PMBD

Fresh Prince joins their ranks. Isnt he 14-15 years old.

http://www.thesimsresource.com/news.php?ID=2481

...Have I mentioned how much I LOATHE TSR? :evil:

No I don't think you have.

Remember Glance? That site that used to be free? Dude who ran the site closed it and he's now a FA at TSR.

Ugh!  That place is turning into a sort of black hole.   And it seems to be spinning faster than ever.

I don't know if its cos I have been paying more attention, but they do seem to making a lot of folks FA's at the moment.

I think the strategy goes like this: "Everything except FA creations are free!! By the close of  business this year, we plan to have 98% of our creators Featured!! :D"

Saying that, I quite like Fresh-prince's cars...

They're building an army of FA's! Kindof like the flying monkeys from the Wizard of Oz.... :shock:

One-new-FA-a-week seems to be their new PR campaign, yes. Probably to entice subscribers after the mass exodus of subscribers (who cancelled their subs not long ago, ahem ahem).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but do some of these FAs get a say as to whether they get made FA? We know that people like S2S and Forwardmotion got bought over, but I think Jirka mentions on his blog that he wasn't even aware he was going to be made FA, and it just happened and surprised him one morning. Is he talking out of his ass, or does TSR spring a surprise on their old-timers who have lots of downloads and have good FA potential?

I read Jirka's blog, and what I got from it was that he knew he was an FA, he just didn't know when the announcement would be.

Mkay. I pretty much expect TSR to get up to anything, and it wouldn't surprise me if that was what they did. :P

Well FP started downloading over there, and he was at Saphire Sims to that had a pay part.

maybe if TSR continues to suck up people, and sites disappear like into s2s into paid sub people will get mad at TSR and want change. Can we hope.

I think we can pretty much assume that any site that closes to go to TSR will most definatly be an FA.

I do remember reading that someone had turned down being an FA. Can't remember who it was, but it was before the recent policy change (which was more than 3 months ago now).

I turned it down. I don't think I'm the only one though.

I have some vague memory of talking to one of the TSR bosses about being a contributor but the details are lost in the swirls of time.  I think it was before TS2 though.

Of all paysites, TSR is the absolute worst! They are like Teadrinker said, a Black Hole sucking more and more of the community into itself with no escape.

I was asked once a few years ago as well. I think they read that I had hosting problems and saw their chance. But I declared to them that I would rather go offline than be a part of their site...

I'm starting to regret now that I said no, I mean, If they're building a monkey army and everything I would like to be a part of it  :?

I think when Seasons come out a lot of people are going to have to upgrade their PCS, whether its cards, memory, etc. rom the conversation I have had with my friend on this blue screen issue, he feels that there is something going on more with a game software issue, that we will continually have to keep CC levels small etc. Next time I talk to him I hope to be explain this better. My point is that I think what is going on with paks, and people probably having to upgrade, probably wont be able to play all paks with seasons with very little CC. So enthusiasm is going to flag here for CC, so that may take a toll on these places. And then we know after Seasons, EA will probabl release more stuff paks between next EP.

That sounds like rather unjustified speculation to me, regarding needing to cut down CC. On my old computer, Sims 2 used to take half an hour to load. On my shiny new computer, it takes about 5 minutes, as well as running far more smoothly, and I have more CC than before. So, yeah, whatever.

Yay for another new crappy featured fartist.

TSR does suck, like most of the FA's, they are hardly worth the money + the time submitting something  :D

I highly doubt it. Although Sims 2 is far more resource demanding than Sims 1 was, demand for CC was stronger than ever when Makin' Magic, the final EP for it came out. And TS1 even had a CC limit, of 3Gb, I think...or was it 3.5? And from what I know, a very large proportion of players are more than willing to spend howeer much to upgrade their PC, just so they can run the latest EP AND keep all their pretties...so I ery much doubt demand will abate...

3.8 gb - I had to get very complex and start packing things in .far files.   :lol:  They said unlimited space for cc. WRONG!

