why is everyone so pessimistic about the sims 3?

[Reyn]

Online playing was poorly executed - TSO was one of the biggest travesties of ignoring most of their beta-testers in favor of the few going 'But MMOs are all about the GRIND'

Anyway, I'll wait and see, but honestly, I doubt I'll be buying sims 3.

[defenderp123]

ive never really considered online playing personally
i cant decide with the sims 3
on the one hand i dont like the way EA have handled some things (all the bugs, videoes of things not in the game, store to buy things on line...etc)
im also still happy playing the sims 2 and see no reason to stop just yet im trying to build up a perfect neighbourhood complete with lots of sims
im also worried about custom content which is what keeps you playing the game after your bored with all the maxis stuff
also for me to really want to buy the sims 3 i would want to see a **** of a lot more imimprovement from the sims 2 which at the moment i dont

but on the other hand after a while when ive found out if there'll be custom content, what other people think of the game (and knowing EA) when the first expantion packs come out i will be easily swayed to buy the game
also some videos ive seen are very intriging

so as you can see  ireally cant decide

[Rock Chick]

For me personally, I'm kind of viewing it as a completely different entity in a way. I should imagine I will enjoy it for itself, just like with Spore or any other fun game that catches my attention, and I can happily play different games alongside each other.
I hope there will be a bodyshop style tool with it , but as yet I haven't heard of any such thing being provided by EAxis officially. I think we should have heard by now.
Neighbourhood creation tool, yes apparently...I will still continue to make content for the Sims2 anyway as its something I love to do, whether I get Sims3 or not.
As far as I can gather from all I've read and seen so far , it looks like you can save your fave hue and pattern of the swatches provided in Sims 3 as presets...however, I would be anxious to hear if we can actually load our own seamless textures or skin textures etc.
The way its going at the moment, it seems Sims3 is being engineered to make CC creation as we know it for the Sims2 unnecessary (as far as 'they' are concerned....not me though!!! I want to be able to use my own stuff/textures etc)

[angelicali7]

Hey, I voted pessimistic. I get excited thinking about it I suppose but in reality I know it will have no pets, no universities, no weather, nothing, and it will be just an extra £20 everytime they decide to add something that they could have added all at once, except obviously that would mean making less money. When I had the sims 1, when I got the sims makin' magic I got that Sims 2 preview disk and almost had heart failure with excitement. But the sims 3 looks like one of them pop ups you see sometimes to create avatars (don't know if any of you know what I'm talking about?) Also the sims in it look like they are made of plastercine???

I duno, I'm just not excited... mainly because it will be more hassle. I'm quite happy with the sims 2 to be honest.

In the sims 1 I was always like "i wish you could change their appearance not just their clothes" or "i wish i could zoom in or make better neighbourhoods" but the sims 2 took care of that.. I'll probably buy the S3 out of curiousity but the way it's going I think I'll prefer the sims 2.

xx

[Nione]

I said pessimistic not so much because of what Sims3 may be like. We don't really know yet. A lot of the hyped features sound to me like the old features slightly enhanced.

I am pessimistic because I think the company is moving away from the Sims mods fanbase, which is the draw for me. My reason for thinking so? The new EA store is a micropayment system. I think they hope to make that the main or possibly only source of new content, and I suppose I can't blame them for trying, but if it eventually replaces stuff packs, they are going to charge you more per item. It will be much more expensive. You can add it up yourself. Also it means for the first time individual modders who make a single new bed will be directly competing with Maxis and since EA will be charging for each item individually...are they really going to allow primarily free distribution of items much better than they can produce? I don't see them continuing to encourage that when they start making sales per item. I guess they could license pay sites, since pay sites don't provide most of their items for free and they could get a cut of not much, but sites like this one, I think they will begin to thwart. I think if they have the Exchange at all, it will probably be recolors only. If they keep supporting modders, it will hurt their store. How optimistic are we they will under those business conditions?

