PMBD

Check it out here: http://www.insightexpress.com/ix/Survey.aspx?id=135766&accessCode=0112155630&uid=1&resetposition=true

The link was posted at N99. Honestly, can EA ever stop finding ways to suck?

They're talking about setting up an online official store to buy downloads from!! They mention sites like TSR, Peggy and Holy Simoly. The only free site was Parsimonous. Gah! They wanted to find out how much people would pay for downloads. Please excuse me while I vomit.

Taking the survey, filling it out in a "I'm not paying for MOAR fugly Maxis shit in my game," manner. And...
(http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/9261/daefeii7.png)

I'm really not sure if I should keep it checked or not :-\

Oh man. What are they trying to accomplish? EA is going against their on EULA? That's preposterous! I answered $0 to pay for content and 0 on how much stuff I would buy at a price.

Bastardous EA! They can go to hell! MOAR room for the booty!

Dammit! Why didn't I take screenshots?  >:(  Someone else, please do. I was really in shock about it.

Here's the link at N99 for those who belong: http://starlightsims.yuku.com/topic/30698

I just finished that survey and it really pissed me off.  What a bunch of idiots! >:(

They're not breaking any EULA, it's their own content.

I'm taking screenshots as I go. I'll post them as soon as I can, but my internet is being a PITA right now so it might be a while before I get them uploaded.

Everything about that survey was completely skewed to get the responses that they want to get. It doesn't even provide a comment section, or any sort of way to state that you are against paying anything for content. I wish I had taken screenshots, too, but I was too angry as I took the survey to pause long enough for that. >:(

I took one more screen shot before I finished:
(http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/2610/safeem6.png)

3 paysites + 1 freesite... They must not care about the EULA at all, just money [not surprising].

I just made it clear by using 0's that I was not interested in paying for any content.

I took the survey too.  That survey is skewed.

Way for EA to really just show off how much of money hungry douche-bags they are.  DO NOT WANT!

Me too. And I left the Fansite one unchecked when I figured out there wasn't any way to write in the Fansites I do go to (note: it ain't TSR or Peggy).

JOY! MORE PAYSITES!

really, just what we all needed. EA selling downloads is the equivalent of not only allowing but endorsing paysites.

Guess they're done now, the survey is closed. I hope enough people with brains took the thing.

That was quick. I, too, hope that the right people were able to take the survey. Unfortunately, aren't alot of the members at N99 pro-paysite?

Sounds like Second Life all over again. Perhaps we'll have paysites owners selling their files in an EA store and each taking a cut of the profit. Does this mean the stuff couldn't go in the booty because it's technically 'EA' files?

I think that's what they're planning to do. EA prolly sees there's a huge profit to be made from those paysites, and wants a cut, is why all the while they never really took a stand. I just can't help but feel Thomass or Steve or whoever in TSR knows a big dog in EA and they did some sort of secret shady deal, which is why we see the official Sims 2 site promoting TSR. Who knows, maybe whatever profits TSR made, already a certain percentage of it could be going to EA.

Was the survey recent? If it was, I'm wondering why is it gone so fast. I thought surveys are usually left for quite awhile to gather more insight from the public.  ???

I'm chocked. I feared something like that would happen but seeing it taking place is really a living nightmare.
It hurts. All these years of simming, gone away, swept for money. Will Wright's initial idea of the simming community is going to blow up :( I wonder what would he think of it - unless i'm highly mistaken on him, which wouldn't surprise me after that. >:(
So EA is preparing a payserver for Sims 3. Without me, definetly. 'Hope they change their mind.

If EA are thinking "This is the future of gaming" this is where they want to be for The Sims 3, where they turn it into a second life but for their monetary gain. I mean, individual downloads? At what? 4 bucks a pop? 1 buck a pop?
I hope they choke on their plans and not have a single subscriber.

It will come to a point where the sheepies will play on and play on only to get their money's worth and who really sees that happening?

They won't get my monies, no way.  >:(

guys, there's always the option of walking away and refusing to pay them a cent..

That's the route I intend on, and have been going by since BV.

Yup. There's just no way that The Sims 3 will get as large a fanbase if they make custom content cost money, and I have no desire to play a game that's clearly just made to make money.

What saddens me the most, having played and been part of the community since Sims 1, is that it'll really ruin the great community that was the reason I didn't get tired of Sims after two weeks. The community is the reason that people stick around for years even though the game quickly goes dull and repetitative. Oh well, they're shooting themselves in the foot with this.

This really disgusts me.

Yep. We don't offer torrents here because they're illegal. Maxis has the right to sell those pixels, just as we have the right not to buy them.

I don't see them teaming up with paysites - particularly if EA is using their own stuff.  Why farm it out to Tom Ass and give him *any* percentage if you made it, took pictures and have a website?

Tom Ass could find himself competing with EA instead.

But if they did that, they would screw the whole idea of custom content sharing.  For a start, anything cloned (like new meshes) would be cloned from content you have to buy, which means that custom content would come to a halt, and stop the spread of the word of the Sims. 

I might be a sucker for the stuff packs, but I would never buy an item at a time.  Never - and certainly not online.

And Xeon Black - the surveys are often only up for a limited time, like 5 hours or so - they get the required number of participants in that time.

As far as I'm concerned they can go jump.. if I wanted to pay for content, I'd play Second Life. God forbid.

TSR competing with EA might be kind of fun to watch. 

While, at first the idea kind of shocked me, in some ways it might be nice to be able to get one or two things I wanted instead of buying an entire stuff pack because I wanted one or two things out of it.  I might not buy any EA custom content though.  But, at least I will have a choice to pick and choose.  However, I cannot see how they are going to be able to stop sharing.  There are some VERY clever people in this community, and my best guess is that once they figure out how to crack the items (the haxors won't be able to help themselves, they will try almost immediately), people will be sharing the meshes along with any custom content made from the items.   Illegal or not, people will do it.  Once that happens, this idea will tank.   

Every time EA tries to come up with a way to make things pay, like EAland or SimsOnline, it never seems to go over well. 

Unless they stomp and destroy fansites all together, this will not be a very good succes during Sims 2. During Sims 3, they can forbid fansites offering content all they like and make it into a system like Second Life where they grab a huge portion of the income withouthaving to create anything. Paying a Sims 3 team to make new content is alot more expensive than letting custom content creators sell their items through them.

except if they go down that road, they become at least partially responsible if the content is totally borked or a breach of copyright.

If EA shut down all fansites, the game will surely sink deep deep into the nothing abyss. EA proves time and time again, they don't know what we fucking want. Their pay by item content... I predict, willl be full of the same bland uniformity of their last stuff pack. So, shut down fansites and expect people to run to you, wallets open with your boring creativity? GOOD LUCK.
WE know what we want. We are the community that pay their bills. If they think a housewife who loves to relax after a hard day full of chores and kids, is going to spend her husbands/or her own money each day for fucking PIXELS? We have to make a living! We pay for the game already, and fans fix up their spaghetti code and they make the game better (and in some cases playable) and...they turn around and do this?
The greed is disgusting!

ack! *sips rum delicatedly*

Actually, they haven't done it already, no need to get knickers in a twist, it's just that I get annoyed not because they don't deserve to make money, but because they want to take away the fans creativity. That just sucks.

They are expecting people to AND spend money on the game, AND spend money on custom content for it. This is allready happening with paysites and stuff packs, they allready know people are foolish enough. They would be utterly stupid not to make money off of this community that just accepts it all. It's easy enough to ignore those who don't.
Unlike second life, where the base software is free, they will make money 2 times over. Maybe three times, if they charge a fee for people being able to upload and sell their creations.
As people are allready used to paying to sites like TSR, EA will make use of these sites because they have well known names and will lure people over more easily. TSR has an x amount of members and EA will want in on them as well. It's what they tried with Sims Online.
They could very easily forbid custom content outside of their little alliance. It's their copyright. And what better way to hush up the critics, if they are no longer able to give the downloader a good alternative?

Hmm, link posted at N99 and you're hoping that intelligent people took the survey?

Not terribly likely. >:(


I didn't like Second Life very much.  But someone will create an alternative to the Sims if EA insists on shooting itself in the foot.  Again.

Ah, DoW, you totally took the words right out of my mouth...
This is insane. Ea has noticed how many people are paying sibs at paysites and are getting antsy for their own to open? Pfft.
Arr it all, I say.

Meh this is really disgusting. EA's new motto is indeed "We want your monnie!!!11!" >:(
I've been arring since securom was used and that 'news' doesn't help their already shitty image. Sims Online remade for Sims 2, yuck. *grumbles*

And the real reason they never made any statement against paysites or took action to shut them down becomes clear to all.....(this is what I have believed would happen eventually since the Stuff Packs were released) I figured it was only a matter of time before EAxis opened their own paysite & charged per download.  >:(

Doesn't matter to me in the least however, EAxis has not gotten a dime from me since BV & SecuROM nor will they ever again.  ;D

I wonder if the only reason they mentioned Pars. was because Maxoid MoonBelly used to upload her creations there.. it's like free fan sites do not exist to EA.  It's the weirdest thing.

I was just saying to my husband the other day that the whole SecuROM thing has ruined Spore for me. Then I commented that I doubt I'll be getting The Sims 3 either. It's too much hassle to prevent them from installing malware on my PC. I'd rather stick to a console games, because when I take out the disc from the drive, I know there's nothing left behind in the console.

That's what I figured. I like Parsimonous fine, but it's a small site when compared to MTS2 or WNF. I answered that I had never heard of Peggy or TSR  :-*

I only hope they leave Sims 2 alone. Hopefully there will be a way to play AL safely, I really do like the looks of that EP. They can continue to fuck up Sims 3 and Spore all they like, squeezing ever more money out of deluded fans.  ::)

After I posted about this at my site, another mod just post that he think that

EA might choose some paysites to register as sister sites and that will make those sites able to legally charge for CC because technically as sister sites, their CC are Maxis's. But in order for those paysites to become legal they need to pay EA part of their income.


it is not likely to happen, but
What will we do if EA really do that happen ?


Ps. I also post a thread about this on EA TH's sim forum named
EA plans on making paysite that charge per item.
http://www.ea.co.th/th-th/community/messageboards/game/sims2/thread/158442/

Or starting up the next MTS for the community. I doubt they'll write the Sims3 EULA in such a way that sharing your own creations for no charge is against it.

Well, I've been reading that EA Games is going to be using SecuROM on all of its game titles, PC and console alike, so if you play them on the Play Station 3, which has a hard drive, you may well be borking that up being as it is a hybrid between a console and a computer from what I understand. These bastards are worse than Pinky and the Brain when it comes to trying to take over things, wouldn't you say? EA Games: You thought Orwell was joking?

Is really EA games behind this survey?

I don't get it, why they mention TSR, Peggy and HolySimoly as FANSITES?? This is a worldwide known game, but
not everyone know about such sites at all, but they do now after reading this survey. I know many younger gamers who don't like english
prefer their own fansites in their own language, and don't look around for paystuff. Btw. many creates their own CC, or other free creators do.

EA games can't cooperate with these paysites anyway, cause of the copyrights.  I can't imagine EA are taking the tools away from
the gamers to open their own online store. Then they had to have a big team with designers,  contracts with Ikea (they already have, and H&M), and
italian companies, american, french whatever.

Not impossible, but a lot of work. Here is what EA games must do to get an online store. They just demand all paysites to shut the f*** down,
and then they open their own online store. And let the free creators keep on like before. That would be a good solution.

Yes, it was linked from the main site. It was definitely an EA survey.


That would make the most sense which probably means they'll do something else.  ::)

Nothing that morally corrupt corporation does can surprise me anymore. If it's discovered that they've been performing lab experiments on lil' orphan babies...not surprising. If we find out that Hitler's disembodied head has been running things all along...well, that explains things. Satanic rituals, slave trading, lizard people from Neptune..well of course, it's EA!

 

Un-freakin'-real.
I was chatting up a PC games seller the other day and he was saying that Sims 2 packs sales are really down. He said "everyone" was mad because 'there is nothing to really add on to the 2 version" and that "everyone is waiting for the Sims 3 to come out because there will be so much stuff to add on to it.

Like programs that bork the computer and payfiles and crap? I explained it to him and he was saying, "Oh no, the Sims 3 will be so cool."

People have no clues.

I agree. Because the minute they try to get everything going through them, the game is going nowhere and noone is going to have the slightest interest in it.

True. But if they were greedy enough to do that it would be interesting to see how far the pay creators get without programs like SimPE, UniMesh plugins etc. I doubt those creators would continue to develop these programs if they will only benefit profit making.

If that was true Inge/Peter/Quaxi wouldn't have developed SimPE this time round.. And the people who've acheived various innovations on MTS2 wouldn't have done it in case a pay site used it.

That's right! Why would someone create/mod something if they know that the EA paysite is eyeballing their site to steal ideas from? And they will be the ones that can LEGALLY THIEVE ideas from fans, turning around and saying that the bare bones of the program is EA-owned, so there can't be a copyright issue.

I just keep wondering, if the corporate site is the only one in competition, are they going to use fans to just join this site and create? use fans for their talent and monetary gain? Are they going to be THAT SCUMMY?

Would it really surprise you if they were? I'm sorry to say that nothing these fucks do any more surprises me. I get angry as hell, indignant as all get out, and sickened at times by their paranoia and greed, but not surprised. *walks off singing softly, Los paranoias, won't you come and join us..." (Thank you, Beatles Anthology)

There is no low that is too low for EA. Nothing they do surprises me anymore, yes I am that fed up with them. I haven't purchased anything from them since BV, and I won't purchase anything else from them either. Since some very kind pirates taught me how to ARR, that is how I am able to continue to keep my game up to date.
I am definitely not buying Sims3. There is nothing about it that even remotely interests me, and with SecuRom, it became a non issue for me.
I have every one of my Sims1 game discs, and have all the discs fro Sims2 up to and including Kitchen and Bath. I find it makes me ill that EA has so little regard for their fan base that this is how they are going to proceed in the future.
I still and always will, firmly believe that TSR and EA fuck buddies.

I actually haven't paid a cent for the Sims 2 or any EP or stuff packs, and I have them all. Thank you, torrents. I wouldn't pay anything for individual CC for EA, either, though I do like the idea of being able to pick and choose what I want. If it happens I suppose I'll just look for torrents of the downloads.

The idea that EA have sunk so low as to think they can cash in on the paysite system makes me furious, though. And more determined not to pay for a single product they produce.

Let's look at this from another perspective: Since they don't listen to their consumers, the consumers have struck back and have decided to not purchase the games and have opted to Arr them. This has made EA desperate for a decent profit margin and have now gone pay content crazy.

Why? Because they don't listen to their customers. If they did, they would be supported. Having said that, I am sure people will still Arr the game, but maybe they would be more open to the idea of paying for CC. It's all relative you see, and they can't go on making arbitary decisions without listening to their customers and producing DECENT GAMES. <--without spagetti code, bugs and SUCKROM. The more you screw people over, the more they screw with you.

Yes, that makes sense. Perhaps more people are boycotting BV and beyond than many of us can even imagine, and this is the way that the bigwigs at EA figure out to save one of their prospective prized cash cows: charge for content. Why, it can't mean that they should get rid of Suckurom. It MUST mean that people are willing to pay per download. Yeah. That's it. (Back slapping all around.)

And people are getting PAID to make assinine decisions like these while in other parts of the world, people who actually have brains and can make real improvements to the game and its sales are laid off from their companies and left to rot. It boggles the imagination.

Using a Steam-like alternative and regulating paysites? Nah. That can't work. Too much effort, and EA surely can't admit that Suckurom was a mistake. That might open them up to more problems. No, the customers must be delusional. Have no fear, EA knows what is good for us.

I also believe that MTS2 and Insim were deliberately left out. I guess that giving any recognition to people who were behind such innovations as the Insimenator and CEP is unthinkable.

I missed the survey, but my answer would have been that the point is moot. Any speck of curiousity I had concerning Sims 3 is now gone. Like others here, I can only hope that they let Sims 2 wander off into a peaceful corner of the world without tampering with it. In the meantime, I guess that if there is any custom Sims 2 content that I haven't downloaded yet because I'm trying to watch my Downloads size, I should burn them on a disk and save them in case I want them in the future. Who knows what EA is going to do?

