will be good in the beginning, you've always got to factor for brand loyalty and hype, but those are wearing off and I think sales will reflect that accordingly.

[roerzman]

Now that makes it interesting. Spore only got 1 star.

[Ifrito]

I am so laughing. 1.4 Million copies sold. Sure.

I wonder how many of those have been returned with demanded refunds.

[abaris]

They're probably not lying. EA was advertising like crazy and people were preordering expecting it to be some kind of a miracle. They probably have sold 1.4 million copies, but that is worldwide and it says nothing about how the game is received. The two stars at amazon don't say anything about sales. They only say that those people already having the game and bothering to score their purchase don't think too high of it.

[Tenshii~Akari]

Well, it doesn't matter too much to EA if the 1.4 million who bought the game like the game or not... they have their money now, and that's all that matters.  If there's anyone dissatisfied with what they got, that's pretty much tough luck for them money-wise, unless they attempt to sell it online somewhere.   Plus, all that does is encourage them to keep doing what they want to do, not what we as customers would like to see more of... unless there's enough people who really scream hard enough to catch their attention, like what happened during the SecuRom fiasco. 

[gazania]

Well, it doesn't matter too much to EA if the 1.4 million who bought the game like the game or not... they have their money now, and that's all that matters.  If there's anyone dissatisfied with what they got, that's pretty much tough luck for them money-wise, unless they attempt to sell it online somewhere.   Plus, all that does is encourage them to keep doing what they want to do, not what we as customers would like to see more of... unless there's enough people who really scream hard enough to catch their attention, like what happened during the SecuRom fiasco.  

Well-put.

I believe that many people bought this game because this version is riding on the coattails of one of most prominent PC franchises out there ... Sims 1 and Sims 2. I think that many people bought the game expecting it to be even better than its predecessors. After all, Sims 2 improved in so many ways upon Sims 1. The Sims 3 commercials promised so much more ... an open neighborhood full of potential.  Everything looked so shiny and pretty! Even I was fascinated, at first.

But EA left out a few details, didn't they?  

I believe that many people ... no, not all ... are sorely disappointed that the actual experience wasn't close at all to the hype, once they bought the game. The Amazon reviews show that. But as Tenshii~Akari wrote, it doesn't matter. EA got its money, and is happy as a clam. They probably see no reason to change now. They're making money. Who cares if so many of their customers feel cheated? Who cares if customers use the game box as a doorstop?

This rather diminishes any hopes that the next expansion will take your breath away with its content and gameplay. Now EA feels that it's in the catbird seat. People will buy the expansion, even if it gets a half-star on Amazon. Even if its pure garbage. And EA will push more and more of its overpriced content on its website. Hey ... people are buying!

And hey, if there are problems, there are nameless people out there who will fix them. People who will put in the work, make the effort, and do what the developers of The Sims should have done in the first place. Developers who are PAID to do this.

Same old, same old. EA's behavior is sickening.

[roerzman]

Exactly what I said months ago. It's all about meeting a sales target. Reach or exceed the target and the champagne corks pop and sale numbers are treated as an endorsement of their crap.
Hold back and allow the projected target to fail and EA. will come to the party and give us something good.
Nah! 1.4 million desperado's have given EA. the thumbs up to churn out more substandard garbage.
And now the EP. cycle begins, release after release of half baked tripe, and I was hoping to get the game next year in the belief that things will improve.

[abaris]

Exactly what I said months ago. It's all about meeting a sales target. Reach or exceed the target and the champagne corks pop and sale numbers are treated as an endorsement of their crap.

Does that come as a surprise? And EA isn't even the worst developer in that department. I remember buying a game that wasn't even playable on most rigs - and the developer was fully aware of that before the release. Their argument was, if I remember correctly, the more people are buying the sooner the first patch will arrive.

So I'm used to expect the worst and pleasantly surprised if something happens to hit the market that doesn't come straight from the bin.

[Jasumi]

Abaris, are you referring to Crysis by chance? I remember most couldn't play the game on Medium or High too well.


But I agree with the general tone of the thread--EA needs to quit cutting corners. All we need is a good people simulator to wipe EA off the map one day. I hope that day comes soon enough.

[abaris]

Abaris, are you referring to Crysis by chance? I remember most couldn't play the game on Medium or High too well.

No, it was a game produced by Jowood. They were making decent games until then. Last thing I know, they went into mobile gaming after that desaster.

[PixieStyx26]

As I said before, hype and brand loyalty will always carry EA though for the numbers, I don't deny they sold 1.4 million copies, what I do have a problem with is them saying that the Sims 3 was the highest rated Sims game ever. Sure the magazines that EA pays off is saying that the Sims 3 is the best ever, but the real fans are who I'm going with and the general consensus has been that the Sims 3 is a BIG let down. I think EA focused way too much on the open ended neighborhoods and not enough on the Sims themselves, that and their also trying to make money off their EA store, which I don't understand at all. How is EA going to put out CC that people have to pay for- at a rate slower than free fan sites and to top it off put out a product that is way inferior to fan sites. Why would any one pay for crap, when the better looking stuff if free? If weren't for places like MTS2 and Garden of Shadows putting our realistic looking Sims, I wouldn't even waste my time with this game. Hopefully Objects and Clothing will follow suite.