All that makes me pessimistic, but I am also pessimistic about customer relations as revealed during the Securom controversy. They have been reading the stories about people having to buy new hardware, and they have committed to using it in Sims3 anyway. I am really not that tempted and I think some other people aren't.

[_cactus_]

Hey guys,did not you see new graphics?New features?

I'm perfectly disgusted!Sims 3 ........!(You got it,lol)

Why?I was waiting for MUCH MORE about new features...

I don't know,I don't think so nice about sims 3.

I heard something about creating...Meshing and importing game will be too hard,so it means we won't have downloads early.I did NOT enjoy original sims skins-hairs-eyes etc...So if it doesn't look nice,i cant play "happily".

): I won't buy the sims 3...Actually I will wait and see the news,i will analyse player comments...So maybe they can change my mind...

[angelicali7]

I said pessimistic not so much because of what Sims3 may be like. We don't really know yet. A lot of the hyped features sound to me like the old features slightly enhanced.

I am pessimistic because I think the company is moving away from the Sims mods fanbase, which is the draw for me. My reason for thinking so? The new EA store is a micropayment system. I think they hope to make that the main or possibly only source of new content, and I suppose I can't blame them for trying, but if it eventually replaces stuff packs, they are going to charge you more per item. It will be much more expensive. You can add it up yourself. Also it means for the first time individual modders who make a single new bed will be directly competing with Maxis and since EA will be charging for each item individually...are they really going to allow primarily free distribution of items much better than they can produce? I don't see them continuing to encourage that when they start making sales per item. I guess they could license pay sites, since pay sites don't provide most of their items for free and they could get a cut of not much, but sites like this one, I think they will begin to thwart. I think if they have the Exchange at all, it will probably be recolors only. If they keep supporting modders, it will hurt their store. How optimistic are we they will under those business conditions?

All that makes me pessimistic, but I am also pessimistic about customer relations as revealed during the Securom controversy. They have been reading the stories about people having to buy new hardware, and they have committed to using it in Sims3 anyway. I am really not that tempted and I think some other people aren't.

I had no idea about the micropayment thing! That is rediculous! To be honest, I wouldn't have played the Sims2 for as long as I did (and still am) if it wasn't for all the lovely free CC we have available! I have AL here just now and installed it then immediatley uninstalled it because the inSim wasn't updated yet! So I think maxis have to pay a LOT of credit to the CC makers because, I don't know about the majority of people but, I know that I would have been bored with the sims 2 long long ago and not bought any of the packs after, what, Nightlife?

[The Commodore]

I honestly don't think I'll be buying it. I'm plenty happy with what is possible in TS2 right now. That, and I don't really like how the people in TS3 look.

I doubt my computer could even handle TS3, and besides that, it's coming out right around when I start college, and I'll be moving to a laptop, which definitely means no Sims. ) :

There's still so much that can be done in TS2 with custom content, mods, etc. and creators are releasing new stuff all the time. I think it might be too soon for a new Sims game. I'm still very happy with my TS2.

[~simaholic]

I am not going to buy it, fullstop. My reason is that I am very content with my sims 2 game. Sims three to me is my Sims 2 with custom content. I can give my sims different bodyshapes and more lifelike looks. I can give my sims fancy furniture and give them different foods and careers with mods made by excellent modders. So I am sticking to sims 2, I can not afford to upgrade another computer for sims 3 if it is basically sims 2 with a bit more perks (which mods will figure out and make anyways

[andrewplay599]

The one thing that makes me undecided is are the sim sites we all come to will be able to host sim3 content or will there only be a maxis exchange for that game?

[Dec12741]

I have Pre-Ordered it,the two things that scares me will you be able install CC to it and the Open Ended of the Game will be new to and it will take time to get use to it,it you can not Install CC  the game wil be VERY,VERY,VERY boring

[fsissy]

I just don't know.  SecuRom?  I bought Bon Voyage.  SecuRom came with it.    I'm still trying to fix my computer.  EA still plans using SecuRom in Sims3.  I'm not a hacker or have I copied any games, but I'm sure paying the price of a greedy (or should i say paranoid) EA that sees thieves in all of us.