I don't forsee a Sims 4 in the future, that's for sure. What with SUCKurom and this, at this rate the franchise will be running itself into the toilet by the time the Sims 3 dawdles to a close.

Slowly but surely, EA is chipping away at the quality, integrity, and fanbase of the Sims games. I stopped buying Sims games as soon as BV came bundled with SUCKurom. It's kinda sad b/c I've been with the games from the moment the Sims 1 came out. I was still a kid back then, so I've grown up with the game. It's always sad to see stuff from your childhood fade into oblivion. I'll always have the memories. RIP the Sims...  :'(

Mainly because this would therefore be a torrent site.  At this point in time, EA says non-commercial in their EULA - for using Bodyshop and the game etc.  They make it clear that it should not be for selling purposes, had ample opportunity to change it, and haven't.

If they start selling things it's basically what they are doing now.  We don't give free downloads of Glamour Life Stuff in the booty because EA has a right to sell it - TSR doesn't have a right to use EA's tools and sell their craptacular dresses for $4.95 a month - that's what the EULA gives us.  AFAIK there isn't any pre-order in the booty either - that may be linked to here, but it isn't in the booty.

Which is why most people wouldn't pay for anything they choose to charge for, this would lead more to torrents IMO.  :D I'm sure any stuff they tried to sell would end up on a torrent site right away.  ;)


Brilliant and I couldn't agree more.  :-*

EA likes to ride both sides of the fence. When they see that a paysiter can benefit them, they scoot over a little on that side and backstab the rest of us. When they want to appear like they're listening to their customers, they lean back away from the paysiters to make it look like they support us too. Honestly, I think that EA wants to embrace both sides so that they can keep the free advertising. If they turn their backs on TSR and Peggy, they'll be losing a fanbase. If they turn their backs on the freesiters, they'll be losing a fanbase. I think a lot of people have, in the last year or two especially, turned away from paysites. People have been burned by TSR's uncouth dealings with individuals, Peggy's appearance of greediness, the sharing back and forth of their members' personal info, and basically the lack of quality from several other paysites. What EA doesn't realize is that by embracing more free sites, they would INCREASE their profit because, hey, the economy isn't all that great right now.... But that's beside the point...

EA's seeing dollar signs for whatever reason, and I'm not holding too much hope that things will get better. My opinion of EA just gets worse and worse. I have a suspicion that EA and TSR have been budy-buddy behind the scenes for a long time and will continue that trend. The only way I can see EA take a hurt is if all free sites simply closed with no explanation.

I worried about that very same thing up until I saw Thomass' *music* video not too long ago. After watching him smack a few muses for no apparent reason, I just can't imagine anyone taking him all that seriously. Now, I'm thinking that EA might very well see him as a vain puff-muffin that can be easily manipulated. They'll probably continue to do so until the relationship is no longer advantageous for them.

That is totally true and that's why EA is doomed. The more they try in their way to save their finances, the more they screw people, the more people hate them and ARR their product. Endless loop leading to FAIL.

Snarky, that's exactly what i've been thinking for a long time. EA is using TSR to their interest, waving them in the BBS from time to time "lookie here, fanz! I got itemz for ya!". But as they tried their sims online pay cc implying TSR and failed, they'll try out too with the new upcoming sims 2 (or 3?) pay cc, again using TSR. Because if that wrecks too, who cares for TSR?... Nobody. And surely not EA who only needs a blind donkey to lead it to slaughterhouse.

That's alright.  For every person who asks that, there's surely 10 lurkers who want to know it - but are too afraid to ask :D

MOAR coffee.

I think there are a couple things to take into consideration:

1.) People are effectively sheep. They're very good at it. Most tend to make the right decision once they learn all the facts about something, but rarely do they seek these facts out. They are very content to do whatever until something is shoved into their face on a platter. EA, and corporations in general, know this and they capitalize on it. They purposefully obfuscate vital information in order to get away with whatever crap they want for as long as they possibly can. SecuROM is one example. Anybody in the know realizes that it's total bullshit that punishes legitimate consumers and doesn't do anything to the people they're trying to protect their game from. Of all the people who play games--especially the casual gaming crowd, which is exactly the target audience of the Sims--how many of them are in the know? Ask a ten year old kid or their mom what they think of SecuROM and you'll get blank stares. The vast majority of people who are going to buy Sims games are people who either can't or don't participate actively in fan communities; ignorance of SecuROM and paysites means they have a gigantic flock EA can just suck money out of. EA may lose one fan community by pulling the crap they do, but they can and will be replaced by newcomers and the mindless.

2.) You guys sound really surprised that a corporate entity is doing everything in their power to ostracize their fanbases in the process of making money. That's the business world. The bottom line is god. Shortsightedness rules in this arena; very few organizations can look beyond the immediate profits and recognize the impact of their actions on longterm business. (Just look at the US economy for an example of this.) They will do everything and anything they possibly can to maximize their profit and minimize the effort and energy spent. They will make stupid decisions just to make money. At the very worst, Sims 3 will only make a mediocre profit--note, profit, not loss--and they'll amputate this branch of the Sims name. As it stands, though, the Sims is one of their biggest moneymakers and franchises like that don't just disappear overnight. Saying Sims 3 is going to fail just because they aren't embracing one portion of the fan community is like saying the Final Fantasy XIII is going to crash and burn because the FFXI fans are tired of paying their monthly subscriptions.

I think the best outcome we can expect out of something like this is that EA will fully embrace paysites, but still allow free creators to do their own thing. There's no way they're not going to give their own paysite a shot; it's an opportunity to make some money and they're going to be all over it like a fat lady in a pie factory. There won't be anything we can do about it because it's their own crap that they have a right to sell. But completely preventing any and all content creation outside of this would be a monumentally stupid move (wouldn't doubt they'd do it, but it doesn't stop it from being monumentally stupid) since it not only ostracizes a fan community, but also turns off a casual playerbase (children and students) who get the vast majority of their CC for free but who may also shell out some money if they have the option.

Me? I'll be pirating the whole thing, and I'll be pirating whatever paid items they come out with on principle. You can't spell "EAT ME" without EA.

It's kind of old news at this point since they survey's long gone, but now that my computer's stopped running like a sloth in a coma (I can't believe the problem was my anti-virus software. I'm seriously pissed about that!) I can finally put up those screenshots I took. I'm just going to link to them though, since they're pretty large. (And summarize for those who don't want to bother loading all the images.)

First, I skipped the first several questions since it was all your typical, generic how old are you type crap. The first actually relevant question was #8 (http://my.imageshack.us/v_images.php) which introduced the idea of "The Sims 2 Store" and asked for input. Question #9 (http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/4883/survey02hi3.jpg) was a bit more interesting and asked for reasons why this might not be a good idea. (I think I checked Completely Agree for all of them except the one that says "Items that come with The Sims 2 game are enough for me" because I'm a download junkie.)

Next came a series of questions asking how much I'd be willing to pay for a single item (um, zero, zero, zero... maybe $0.05 - $0.10 if the item was really, really cool). These items were divided into three categories. Category one (http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/4492/survey03ip3.jpg) consists mainly of walls and floors, as well as arches, mirrors, rugs and wall hangings. Category two (http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/3868/survey04nm0.jpg) includes clothing, windows, doors and columns, and a variety of objects from various surfaces and plants to appliances, lighting fixtures and decorative items. Category three (http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/9112/survey05wf1.jpg) includes such things as hair, seating, multi-story doors and windows, party items (bars and such), electronics and exercise equipment.

The next series of questions (http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/8158/survey06etcnr1.jpg) asked, if items from each category cost X amount of money, how many items do I think I would buy in the next six months. There were nine of these questions, three for each category with lower suggested prices each time. I only took one screenshot of these, because at this point the line of questioning was starting to bore me, but now I wish I'd screenied them all or at least written down what the proposed prices were. I know the highest price for category three stuff was well over a dollar.

Next some more boring generic questions: what EPs and SPs I have (http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/7475/survey07ea9.jpg), how I acquired the EPs and SPs I have (http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/9324/survey08ym8.jpg), and why I bought the EPs and SPs I have (http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/9726/survey09lf2.jpg). I was waiting for the 'why do you not have' question, but it never came. To bad. I was really looking forward to telling them exactly why I'm not going to pay $20 for mediocre clothes and objects, or let SecuRom anywhere near my computer.

Then we went back to the TS2 Store idea with questions (http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/1283/survey10fe0.jpg) about purchasing points instead of paying for specific items at the time of purchase, preferred methods of payment, and how I'd feel about only being able to pay by credit card. These questions were followed by a seemingly-random inquiry (http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/7025/survey11no8.jpg) about what online game/virtual/etc. community I've been active in over the past few months, and then the first specific mention of "fansites" like TSR and Peggy (http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/7240/survey12tg7.jpg).

Question #29 (http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/7240/survey12tg7.jpg) (yes, this was a long fracking survey!) was basically a big advertisement for TSR, Peggy and Holy Simoly, with Parsimonious thrown in there presumably so people couldn't complain about all the attention being given to paysites. (I love Parsimonious, but it baffles me a bit that none of the better-known freesites were even mentioned.) The question that followed (http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/4658/survey14tf0.jpg) asked how frequently I visit the sites from the previous list which I admitted to having visited in the past three months.
Note: These two questions are where I finally broke down and lied outright. I have been to TSR in the past three months, but I wasn't about to admit to that. I don't think fug-hunting technically counts anyway.

Then another question (http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/6146/survey15uy0.jpg) about the four strangely singled-out fansites, this time asking how many items I have ever downloaded from each of them. (Okay, first, I have no idea how many items I've downloaded from anywhere in the last month, much less the last few years. Second, as if I'm going to give them the satisfaction of admitting I've ever downloaded a thing from a paysite, even if it was a free item. Third, if Parsimonious starts selling CC through EA, I'm going to be very, very sad. I have no idea if they're planning this, and I'm doing my best not to jump to any conclusions, but seeing them as the lone freesite on that list gives me a bad feeling...)

Next came a few (http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/6589/survey16re1.jpg) more (http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/5808/survey17fc3.jpg) generic questions about my gaming habits, and then one which reminded me a little bit too much of those aptitude tests I had to take in high school (http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/338/survey18jq0.jpg). (The ones that told me I should be either an actor or a librarian when I grew up. I've never considered the two things all that similar, but whatever.) And then the final two, rather invasive questions (http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/4236/survey19qv8.jpg) asking about household income and level of education.

And then the survey was over, and I had to go take a long, hot shower because I felt strangely defiled. Seriously, that survey make me feel really icky.

Thanks for the screenies falln! And to Ruloi for a great rant, one which I 100% agree with. Never was really surprised about what they actually are planning to do, However I was surprised by their stupidity - to actually believe,  count on, AND fucking market research, that I was to go along with it, or that any intelligent pirate WOULD. Do they think we are a dying breed? There is a new pirate born every day for the hell of it. Why? Because the bastards won't LISTEN.

falln_angel, thank you for the screenie :)
Gee i'm glad i haven't made the damn survey, boring and annoying at the same time. Double taste for double failure :o
Stupid question, what's the difference between bars and a nectar bar? (third category pic)

Great rant Ruloi. We're not really surprised of anything EA makes. Most of us knew Maxis before and it was the opposite way of thinking, they listened to their customers, provided great free items every week etc.

BTW if the Sims is indeed a oh so profitable franchise why the hell was Maxis bought by EA? Anyone got links for that? I was in outer-internet space at that time ^^

EA is a gigantic entity that pretty much just consumes and devours. They ate up Maxis in 97, three years before The Sims first hit shelves. Maxis had been doing a bit of genre experimentation--which bombed to all hell--and pretty much erased the profit and success they met with SimCity, which made them take up EA on an acquisition offer.

I guess it would be a seemingly-random inquiry if you weren't aware of what those communities are.  I know that IMVU, Gaia (it's actually Gaia Online), Habbo Hotel (they spelled it wrong), and 2nd Life all have virtual stuff that you buy with real money.

I didn't even take the survey and just looking at those screenies, I feel strangely defiled too.  >:( I'd love for someone to post those over on the BBS and watch the rats come out to defend their beloved EA.  :D

Go ahead and share them if you wanna. The screenshots are all hosted on Imageshack, so they're not costing me anything. I'm not going over there though - I feel dirty enough for one week.

Thanks falln_angel. I felt dirty too after taking the survey, but not in a good way.

(Long-time lurker here.)

Say WTF? EA wants me to pay *them* for content? When I only own three EPs (bought two used, so nyah) and I haven't bought a stuffpack since Glamour Life (which was a waste of $20.) The HELL?

I was broke when BV came out, so I got to sit back and watch the SuckuRom and bugginess drama. After reading it all, I decided I like my computer too much to inflict that on it

I suppose they think the majority of their 'marketshare' are sheep. Which they probably are - and sheep will fall for this. ::) Buying content? From a company that I've shelled out nearly $200 to over the last couple of years? No. *grabs EA and makes 'em walk the plank for being dumbasses*

(N00b done good? :P)

*Passes rum*

Apologies in advance to the ubergeeks I know and love around here.

Ruloi I get a bit annoyed with this "people are inherantly sheep" line.. Do you guys realise that there's been a core of people on the BBS trying to help people with their Securom issues since last September? Do you realise that some of the people who work the hardest and the longest on Simmers Against Securom are people from the BBS? People like Dana who spends many hours of her own time trying to help people remove Securom from their pcs and who have been doing so for the last nine months.

I have a ton of people on my forum who aren't geeks, who don't know how to fix software or hardware but once you explain it to them in something other than indecipherable jargon, they're horrified and very angry at EA. I wish people would stop making assumptions about the mass of Simmers. It's way poor and it gets in the way of dealing with EA effectively..

I don't think they ever took him seriously, but again, he's a money-making puff-muffin. So until that cash cow runs out, we all know both sites are going to keep milking that implied relationship for all it's worth.

Ruloi can apparently rile people with not even a hint of what people are reading being in there.  :D


Notice: Ruloi does not mention the BBS - this has been conflated in your mind with the BBS, but Ruloi doesn't mention the BBS at all - ?she? is talking about people in general, rather than a specific demographic.  

Even when she mentions Simmers, she talks about people getting information and then being outraged about the whole thing.


Srsly - you're reading stuff that isn't being said.

Thanks once more, calalily. I am totally awesome at inadvertently pissing people off. I consider it a gift and a curse.

I never once mentioned the BBS. Don't go to the BBS, don't know anything about the BBS. I'm sure there are lots of great people there. I don't know them. Prior to your post, I'd never even heard of it. That's my point: there are people who play Sims who don't do the whole internet community thing. I would put money on this being a majority of the players--casual gamers who pop in the Sims, play a bit, scour a bit for some CC, and that's the extent of it. Internet communities are where people get their information on the game, and without that resource, people...don't get information on the game. It's not willful ignorance. People just assume that a game is a game and that there's not going to be huge drama flaring up behind the scenes. I was surprised as hell to learn of it myself and I'm not a stranger to fan communities and the game industry itself. The Sims is sort of a happy, wholesome game and no one's going to expect that EA is piggy-backing eerily 1984-esque software along with it.

Re: SecuROM--I don't know a single person who knows about it and says "YES PLZ VIOLATE MY PRIVACY AND BREAK MY COMPUTER." The problem comes in when people don't know about it. And a lot of people don't. Like I said above, if you're not active in the community, you're not going to hear about this stuff. I'd heard whispers that evil had a name and its name was SecuROM, but I didn't really know about it until the shit really hit the fan over Spore, where it was discovered that they were going to be forcibly installing malware on your computer that phones home every couple of days and locks down your game if it can't. I had no idea that BV was packaged with SecuROM or that it was causing such problems. I've actually got a game on my computer (NWN2) that came with SecuROM and I had no idea. I consider myself a relatively hardcore gamer and pride myself for being fairly up to date, and I'm much better informed than any given casual gamer; there are thousands and thousands of people out there right now who are sitting ducks.

I wasn't saying "people are sheep" like it's a bad thing, it's just the nature of people. We tend to trust that if there's something bad going down, someone will tell us. Companies like EA know this and therefore do everything they can to fuck us under the radar. That's all I'm saying.

Tis certainly a curse - 9 posts and 2 misinterpretations.  :D

Perhaps I should now argue with you over your opinion on necklacing, so inherently unmentioned in your post.  :D

I'd better not post my opinions on necklacing. They would enrage you, this board, at least fourteen different organizations of angry mothers, and the entire Catholic church. I would be exiled.

