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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 5th Jun 2009 at 5:00 PM
A Sims Story
Once upon a time, a game designer made a game called "The Sims". It was a very well received game. The publisher thought, "We've got a hit on our hands." After several expansion packs, the excited news was whispered: sequel! There was much fanfare. The Sims public waited with baited breath for the day when the game would be released. Pre-orders abounded. Then that day actually arrived: The Sims 2 was released!

But then a cry: "This game is buggy!" Then another: "EA is just using us as guinea pigs! Maybe they should test the game before they release it!" "I demand a patch!" "There's not enough objects!" "I can't install!" "I liked Sims 1 better it had x." "I will never buy another game from EA again!"

But 6 months later, "I can't wait for University to come out!"

Moral: The game just came out! Stop your bitchin'! Learn from the past! Jeez!
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Lab Assistant
#2 Old 5th Jun 2009 at 5:07 PM
Psh. I'll bitch all I like, thankya :D
Test Subject
#3 Old 5th Jun 2009 at 6:02 PM
I think it's perfectly acceptable to complain about paying $50 for a game that acts up and does not perform as advertised. People were excited for the expansions to come out AFTER EA issued patches that fixed the bugs that made TS2 unplayable which only happened AFTER everybody complained.

So we're just doing our part to motivate EA to do the job they should have done before they released the game.
Field Researcher
#4 Old 5th Jun 2009 at 6:30 PM
Criticism is the key to progress.

So far, I have hardly seen any unjustified negativity.


Quote: Originally posted by simmin_mike
"This game is buggy!"

And it is again.

Quote:
"EA is just using us as guinea pigs! Maybe they should test the game before they release it!"

They did, and it's still too buggy. Makes you wonder.

Quote:
"I demand a patch!"

Which is our moral right.

Quote:
"There's not enough objects!"

Even the "Compare it to previous base-game."-argument doesn't really work. From a simple psychological stand-point, it's clear that we all still have all the EPs in mind. EA should have countered that in whatever other simple psychological way so the game doesn't feel that stripped. Even if it's perfectly legit to not have lots of content.
Besides, there's that Store fiasco...

Quote:
"I can't install!"

Well, that's kinda horrible, isn't it? If at least customer support was more active...

Quote:
"I liked Sims 1 better it had x."

Indeed. If we miss too many things, it shows clear lack of insight on the developer's part.

Quote:
"I will never buy another game from EA again!"

That, however, is a lie. We'll all be buying the next expansion. No matter what.

Quote:
Learn from the past!

Why can't they?
Lab Assistant
#5 Old 5th Jun 2009 at 6:51 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Kittymom1029
I think it's perfectly acceptable to complain about paying $50 for a game that acts up and does not perform as advertised.


Does not perform as advertised? What exactly was advertised for Sims3 that you haven't yet found in the game?

I don't know why people are whinging so much, the game has 87% on Metacritic based on 19 reviews. I, for one, have not had a single bug so far. I think most people's problems really comes down to their computer not being up to scratch. Unfortunate, but probably true. Sure there are a lot less objects than we had in the Sims 2 (with all expansion packs installed) but were you expecting them to cram 10 expansion pack's worth of items and content into the base game? EA are a business, which means their primary objective is to make money, not to give you feelings of nostalgia and a tingling sensation in your tummy.
Test Subject
#6 Old 5th Jun 2009 at 7:24 PM
"Does not perform as advertised? What exactly was advertised for Sims3 that you haven't yet found in the game?"

The Story Progression is completely buggy, there is much less customization of the sort I prefer (I do feel misled about this) and even more advanced customization of Sims was touted for months, it is nearly impossible to eradicate certain characteristics which make Sims look so similar that it effectively negates what customization exists. I don't think making a Sim's chin either chubby, chubbier or really chubby qualifies as an advanced level of customization.

My computer is brand new with four processors, loads of power, storage and graphics capabilities and not one thing that is an issue for me has anything to do with my computer's capabilities. How would my computer have anything to do with the fact that I can't build a custom city or place lots where I want them or enter venues which I used to enjoy sending my Sims to? You can't actually shop at a store!!!

Advertising your neighborhood as seamless and having no load times, then not letting you see inside most of the important buildings (basically removing most of what used to have to load) is a cop out, plain and simple. I don't care if I don't see them at work, but at the bookstore? That's just lazy.
Lab Assistant
#7 Old 5th Jun 2009 at 9:14 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Kittymom1029
"Does not perform as advertised? What exactly was advertised for Sims3 that you haven't yet found in the game?"

