Take a look at this!

[Captain Feathersword]

TSR and EA really just have the same goal, make lots of money. They even go about it in a similar way. Crap sites full of stupid 12ness, poor navigation, no quality control and an over-censored forum. I think that TSR does talk to Maxis (not necessarily EA) and have taken their prepared sob-story about how they can't possibly maintain the site, "The Number 1 Fansite", without "donations". Tacked onto this are the inflated statistics including every person who ever signed up, including all the double accounts and banned members, the number of page loads, which includes all the children pressing refresh every other minute in their lame threads, and every single item ever uploaded, with sets counting in addition to each item in said set. Some gullible (bribed?) Maxoid has believed all this and has made sure EA Legal knows that Maxis relies on TSR to sell thousands of units (games/EPs).

Have I told you that I hate TSR?

[Moune]

Most of what I think about this has already been said. But just for the record – and because I think it’s about time to start ignoring Mikey – I’ll repeat it anyway.

I think EA’s new EULA is just their way of keeping out of the battlefield. On one hand they don’t want to outright endorse paysites, because that you make them look really stupid compared to other game communities, since the Sims is practically the only one where paying for cc is accepted. On the other hand they don’t want to go after the paysites either because it would cost them huge amounts of money and probably wouldn’t be worth it for them. But the paysite issue was becoming thorny what with all these emails and stuff, so they decided to back even further away by watering down their EULA.

I don’t really care. I’ve never been fond of the EULA argument. If anybody wants to trawl through the whole NeptuneSuzy thread you’ll find out why, but there’s also a little bit about it here:

http://www.mounes-neighbourhood.110mb.com/PiratesPaysites.html

The bottom line for me is that paysites are wrong for moral reasons, rather than for legal reasons. I think it’s a battle over hearts, rather than over minds and lawyers. So EA can change their EULA all they want, they can even endorse paysites and it won’t make one difference to me. I think I’m not the only one who feels that way.

When TSR clings so tightly to the new EULA they are clutching at straws. They know they are in the wrong and that a big part of the community do not like their ways. That part will continue to grow. Not because of any statements from EA, but because of the whole discussion that is finally beginning to open up in more and more parts of the community. It’s really all about awareness raising as the say in international NGO-land.

Angha Tyl and scribble: Add me to that club of yours, will you, because I agree completely with everything you’ve said.

Solander: I can understand why you’d worry, but I honestly don’t think you have to. The support and respect you find for free sites here is nothing less than impressive. And I’ll tell you one thing: If ever any of my creations ended up in the wrong place – on a paysite or stolen by another free site - I’d be damn happy to have friends here. Because I have no doubt that they’d stand up for me against the wrong-doer.

I will also say, though, that both you and Pescado has a point about TOU’s. We have very little means to enforce them and have to rely on respect. When I first began creating I made a decision to put a very, very lax TOU on my creations: As long as I get credit you can do anything with it – EXCEPT pay or donation. Why? For one thing because to me the more people who enjoy and have fun with my creations the better. But also because I realized it would be impossible to keep total control of whether somebody used it in an uploaded house or included the mesh with their recolor, and I really didn’t want to have to throw a hissy fit every time that happened. A lax TOU would make everything easier and less frustrating for myself. I think that’s what Pescado is saying too.

Ry! Where are you? I got one of those really fine bottles of rum out of the cellar. So come on. Let’s share!  


http://

[Roxelane]

Here's the best babelfish can do without our lovely German pirates.

Very interesting, after I read the "new" EUla, I agree on clicked, thus agreed and am gelandert on the DL for the manager, which means for me, this allegedly new Eula belonged to the software manager, what also explains that neither of Tools nor materials it is spoken and which also explain that on Websiten - all the same whether free or pay - at all no purchase one takes. I am afraid, what concerns the play Sims2 and gives the options for tinkering, there it probably still only the EULA, which comes along with the play and which we agreed as amateur handicraftsmen (however not all amateur handicraftsmen).

Roxelane: Es ist nicht vollkommen, aber Sie können diesen Übersetzer benutzen http://babelfish.altavista.com/

Thank you,
 no new Eula It is the EULA (old)  for the software content manager

[Saraswati]

The issue is, and always had been, what kind of community we want... I actuallly think the battle is won more by threads like the Ugliest Paysite find.. and on the flipside, celebrating good free content. Because six to twelve months ago, the minute people wanted hair people on the Exchange would refer them to Peggy.. if the exchange kids start referring them to Nouk instead, then we've won.

The other big thing.. and I am saying this from bitter experience. The reason why I'm not here under my own name is, I got very burned out from trying to help on this issue before. So I am saying to you guys, when people come and try to help, don't shred them. Because otherwise we're no better than the  paysites and we all may as well give up and stop playing the game right here and now because we'll never get anything done..

Notice I'm saying not to shred the people who're trying to help.. The paysites are fair game as far as I'm concerned... :lol:

[Gwendolyne]

Sorry, no speak english

Sehr interessant, nachdem ich die "neue" EUla durchgelesen habe, habe ich auf agree geklickt, also zugestimmt und bin auf dem DL für den Manager gelandert, was für mich bedeutet, diese angeblich neue Eula gehört zu der Software Manager, was auch erklärt, dass weder von Tools noch Materialien gesprochen wird und was auch erklärt, dass auf Websiten - egal ob free oder pay - überhaupt kein Bezug genommen wird. Ich fürchte :lol: , was das Spiel Sims2 anbelangt und die Optionen für das Basteln, da gibt es wohl nach wie vor nur die EULA, die mit dem Spiel mitkommt und der wir als Bastler zugestimmt haben (allerdings nicht alle Bastler).