You watch what you're saying about the Catholic church!! >:(


(  ;) )

It's what Ruloi said about Anglicans that's got me riled!  :P

Ruloi

Apologies for my crabbiness.. I've just seen other posts that use the word mass of simmers=sheep=bbs in one fell swoop and I read your post and went "oh, not another one".. It does make me weary to a degree because we've managed to successfully engage/have a dialog with a large number of Simmers on the BBS within a month. This doesn't mean they absolutely won't go out and buy another EP, but at least they're aware of the risks. (I usually try to encourage them to at least WAIT)

The trouble up until now has been that most people haven't understood what the heck people are talking about when they talk about Securom, and considering I work in a Helpdesk and it's taken me a month to start to understand this properly, it's not hard to see why. If you've got a mum and she sits down for half an hour a day to play her game and has fifteen minutes to check the BBS when her game is malfunctioning, she's not going to have limitless patience. This is why every single article on the site is no more than a foolscap page and a half long. I get crabby because I think if someone had bothered to explain it to people in terms they understand, we could have been further down the road by now. Like someone could have gotten a Class Action together and scared the hell out of EA. (it's possible)

I'm off on holidays tomorrow morning (Supanova in Sydney) so I shouldn't be biting anyone by the time I get back.

Kath

Speaking of selling individual downloads, it looks like EA aren't stopping there.

I had the pleasure of receiving an email from EA this afternoon about Spore, advertising its Creature Creator. And they want £5 for it. Or at least for a version that actually does something.

Yep - Ignore the fact that the full bloody game will include the Creature Creator anyway - let's charge the muppets... Erm, sorry, "customers" for individual components too.

It would be a bit like selling Body Shop for a fiver and then discovering that it isn't compatible with the final version of TS2.

Next thing you know, they'll be charging for game demos too.

Be careful, demos will have SecuRom on them too. A lot of people will get caught with that.

PAY??!?!!

(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)(http://nekonoai.mine.nu/emote/lmfao.gif)

This is why mine will be ARRed. Unfortunately. I've had a lot of fun playing with the leaked 25% demo and would give them $5 for the creator. But I won't pay for SecuROM.

UKnortherner used the pound sign so that would actually be a little under $10 ($9.77) for us Americans. :/

 :o

omg lyk ya i am so tttlly goin 2 buy dat creatur ting 4 Sporez n im also gunna by teh dwnldz 4 my simz cauz i lubz EA <3<3<3

I can't believe EA thinks we're that stupid ::)

One reason why I haven't yet downloaded the cut-down Creature Creator. It's probably infested with that crap.


Yep. Although it'll probably be something like $7.50 + tax, which means you'll get a slightly better deal than we do in rip-off Britain.

There's taking the piss and then there's EA. Who else would charge separately for components that will end up being packaged with the final game anyway? Unless that's the whole point. Any and all future modding tools supplied by EA for Spore and The Sims 3 will have their own price tag attached.

Spore creator does contain Securom v7.36.  I think even the demo has it.  I can link later, haz to watch telebision w/Hub right now.  :)

Which means I won't be downloading it. I don't even know if Spore would work on my PC and I was going to try out the demo to see if it did. But if it comes with SecuROM, then EA can forget it.

Do they honestly think that pirates are going to illegally download a friggin' demo?

In fact it's rather rare but it already happened several times for different reasons (demo of long-awaited game still not released and extremely delayed, or undownloadable demo if you're banned from the only site uploading it, or the only site where you could get the demo is constantly down 'cause everybody wants that friggin' demo etc)

Securom?! Around 10 bucks?! This is getting nastier every day. Fuck EA >:(

I've noticed that about American VS British pricing for the same thing.  It's pretty fucked up.


My theory is when people complain about Securom when Spore comes out EA will go, "Well, whoever has downloaded the demo and played such and such games, you already have it and didn't bitch back then!"

Their rationale in including SecuRom is that pirates would get a head start on cracking the game. Actually, by including the SecuRom, they give the pirates a head start on cracking that.  ::)

EA is so effing stupid!

Yes, the Spore demo contains Securom according to this poster at the BBS: here (http://bbs.thesims2.ea.com/community/bbs/messages.php?&openItemID=item.21,root.1,item.61,item.104,item.41,item.127,item.23&threadID=363f16a2b1d196d7ee82ffcaf77ed3af&directoryID=21&startRow=1#e71a3716ef7e85c43c556e61fb6f95ee). 

Bioshock demo also contained Securom.

It's a shame that now demos are going to be arrred on a regular basis because of securom. Frankly this is beyond any logic: why embedding securom in a demo since it's not a complete product?! There's not even a thing to protect in a demo, damnit! EA needs to wake up, quickly. Snap it out, you badly-trained monkeys working at EA: Buyers aren't stealers, demo downloaders neither, why punish them by jeopardizing their PC?! Don't you realize that all the medias are LOLing at you and that your customers base is quickly melting like an icecream under the sun?!
Sheesh.

I was always worried about the sims 3.  The write ups always intimated that user created CC was out.  I find the sims2 base games hard going in the way of playability sometimes it is so tedious and repetitive. I don't download everything but I reckon 2/3 of my time on the sims is spent looking through pages and pages of fantastic, beautiful creations. People sharing just because they want to, the free community has brought out a peice of humanity that we thought no longer existed. They have patched games soothing players anger at EA.  And now Ea wants to bite them in the ass.  They want to make sure the fans of these sites and people on them don't bite back.  If it weren't for custom content (free)  I would have given up at the sims 2 I already refuse to have Pets on my computer.  I refuse to have their glitchy patches on my pc I would rather put up with my sims shouting and stomping at pc chairs and walking round where the tip jar used to be. So no way would I pay for letting them have one more shot at screwing my pc.  In short having freesite CC gave EA an extra £100 in expansion pack money from me.

Yay Justso! 'ave some rum! (btw I agree)

I just don't see the economic sense that EA seem to work from. It smells strongly of bananas and excrement.

don't mind if I do deelink mmmmmmm rum.  May soothe the next rant coming on as I type.  The one about apartment life stuff looking extrememly similar to stuff on mts2. lol

Mmm that is not a surprise, justso. They already did it for all their EPs. The only 'new' things i saw in Apartments are the closet-bed (or whatever it's called), the dump chute and the shared lot mailbox. ALL the rest is taken from CC. ::)

lol I know they own the copyright but wouldn't it be nice if they linked back to the original creator and the mesh. Apparently there is going to be a cheat code so already existing property can be apartmentised so I suggested they release the cheat code and let us download the rest of the Ep at mts2 lol.

I think EA is blissfully unaware of the fact that they are not programming Gods and that any decent hacker can get in and hack just about anything. My dad's not even a "real" hacker--he's a computer programmer--but he could probably crack that shit in a couple of days. Any kind of "OMG WE'RE COPYRIGHTING THIS!" measure usually ends up just being obnoxious.

Why the fuck would they put SecuRom on something that's free like a demo? God, EA is more paranoid than North Korea.  ::)

To stop those who will seek to hack the game later from understanding the code now.

OK, let me get this straight.

EA made a survey to see which free download sites' you use? Either they are just going to buy them out or be royal douchebags to us.

Or they area trying to see what Sims we want instead of their shitty in-game made Sims.

True. And in fact that is exactly what Sony DADC recommends: putting the same version of SecuROM on the demo as on the actual game. Now, on the other hand you could obviously argue that it gives those seeking to crack it a lovely little headstart for practising before the actual game comes out.

As for myself: Yeah, I totally wanna pay £7 for SecuROM. I sadly lost mine when I last removed it. It is being dearly missed in my household.

Fuck you, EA!

Who DOESN'T want to rape their hard drive IMMEDIATELY, with low low low prices like that?!

Why wait for people to actually BUY the game before borking their computer?

jesus, EA posts a survey and immediately this topic goes up crazy raging about how much they hate EA and how stupid they are and how they shot themselves in the foot and how you not even gonna bother to play the sims 3 because their gonna sell individual content.

guys, they never said they were gonna do any of those things!
their just asked some questions.

over reacting much?

If you prepare for the worst, it feels 10x better when the worst doesn't happen. Generally speaking, though, EA has a pretty crappy track record.

I've been playing the sims since it came out.  When I saw the Sims 2, I HATED it.  It took me awhile and some "practice" and now I love it.  I am certain I will get Sims 3 (SecRom has not affected me..yet).  It also looks like we can make a lot of our own stuff in Sims 3 (i.e.blue and red is your favorite colour - then you can change the furniture yourself).

As far as the survey goes, I am not surprised.  EA would respond in emails that paysites were illegal, but made no effort to shut them down.  Why?  Because custom content keeps this game going.  I am wondering if EA is going to "partner" with a lot of paysites.  Once EA puts its mark on TSR, the argument that TSR is operating illegally goes out the window (still run by jerks, but legally run by jerks).  Or maybe they will buy content off of certain sites and put it on an EA paysite?  This would be a logical way to keep Sims 2 alive (and add another profit to EA) while the Sims 3 takes root.  I am not saying I agree, but from a "lets get all the dollars we can from the sims community" it makes sense.

Its not paranoia or an overreation....its just a thought.

 

Considering the quality of their products, SecuROM and EA's general laissez-faire attitude concerning product support and consumer relations; I don't feel that assuming EA will do the wrong thing is overreacting.  Quite frankly, they deserve every bit of the bad-mouthing and bad word-of-mouth they're getting.

That being said, it is completely true that they've not announced any plans to charge for downloads.  But, they didn't announce they were changing over to SecuROM either.

Actually, one of their previous surveys was about superstar and makin magic things - which ones you liked and which ones you didn't.  Not to mention the section on apartment life.  They often do market research and then do it.

For example, a survey a while ago asked about stuff we're now seeing/seen published - highlighted in bold:

 

That survey also mentioned Ikea - as in the Ikea Stuff Pack as of the time of the survey, more than a year away. I don't think that it's unreasonable based on their surveys they might actually think about doing this, in which case, outrage and reaction deserved.

Just an update guys - their horrid paysite is up and running now with a few dozen items, of which many are exclusive.

http://thesims2store.ea.com/index.html

5 dollars for 500 sim points, 10.00 for 1000 and 20.00 for 2000 sim points. Basically, it is a dollar per 100 sim points. No discount for buying in large blocks.   So if a chair is 100 points and a sofa is 100 points, you are spending 1.00 a piece.  So far their offers don't look any better than many things made by fans, including me.  Hair is also 1oo sims points. 

ETA:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42099250@N00/2625142344/sizes/o/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42099250@N00/2625142344/sizes/o/)

right.  AND.  you have to have the EA Download manager.
that goddamn thing is the devil.  it's the same thing that makes it so securom can auto upgrade in your system. 

ETA:  I registered, minus that whole give them money part... and the 6 totally exclusive items that I get for that? 

1 is a painting from nightlife.  1 is that curly ponytail thing from OFB.  1 is the power mirror from Family Fun Stuff, 1 is a vase from celebration, 1 is a fairly heinous looking dress in green and yellow with a silver belt thing and elbow high gloves (sims2 store exclusive) and a recliner lounge chair. is so so looking (sims2 store exclusive.)

ok.  let me see if i get this straight.  they're going to release the things from stuff packs and ep's as single items so you can download them.   so if i wanted the princess stuff from FFS I can totally download it instead of buying the SP.  but if want the whole set, won't that be more expensive at a dollar an item? 

Wow, is that what a Sim Point equates to? The Sims 2 Store must be more of a rip-off than SPs if £10 ($20) is worth roughly 20 items. That's not including Build Mode stuff. Of course, there is much better free content out there than their 6 free items. I hope this is a disaster waiting to happen.

Apparently not.

No kidding.  I just modified my last post to include a screen shot.

Some of the comments made by some people on the BBS worry me (as usual)


Er... it is a paysite? ::)

i looked around some more.  not everything is 100 points.  some stuff is 75.   ::)  but it's all  stuff released with EP's.  all the "exclusive" stuff is a dollar a download basically.  And really, I'm spoiled and would not pay to download a hair that i only have one thumbnail picture of, in one angle.  ever.

I feel the same way. Even with free fan-created items, I tend to be happier if I have a number of preview pictures to help me make the decision whether or not to download.

You know, I have a barbed-wire wrapped fence post they can shove up their asses. Thing is, I dunno if I wanna charge for it or not, but I feel like being generous and only hitting them up for the cost of the labour that I will have to expend to get it up there! ASSHOLES!

It's as bad as I thought it was going to be.  In the hair section alone, it would be $41 plus tax to get everything.

EA:  Taking every penny you have.

As sick and pitiful as this is, I wonder how this will affect The Pirates/Booty?  Will there be a new EA section?  Or, since we really can't say they are infringing on copyright, are they exempt from the booty even though they now have a new and shiny paysite? Is it a catch 22?  Will we treat EA like Peggy, TSR and the other leeches by registering, pilfering and adding to the booty?

How does it work when the very EULA we use to beat paysites over the head with is authored by a company who has it's own paysite?  I mean, technically, it's their stuff and they have the right to sell it.  Catch 22 right?

My brain hurts.

Clear cut. We can't touch the fuckers cause they aren't breaking any copyrights or anything. They have the license to sell their shit, but the others don't. We go after the ones that are operating illegally and sadly, EA isnt. Despite the SecuROM and all of that other shit they fuck us over with, it's not illegal for them to hack apart EP's and SP's and sell it all separately and make even more money. I wonder if the franchise is starting to moo, because those lousy fucks are milking it for all they're worth. Does that help?

That definitely helps.  Thanks for breaking that down.  What I don't get is... the Sims franchise has been around for ages.. If they're going to go this route, why recycle shit that 90% of us already have via EPs & SPs?  An SP is what? $19.99?  So if my math is correct.. you break about even if you were to just go out and get the damn SP as opposed to downloaded shit from this *store*.

Some higher up at EA has been playing naked under the sheets with Thomas for quite some time now.. which is why i'm not too terribly surprised that EA now has it's own version of "Kudos".

*spit*

Although PMBD itself can't pirate EA's items for all the reasons Paden lines out, I have little doubt that some enterprising groups or individuals will take it upon themselves to do so. And at this point, who can blame them?

One person on the BBS calculated that it would cost $484.00 to get everything on the simstore.  Nice.

Yeah. That was me (I'm sims2madaddict). So far it costs nearly £600 ($1199.75) for everything on there apart from hair. I'll calculate that later and foot the final checkout bill later. I can't be that far off if only 6 items are free, which is around $6 at most.

Edit: OK, I accounted the hair which costs 12300 Sim Points ($123) altogether. The grand total is 132275 Sim Points, which is $1322.75 for EVERYTHING on there.

I suppose EA is trying to defend this latest move by saying that players can download just a few items here and there, and can ultimately pay considerably less than they otherwise would if they were to pay for all the stuff packs. As I've heard many people complain that they have to spend $20 for an SP even though they only want a couple of the items, this probably makes sense for some people. They might even entice a greater quantity of customers to purchase this way, and they will undoubtedly make up for any prophet losses as a result of these new buyers. As for the players who like to have all the official content, well, I guess they're just expected to cough up nearly $500 over $1300 and be happy about it.

If they must go down this route, I hope they still release these items in stuff packs for those people who want all the items, and release them on a pay-per-item basis for those who do not.

Personally I can't wait until someone cracks this and distributes the downloads freely. I will definetly be partaking in that. They have enough of my money. Fuck EA and their bull.

One thing I will say that I partook in was the free vehicle downloads... like the Ford Edge, etc.  I hope that they at least continue to do that as opposed to making them ONLY availiable at the 'store' for points...

Well, I have to break out of lurk mode for this one.  Wow. 

It's a marketing tactic--it looks like you're spending less when you're only spending a buck at a time as opposed to shelling out the whole twenty bucks at one time.  Of course, if you actually calculate it it isn't at all, but most of the people EA is counting on buying this stuff aren't acute enough to do that.  ::)  The bottom line is that, if you haven't bought EPs/SPs yet, you probably won't, and this is the way EA can squeeze more money out of you if you aren't willing to pay the price the first time around.