(This could be rumor) However, I understand Sims3 is going to be like Spore.  You have to have internet capabilities for the game to verify every 10 days.  No verification, no play.  No more support from EA, no more play.  You don't own it, you rent it at EA's pleasure (or profitability).

Custom content?  The way I understand it, you customize everything within the game.  If you believe what EA says, there's a lot.  Want new textures, so far there isn't any indication we will be able to put it in.  I guess we'll have to pay EA for those extra swatches at their site.  (I for one, replace just about every one of EA's swatches in my game, how about you?  I just love their swatches.)

I waited before getting Sims2.  Patches were out, Modders were online and expansions were out when I fired up Sims2.  Then I started joining sites.  Within a short time, I had a game going I could really enjoy.

I will wait and see, but I suspect there's going to be some major complaining.  You can't do this, you cant do that.  Why can't someone make this for me. I also suspect there will be some that will just love it and have nothing but praise about EA.  However, if the game isn't open ended (like Sims1&2), their praise will be short lived.  Because the rest of us will have moved on to something else, or are happily still playing Sims2.

I truly hope I'll have to eat my words.  But I have no confidence in EA.  Maxis (who I did have confidence in) isn't making this game, EA is.  Remember that wonderful game Maxis made called Sim City?  I still play it.  Ever hear about the sequel, SimCity5.  Well, it was called Sim Societies.  I say "Was" because it is now bundled with SimCity4 in hopes of salvaging flagging sales.  EA killed SimCity.

Will they kill TheSims?  I'm not placing any bets either way.  I do know there's a lot of hype, but they are being very tight lipped about answering any of our questions.  Something is up and we're not going to like the answers.  They weren't this way with the releases of Sims1 or 2.  We were treated with actual programs to begin creating before the games came out.  There were online meetings with the creators to field questions and answers.  We were given the red carpet treatment and we ran to them with fistfuls of money.

My answer is:  Wait and see.  SecuRom?  No.  Pay for items only on EA site?  No.  No custom content from us?  No.  No modders from us?  NO.  I'll just continue with TheSims2, and when I'm tired of it, don't look back.

[shellyk]

I'm probably saying the same thing as everyone else but I'm so so on it because I'm not sure what custom content it will allow.  All the slider stuff sounds great but it all seems to have been designed in order to eliminate the cc.  Hair growing - love it, a slider for skin tone/eyecolour - love it but with both of these it sounds like you wont be able to have fantasy skins or eyes.  I use a lot of enalya skins and Amun-Ra eyes (my favs) and it'll be a bummer if I can't do that.

I'm also not sure about this everyone ages at the same time.  It's great for your teens and kids who's friends grow with them but I have multiple families running and would hate to drop back in on them to find they've all died of old age or the kids grew up without me.  

I'm not sure much about it we all know EA video's/screen captures are crap that some of the stuff shown never shows up in the game, so until it's out and I have it in my sweaty palms I'm reserving judgement.

[Reyn]

The final designs might be a bit more refined once the game is actually released.  I'm more concerned about the company's treatment of their customers.

Securom doesn't touch pirates - a pirated copy of the game has had the DRM stripped.  It only harms the people who buy the game, who are then accused by the EA CEO of being idiots or pirates - neither of which is less than insulting.

There are plenty of people up in arms, and multiple lawsuits against EA now for their DRM - Penny Arcade ran a series of articles on the subject not too long ago.  Its finally hitting national attention.

And EA has learned that us americans are willing to pay out the nose for content - look at the prices at the 360 store to download music for Rockband 2 - estimated average per song is over a dollar.  Substandard hairs from the Sims 2 store are a dollar a piece - they make the other EAxis hairs look like works of art, comparitively.  Not even animated when they should be.

