Yep, this is exactly the thing that has been dawning on me this week. By definition an online-only game (an MMO) doesn't support or allow modding. Up until a few days ago I had been working under the impression/hope that SC5 would require online for the social and co-play aspects, but would allow true single-player, and thus modding. But nope. And that's the total killer for me. I'm enough of a sucker that I'd pay to allow them to require me to be online a lot for sake of their DRM, but I'm not enough of a sucker to let them limit me to whatever craptastic content they come up with. I really could not play my game without the bug fixes and imaginative content of the Sims community, and...well, I won't play TS4 without those things either.

Nope, was trying to post something in Technical Discussions yesterday and guess what, they took out the New Topic and Reply buttons out of that forum. You can post in all other areas but Technical Discussions. That should have been a warning to me.. but no, I wasn't going to give up on my beloved SimCity so I posted in General Discussions apologizing for posting there on something that should have been a technical issues...

I don't know how EA/Maxis is going to redeem themselves. After this, it won't be so easy.

I really, really dislike this modern trend of multiplayer games. I don't like multiplayer games. Local co-op, sure. But there are so many games around where the singleplayer experience is completely overshadowed by wildly competitive online gameplay and I'm just not into that. And now even games that are completely singleplayer in nature start demanding you to be connected, and online, and have friends and buy stuff in the online store... I mean, I didn't buy Showtime mainly because of the *obligation* to make "friends" in order to fully experience the EP. :/

The way EA games continue to get worse, why would you want a Sims 4?

It seems to me it would again take several expansion packs before the game starts feeling somewhat complete.

Myself, I plan on stopping at Sims 3 and just uploading CC to play the way I want. That way I won't have to redo something every time a new expansion pack or patch comes out.

And I can also spend my saved money on things that actually work.

Lol I'm actually looking forward to the Sims 4 because that means no more TS3 patches and no more spending entire days updating my mods. I can just play to my heart's content XD

^^ agreed! When sims 4 comes out, I'll know it's safe to cc the crap out of my game. I'm just waiting patiently for it to happen.

I really hope that this will spark something within the gaming community of The Sims. I really hope that soon, an Indie publisher will create an open-source life simulator game that is MUCH more user-friendly than The Sims is.

Then there was this article on the Huffington Post.

It seems the New Sim City will be joining the Edsel and New Coke in the pantheon of major marketing disasters. It is the worst reviewed product ever to appear on Amazon, garnering over 1900 one-star reviews.

If EA were smart, they would reach the conclusion that requiring people to pay online is a bad idea. But EA, being EA, will probably attribute it to something else. EA is good at ignoring the obvious.

Origin is refusing to issue refunds.

But EA has come up with a solution to their piracy problem: produce a game no one wants to pirate.

While I'm happy to see an EA game do absolutely terribly, I fear for those people's jobs. Mainly because we know it was EAs idea to include the features that led to it's downfall.

Still, a large smile is LIVING on my face right now. Hopefully, the company will learn something, but they probably wont.

Yup, and the makers of Spec Ops: the Line came out and said the only reason they added multiplayer was because they were forced too and that it was a waste of time. If you know anything about this game, you know that it having multiplayer pretty much tells you that the publisher didn't understand what it was trying to say.

Oh, and it seems EA has suspended all advertising for Simcity 2013.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidth...rver-struggles/

http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/03/08/simcity-marketing-ea/

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/03/re...aunch-disaster/

http://www.ausgamers.com/news/read/...yers-having-fun


Oh, and this is just precious. In South Korea when there was questions about the server issues, they got called out for piracy it seems.

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/03/wh...-about-simcity/

Good lord, this is like a multi-car pileup. Just when you think it can't get any worse, another one slams into the mess.



I know the feeling, on both counts. In the later one, I think there is a German word for it, something about finding pleasure in another person's misery.

A bitch?



I'll accept that. *cranks smile up to 9000*

Ah, no found it. Schadenfreude

I prefer insults I can pronounce.

It's easy and fun, try it with me! "SHAY-den-froyd"

Now doesn't that just feel so goooood.

Here, this will help you pronounce it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCQGQ5qBQTA

Seriously....it's kinda awesome.




Edit: Sooooo, is EA's server issues affecting the whole INTERNET?! Look what I just randomly got from google:

matrix54 Try Fubar.. Google it..

So, you're telling me I can connect with over 8 million+ people to make new friends? I can be myself and have fun?

WOW! Fubar.com sounds nice! This online dating stuff rocks!

Gotta love that major news sources are now reporting on it. Most important for EA's stock is probably that it is now being reported in the Wall Street Journal.

Also someone has started a petition to the whitehouse for better consumer protections for computer software like this that require access to a server. https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/pe...operly/nMy1wrtC

See? Now you have over 8 million + people to have Schadenfreude with.

.........yep, that sounds dirty.

Wow! The SimCity business is getting serious. O_O Madre de dios...



One man's dirty is another man's party.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCQGQ5qBQTA

(Warnings for profanity, general adult/potentially offensive content, and taking pleasure in other peoples' suffering.)

Just FYI, I put that exact link a few posts up. Good to know we both have the same tastes. But yeah, the profanity is pretty out of the blue for those that don't know it.

Normally, I don't laugh at other misfortunes, but this is EA, and I've been really hating them lately. I can't throw gasoline on this fire, no, but I am trying to throw in the odd twig here and there. This inferno doesn't need my help.

Ahhh, I totally scrolled past it! GREAT MINDS.

Might as well roast marshmallows in this fire while we can. I consider the marshmallows to be the UL EP, because compared to what's happening right now with SC, UL seems like a godsend. Enjoy it while we can. :D




^ YES! It was the first thing I thought of when I saw "schadenfreude".