I'll ditto chemistrycourtney and say that, even if I were willing to pay for EAxis shit, I wouldn't buy anything with the crappy pictures they have up now.  But then again, it's not me that they're trying to win over, it's the people that'll buy anything.  ::)

What pisses me off to no end is that people like Thomass and Peggy (and now EA) are taking advantage of Sims players that are too short-sighted to realize that there's much better content out there.  Sigh.  I know it's typical of big corporations like EA, but it still pisses me off.  It's just such a respectful way to treat your paying customers. ::)

I also have no doubt that, does EA release anything decent, it'll make its way around even though it can't be in the booty.  That's the sad thing--EA is turning its customers against it in its attempt to make a quick buck.  Sorry for the rant (and the eye rollage), but I'm not feeling very sympathetic toward EA now. >:(

Ha, yeah.  Pretty much.

No need to feel sorry, Souvenirs. I think you'll find that your feelings are shared by a large part of the simming community.

In theory, this idea might have been nice. Rather than buy a stuff pack that has, perhaps, five things you really want and tons of shit you don't, you can pick and choose which items you want and make your own stuff pack.

I can almost even see making it slightly more expensive than a stuff pack. It would be rather like store specials that advertise "3 for 5 dollars, or $2.00 each." The total would be a little higher than you'd pay if you got three items, but if you want only one, in the short term, it will be better for you to get just one thing at a sale price if the regular price is still higher.

But the totals quoted here are not slightly more expensive. They are much more expensive. And if the item borks up when you use it, what is the refund or exchange policy? If I bought a stuff pack in Target, and the thing is messed up, I could get an exact exchange with a receipt. Here? It appears I might be just SOL.

Too bad. Had the price been much lower, I might have actually considered getting a few of the items. But not at these prices. I don't want them THAT much. And absolutely not with some sort of special downloader thingie that is probably loaded with something I don't want on my machine. I'd be better off buying a used copy of Celebration and just putting up with the stuff I don't want. At least I won't get nasties on my computer.

It seems that my money would be much better spent if I just gave a great free site the cash and download freely from that site instead, knowing that I am helping a talented creator. Thanks for reminding me, EA.

And, oh look! It appears that the hairstyles only have one age group, too! Aaaand some of them are just recolors of the existing meshes! Do you get a discount on those items? Of course not. That's right: the same hairstyles that nobody wants to use because they are crappy now have a different color flower pasted to the side, or a brand new shiny beanie plopped on top. GIVE US YUR MONEEZ NAO PLZ.

Fucking charming.

I'm not too bright with regards modding stuff etc, but isn't this going to hugely affect the free download side of things.

What I mean is, if a creator happens to buy an item off the site, then makes an object from that base, everyone else is going to need that object to get the created object, yes?  ???

I hadn't even thought of that, but I believe that's how it would work. That just means that creators are going to have to clone their objects off of items in the base game or, barring that, the expansion packs, just to be safe.

This is so fucked up.

Oh, for the love of pete. Infinite sims is reporting (http://www.infinitesims.com/news/157-news/1108-ea-announces-sim-store.html) that installation of the download manager downloads the latest patch, which in turn adds the latest Securom.

I had kind of considered it, until I read that.

WTF??? I suppose there are people stupid enough to do that, but those prices are far beyond even the greediest paysites. Their stupidity and vileness knows no bounds I guess.

ETA: Yes indeed! Their downloader installs SecuRom! Fuck EA!

So I became curious about these "SIX FREE ITEMS!!!!" considering the fact that I see a lot of shit that I already own (via stuff packs and EPs) and sure enough, I already own 4 out of 6 of the free items offered to me, and the two that I don't own are fucking hideous. /golfclap EA

Also, when I went to register, I discovered that EA is as family-friendly as TSR:

(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/mheyin/familyfriendly.jpg)

I wonder how Will Wright is feeling right now.. seeing his "child" slain/flogged/beaten half to death by EA..  :'(

I have this weird feeling that EA will be updating the store for ½-1 year and then shut it down again due to low sales and blame the pirates on that as well - either that or the store will manage to keep EA's boat afloat until Sims 3 take over the market.

*sigh* I need moar rum if I'm going to keep my hopes about a decent EA Games up..

Wow...that EA store has some pretty ugly shit for sale.

NOOO!! I wanted Dashikis for my sims so bad... DAMN YOU EA!!! >:(

*waits for someone to distribute downloads free*

They're prostituting his "child", that's the sum of it. I just told my little sister (who is real-twelve) about this, and she looked at me and said "Doesn't EA realize they're going to lose customers? They need some new businesspeople." Way to go, EA, a twelve-year-old can make more logical decisions than you.

lol Maybe they thought it was ok since it's a euphemism, or maybe someone is trying to pull a Disney's The Litte Mermaid penis on the castle thing.  :D (although there are better words that would give that affect)

do you have university?

Maybe I should thank EA.

I resisted arrr-ing for the longest time, thinking that it wasn't right to download an entire EP or Stuff Pack. But if I want only one or two items from a Stuff Pack that is in the store, arr-ing might be my best option. Getting $2 worth of Suckurom-infested crap just doesn't seem to be worth being "good". It just isn't. I know that certain moral-minded citizens might scold me. But there just doesn't seem to be any point. I could download just the two items, scan them to bits to check for viral or spyware naughtiness, and stick them in my game.

It is awfully tempting ...

I cynically assumed that was the entire purpose of the whole thing.  :(

Jeez, EA's just wrecking what good the sims had.

Although Securom hasnt done anything to my computer, just hearing about how majorly borked it is, and how they dont seem to care about its borking capabilities was almost tooo much.

This has to be the stupidest thing theyve ever done. I looked at the links to the hair downloads, and its almost all stuff that comes with the EPs, and the rest of it is just really ugly stuff that more than likley has a much better looking counterpart at XMsims or MTS2.

 :o

I think it may be.  I did mention that a few pages back.  I have the EADM cause i'm one of the less smart people with digital downloads.  that stays connected to your internet.  You, in theory, cannot play your game unless signed in.  It will autoupgrade itself without permission, and autoupgrade securom.

I don't have any problems with the store, except that the previews are increadibly stupid, and paying one dollar for each item (especially hair with only ONE FRIGGIN age-group) is an enormous rip-off. If you buy this, it's your own damn fault. But, it's their content so they can do whatever they want with it. Even make an epic phail of the century.

I don't mind it as an idea for people who like maybe one or two things in a stuff pack and don't want to shell out for the rest.

However, the "exclusives" thing nauseates me. Other than the software for my career and my other hobby (making portraits and cat macros), I have no other software on my computer. It is my only computer, my personal computer and it's old. Occasionally I'll get an EP or an SP as a gift but for the rest, I have to save. Some of the new things are really nice, but they are waaay too pricey for one item. The exclusives should be free.

Well, everything should be free. Not the games obviously, but the content. I buy the games because I love them and because the more EPs/SPs I have, the more (free!) custom content my computer will be compatible with. My sims never go to Uni or on vacation but I got those packs because I like the items and their ability to expand gameplay.

If there is a possibility of all (not some, ALL) of the exclusives being available in a future stuff pack with a REASONABLE price for a REASONABLE amount of stuff, I'll save my money. Otherwise I know where I'm going to get my downloads.

HAIL NOUK!

It's been said, but out of the six free items, TWO are new. One from NL, Celebration, Family Fun, and OFB.
So, two ugly items, and pay a buck (At least) for everything else?

It's a pointless waste of money dollars. AND, to buy a whole SP on the site would cost more than going out and buying it in a store.
Not. For. Me.

whats so funny about all thats going on, we feed these money hungry corporations with idea's.

they say shit why did we not think of this, we can sell individual items or they can buy the complete set.

you see all the people that even get there and take donations just for there bandwidth, well even thats a selling point.

so if the community decided all was free and no charge on anything, things might of stayed the same.

thats what i call food for thought.

but ill say this, i will never buy stuff packs ever again, only the expansion packs from now on.

All i can say that mts2 has opened all our eyes!

Regardless of who's owns the artwork, or who slaved for over 2 weeks to give us this fine dress or hair recolor.  Once its packaged to use on the sims 2 then i think all rights have gone out the door.

Royalties come to mind.  Very touchy subject, just my thoughts!

They could offer it for .01 apiece and as long as securom comes with the download, it isn't worth it.  That is the most invasive and ridiculous thing I have ever heard. 

It comes with the download manager needed to get the items.  I wasn't clear.

Changed my mind, I do have a problem with the site. Selling exclusive downloads for 1 dollar a pop is disgusting for the following reasons:
- They will not release them in a stuff pack, ever, so they can make 45 exclusive hairs, and you will pay 45 dollars for just some hairs.  Compare this to what they normally have to do to get the same amount of money. New interactions, new animations, new additions, new coding, new gameplay, hundreds of new meshes of all kinds, etc etc etc. Instead of spending months creating an EP, they can make just 45 items and get the same damn amount of money. Process cost is next to nothing compared to an EP, and that's exactly what you get: next to nothing.
- They will not fix the millions of bugs in the game we pay for, but instead make us pay for other content a piece without having to add anything substantial to the gameplay(!)

Now if someone would be kind enough to shove this in this BBS-EApaysitepromoting-robot's face (the one that pretends to listen for complaints but actually ignores most of them).

I just downloaded a bunch of stuff from the site Tridently posted and all I have to say is ick.  I don't have all the EPs and have none of the SPs, so I'm not sure what came with what, but I'd feel pretty screwed over if I'd actually paid for this stuff, especially a lot of the hair.  This in particular has to be one of the worst hair meshes I've ever seen:
(http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/6025/omgforeheadhairsg4.jpg)
It's just so...stiff and clumpy looking or something, and it gives any sim you stick it on an elongated forehead (one of my biggest pet peeves).  Definitely DO NOT WANT.

I also love that they're selling these two separately, despite the fact that they're both exactly the same except that one has a crown and some bangs tacked on (and the bangs aren't even the same color as the rest of the hair ???):
(http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/378/twoinonezp2.jpg)

The rest are mixed, some icky and some fairly nice, but I don't think there's one I haven't seen done better for free.  Too bad so many people don't realize that. :-\

Souvenirs, a lot of Maxis's hairs in EPs & SPs also have fivehead so I am not surprise about that.



By the way, some clothes are too weird to wear like the Cleopatra Dresses, World Fashion Dresses, and French Foreign Legion Uniform.

But it is too bad that I also like some of the new meshes like Backless Sheaths with Feathered Neck & Modern Mayan Dresses.


Everyone please slap me now, I should not like any of them  :-\.

*lifts a heavy paw and SLAP!* You told me to...  :D

Nothing wrong with the mesh, i am sure some talent out there could turn it into a Pecaso :o

yet again, now i have all this custom content  :-X

ill test the lot, one at a time!  8)

ill create A Sim and experiment now, and give my feed back on what i use and how it presents itself in the game!  :P

only because i am so bored  ;D

Downloads a free  :) house from mts2 called "--The Rose Garden(no cc)--"  :D for my Sim  ;)

since i am a guy ill make a lady Sim to play with  ;D

better correct my spelling ;)

Squid, was that a pun-like cross of Picasso and Pescado, or a typo? ;)

From what I've seen so far, I'm not incredibly impressed by these pay-per-download items, but I'd still like to get a little more info. Most of the hairs in particular are bland and uninteresting, and quite frankly I don't want a hot pink recolor of the gorilla head, either. Still, I'd love to see more screenshots of the items, if you have time (and are sufficiently bored), so thanks for offering to do the potentially dirty work. :)

And Souvenirs, I actually don't find that curly mesh too horrific. Kind of five-headed with a rather unnaturally wide part, but other than that it seems...okay, anyway. Not great, but not exactly vomit-worthy, either. The updo's, on the other hand...well, the one with the crown is particularly fugly. And as you pointed out, they are exactly the same product with a couple of shoddily executed alterations, but EA apparently feels justified in charging the same outrageous price for each of them. Absolutely appalling.

no typo inpunded there, lights a cigarette  ;D oh 2 S's  :P has plenty of time at this moment  :o

these will be the files i will be using in my downloads folder  ;)

http://i31.tinypic.com/2wobn1u.jpg

goes off to make a Sim in Body Shop, gee that took some loading!

just been to the ea store considering you have to pay per download eeech ran straight over to mts2 to browse the good stuff just to rid the images from mind. It is only for american and canadian at the moment.  I tried to find faqs but couldn't so went to register to find out what 50 ea points were worth ( crappy chair) but you have to register before you can get to the next bit about buying sim points.  So they aren't making it easy to suss out.

Edit any one feel like me or am I just a whinge.  I am totally sick of Ea they are surrounded by so much drama with their downloads, sp, three eps straight off the cuff, securerom, I really can't be bothered anymore. When I first bought the sims 2 I thought this is brilliant but it is really getting on my nerves.  I love the idea of apartments etc but I am not a millionaire and can't afford to let them screw over my pc.  What happened to the days when you liked a game bought it put it on pc and played it no worries.  Now the paysites even if I wanted to buy individual downloads I now have to worry about if I did what else would they be sending me in the package that I don't know about.  Its so stupid turning your customers into paranoid wrecks.  If you think I am just a whinge feel free to not say so lol.

Perhaps this song (http://paysites.mustbedestroyed.org/youareapirate.mp3) will put your mind at ease? Or maybe this one (http://paysites.mustbedestroyed.org/potc.wma)? A lifestyle change may be in order.

omg. Don't you just know your in for a spanking like the naughty twelve year old you are when Pescado posts after you.  oops sorry

There are two links for each section. Do I click both or is one just a backup link in case the first is made of fail?

They are just backup links.

Ugh. This whole debacle makes me so mad.  At this point I honestly hope someone will infect the site with a virus or launch a DOS attack on it or something. Give those little sheepie stupid enough to patronize it a wakeup call.

Taking one hair, making a tiny alteration & attempting to sell it as a brand new item afterwards is so Peggy-ish :D Obviously EA learned their paysite lessons from the biggest rip-offs of this community.

And the worst part of it is, despite the fact that EA has been been displaying an ever increasing disregard for the customer along with those shiny new money-suits they've been sporting, I still feel a little bit shocked and betrayed. Not a lot, as I feel this sort of thing has been a long time coming, but at least a little. I mean, EA has the right to do whatever they desire with their files (as opposed to paysites). However, they're becoming less and less friendly to the average player as time goes on. If this is how they choose to treat their paying customers and their loyal fanbase, then I haven't even the slightest reservation regarding the rapidly expanding group of players who arr their stuff. They're getting what they deserve, at this point.

Normally, I'd be arring all of this stuff right now just to make a point, to myself if nobody else. But quite frankly, from what I've seen, none of it looks nice enough to go through the trouble.

 I can not believe that someone already bought 90% of the 'exclusive' items.
http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/story_detail.php?asset_id=227931

She must spend a lot on that.

Not to mention the previews are so small you can't even see what you're buying.. ???

Trust me, there's a reason for that. I've had the chance to check out a bunch of the hairstyles in-game, and overall they are pretty bad. Classically "Maxis Bad," which shouldn't be surprising. You'd think that they'd eventually stop making hairstyles that look intensely pixelated or helmet-like, but I guess that's just wishful thinking.

I defended the curly haired style in an earlier post, saying it didn't look too bad to me. I'd like to rescind that comment. It's awful.

So far, I've found two of the female hairstyles to be okay: the ones with the upswept bangs and barrettes are decent looking and seem to be pretty well-animated (particularly the wavier, fuller one), but they still have pixelated, unnatural textures and are far from great. If I saw them on a freesite, I would pass them by without a second thought because the quality isn't even close to some of the free hairs out there (Nouk, anyone?). The rest of the styles run the gamut from pretty crappy to utter garbage.

I'll try to post some pics soon.

Edited, because I just saw the link, to add my thoughts on this:


Ew. Ew ew ew. I saw maybe one thing in that entire slideshow that was even useable. Perhaps some of the clothing meshes could be put to good use but a talented creator, but other than that, I see very little of legitimate value. Almost all of the clothes are complete fug as they are now, and the furniture and decor items are particularly appalling. Who the hell would want that crap in their house, even if it is just in The Sims?

I'm becoming increasingly anti-EAxis.   I used to be such a die-hard fan, but they've lost my business for good.
At best, I would have expected some tolerable downloads from their official paysite.....blech. 