Sorry :oops:

Here is the "Gwendofyed" version:

Very interesting, after reading the "new" EUla, I clicked on "agree" and came to the page with the download for the "content manager"  which means for me that the new EULA only belongs to the Content manager. This would explain why there is no reference to websites, free or pay. I am afraid   :lol:  that for Sims 2 and the custom content there is only the Eula that was shipped with the game and we creators agreed to (well, not all of the creators)

[calalily]

Moune, your page is brilliant.   Really good explanation.

Roxelane: Froh, hilfreich zu sein - jetzt können Sie zu jeder Zeit plaudern  

Thanks Gwendolyne - hopefully with the translator we can hear from Roxelane without her feeling like she has to wait to be heard.   Unless of course, you want to patrol the forum at all hours for German people  :lol: Which is fine with me by the way.

[Ry]

Paden
I'm honored to have made you proud. :lol: And smile.
ty ty, *takes a bow*

Mikey
It's too bad you couldn't choose to simply ignore the people who weren't trying to discuss things with you. Honestly, you can't expect them not to poke, you do deserve it after the way you were acting before.

Moune *the artist formely known as peachfish*
:lol:
I'm here! *takes that rum*
Lets party hunny-bunny!!!

[Zazazu]

NEEDS MOAR CONSPIRACY!!!!

Oh, and I'm glad MIKEY's true personality was immortalised here for everyone to see.  Great business man and joker eh?

Ah, see, the good side effect of my little diatribe. Sorry, I'd just hit my limit of seeing him posting in multiple threads and making it all about him. 'Twas annoying to the extreme.  :roll:

If EA is going to join up with TSR (unfortunately, I could imagine that) they would have to do a major overhaul of the site. Namedly, kick a couple of crap creators out. Honestly, them taking over TSR would make me happier than them just ignoring it, or taking this stupid (yet typical) hands-off approach.

[MistyBlue]

Sorry I didn't read the whole thread, but this site is just loading too damn slow for me. Has someone written to EA and asked about this? I'll volunteer if nobody has or perhaps we all should and see what they make about being bamboozled.

I'm very nearly appalled by this news, but it's not like I wasn't expecting it. Is there anything we can do about this? Can we find 'stolen' textures from clothing or furniture companies and report them, how about reporting recolors of the H&M stuff that are being resold? People also create pixel versions of furniture from IKEA and Pottery Barn, are those reportable? What about those that flat out take meshes from Rederosity and the like and resell them?

[npfiii]

I contacted E.A. about it for clarification, and it went like this..

Me.

In regards to http://thesims2.ea.com/community/approval_fansitekit.php , I've noticed it has been updated. I'm wondering if this new version is retroactive to all previous versions?

E.A.

Hello,  
     
  Thank you for contacting Electronic Arts.  
     
  To answer your question, users are now governed by the new End User License agreement that is currently posted on our website. This applies to all users who may have previously downloaded and agreed to the old End User License agreement.  
     
  If you have any further questions, please let me know.  
     
  Take care,  
     
  EA Rep Fenris  
  Player Relations  
  Electronic Arts

 :?

[Paden]

Fenris... Fenris... I know that I've heard that name before and it wasn't in a positive context... Oh, yeah, the Fenris wolf of Norse mythology! Son of Loki, bound in chains by Tyr and due to help bring about the Ragnarok, otherwise known as the apocolypse or end of the world, and help the forces of evil destroy Midgard, otherwise known as earth. Sorry if my memory of the mythology is rusty, my brother has my copy of the skalds of Snorri Sturluson and refuses to give them back... asshole...

Anyways, what that person said sounds like a load of fertilizer. How can you make that retroactive? Just wondering. But I've never looked on the name of Fenris as positive...

[Zazazu]

Gah. Typical dodging the actual question. So everyone who has agreed to the EA EULA in the past is now governed by the new one. This is as I've always understood EULA's to be. Subject to change, you are responsible for checking, your agreement carries over.

What they didn't answer was what was actually asked: Are the past actions of sites which were going against the EA EULA at that time still considered to be violations, or does this change negate the status of those violations since now they wouldn't be violations.

[scheherazade]

Seriously EA, could you try to straddle the fence just a little bit harder? Sooner or later though all this dancing around with one cheek on each side is going to leave you in need of some rectal repair.
I wish they would come up with a solid stance, even if that stance is that they don't give a fuck what anybody does. I for one will always believe that paysites are wrong no matter what EA says. If you want to make money creating game content go work for a legit software company. If you want to create stuff for a game you like and share it with others fine, just don't expect people to pay for your amateur creations. As MTS2 has proved it is entirely possible to fund a massive freesite on donations.

Now where did I leave my rum....

[SnarkyShark]

Seriously EA, could you try to straddle the fence just a little bit harder?

Any harder and the picket that's already sticking up their ass, would be coming out of their mouth. Seriously, I'm not too concerned by whatever EA's stance-of-the-week is. Because the bottom line is file sharing is the norm in just about every other gaming community. Fuck EA if they think the sims community is somehow different.

And besides pirates, it's a hell of a lot more glamorous taking on EA than it is Thomas the Troll and his team of Teutonic Twats.

[Pescado]

Technically, that statement is wrong, as the right to arbitrarily change the original EULA was never stated in it, not that such an option is likely considered to be legally valid, as it would amount to a blank check. In order for the new one to be binding on anyone, you would have to agree to it at some point, which would involve downloading and using something new.