Now I have CEP, Squinge's mod for OFB napping (would get Pescado's if I could get his site) and the Insimenator - like a good girl.

Wait. Do they get paid for joining? Because I don't know about you guys but it seems that some of the people speaking out against paysites are joining TSR? What? I mean they do know that if they become an FA their stuff will be pay right? Oh yea and if they post it on their are they still allowed to post it on different sites for free? Or is that -looks around and whispers- FORBIDDEN ? :roll:  Woo Im confused

Confused by your post Red. Explain what you are asking.

I knew that Jirka would become an FA.

Of course the people that become FA's know that their creations will become pay. It's all in the job. From what I hear the FA's make deals with Tom to post their creations elsewhere. Windkeeper and SimAddict come to mind in that regard.

I'm saying do the artist that become FA's on TSR get paid to be FA's? I mean i know they get the whole free sub thing or what ever but is that all? >.> Also If they post an object on TSR (ie a living room set) can they post that same living room set on say...MTS2? Or does TSR have a problem With that?

<.< Just wanna be the first too let you guys know  :oops: that if i had any talent with meshing and creating and i was really good... I wouldn't EVER become a TSR FA I mean come on. You see everyone b****in' about how paysites are not right and then you go and create for one? Are you just wanting to get tarred feathered and beaten? =]

Lots Of Love

Red

Red that was clearer, the FA are paid from what i understand. The free content, I have seen them post in more than one place. Its supposed to give a one month free subscription too.

So some of the FA pay things could show up for free on MTS2 (just an example site) if they creator wanted the content to?

I'm sorry i just don't understand how TSR operates but i do detect a bit of shadiness. TSR seems to me more like they are sneaking around....like any moment they may get caught breaking the rules, but maybe that just me.



 If we do decide to do this i get the first smack with a base ball bat =] My idea -.- well im the first one to TYPE it any way   :D

If I remember correctly, Seomi turned it down as well. I think her reasons were that she didn't update often enough and liked being able to do things at her own pace. I could be mistaken though.

I must really suck, TSR never offered me the chance to turn down being a FA. :P

At first they offer you 10 dollars per 10.000 downloads, and 300 dollars max per months when you start out as an FA.
Then, you can get bonusses for most downloaded, best creations, etc etc so there is some competition among the FA's. This is monthly if I understood it right.

Then there's people that get offered more because they make stuff that is very wanted. One person I know got offered 300 dollars to completely close down their site and become an FA.

I told an FA about this and she was very pissed off. Seems like not every FA gets all info on what's going on.

No way liegenschonheit - your work is too good for TSR - but if you want them to come calling, just put up a sob story at Digital Perversion - they'll come a knocking.

$300 to close down a site doesnt seem like any reason for another artist to get mad? Well is that all they paid 2S2. i'd laugh at em, and say no deal at $300. I liked 2s2.

FULL RANT MODE:

1. Some of those creators are grown men and women. They can easily get jobs and make more than 300 dollars. Right? I mean spend the time you use making CC to go to college or something and get a good job. Now don't get me wrong i think its nice that they make CC but I mean come on...I have a job (whine mode) and if i can get a job trust me ANYONE can. And Omg TEN dollars for 10,000 d/l? Wow these people. I mean if i was going to even give to a donation site(as in putting my creations up for sale) i'd want more than $1 for evey 1,000 d/l. Um some of these paysites out here make 2.50 - 5 dollars for one item/set. I'd either be pissed and complainin' or pissed and takin' all my s**t to my own site.

2. TSR is wrong for not informing ALL of their FA's about this business of them paying certain artists money for these things.

3. What in the hell is wrong with these people? They have proof that TSR is doing stuff behind their backs but do they quit you know maybe boy cott or what ever? No. They take it. Um Does TSR have a new kind of mind control machine?  :roll: Think they might let me borrow it?

RANT MODE: OFF

:D I'm Done

You can't have it, HChangeri needs it much worse than you do.

Awww Naw I'll get it. Although she'll probably put it up on a site and charge me 200 dollars for it? But i'll get it one way or another =]

Wonder if TSR will be offering to buy this (http://www.mysims2resource.com/) site out?