They picked an awesome time to launch their stupid site anyway.... the way the economy is, and the way they've already pissed off their customers with the whole Securom thing.  Even if I was still a sheep, I don't think I'd be rushing over to register and blow money on that crap.   Then again, the fine folks over at the BBS seem to like crap judging from the threads I'm seeing "zomg the download manager won't install on mah PC...halp!!!1!"

 ::)

Blergh. Just went through her album. The new EAxis stuff: DO. NOT. WANT!!!
No wonder the preview pics are so small. ::)


Ditto.

I'm not impressed. I even spent some time changing numbers in SimPe to get the objects to show up in my game. The shit isn't that great. I don't like any of the hair, yuck, they really need to make better hair.

However, I am real proud of myself. SimPe usually scares the crap out of me. I've actually learned how to use it for more than checking poly counts of items.

A lot of the furniture looks floodfilled.  And ugly.  It looks like they were trying to be retro, but most of it is badly done and just, well...ugly. :-\ 

Why in the world did that woman go out and buy all of that?

When you get drunk, you do crazy stuff.

And that's why Ry doesn't drink.  :D

Some of those angles in that slideshow looked like they were done by the same monkeyslot that do the propaganda images for the stuff packs, perhaps an EA plant?

I downloaded the hairs out of curiousity (like I'd pay for that?!), the female ones for the majority are just scary, and the male one pisses me off to no end because of the gap it leaves between the sideburn area and the facial hair  >:( It looks like the kind of hair that should be teamed with some facial hair but nooooooo.

Also, did I spot the Lost & Found Ikea lamps? EA ain't gettin' a cent more from me.

I knew those lamps looked familiar! I was just thinking that they were the only items that I even might use, but I was pretty sure I'd seen them somewhere before. I can't say I'm even slightly surprised, though, since they've done it before. Items released by modders under the classification of "lost and found" have been released in EPs/SPs before, often years after the lost and found item was released to the CC community the first time. EAxis will take any opportunity to get more money without being forced to do any more work.

And an EA plant releasing those screenshots would be just about par for the course with the way they've been treating their customers. Luckily, it's unlikely to help, since no matter how poorly or how wonderfully those items are shot, they're going to look like shit.

Oh, and here are those pictures I promised. I removed all my CC before putting the new hairs in and put them on the most basic face so I could see them in their "raw" state. I also only took screenshots of the blonde versions because I think they show the details the best. I should have shown the reds, perhaps, so you can all be reminded how horribly EAxis interprets red hair, and how little they attempted to make their reds consistent between styles. Some are bright and orangey while others are dark and almost auburn.

(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f358/pyropixxy/updo1.jpg)(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f358/pyropixxy/updo2.jpg)(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f358/pyropixxy/messy.jpg)

These first two are hilariously bad, particularly the one with the ugly tiara and those god-awful bangs. As has already been mentioned, it's the same damn mesh with a few tiny alterations, but they still have the balls to charge full price for both items. The short messy cut could have potential if it were better textured, I guess, but not much. It looks kind of cute from some angles, but not from most.

(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f358/pyropixxy/streaks.jpg)(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f358/pyropixxy/barrette1.jpg)(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f358/pyropixxy/barrette2.jpg)

The mesh for the streaked one is ok, but nothing special; it looks almost exactly like the self-titled hair by Adele. You know: the version made by someone with less talent. For some reason it has pink streaks but is still binned with the blondes rather than the custom colors (I know, it's mostly blonde, but that still bothers me). The two versions with the barrettes are probably my favorites of all of these, and they're still shit. Again, they look like bad versions of free hairs that we've all seen before. The last one remind me vaguely of one of Nouk's, which was already copied by good ol' Marko over at TSR. Both of these are horribly textured, as we've come to expect from EAxis, although they are decently animated.

(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f358/pyropixxy/curls.jpg)(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f358/pyropixxy/helmet.jpg)(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f358/pyropixxy/sleek.jpg)

The curly style might not look too bad at first glance, despite the fivehead and the flat curls, but once you see it in-game or in BodyShop...well, let's just say it ain't pretty. The helmet hair makes me laugh on principle, and the sleek updo is ok, but has a remarkably undetailed shape once you get a closer look at it. The textures are slightly better than I expected (i.e. still awful).

Anyway, hope these pics give some lulz. I doubt that they'll deter anyone here from purchasing them, since I'd be shocked if any of you are planning to do so anyway, but I still wanted to check out the pics myself, and I figured some of you might be curious, too.

Do the clothing files work for people? The reason I ask is because CleanInstaller has them all over the board classified as "Clothing" "Collection" or "Empty Package".

Nope, they don't work for me either. I was thinking that I somehow managed to nab the recolors but not the meshes, but maybe they weren't posted to start with, if I'm not the only one.

I haven't seen anything that's impressive to me. That streaked hair got me wondering though, it reminds me a lot of Raon's Rihanna mesh so can't help but wonder if EAs suck factor may grow to such greatness as to  blatantly steal ideas or even meshes/textures from fan sites to repackage and sell at their store. Wouldn't put it past them.

Check this (http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,12303.0.html) thread on MATY for new, user improved versions of the files.  You will need to read through the entire thread.

Thanks MissA! I don't particularly care for any of this stuff, but I still feel like checking it out just to know what EAxis is expecting us to subject ourselves to. For more money, to boot.

I must be a masochist.

Thank you so much Missangelica!

I tried to fix the hairs somewhat in bodyshop, but it wouldnt let me export the files.

I guess Eaxis didnt want the run-of-the-mill, SimPE-inept user to have any chance of fixing it on their own.

Oh, and the black version of the tiara hair? Has white streaks in it which makes it look awful ::)

WHAT? IF you turn off CC, most categories have maybe a page or two of content. You oculd play only a few themed households and start reusing things.

Indeed! I have had this same reaction to the FREE Sims communyity. We love to create for ourselves, share, get input, and then create more. PEOPLE. DOING. STUFF. FOR. FREE. NOT. BEING. FORCED. TO. DO. SO. WOW.

Oh, and also, check out this post.  (http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,12297.msg348458.html#msg348458) They had no care for customer input. They were apparently planning to implement this store before Freetime came out. Ergo, they were ony pretending to care about what the fans said in their 'official survey.' Assholes.

Also, way to shoot yourself in the foot at the same time, EA GAMES! Way to glamourize the pirate lifestyle even MOAR. Because apparently, we weren't doing it well enough. Anyone want this on their self-sim?  ;)
(http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/story/31/227931/snapshot_d574e4fc_75750478.jpg)

Only if it had a full shirt and was made by a free creator cause I know they would do it properly, unlike a certain game publishing company we all know and loathe any more for their stupid shit. *coughEAfuckingGamescough*

i was wrong, lol.
they DID make a store.

Fhat cat says MOAR LURKING!!!
Fhat cat says paysites iz dumb!

Macros aside, grats on first post!

I've just read most of the way through SMLisa's post on the Sims 2 site and I LOVE the fact that the posters on there are going "are you kidding me, I would get a better deal from a paysite".. What EA fails to understand is firstly that there's a limit to how much money they can milk out of people, and they're not going to get money out of people if there are amatuers who can do it better or in some cases for free..

Interesting to see whether the concept flies or not though.. The way the majority of the active community feels about EA right now, I'm not sure it will. I'm not registering, I can't be arsed and I refuse to support the concept.

The eating depends entirely on how tasty you are. Wanna give us a taste? I'm sure you have extra fingers or toes you don't really need. ;)
Welcome, and have some rum, MintGreen!  :D


*gently pokes fhat cat*
Hey, fhat cat, we tell newbs they need to LURK MOAR only if they post something stupid. MintGreen's post was not stupid, therefore s/he does not need to lurk moar. Besides, since she joined PMBD in last January and you only joined yesterday, perhaps in this respect it is you who needs to lurk moar, hmm? ;)

*Offers some rum to fhat cat, just to see him/her pass out again*

Welcome, MintGreen. I see no reason cats should fly based on that post.

I, too, am interested to see how the fiasco plays out through the next couple weeks. Whether or not the store items become "must haves" for the sheeple, or if they write it off due to the obvious greed on EA's part. Even though the store items are grossly overpriced, I think I wouldn't mind it if a) only EP/SP objects were for sale there, and b) they left our game alone - no securom crapola, no patching, etc. But since it's not, I wanted in on a piece of the butthurt, and I wanted to see the enemy in action. For those reasons I decided to pass a bit o' rum. I worry that the elitist "need it nao!!1!" mentality will get to people after the shock wears off.

need it NAO!!1!

Not really though, it's all a bit crap :P

I was browsing the ea website and noticed the shop for the first time (I've just come back to the sims after months) and was so shocked!
I know I'm a bit late to teh party (I usually am) but just wanted to let it be know that I, Jonze E Duff, am officially PISSED.
EA, you are getting no more of my money. I was waiting to get Freetime, Ikea, and K&B because I'm so broke, but now I'm gonna arr them all. Thanks EA, you've just made it sooo easy to steal from you.
You have lost a loyal customer (I've bought every sims 2 ep and sp except the ones mentioned above)

Way to go assholes

(and I know your not done screwing us over yet. Someday I see you as a giant pimp, with all ur little paysite whores running around giving out crappy handjobs for extortionate prices)

*edit* was logged in under my roomies profile!

While looking through that Exchange Album, I noticed a table lamp and a floor lamp that looked very familiar...

(http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/story/31/227931/snapshot_d574e4fc_5574f959.jpg)(http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/story/31/227931/snapshot_d574e4fc_9574fa1b.jpg)

...and then it struck me!!!

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/Havelock/HiddenIKEALamps.png)

The 2 lamps EAxis are selling belong in a set of 4 lamps that Havelock "lost & found" in the Ikea Stuff Pack and was made available over at MATY's Peasantry. Here is where things become rather odd. From what I gather, MaxoidDrea bitched about the free lamps and they were no longer available for download. EAxis opens their paysite 1-2 days later and you now have the priviledge of buying what was once free (The lamps have been reposted on another thread http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,12304.0.html (http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,12304.0.html))

Was all this just coincidence? I don't think so but will leave that up to you to decide for yourselves. One other thought, Numenor has been doing his "Lost & Found" series for a long time. These objects are all created by EAxis and locked inside the game files until they have been set free. Where do these objects stand in EAxis's POV?

EA, you're just getting ridiculous. What's next, you're going to create software that will fry my Wii the next time I play an EA Sports game?

I've officially decided never to buy another piece of shit that comes out of your company. Not that you really had anything I was looking forward to, but just in case.

I just posted a thread in BBS (http://bbs.thesims2.ea.com/community/bbs/messages.php?&openItemID=item.2,item.43,item.127,item.23&threadID=6b01f6b4981a88030f06c7a7d4599893&directoryID=2&startRow=1) that 'innocently' ask the Maxoids that Can we recolor hairs & clothes from Sims 2 Store for personal use ? Is there any code in the file that prevent us from export it from bodyshop ?

People on MATY said the files are not exportable from BS. I want to see how they will answer this because if people know that they can not make recolor, they might not buy stuff there  ;D.

This has already been mentioned in the last couple of pages, actually, but it's an interesting enough topic to mention again.

This has happened in the past, I believe. Unless I'm mistaken, there are a number of items of children's bedroom furniture that were released as Lost & Found items that were later released in EPs and/or SPs. I'm also pretty sure that the plumeria tree that was released on a recent EP/SP (I don't absolutely recall which one, but I want to say Freetime) was released by Numenor as a Lost & Found item that could be pulled out of the base game files.

I find this slightly less offensive than the constant and blatant rip-offs of modders, but it's still a sign of the laziness of EAxis. They do slightly more work when they make a game, then they lock up some of the programming so they can release it in trickles later, thus making it appear that they're working hard all along. Why not put the same amount of initial effort into making a game with attractive content that doesn't bug out periodically, and then put in some more actual work later on when your fans want more content? I'll tell you why: pure, unadulterated laziness.


Take that, bitches! ;)

Good idea about how to handle that issue and get some more much-deserved negative attention for the Store, too. Someone has already responded to your post saying that the new meshes are just like any other, so it just goes to show that the topic definitely needs some light shed upon it.

Thanks.

Don't you want to be the one that post

I buy hairs and clothes there, but bodyshop does not allow me to export my files.

Then that thread will be fun  ;D.

What pisses me off beyond words is that the "store" is just another devious attempt  to sneak securom into the computers of the people who've managed to avoid it so far. >:(

I can't wait for the class action suit.  This has GOT to be illegal.  I will never trust EA again, or buy another EA product.

I just posted that I didn't think you could recolor them.  Just to add to the fire a bit. 


That is exactly my problem.  I haven't gotten anything past Seasons because of SecuRom.  I don't want to even try and see if it would mess up my computer and really, that isn't the point.  The point is that it is intrusive and that is all I need to know.

I actually like that. It would be great for an elder who hasn't quite gone gray. A lot of women on the maternal side of my family either don't go gray at all or just get one little streak.

If I posted on the BBS, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Give it time, though, as I'm sure some brave and intelligent soul will rally to your cause.


I wish I knew for a fact that it is illegal. Sadly, my legal knowledge is relegated to "don't kill people, don't rape people, don't steal things, don't start fires, and don't let them catch you smoking what's in that little plastic baggie in your purse." ;) I can see how they might be able to get away with having SecuRom on their discs, but on their downloads? It does seem more than a little fishy. The worst part is that EA probably has a cave full of bloodthirsty lawyers who could easily skew the case in their favor. Perhaps there are some keen legal minds here who might be able to give the rest of us some insight?


That's true, but shouldn't they have a solid black option as well for the people who don't want it to be reserved for their older Sims? Maybe they do and I just didn't notice it on the Store (since I got the files...*ahem*...elsewhere).

EA are full of fail. If you read around the BBS, its full of complaints. And also at TSR   (http://forums.thesimsresource.com/showthread.php?t=357332) they don't like it, heh

Shhh don't give them ideas. What next, they'll start selling the exclusive preorder items?
It's funny, I actually go out of my way now to purchase things that are not EA or Sony. Recently bought a new TV and Sound system, salesman man was pointing towards Sony, I told em no, ended up with Samsung. Much better. Also found great delight that The Sims Stories crap was in the $9 bargain bin.

Of course TSR hates it. Competition to see who can create the most crappy items!!  :D

Makes you wonder if some of their creators are playing on both sides of the fence, doesn't it? Make recolours for TSR and the EA Store... Bet atwat would be on that shit like white on rice.

I don't know about the regular users, but you know those FA's and SA's share and share alike! Unless EA gave Steve & Co. freebies, they'll have to pay for junk they want. Now they're getting a taste of their own medicine.

So, of the 'exclusive' store stuff I've been able to find so far (Yeah, I put them in my game. That's what we CC whores do! It's okay though. They're in a separate folder so easy to take out.) I like 2^1/2 things. The male hair mesh is actually okay. Yucky Maxis textures, yeah, but if it ends up being recolourable it could actually be pretty cute. I also don't mind the male vest outfit. It's not something all my Sim-guys are going to wear, but okay for certain types. And finally the Cubic series desk - that's the 1/2, because I really like the right-hand side of the desk, and really hate the left-hand side.

As for the rest of it: FUG! All the female hairs look like ass. (Except for the one that looks like an inferior version of Nouk's squid hair.) The Cubic furniture is hideous, and the Deco set reminds me of that ancient and ugly dresser that my grandparents used to keep in the spare bedroom downstairs. Ultimately, I'd feel cheated if I'd paid for any of that crap!

That's exactly what I've been saying. The male vest outfit is pretty decent, and the male hair mesh could be made okay with better textures. Personally, I don't like any of the furniture, and all the rest of the hair and clothes are some of the ugliest things I've seen in a while. Overall, not a very good ratio of quality to fug.

I've not been impressed with what I saw at the EA store. Certainly not impressed enough to buy any of it. :p In fact, I wish there was some way to remove all the Maxis fug that I will never ever use from my game. More room for pretty CC!

Streaky hairs...Well, I'd like some (excessively) long, grey-streaked, dark auburn hair. Solely because that's what I have IRL. I've yet to find any, though.

As for Arring...Well, I've got an ARR'ed Freetime. In my zeal as a (at the time) brand-new player when FT came out, I wanted it badly, but it wasn't available for purchase anywhere here in Backwater Podunk. So, I went to EA's site to download it from them (At the time, I had no idea that SecureROM existed), and lo and behold I couldn't get a connection to the download area thingy. So, I torrented, with the intention of buying it when the "local" (Read: An hour's drive away) Walmart decided to get it in stock. Ended up never quite getting around to buying it. Now I'm glad that I didn't. The newest EP that I paid for is Seasons which seems to be SuckyROM free, yes?