The Story Progression is completely buggy, there is much less customization of the sort I prefer (I do feel misled about this) and even more advanced customization of Sims was touted for months, it is nearly impossible to eradicate certain characteristics which make Sims look so similar that it effectively negates what customization exists. I don't think making a Sim's chin either chubby, chubbier or really chubby qualifies as an advanced level of customization.

My computer is brand new with four processors, loads of power, storage and graphics capabilities and not one thing that is an issue for me has anything to do with my computer's capabilities. How would my computer have anything to do with the fact that I can't build a custom city or place lots where I want them or enter venues which I used to enjoy sending my Sims to? You can't actually shop at a store!!!

Advertising your neighborhood as seamless and having no load times, then not letting you see inside most of the important buildings (basically removing most of what used to have to load) is a cop out, plain and simple. I don't care if I don't see them at work, but at the bookstore? That's just lazy.


I don't know how the leaked copy is any different to the retail copy which I presume you're running, but I have no trouble eradicating chubby cheeks from any sim. Maybe you've missed some of the more advanced sliders? Story progression works fine for me. And I don't recall ever reading about making neighbourhoods from scratch. I think maybe your only problem is that you let your hopes up too much. There were a lot of changes with the Sims2, you shouldn't have expected so much with the Sims3. There's only so much they can do while keeping the game playable on lower-end PCs, because lets face it, the game is aimed towards casual gamers who don't have our Quad Core processors. :lovestruc

I do agree with you on one thing though, we should be able to see inside the shops and maybe the town hall, etc. Would be nice. We'll have to wait and see what comes out of the expansion packs.
Lab Assistant
#8 Old 5th Jun 2009 at 9:21 PM
It is documented by EA that story progression is buggy.

The game is aimed towards casual gamers but as always when this happens, you lose the hardcore base. The hardcore base that has stuck with the product for years, played, tested, modded, customized, has every right to comment on the latest product if they feel it isn't up to snuff.

I'm in the "meh" camp about the game. I don't think people who feel negatively about the game should be chastised here in the same way I don't think people who love the game should be. However, there is FACT right now and the game is BROKEN. Documented and admitted by the devs. It's not opinion.
Lab Assistant
#9 Old 5th Jun 2009 at 9:31 PM
Hadn't realized it was documented by EA, apologies Kittymom. I was speaking the truth when I said I haven't experienced any bugs with my game so far though, guess I'm just lucky, rather than you being unlucky.
Test Subject
#10 Old 5th Jun 2009 at 9:55 PM
I like a lot of things about the game, don't get me wrong, and I've figured out work arounds for most of what I don't like, but if you're going to ask for a significant chunk of change for a game it should not be bug-ridden when it hits the shelves. This isn't just an EA issue, it seems like everyone does it now. I am similarly cursed with Vista which took a good deal of creativity on my part to make work half as well as XP did.

I think the game has loads of potential and I am enjoying myself over all but we all know that the modding community is going to fix whatever is not working in TS3 for free while EA makes the money. That irks me.
Instructor
#11 Old 5th Jun 2009 at 10:29 PM
If I have learned anything about EA during my many years of video game playing, it's that they don't fix anything ever unless people bitch, moan, whine, and kermit flail around.

Yes, I recall TS2 being similar...and as I remember we were dealing with Maxis back then, weren't we?
Instructor
#12 Old 5th Jun 2009 at 10:42 PM
I notice a pattern with these games.

The first one or two, Will Wright works on it. Gold.
The next one or two, he's gone. It's more like a shiny silver.
The next one, EA takes it from Maxis, and hands it to a completely different studio. Then it becomes less like a precious metal and more like a polished brass that on first look, seems to be very pretty and shiny, but on closer inspection is just brass. However, if you take care of that brass and say something when it gets dingy, and take it to be fixed and polished, it can once more shine like gold. With SimCity Societies, EA said, "Ew, it's all un-shiny and dented, throw it away!!!"

Let's hope that with TS3 they say something more like, "Hey, the brass isn't as shiny as we led our mother-in-law to believe when she called. Now that she's here, and she's noticed it, let's clean it up, so she can nag me about one less thing."

Now, when it comes to Sims games, we as fans can be either very naggy mother-in-laws who call things to attention, or laid back ones who just accept things. I, personally, think we should chose the former.
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