I don't know if the name was a conscious decision or not.  Totally free at the moment.

The donations there are a little strange.  It brings up PayPal in a frame, but it looks not quite right and I stopped before entering my password.  Before donating make sure that really is Paypal who is getting  your info.

It is paypal. Just linked inside the frame.

edit: unless paypalobjects.com is not the real thing?

Heh, I was just being glib. I think the reason I've never been offered to be an FA at TSR is because for one my stuff really isn't mainstream enough, and two, I don't make meshes.

I already do have a sob story up on Digital Perversion, but sadly, it's true. Also, as Nouk undoubtedly knows, people in this community are very generous and willing to help out when not being coerced. In a day or so, I've received about half of what I need in donations. It's really just amazing, and I'd never even think about screwing those kind of people over for something as shitty as TSR.

Well, alot of artists figure: if I can make some money for my hobby, not having to maintain my own site, and still have a cute minisite, then why not?

Apologies for two conversations in one thread.



If you put www dot paypalobjects dot com into your address bar, it redirects to paypal.com, the official paypal site.

We can see that subscriptions for TSR have dropped. :roll: Boo hoo hoo. I hope they won't get more customers.

Yes i know what your saying(that the artist say) But they can make MORE money by getting a job or maintaining their own site. If they got a job they wouldn't have to worry about waiting to see when people decide to d/l their stuff  and give them their "paychecks" Wouldn't you find it annoying to always have to wonder everyday if someone is going to download from the site you give ur creations to so that they can give you a measly 10 dollars(or 300 dollars for the good little creators <3) so you can feed ur starvin chilluns?  :wink:  And then you have to wait for 10 THOUSAND people to download your thing

Sorry if I'm getting a little carried away with this but it just does not make sense to me.

RedLove, you're right, a grown person creating TS2 content and charging for it as their main job doesn't make sense. However, the less crazy ones create in their leisure time, and they might figure that if they're going to be creating anyway, why not make some extra cash off of it, especially if all they have to do is upload the stuff and profit.

I totally agree but both we all know there are some people on here who just use paysites as their main source of income. Thats mainly who my rant was at =] but I'm all calm now WOOSAHHHH

...oh, now that's just tragic. I hope the upper tier creators are getting more than that.  A lot more.
Otherwise, that's 30 single-month subscriptions to Peggy. Or four people buying everything from Rose.

It certainly doesn't seem worth it to chuck your personal do-as-you-please site to be just another file folder at TSR.

I think things have changed a lot since TSR began. I've got no sympathy whatsoever to the new, bought-out FA's, but I think some of the older ones just don't want all the drama of leaving. It's not like they could take their creations with them anyway.

Edited because I hit enter too soon.

I agree.

There have been a lot of changes at TSR over the time they have been open,  I was browsing their news archives today.

On 23 May 2001  Steve Bonham announced.

'Unlike other sites, we won't charge for access.' Among other things.

On 19 Aug 2001 Steve Bonham announced.

The simsresource is now providing 3 CD's of CC available @$11.95 each.
Or, £29.95 for all three.  

11 Jan 2002  Steve Bonham announced.

They were introducing a subscription option to provide a better service.  

17 Jan 2002 Steve Bonham announced.

The member area has been launched, for all those who want to subscribe, for the added benefits.


*These are only snippets I saved while browsing all the TSR news.  The one that stood out for me was the first one, where he said he won't charge for access.

Anyone can access the news archives, I saved screencaps of the ones I have mentioned though, in case anyone wants them.

No one talks much about SimSlice, but actually they are one of the worst offenders.  Their subscription is pretty high, and until you subscribe you can't read the forums so you have no idea whether or not people are having problems with the objects.   You have to pay up blind.

I don't talk about SimSlice because I've never had even a passing fancy for anything on there. It looks like useless junk that could royally screw up the game.

It *IS* useless junk that could royally screw up your game. I've dissected the stuff. It's worse than even the Maxis code much of it is cobbled from.