Also, is it just me or are all the Sims Store exclusive lamps kind of broken? I made a test house with all the new furniture, and none of the lamps seem to give off much light at all. The light reflects a tiny bit off nearby furniture, but doesn't even reach the floor! This is with the wall, table and floor lamps.

This cracks me up:

OMG! EA has a pay site! How awful! I'm not going there, I'm going to these other two sites which are not only paysites, but illegal ones! Yay!

Two words to describe that person: dumb fuck!

Please, for the love of all that is holy, let that be sarcasm.....  :-\

*dies*

You do have to wonder, though: Now that EA has its own pay-to-download site, might they take a more jaundiced view of all the illegal paysites out there? Since they're, you know, in competition now? Or maybe they don't see it as competition? I don't see how it isn't, though, the only difference being that EA actually has a legal right to sell stuff...

LMAO. I'm saving that for future lulz.

Le sigh. TWICE today, I have to make my first post at different forums (brief post high-jack...Hey, everyone. New. Read the faqs. Lurked. Throw rotten tomatoes if you must).

I tried to post to the BBS thread that was linked earlier and got a message back that it was read-only. Did I come to late to the party with my disgust and fist shaking? I even tried to be nice for once!

I swear, always the bridesmaid in the fugly dress, never the bride...

Theria: welcome! You seem to be the acceptable variety of noob. ;)

And I doubt that BBSer's post is sarcastic, although that would make it a little easier to swallow. It irritates me to no end that people seem incapable of comprehending the difference between EA selling downloads and sites like TSR doing the same thing. Yeah, The Sims Store is repugnant, but it's not technically illegal. The so-called "Paysite Debate" isn't about not wanting to pay for things, it's about respecting the rules of the EULA. Not that EA itself is respecting its own players at all anymore, but you know what I mean. The phorum was designed to liberate illegal payfiles and give pirates a place to talk about their interest, not just to give shit away to cheap people (that's just a bonus. ;) ). That's why we don't have isos of the game itself in the booty, for god's sake. People are more than welcome to download from the booty just because they are cheap bastards, even if they still support the (nonexistent) "rights" of sites like TSR or Peggy Zone, but they're better off keeping their mouths shut about it around here unless they want a quick, sharp education between the ribs.

I'll just go elsewhere to download the Sims Store stuff. :D

So...is EA going to end up as booty now?

I don't see anything on that site I want.

Nope. EA crap will not be in the Booty. It's their code, they have the right to sell it, whether anyone likes it or not.

There are other places offering it for free, though.

Pff, I can't mock it as much as I mock fan paysites (to myself - I'm new here so I haven't really had a chance to try out my tricorne mocking hat yet). Sure, most of the content is shite and EA has lost touch with it's fanbase, but it's their property to rip people off with.

Paysite supporters frequently tout the 'Artists charge for their art!' argument, but the fact is that they're scribbling over somebody else's drawing, while EA would be somewhere on the lines of one of those fancy pants art shops that sells lousy paint-sloshed triptychs at extortionate prices to clueless amateur interior designers. What I mean is - it's the fandom's fault for buying that rubbish.

That said, I was a little bit naughty. I really like the male outfits with the waistcoat and the short and spiky female hair style, and the male hair and female clipped-back hairstyles are pretty nifty too. I would have downloaded them for free. So, uh, I did.

Not to be rude (I'm just a little exasperated), for the 500th time since the Sims Store opened, I don't see that happening. Mheyin got it right. We have no standing to post EA files, considering our professed motivation to liberate payfiles because they violate the EULA. We post paysite files because it is illegal to sell them in the first place. See my explanation two posts above your last one. Like I said, that's why we don't have isos of the game in the booty. Personally, I don't care if people arr the game (I do it myself, since the destruction caused by SecuRom became public knowledge) but they aren't posted here. Unless the parameters of PMBD change at some point in the future, I don't see us posting EA pay files of any kind.

And Pirate Jenny, you're right: to a certain extent, it's the sheeple's fault for being willing to gobble up all the swill that EA produces. It's almost like they're testing us, releasing more and more horrible content just to see if the customers will accept it.

Nope. Call me a cynic, but this is just a prelude to them legalizing paysites. Soon you will be able to download TSR and Peggy creations through the EA store. They will invite the top paysite creators to join the store. The paysite owners will be able to sell their pixels, EA will take a cut of the profits and everyone will be happy, except for the people who will have to pay for the stuff.  >:(

The only good things that will follow is that since it is an EA store, Peggy can't peddle her photoshopped gappy hairs to people. If the preview pic is not accurate/the item does not function as it is supposed to work, you'll be able to complain to EA customer service, since you bought it via their webstore. I foresee lots of screaming and gray hairs for the customer support personnel.  ;)

Also, we'll be able to kiss TSR goodbye. When the FAs there realise that they do not need Thomass & Atwat to make money, they will all start uploading straight to the EA store. Since Thomass does not create anything, he'll soon realise that his site has no FAs at all. He might start promoting SAs to FA status, but they'll just leave as well. Also, some of his best SAs (mirake, livingdeadgirl, etc.) are adamant on remaining free, so sooner or later he'll run out of both FAs and SAs. Watching TSR go down in flames will almost be worth it.... Almost.   :-\


Hey, why didn't I get a special tricorne mocking hat? Are my mocking skills lacking? ;)

A new pirate! Have you read the FAQ already, Jenny? If you haven't, now would be a good time.  :)


No tomatoes since you make sense, and you already covered everything else. I loves me some smart newbies.

Welcome aboard, PirateJenny and Theria!
The rum is to the left, the kittehs to the right and remember not to irritate Pescado. He gets a bit grumpy sometimes, and since he's the only one here with the power to smite you, you might want to keep in his good graces. :)

Huh. I tried to make a pink recolour or the cute female short hairstyle and it wouldn't export the textures with Bodyshop. Still, I do like that hair. The red one is pretty dyed-looking, so I might give that to my more flamboyant Sim instead of pink.

By the way, I like Maxis textures overall. I don't like a lot of their designs, but I do like my Sims to look a tad cartoonish, which I think is the look they're going for. I've bought a few Stuff Packs. I'm basically EA's bitch, aren't I?

Naw, you're not the only one. Besides, even the cartoonier stuff doesn't look so bad unless you're really close up, IMO. I, like a lot of the community, tend to prefer realism, but there are always differing opinions, and that doesn't make you anyone's bitch. ;) After all, some people love shiny skintones, but there is a strong and adamant movement against it.

Hmmm. Well, I guess I'm an optimist, because I'm foreseeing a flurry of "cease and desist" letters. I wouldn't be surprised if TSR got absorbed in some way by EA, but then again, I can't imagine Thomass being happy to turn a portion of his profits over to EA. And I guess I'm an optimist in that I would think (hope?) that EA would have some standards and wouldn't want the likes of...well...of most of the pay creators out there ruining their "good" name...

I guess time will tell, huh?

Please correct me if I'm wrong. I was drunk yesterday, and I'm drunk again today (like I would do anything else with my days off but drink spiced rum and cokes). But I could've sworn that the few items I actually played around with from the store were borked. As in, didn't sit right, didn't work right, etc. If that's the case, I can see Peggy's crap being more than welcomed at the store. Or do they expect higher standards from people who don't work for them?

For fuck's sake, that whole store looks like TSR-lite to me.


Oh, trust me, it took a good while before I had the guts to post here. I think I'm gonna sit my ass down with one more spiced rum and coke "pirate juice", my fugly bridesmaid dress, and keep up my angry grumblings.

It's borked?  How amusing! :D
The EAxian paystuffs looked like shit, and when I was little, my mom told me not to play with shit, so I haven't touched them.  ;)
Anyways, I'm hoping the sheeple will complain about it. EAxis needs to fix it, since it's their official webstore and all. Customer support, warranties, stuff like that. They can't just peddle things like some half-assed paysite.

I don't go to the exchange, but if you see people to complain about borked EAxian paystuff, encourage them to file a complaint to customer support. After all, if they paid for it, EA needs to fix it. IMO it's just as simple as that.


Oh, we thrive on grumpy grublings.
Theria, POST MOAR!

I'd like to second that request for moar postage, but only if you shoot one of those rum & cokes my way. ;)

The borked-ness. Lemme show you it, with apologies for the craptastic computer.

(http://i308.photobucket.com/albums/kk330/Miss_Ria/snapshot_00000001_1577caf4.jpg)
Okay, so it's not so bad. Minor borkage.

(http://i308.photobucket.com/albums/kk330/Miss_Ria/snapshot_00000001_f577cb9d.jpg)
Aw! Look at the cute widdle duckies! They look adorable on the table! But you know what? They'd look better on the grass BESIDE  the table.

(http://i308.photobucket.com/albums/kk330/Miss_Ria/snapshot_00000001_7577cba6.jpg)
I can has more rum now please?

I admit, it wasn't as bad as I thought, and I stopped trying to find the borked items after that (could've sworn there was at least one more, but I could be wrong. Inebriated, y'know). But still...don't put anything decorative next to the table. Although the duck face coming out of the table is kinda cute...


Pirate juice for everyone! Cheers!

Oh, and if the pictures are annoying anyone, lemme know, and I'll link 'em instead. Unless you're link-a-phobic like me.

Im sure the pictures were fine.

Do you guys really think that Eaxis will admit to making a mistake in content? Its one thing to mess up one of those random whatzit-whozits they always fix in those patches, that sounds like complicated, techno mumbo-jumbo to the little sheeples, but messing up an object like that is embarrassing.

Especially since so many free people are doin' it right, where as the Eaxis team is paid to do it right, its their job to do it right, and theyve failed.

I don't think the ducks look good on the table.  One of them hangs off the back.  Kind of an obvious error.  What is wrong with these people.  The free community has done so much better and takes more effort.

The curtain and the window are also borked but I am pretty sure that someone posted fixed versions in the thread at MATY.  They dont have diagonal meshes and one of them (cant remember which) isnt properly on its tile.  Also in the thread on the BBS (only went there cause it was liked from here and I am a curious pirate) the sheeple were complaining that the objects form the EP's contain the original dialog scripts but not the animations that go with them.

That could be the fault of the ducks, however. Knowing me and my luck, I managed to pick out two items of equal borkage and put them together to create a new, super-powered borkage. Maybe something that sits in the centre of the table, much like a potted plant, wouldn't have the same edge-tottering effect. It's just...they were ducks! And they were cute!


I think it's great that there are people out there that are willing to take the crap EA puts out and fixes it. It makes the world a better, happier, shinier place. The problem, for me at least, the community shouldn't have to fix something like that. It should be the company's responsibility. Then again, it IS EA that I'm talking about. I shouldn't expect anything from them but broken and fucked up shit that the community fixes. (Fixes that I'm extremely thankful for.)

I think it's the Virgo in me, demanding perfection, though I know damned well I'm never gonna get it.

It just fits that way because the table is smaller than the tile it sits in, while the object isn't. I have a CC bathroom set in my game (I think it's the Seychelles set from Holy Simoly) that looks really nice, but if I try to put any sort of clutter on the counter, it hangs off the front edge. Just one of those things you have to deal with if you want surfaces that are a different size/shape than the tiles, but objects that are designed to fit neatly within said tiles.

Messed up object footprints, though? Fuck you, EAxis.

I really can't believe that they expected people to pay for shit like that. I shouldn't be one to talk though, I'm the one who bought it. ::)  I totally have to agree with Theria, and everyone else who said it. I am glad though that everyone is fixing the stuff, but it shouldn't have to be fixed in the first place. [sarcasm]This is totally making paying for peggy and TSR a steal [/sarcasm]

This, and they'll only allow the sale or even distribution of custom content through their store. So bye bye custom content fansites all together, at least for sims 3.

Oh, but I (and many with me) are very grateful that you did  :-* And you did it fast! You rock!

I don't even want those bodyhop items and objects; as many have stated, there are better looking (and better working!) things available all over the free CC community. For free!  ;)

 Nevertheless: I'll download everything I can get my chubby little hands on, and keep it, just to say: "Fuck you EA! Fuckyouintheazz!!!111"

Do they really think we're gonna line up to buy their shit and get a free SecuROM injection, too? Fuck them, fuck them right where Satan wouldn't have it on a good day!

Love the analogy.

But plenty of people have actually gotten the stuff.

Its funny, because when you think of Eaxis's customer base, you instantly think of kids, but most kids dont have paypal accounts/checks/credit cards. They go beg their parents and the parents will look at it and say no. Its all the adult/young adult simmers that are buying the store stuff.

Unlikely. There is no profit in doing that. However, assimilating all paysites to the EAxis store is a profitable option, therefore we'll probably see that with Sims3.


And if they are indeed foolish enough to do that, they can also kiss the success story of the Sims goodbye. Free CC is what keeps the game fresh and interesting, and if you have to pay for everything, people aren't just as interested in paying for it. I'm actually kinda hoping that would happen, I would love to see the sales plummet.  ;D

Damn, I didn't think it would happen this soon.  As of about 1.5 weeks ago it was just people disgusted in the survey, but within that time it's become reality?  And I always miss this shit lol

It's funny how TSR-buttlickers are basically like "Wtf, 'exclusive content'? Fuck, I'm not paying for that, I'll stick to TSR!"   ...where they also have to pay for stuff... ::)

$1 per item is expensive - even paysites are cheaper, so I'm surprised people are buying this junk.  And most of it is stuff you'd already have in-game if you'd purchased the EPs or SPs they're in.  Based on what it would cost to buy everything, somewhere in the $1300 range I think, I am kind of stunned that the person on the Exchanged had 90% of it.

To the person(s) who got the crap from the store to share it with everyone, thanks for your generosity.  Hopefully if people really want that stuff, most get it through you rather than EA.

With any luck, EA store will fail miserably.

Those surveys are usually BS, after the fact, let's throw this at the wall and see what sticks since we're gonna do it anyway type things.

I read through the 400 reply thread started by SMLisa about the store and found it amusing how many BBSers were horrified that EA opened a paysite, VIOLATING THEIR OWN EULA!  :D  Which is silly, of course, but the anti-paysite sentiment was evident in many posts.

EA:  taking inverse response experiments to new highs!

- Securom CP:  breeding more and more pirates with every release.
- EAStore:  making even the most rip-offing paysites look good.
- EA customer service:  my sofa has better response times.
- EA products:  throwing money out the window of a speeding car is more satisfying.

Oh heavens. There are already rebins on MTS2. I guess the store isn't a paysite to them?

I'm glad the items are so fugly; they're easier to hate that way. I can't believe I really thought EA wouldn't have a pay site.

/Yes, I know, lurk moar.

I don't think that the EA Store is what you would call a "paysite".  It's EA selling the shit that they have a right to sell online. It's pretty funny how lame the products they are selling are, though.

Bolding mine.

Shouldn't that be "It isn't surprising"...? I certainly didn't expect anything more than what they did release. Fucking ugly shit that tickles the funny bone and offends the eye.

Pardon my language. I was raised by loggers.

I'm laughing harder at their inability to sell products that actually work correctly in the game. It's like the creators threw the shit together and didn't test it at all.

I thought that was a condition at EA?

Sorry. I don't know how I overlooked that. I've been one sleepy-but-can't-sleep pirate all week.  :o

*offers moar rum*

No worries. I understand insomnia all too well.  ;)

CaptainChris is right. I don't know how EA manages to rake in the billions when they don't even test to see if their shit works.  >:(

What I want to know is who EA hires to make this stuff.  You'd think they'd hire people who are experienced/talented with 3D meshing and good with texturing, but a lot of the things they crank out look like they were made by someone who'd never meshed/textured/whatever before.  Their clothing textures have gotten a lot better, but a lot of the hair meshes and things look like the stuff made by fans in 2005.

They're probably a lot like TSR where they don't give the creators enough time to fill a quota, and the work turns out looking like crap because they don't have time to finish or test it.  But a lot of the stuff was ugly to begin with (like the furniture and a couple of the hair meshes) and should have had to pass through some kind of quality control before they, you know, decided that it was worth paying for. >:(  Greed at its finest, I guess.