[Nione]

Just saw this article linked from Lebensim:
The Sims 3 to Have Dynamic Ads
http://www.lebensim.com/
"Electronic Arts, maker of "Sims 3," is working with IGA to provide dynamic in-game ads -- which can be switched in and out of the game via an internet connection -- to the latest version of what has become the world's most-played PC game."

Oh joy. Now they can try to sell me real life things while I try to build a castle. That will go great in my fantasy neighborhoods...oh...maybe I wouldn't be able to make fantasy neighborhoods anyway. Maybe there won't even be a Ren/pirate dress this time because it doesn't fit in with multimedia ads. Come to think of it, I haven't seen anything remotely period, even retro/50s in any of the screenshots yet. Interesting. IGA's tech is considered by some to be a privacy threat. Here is one article on that debate:
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=11300

and a scarier recent one:
"IGA can measure the exact amount of time that an ad is viewed by a gamer and then report that data back to the advertiser."
http://venturebeat.com/2008/10/21/iga-worldwide-delivering-in-game-ads-to-30-million-users/

They claim 80% of gamers don't mind these ad billboards. Maybe we aren't the same demographic they studied though? Sims players are erm...well...we're sort of control freaks. We are into customizing. We use Insim because it gives us more control over our sims and our game. Major and minute control. Are we going to like product and political ads showing inside our Renaissance neighborhoods, or or ancient Romes? Somehow...I doubt it. And I am pretty certain that like with SecureRom there will not be any opt out. Oh, and this thing phones home a lot. I guess that means you may even have to be connected to the internet at all times you are playing, but maybe someone who has already played a game which uses this stuff can tell us for sure.
Here's IGA's page for advertisers:
http://www.igaworldwide.com/advertisers/ourapproach/radial-network.cfm

So let's see...so far, we know we will have to allow SecureRom (or resort to alternative means which many of their paying customers will not use). We know there will continue to be a tight limit on reinstalls which might be exceeded quickly if you experience problems. We know we will be required to be connected to the internet at least some of the time during normal gameplay so that this adware/spyware can let Eaxis and ANY advertiser that participates know exactly how much time we spend playing and when and how much ad exposure we got. I doubt we can opt out of that either. Your game habits will absolutely be logged as per the quote above. Oh, supposedly not your name, although if you register the game or download anything from their store, they can surely put that together with your "unique ID" pretty easily, can't they? "Unique ID" combined with "no personally identifiable information." Gosh, I've heard that before and it's always BS unless you play on public computers. They will know it's you or a family member/roommate. That's personal. And identifiable. And information in spades. So you pay money, you BUY the game, for the honour of enduring potential hardware issues (SecureRom), potential security and privacy issues (SecureRom and IGA), and are then subjected to paid advertisements, which unlike cable ads are not one way. They track you. IGA's prolific PR will tell you all about it. How much do you want to bet you can't play if you remove the billboards or disable them? How much do you want to bet when you install it, it will NOT warn you about this billboard ad software OR SecureRom? They don't need this advertiser money, by the way. It's true their stocks have dropped recently during the SecureRom controversy, but they are hardly going to lose money on paying customers. They're not giving away a free ad supported version. This is called GREED.

I still really love the Sims 2 and I used to think I would never stop upgrading to the newest Sims product. I guess they don't want people like that anymore. They want a mythical target audience that will buy a product or see a movie or vote for a candidate because a billboard in their game says to, so they get a cut.

I had hopes, I really did, that the class actions suits forming against them over SecureRom would make them rethink their customer relations and business ethics. Better late than never. I thought maybe they'd reverse their position, that they would remove the SecureRom from Sims3 and admit it was a mistake. That maybe we could all kiss and make up. Sure doesn't look that way, does it?

No thanks. I've given up hoping. People who pay to get scr**ed often regret it later. I don't plan to be one of them.