Thank you Inge for bringing up SimSlice.  I can show these pictures of actual content from that site:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/eccentric_violinist/simslice-sims2-skins-Glacius42-tige.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/eccentric_violinist/simslice-ts2-walls-Simslice-FlyingE.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/eccentric_violinist/simslicefloors.gif)

Because every sim wants desktop wallpaper on their walls and My-First-Website-style backgrounds on their floors :roll:  
And these are just textures.   If they were like Pescado, brilliant hackers just lacking in the Skills of an Artist, it might be forgivable.  But clearly that's not the case...


[edited to fix poor sentence structure and improve clarity]

Clearly they've gone to the Carla Niven College of Photoshop.  But still a C+ student.. *sigh*

They basically package up Maxis cheats as objects. Like, thanks, but I could do the same exact shit w/ boolprop and pay zilch!

Anyone who actually pays for their junk is retarded.

Those items from SimSlice made me eyes bleed.

It occured to me to play around with the numbers TSR provides.
I'm making assumptions based on scale, and prefer to go low rather than high, but you can do your own figures quite easily.
In fact, please do- I'm dyslexic, and numbers are not always my friends.

For entertainment purposes only!

There are 51 FAs right now.
We've been provided with the scale of $300 a month. It's a safe figure to use for our purposes, as some make more, but some make less. We'll assume for this that all the little FAs make their max each month (Oh, how we assume).

That's a potential payout of $15,300 per month.
Knocking off a month for fairness, that's $168,300 in 11 months.

$429,500 is 10,000 downloaders, if you give them all the cheapest subscription option ($42.95 for a year).

Logic Intrusion :
We all know the number of subscription members must be many times higher than this, otherwise the FAs would need every single member to download all their objects each month. We also know that most people will pay the higher fees, or won't be recurring members.
But as we haven't been provided real paid member numbers, we shall pretend TSR has exactly twice that number of constant members, all at the same rate.
The figure will be lower than the reality, but better too low than too high.
: End Logic Intrusion.

Doubled, that's $859,000 a year in subscription fees. $168,300 of that goes to FAs.

That's just depressing.

For entertainment purposes only! Do not try to use as actual TSR sales figures!


Yes, I do feel bad for the old FAs. Especially since I suspect they're some of the ones getting screwed in pay-rates.

But for the new FAs, holy hell.
Flip over for $300 max a month, with that many downloads required per $10? For this people are signing over their CC and all their other creator's freedoms?

Man, if you're going to sell out, at least do it properly.

That payement to FA,s while making TSR "ethically" fairer, makes it even further from EA's EULA I would have thought.  It's become a complete industry!

Sad thing about SimSlice is, they used to be pretty good, back in the TS1 days, when they were freeeeeee. Or at least, they seemed good...

They seemed better in the TS1 days b/c blatant cheating in TS1 actually made the game more fun, not less. And now that the game itself has changed, they've still stuck to the same hack model, and that's why they've become hopelessly irrelevant.

Seems to me that half of what creators/babies whine about is no one appreciating their artistry. At TSR they have the newbies treating them like little kings & queens for a day. I wonder how much coddling they get from the staff. To listen to what people who couldn't get stuff onto the site tell it, it can't be with the kid gloves some creators seem to think they deserve.

That said, I can hardly get stuff into a folder much less make anything.

Back in TS1 I HAD to have the rejuvination shower/chamber from Simslice.  HAD to.  I had a couple of other gadgets from simslice but the rejuv chamber made the whole site worth it.

That said>  My favorite TS1 hacked object of all time was the "Flaming Mo"  I set more ugly children on fire than I care to count :)

Well, the killin' of the chillins is half the fun.  :twisted:

Theres a lot of money for sure these places are making. I dont think FA are making that much unless its $300 or more an item. $300 a month, I would stick to doing it for free. I could see however as a young teen like FP thinking its good pay, but not an adult, especially when the guys running the site are making a bundle. If you look at all  the people running TSR they are making a good living off sim fans. 8)