Quite frankly, it's not just the quality of the work that appalls me, although that ought to be paramount. To a lesser degree, I am also intensely frustrated by the overall lack of style that they so obviously exhibit. Of course, that's all a matter of personal taste, and the work quality is of immensely greater importance. Still, I want to know why EAxis can't open a design magazine or two and make something that more of their customers might actually find tasteful and visually appealing.

I agree, Souvenirs: if they want to get on the good side of their customers, hiring a few more talented artists might be a good start. Many of the free creators out there spend more time and energy on their own creations than EAxis obviously spends on theirs, and they do so out of nothing but a desire to make high-quality items for fellow fans to enjoy. Instead, EAxis churns out a few shitty items and slaps a pricetag on them before they've even been tested, and we're supposed to be grateful and whip out our credit card. Not gonna happen.

In a nutshell, they want to sell us functionally sub-par items, most of which wouldn't look good even if they weren't borked? Yeah, I'm going to have to go with "epic fail."

Meh, I think they do it on purpose. They hate EA too and want to ruin their credibility by not giving shit about their job, and make sure it shows. Don't you deliberately try to discredit your employer when they treat you like shit? I do  :P But never in such an obvious fashion as the EAxian drones, of course.

I hadnt thought of it that way, but that is a definate possibility.

 :o

There are loads of talented artists that work at EA (and on the Sims games too), but keep in mind that there is already an established style and art mandate that they have to follow for the Sims games in order to make sure the games follow a certain direction and look (whether it looks like shit or not).

The stuff they are selling is likely b-list crap that they didn't include in the stuff packs or eps because it either didn't fit, didn't have space (or as is more likely, knowing ea, time ::)), or wasn't good enough to add. I'm with Berg, though (especially knowing what I know of the way that the company treats its employees), I wouldn't exactly be busting my ass to make beautiful stuff for a company that makes me work long hours with no overtime, and with no time to adequately test or create work.

I agree. I think it's just leftover crap, and honestly, if EA is as horrible to its employees as I've heard, I wouldn't feel like creating anything brand-spankin' new and awesome, either. I used to really enjoy EA's games, but now I have difficulty seeing beyond the stupid shit they've started doing in the past few years.

Wow. Just Wow.
Being a rabid downloader like most of us here, lurkers and pirates alike. I can understand the economic temptation of EA to make a paysite. But to do it in this fashion?

EA: Who was the brains behind your store? You need to fire this person ASAP. There are so many things wrong with it, I don't even know where to start.
First of all, you ignore the customers, yet again, who demand value for money, an non-intrusive download manager (or no manager at all, who the hell are you? Big Brother? Fuck off) and QUALITY.
People who invest themselves in this game are people who understand, fully, the borkage and imperfections of third party items, and will NOT let you get away for selling sub par shit.
And again you ignore the pirates, thinking that our policies of copyright were going to make us go to your side. Perhaps in an out-war with your competition: Other Paysites.
But I believe that you are foolish for thinking that this tactic was going to protect you from anyone's wrath. I can't support a company that refuses, time and time again to not give a crap about their customers.

YOU DO NOT CARE. So who the hell is going to care about you?
You've released this game, albeit with a few crinkles, the community threads together and fixes it for you, and you expect them to do this forever while paying you for the priveledge? I guess that is why you want to intrude and abolish privacy on everyone's computer. Keep tabs on all of content. Ppft. Yeah right, the internet is anarchy, good luck with that.

EA. Sucks Ass. Major EPIC PHAIL.

By default MTS2 is superior because:
1 - It's free
2 - It doesn't come with some horrid flavour of Suck-u-rom.

Hmmm .... after making sure on MATY that items downloaded without the EA Downloader didn't contain nasties, I looked through the items on the EA paysite, and found perhaps four EA special items of even vaguest interest to me. Those were mostly decorative items and hair. Most of the EA Store stuff is chunky and unattractive, in my opinion. If I want nice, historically-influenced clothing, MTS2 or All About Style does the trick. If I want non-modern furniture, Avalon and Tarox furnishings are far superior to anything in that store, plus they're free.

One of the four items was that hair with the ultra-high forehead that HP modified. HP did her best, and her version looks far better than the Maxis original. But the original is so  messed up that it will take more than an extensive makeover to fix it. That thing needs an entire overhauling. The style is flat, the bottom looks strange to me, and and the style is not even animated the way most of the other Maxis hair is animated. Problem is, would a creator even bother trying to fix it at all? If I paid for this, I would be awfully pissed off.

So now I'm down to three items, and to be honest, none of them are making me swoon with anticipation, and I probably won't bother with them in my game. I did download the items to test them out, and was surprised that the Clean Installer marked the objects as hacks. Someone must have really had to fiddle wtih the coding to try to get those items to work properly. Either that, or EA is doing something weird with its downloads . THAT certainly wouldn't surprise me. This IS EA we are talking about.

To get me to purchase the stuff ... and I wouldn't entirely be adverse to doing it ... EA would have to get rid of Securom first. Period. Next, the items need a bit more financial enticement to get me to open my wallet. For instance, they could do a buy two, get 100 points free special. But last, and not least, the items would have to look a lot better than that. The quality would have to be outstanding. I don't see where you folks here think that!

But it seems that enough people are buying the items to make EA happy. I guess they don't need my money.

As far as them showing up as hacks with clean installer, someone at MATY said that all of the Maxis/Maxiod objects show up red.  They phail alot

fail >:(

Yeah, I noticed that - as someone with naturally curly hair, I was hopeful, but that curly hair sucks.  I'll just stick with those lovely hairs of Nouk's.  I rarely even touch the base hairstyles anymore.  I just hope thiis is not a sign that modding will go the way of the dodo with 3 - I was actually kind of excited about it.

 :o
OMG, SoggyFox! Long time no see!

Oh, and just to get back to topic: EA = Phail!

CC creators have really spoiled me in the texture department, so even if a Maxis hair had a really cool mesh (which I don't see happening), the crayon-drawing texture would put me off. That, and the fact that it's from a paysite. Ick.

They could kiss my ass but I don't know where those lips have been... And nice to see you again after you've been gone, Soggy Fox, you've been missed!

I wonder if they'll give refunds to people if they lower the price.




HAHAHAHAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! /snort /giggle /wipe tears

Oh god, that was good.

Wait-a-minute?! Someone was actually going to consider buying The Sims 3? You must not!


ROFLMAOLOLOLOLOLHAAHAHAHAHA

*ahem* Why yes, indeed.

I was gonna buy TS3. I actually have to have it because I can't leave out things in a set. Part of the reason I have Sims 1 and all of it's EPs gathering dust on my shelf right now. Never played them...probably should.

It's possible that many people here are not planning on buying it, but I'd be willing to bet that millions of other people still are. As for me, I know how to torrent.  ;)  I must play TS3 just to see what it's like, but unless EA gets their act together, they don't get any more of my money. It's a relatively minor protest considering their sales numbers, really, but I feel like it's a stand I have to take if for no other reason than paying a company to fuck with my computer...well, pisses me off.

I'll probably get Sims 3, unless, of course, that 12-step program for Sims that I'm going to join actually works for me.  :D

:D Ah yes torrent. I've downloaded the last couple of EPs from a website. It's always worth buying the mother copy of the sims and then torrenting the EPs.  ;D I think we should all send EA thank you viruses.

Aye, I doubt I will even BUY TS3. I would torrent like mentioned, but I don't know how I would play it without the CD. Someone explain please.

Anywayz, we all know EA is the new internet Asshole. Screw 4chan.

Meowbark: you'll need a CD crack. Most torrents will come with one (along with a keygen or a list of serial numbers), and instructions on how to use them. Unless they are shitty torrents, that is.  ;)

Not that I *cough* advocate piracy or anything. Ok, in some cases, I do.  :P

Generally speaking, you would replace the original .exe in the installation directory (in the case of TS2 base game, that would normally be C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\TSBin) with the cracked version. You can download cracks in a variety of places, including (but not limited to) torrents that contain isos and the like. Then, whenever you run the game, run it off of the cracked .exe rather than the default one. This should work for pirated games, if that's how you like to do things, but it also works with legitimate copies if you just don't want to have to use your disc.

Also, 4chan will always be the asshole of the internet, and that is why I love it so.

Hi guys!  Sorry to have been gone so long - just not been quite as active with the sims the past months.

And I haven't bought an ep in a while, and I think the last stuff pack was family stuff?  Or maybe it was glamour stuff.  Anyway, I finally got tired of it, and besides the true pirate in my family insisted.  With the current state of afairs, I don't feel at all bad though.  If they want to continue with the short sighted business model, then they can lose my money - they want to treat me like a valued customer, then I'll be glad to return to buying from them.

Look for torrents by Demonoid or ViTaLiTy. They always include cracks. And don't post your email like that. Spambots search the 'net for @ signs.

Aye? I don't think I understood that, eh. I can google it and most likely find it. I pirated Photoshop and numerous other thing's as it is.

4Chan is a hellhole, I've been there, even though it's a hellpit. I luff it x3

But what pisses me off is the quality of these shitty EA pay items. I mean freesites have been recolors of most of these, I looked through the site. Who WOULD want them? I saw the pay items just now, I think I just shat my pant's laughing.

Hmmm... *edits email out*

I got the downloads from a MATY thread, and I think "free" is too much to pay for them.  :D

I agree with Zazazu. I have always had excellent luck with Demonoid and ViTaLiTy torrents. I have used several others that came with good instructions, cracks, keygens, bonus content and the like, but these two are consistently good (and tend to have a lot of seeds, too).

Meowbark: PM coming your way.

I'm an honest person, so I always buy games legally... that is, if they're not EA games. If it has an EA label on it, I'm off to isohunt.  :P

I bought all my games up till now, but with that securom thing, it doesn't make sense to screw up my pc, so yeah, it's off to bittorrent for me too.  :'(

I stopped buying when Bon Voyage was released with the securom >:( Before that i was even proud to fork EA my money but securom nailed it down. Suckers! Now i arrr it all. EA won't get anymore dime from me huh.
A good tip with any new arred version, new torrent or crack, whatever: wait a week or two checking the thread for the feedback to see if it's working okay and that there's nothing wrong :P Finding different versions/releases helps a lot too, just incase it fails.

I understand why people say they stopped buying the games because the inclusion of Securom in BV but Securom was in the H&M SP, Celebration SP, Deluxe, and Pet Stories before BV came out.  I guess that fact is easy to overlook given the mixture of response the community has to them and with the SPs you're still running on the latest expansion's exe.

Really? It was in Celebration? News to me...

It wasn't in Celebration Missangelica - it got put into H&M but wasn't an issue if you had Pets installed (as you never ran the disk to play the game).  It wasn't until the little Securom .exe was activated in BV (with the BV.exe) that most people noticed their issues.  :)

Ok, I'll take your word for it but then my memory must be wrong and I don't like that.   :P  I was affected by Securom because I did try to run the game off of H&M SP instead of the last expansion and my computer died shortly after.  It's still dead even after spending several hundred bucks on trying to repair it.  :/

Ah see - if you tried to run off H&M that's what did it - and once it gets on there, it does what it likes.  God I hate Securom.  And hey - lots of people were saying Celebrations had it (credible sounding people) but it didn't.  :) One mistake ever - we can deal with that.  :-*

MissA, when BV was released with the securom, i had previously bought only one SP: celebration. No securom shipped with it, the first SP with securom was H&M. Celebration decieved me so i hadn't bought another SP but i didn't arrr the rest, as i really didn't want to arrr them (since i was buying the EPs). When BV got out with the suckurom i was terribly pissed off by EA and decided to stop buying the Sims and arrred BV and started arrring the SPs soon after with the argument that if i'm arrring the sims's EPs, let's arrr the rest. A way for me to tell EA to fuck off, kinda. So i'm not overlooking anything lol  ;D

Yeah...I ran H&M off the H&M disc too as I didn't have Seasons at the time.  :-\

I'm not surprised about them selling individual items at all - I'm surprised they thought it up only now, after so many time since Sims 2 was launched. It's as if the recent pirates vs paysites ruckus gave the corporate pigs the idea - like, "...you mean there are consumers out there who would pay for a hair or a terlet? 'tis a joke, right? No? *cue SFX - dollar signs in eyes, lound 'ka-ching!' sound* ...oh. We...see. Hee. Heeeee. Hee-heeeee-heeeee!"

Although, given how EA corporate pigs treat their customers, it's entirely possible they never knew about the trend (why bother what the sheep think?)  until something rubbed their snouts right on it.

Well technically it's not the first time. They already did it with Sims Online, which had a lot of success lol ::)
I advise anyone to read the MATY's thread on the sold exclusive items, You'll see how well done these items are! Lot of lulz ;D

Twice now my game computer has died because of Securom. I now have the Arr'd versions from BV on up. Like some others here, EA will never see another dime from me.
I wish I had saved the link, but sadly I did not.......I was reading this post at the BBS (Not that I go there, I just hit the link in another post I was reading) and I was a tad bit furious over the person's point of view. In it, they claimed that Pirates were solely responsible for EA's having put Securom on their game discs. WTF?? The games were being pirated before BV......
Now this is only my point of view, but as long as people continue to purchase Sims2 products that have Securom on them, the blame lies solely with the purchaser.

I have recently met someone who did purchase the store items, and installed the store software on their computer. Lo and behold their comp died, and they had to format. Securom could not be removed, I don't know why, sorry.
But for those who did become customers of EA's store, a particularly rotten piece of Securom was downloaded onto their machines.

It's all fine and good to be a loyal customer of a reputable company, but again (and only my opinion) EA has long since passed into the category of disreputable for me. I'm a customer, not a criminal, so don't treat me like I am a criminal. And for the love of God, at the very least, I expect to be kissed before I get fucked.

Games were being pirated 20 fricken years ago.  What happened in the interim?  Billion dollar industry.

It's game companies that are driving away customers, not pirates.

You are talking to someone who knows all about Pirates and software. I never said securom would stop pirates. You can give me a legal copy of any game running securom and I will have it cracked within hours. I said securom is not a big deal when it comes to removing it and using a no cd crack.

Companies will continue to waste money on protection and cause some of you to have moderate issues. Securom is not going to burn up your computer or cause you to lose your job like some of the crap on simmers against securom. There are some security issue concerns but Sony fixes these issues. They have to be stupid and put some kind of protection for hackers to be able to have fun. games would be boring to a hacker if there was no protection. ;D

Anyone with and decent knowledge of how securom works and how a computer works should just fall down laughing at this.

I could careless about Securom! I just remove it and thats that!

And what about the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of kids who DONT know about removing it, DONT know about computers, and parents who DONT know that lttle Johnny's Sims game just fucked up the family computer?

Oh wait, that involves actually caring about other human beings, and you obviously dont.

Uh huh. Well, for your information asshole, I had to have my computer re-formatted to get rid of that shit and almost lost the last pictures of my son taken with my dad before he died last year. So, go fuck off and die. Not everyone is Wile E. Coyote: Sooooper Genius, you know. If you would share your know how as to how to deal with this crap, maybe we wouldn't have to go through shit like this. My tech managed to get the pics off before reformatting and it's a good thing, too. Your lack of empathy smells of limburger cheese and your attitude is shit. Grow up and get over your own brilliance. Of course, that brilliance is in your own imagination, so meh...

I wasn't talking to you I WAS MAKING A SNIPPY COMMENT!   >:(

But isn't the whole interwebs about him?  ::)

Securom is nasty stuff, it's a trojan basically. It's incredibly unethical for a game company to invade a customer's privacy like that. That's how I see it.

 :D You can't even manage your own Joomla site let alone SecuRom. Stop talking out of your arse SimOutlaw.

hey watch it chick that site is running over 1200 dollars in scripts and is not just using free crap like this site is. heavily modified as well. managed well.... i own multiple computer related business's how do you think i made my fortune.Dont tell me something that you know nothing about except what you read. gotta go hard to type in a hotub.

Does the free > pay logic apply to coding as well? ...Because it looks like it. Just because you overpaid don't make it pretty.

[/quote]
hey watch it chick that site is running over 1200 dollars in scripts and is not just using free crap like this site is. heavily modified as well. managed well.... i own multiple computer related business's how do you think i made my fortune.Dont tell me something that you know nothing about except what you read. gotta go hard to type in a hotub.
[/quote]

For the love of God, get over yourself. >:(

Fixed your post.

Calalily, that was pure, unadulterated win.

Cali would you like to come to Texas and come on down to my office and see if you can show me what you know? I will fly you here for free as long as you do not look like your avatar! I have worked with computers and servers probably before most of you where born. I am out of the hotub now so I can cap and now type better.

Your Securom crap is feeding lies to the community. Oh securom caused me to lose my job. The moron that said that should not even been working there. Most of you are refered to as Pirates and not in a good way. You take peoples work without their consent and host them here. So sure you are worried about Securom because you would not want to have to buy the damn CD now would you?

Securom is installed without you knowing it. That is an issue. Securom stops deamon tools from working. That is not an issue! Daemon tools is mostly used to run a game without the CD. Used for people who have pirated copies of the game. The morons who always blame EA and securom for why they cant play the game need to take a hard look at what they are running on thier system.

Dont talk to me about Securom because you dont know every little detail on how the program works and why it gives some users issues. Just Becasue the game wont launch it is automatically securoms fault. This is how you have educated the community. Securom must be deystroyed has harmed the community more than it has helped it. Read the FAQ at Sony's site your already using Securom unless youve done something that is illegal. Oh I forgot this is PMBD they can do what they wish and steal everyones hard work then gloat and brag about it. What a fucked up community you women have created! In the long run you will pay the price.

 No one asked for your opinion on our site! Your a very small part of the community and I mean small. I dont believe I asked anyones opinion. Who cares! Atleast we dont steal the communities hard work like you guys do!If there was no free forum software for this site and your other site, you would probably steal it to and think it is ok. No one asks you to go to our site and really we do not want some of you there in the first place. Thats all we need is the forum filled with winey posts about TSR and Securom.
I can really see how you have affected TSR? You have not affected anything they do. Your just stealing their files!!! Hell most of the large paysites are still up enjoying plenty of cash that you guys dont get! The only way you are going to affect TSR is by going up against them like modthesims 2 has done. The more sites you get like this the more people will stop paying. So personally you are fighting a losing battle unless you have the money and resources to go up against them. This is something we have!

Oh and we all know how completely honest and above board Sony has been.......as for Securom not harming computers, blow it out your ass twit. It can, it does and it will. Ask around and just see how many computers have had their Nero programs rendered unusable. Oh yeah, I have had my Nero rendered unusable, and only AFTER I installed BV and played using the disc.
For your information bonehead, I use Nero for family pictures and to back up files, something I AM legally permitted to do.

Sorry - I look like my avatar. Good to know you finished your fap ???


You're a dick. Pirates don't get issues with SecuRom - it never touches their computers - only those who pay for their games have issues.  And since we've determined that you cannot even run your own Joomla site, well, you're probably a pirate - unless you paid someone to remove Securom.

BORED NOW.

Again Nero is a favorite for pirates!!! I have it on my system and also have had Securom. Nothing happened to my Nero. I use it for movies!!! Sure they will target Nero it is used by a ton of hackers.

I have Nero installed right now on this sytem with Securom and have no issues. Its the latest Nero so maybe yours is out dated.

Time for talking is over. MACRO FEST!

(http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/9255/thatsretardedfb2.jpg)

*One macro per post people - don't hog.  ;D

Huzzah!

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/jmtmom/fail1.jpg)

(http://images.teamsugar.com/files/users/2/23865/48_2007/BonJovi.jpg)

Nothing illegal on any of my computers, and the Nero I had came with the burner. I now have the latest release of it, bought it with my inheritance from my dad. I've now made copies of those last pics for all of my family members. So go fap some more.

Also, since when is buying files and giving them to friends illegal? You really ought to find a nice guy and settle down. And, I really doubt you are old enough to be my father, he was 84 when he passed away from cancer. You probably aren't as old as my brother, and he knows way more than you about computers, he was working with them when they came out for personal use. He also did military security on his unit's computers until he retired. Grow up and find a nice man, it'll do you some good since women seem to find you repellant.

Yessss! Launching attack!
(http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/4328/failjawem6.jpg)

That macro is so snagged, Dr. House!

Fail!

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3088/2694474589_18808b13f5_o.jpg)

Huh? What happened to the other topic Sim_outlaw was trolling on? Why was it deleted? "against the queen of something" has been sent to Oblivion by Pes, or what?

FUCK YOU, SimOutlaw.....I DID lose family pics, which is not a job but maybe more important to me.  >:( SecuROM fucked with the Nero program on my PC, it showed all my backup CD's empty and the SanDisk I use to save things empty too. My PC was in the shop for 3 fucking weeks while the assholes at SecuROM "support" told me over & over it wasn't their software that was the problem.
Funny once the tech guys removed SecuROM, everything worked normally again and all my CD's (and the SanDisk) showed properly what was on them. You have no clue what the fuck you're talking about.

I was wondering the same thing. No loss really, he's wasted more than enough of all of our time, which may be what he really wants. He's either a pathetic loser who thinks we won't laugh hysterically at his grandiose claims, or he's a pathetic loser who likes to get this forum flaming him.

1. Nero came with my computer. Fuck you.
2. DaemonTools has many uses. One is definitely running a game without the CD. This is a perfectly legal use. Fuck you.
3. It is perfectly possible that someone lost their job due to SecuROM. I used to work via correspondence, and a virus made it impossible for me to transmit my work for a week. I was told that if another week went by, they would have to find someone else. People have lost entire computers as their disks have been corrupted due to SecuROM's Ring0 placement and meddling. Job tied to computer + computer out of commission = possible loss of job. Fuck you.
4. I don't give a crap how many companies you have. Owning something does not make it profitable. Making a profit does not make you useful. Fuck you.


I see it is now a guest. Does that mean what I think it means?

It could mean Huzzah, or socking its puppet next month. Depends if you're a short term person or a long term one.  ;D

I saw the same thing last night, Zazazu, and I am surely hoping that it does. I've seen the same titles on other SMF forums when someone has been banned or removed themselves, so I really have my fingers crossed on the matter.

Tee hee hee.

That is all.

Ok, lady, you obviously know some information that you're not sharing! Spill it! I have dark Dove chocolate... *attempts to bribe the axe-wielder*

Did you have a go at him with your ax?

I honestly wouldn't blame her if she did!

Hum a banned troll and a missing thread; that's a lot of changes in a few hours :D I hope his IP got banned, not just his account...

Pescado actually do something adminlike that does not involve servers? Hrm. I just concluded that SimOutlaw deleted the thread and his account..

Good riddance to bad odour.

Note to self: no more hangovers and sleeping until 3. I miss all the good shit.

*has hysterics* SimOutlaw is such a legend in his own lunchbox. Three seconds after not being aware of Securom issues a few weeks back, he was suddenly a computer expert.. As one of the coowners of SAS, I found this thread deeply funny.. It was such an obvious attempt at "throw mud" that it had no chance of upsetting me at all.

Requip, Anna's been posting the Securom stories for me for a few weeks, so I don't know if we have yours yet.. We've got a new all-games version of the site coming in the next week and if it's not on there by now, I'd love to have it on there. (the new version of the site should be up by not this weekend but the next at this stage)

And Nouk, I'm with you.. good riddance to bad rubbish.. it's not like he's ever got anything of value to add to the conversation.

I'd be delighted....if I can remember what name I registered under.  :D I still have copies of every single email I got from Thomas Bartlett (Sony DACD tech)
We emailed back/forth starting Nov 3 and continued until Feb 13 when I gave up & took this thing in for repair.  >:(  Hope you all are back up soon.

Hey Luv..

the site's actually up right now under this url http://www.oneworldsims.com/the-sas/  but we've got a new schmicko site coming soon that covers ALL game.. ;D

Kath

Eventhough Ea screws up alot, they do know NOT to remove the options for custom content in the sims. That's practically what built the sims, was being able to actually have sims your way!  :P

They would lose so many fans even if they did do that, and everyone knows EA loves their monies. Plus in an interview for spore, Will Wright even mentions that so many people loved to create custom content for the sims, it inspired the idea for spore, or something about how they wanted spore to be the same.

The only issue with this though, EA thinks they make it easier with every game to create custom content, but it just gets more difficult. I remember in my sims 1 days, editing lipsticks on a face, changing hair colors and adding highlights with ease, because I could use good old window's paint. But now forget that, I try to even change a hue in a hair now and it turns out all fugged.

Plus EA quality has dropped over the years as well. Sims 1 I got the game and the only borked thing about it was all the custom content I had.... it got to a point my custom content actually destroyed my sims 1 cd's! :O!!! But everything about it worked perfectly for me.... and sims 2.... well.... it has it's kinks :)

They may not do something such as ban it - but they may not help it along either.  The development of SimPE had a lot of help from Maxis employees - and they are EA now, and no longer help.  If new meshes can't make it into the game because there are no community tools, why then the only source for them would be EAstore. New meshes may be impossible, unless as some have speculated Sims 2 stuff can be easily converted. 


They aren't going to remove cc - they're going to be expanding it even further with recolour textures and the ability to overlay every single mesh in the game.  The question really is are EA going to help the community tool builders and Milkshape makes lotsa money, or are they going to help EA make lots of money. At this point, it's unknown.

Sorry for the necromancy... but the web page with the sim store downloads isn't working? The page works, but the downloads do not  :( I just want one male outfit I used to have, but dumb me tried to delete one hair and the whole lot went away! And I don't want to install their download manager either.....

Check Maty. I think all of the stuff is there.

Cala, the cynic in me suspects that the latter will be the case. The fact that they already released the EA store (when sims2 is coming to the end of its life, no doubt) suggests to me that they will do anything in their power to rake in yet more cash.
I just hope that the sims2 community and creators stays strong, and doesn't die off like the Sims1 seems to have. I doubt I will be making the switch over.

If the content from Sims 2 was easily put into Sims 3, if you could have easy cheats to play the game with, and biggest if they take Securom off of their products, then I would maybe, just maybe consider the switch. As it stands now, they can kiss my lily white fat pirate ass.

I've pretty much decided I'm not buying any EA shit anymore. :'(

I've not been buying anything from EA in a while.

But I might play sims 3 when it comes out, though if new meshes can't be made, than I doubt I'll enjoy it much.

Yup. At first I wanted to buy Apartment Life but I decided I'm going to download it. I have no other option with EA being as jackassy as it has been.  >:(

Wise consumer decision. Welcome to the club! Arrring is the best spanking EA could get. Securom sucks. Apartment life Arrring FTW!

For Sims 3 i stand as Paden: with a list of 'If' to fill. But frankly there's nothing terribly exciting in Sims 3... Really, loosing (5?) years of sims 2 gaming, themed CC, awesome mods, etc is a lot. If there's nothing more than what they barely showed - and haven't confirmed - it'll be without me :-\

It's funny how things have changed, I wasn't really very active in the community in the Sims 1 days (still am not particularly outside of GoS), but I remember a lot of people were genuinely excited for Sims 2. Now, it's more surprising to hear someone say they're looking forward to it than say they're not considering switching over. (Though that makes me happy since I have zero interest in Sims 3.)


Add me to that list. I was considering Mass Effect before I heard that it, of course, was infected with SecuROM. I haven't even bothered to pirate it after hearing that, it killed the excitement.

I don't see Sims 3 being enough better than Sims 2 to make it worth it. And if it is as good as it needs to be to seem interesting, the specs are going to be prohibitively high. So, either way, I'm probably just going to stick with Sims 2 for quite some time.

Here here!

Aside from the full seamless neighborhood (which was like a dream come true for me) there's really nothing any more fascinating than in Ts2. Plus there's tons of awesome custom content for TS2, and when TS3 will first come out all of the CC will be crappy (most likely anyways)  ;)

Maybe I'll wait a while until an EP comes out for TS3 before I buy ARR it.

I think after seeing what EAxis has done to the community, with the store and stuff, I don't think I'll buy or ARR AL... considering that we have vending machines (thanks PacotacoPlayer), methods for apartment for building (thank you Inge), the vintage hairstyle (Nouk imo pwns all), conversions of maxis clothings (from what this EP looks like, thanks Cloudlessnights), toys for toddlers and infants (big thanks to Rebecah), setting the ringers (the More than Awesome, MATY). And everything there will be borked for AL, except the clothing and hair. Also, in a few screens from fansites, it looks like their giving the "bohemian" clothing to elders.. way to go EAxis, now we can just re-use that on our adults and teens...

I also heard that infant stuff WON'T be included in AL... but I do presume that it will be in the Store..  ::)

So in essence, they have taken possesion of the user´s creations and they are going to sell it? It will be on EA store?

If I make a creation and they take it. I´ll sue them for invading my privacy.

Greedy bastards

As for sims 3, I think I'll wait for a while. If they have Bodyshop errors and other things that would piss me off, I'm not buying. =B Half of the joy of the sims is to create and customize.

Oh, I'll acquire it. Even if I thought it sounded like 100% suck, I'd acquire it, just because EA pisses me off anymore. As it is, I only think it's about 48% suck. I'll get it. I'll play it. But I don't see dropping Sims2 for it until a significant amount of mods and CC have been added. The bigger threat to my Sims2 obsession is impending Spore obsession.

Oh dear. I gave in to temptation, and looked up Spore. I have avoided it, thus far. Now I wish I had continued.

Want it.

If they don't remove the ability to make CC on TS3 would you?

I'm already saving up some money to buy TS3, if it's shit I swear I'm going to go to EA and demand my 20 bucks back. Though I have seen some of the previews for the game on Youtube, they claim you can customize the Sims clothes, hair, skin...etc.

 ::) Yes, even if they did that I still wouldn't buy it. I'm sick of EA's shit.

EA Games is at the top of the "Kiss my Ass" list when it comes to getting my cash and running a close second is Atari. They both suck moldy green donkey dicks... God, I have not used the phrase since High School... I'm regressing, help!!

I concur. At first I only had a hate for paysites but now that EA's being a dirty money-grubbing bastard they're running an extremely close race in my "Kiss my Ass" list with paysites.  :-\

No how, no way. I won't buy a damn thing from them as long as it's infested with SecuRom. I hate EA more than paysites.

It won't be $20 bucks, anyways. IIRC, basegame Sims2 was $50 on release. This is US dollar price, of course.

I do too - they didn't do anything to paysites when they said they would look into it and stuff, then they turn around and make their own.

And Securom is a freaking virus/worm thing, and they seem to think no one cares, but they do.

Oh, I definitely care. *glares at CD/DVD burner that can be better used as a coffee cup holder now* Fucking SecuRom.

I think it's very telling that EA is one of the few game companies who turn AWAY more customers with every released detail for an upcoming game. Way to go, EA. At least you're at the top of the pack for something ::)

I think EA deserves "Douchebag of the Year" award for their utter stupidity.

Haven't they won it the past couple of years?

Shit, that's cheap.  Here a new game for the first couple of months is about $80 - an expensive habit.  That's what Sims 2 base game cost me. Expansions cost me $50 and SPs cost me $30.  I, of course, won't be buying it and cause I don't ARR, I won't be playing it either.  :)

Yea, it seems like that EA is so bad at this to the point that I think almost no other company can even compete with EA's incompetence. (The only one that comes to my mind right now that even has a half-assed chance of competing this is NEXON America.)

Atari has become just as bad at being assholes from some of the stuff I've been reading, which is sad because they were one of the first to have a home gaming system back in the 80's. Note that I said "one of the first" and not "the first," because I can't honestly remember who brought out the first console, aside from Pong...

Paden, I have a 'Fairchild' home entertainment system, see it here http://gamingmuseum.classicgaming.gamespy.com/channelf.html
I 'think' it was the first. Unfortunatley, it doesn't work anymore=(
ETA-Actually, google tells me it was the 'Magnavox Odysey' predating the fairchild by 3 years.

Yanno, I remember years and years ago that EA was considered a high-class outfit, that thought of developers as artists, and was concerned with making a good product. Then Madden happened. Just goes to show what happens when business becomes more important to ya. I do hear that their CEO of the past few months is actually, like, a human, though.

That'll change though - the EA brain slug will get him. (Sorry - Futurama playing round the clock here for the last 15 days due to the Olympics)

(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w26/NoodleDoodler/douchebagoftheyear.png)

Nice work!  :D

What is it, anyways?

It is a sippy cup! You know for babies.