Article about paysites and EA

[Anouk]

Some questions about this article and the website, if you know, please answer.

- Is the writer anyone on this forum, or is she independant?
*Edit: She is a free creator, but I don't know for wich website
- Is this site popular, more mainstream?
*Edit: This is a self upload site, anyone over 18 can upload content.

Because if she is indeed independant, and the site is fairly popular, maybe more gamesites will be picking up on this. More attention to the paysite issue is bad for EA, so maybe they'll do something if this picks up.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/528429/why_wont_ea_take_down_illegal_sims.html

If this is independant, I urge you to contact her and tell her about:

- EA letting paysites sell branded items and not taking any responsibility
- The possible implications of their actions
- Any info that has not been talked about yet by her, send it to her
- The fact that numerous people have contacted EA by phone, have sent letters to directors, etc, and if you are one of those people, mention it to her!
- Legal information

Time to sharpen our pitchforks again and involve some media.

Thanks

*Edit: In the end it's not a huge deal. But if we can contact some game websites with this kind of information, it can help the cause. Someone in for another campaign?

[Markus]

I only just discovered that site over the holidays, so I don't know too much about it.

It's a freelance journalism news site. Bookmarked it because I was interested in maybe doing some pieces for them. Great place for an article about paysites, more people will be able to read about it.

There is an interview with the creator from All About Style on there too. Not sure if it was conducted by the same person though.

[euterpe]

Never heard of this publication which surprises me, 'cause I'm an on- and off-line news junkie.

One sentence in the article is (slightly) misleading referring to PMBD:  "They take content from Sims 2 paysites and update it to their site so all users can download freely, causing many paysite owners to lose business."

We don't take it, we buy it and redistribute it free.  That makes us sound like thieves, not honest pirates.

<puts out a plate of free homemade cookies next to the rum>

[Anouk]

I've invited her over to talk about it and give her more info for maybe future publications... I hope she's interrested.

So, anyone interrested in contacting some specific online gaming magazines about this? Or are you only here to complain and download?  :wink:

[SparklePlenty]

I've invited her over to talk about it and give her more info for maybe future publications... I hope she's interrested.

So, anyone interrested in contacting some specific online gaming magazines about this? Or are you only here to complain and download?  :wink:

Actually, she is our newest member. Hope she posts soon, so you guys can discuss with her. I will just watch for now.  :lol:

[Markus]

If it doesn't pan out with her PM me. I'm more than willing to do some free site articles and interviews.

[aeolson]

Hello!  I guess I'm here to 'clear the mist', so to speak:

- Associated Content is a freelance journalism site, correct.  You need other credentials in order for work with them (knowledge of SEO and writing web-specific content) however.

- Associated Content is a high-traffic site, but it is fairly new.  It didn't really rise into popularity until late 2006-2007.

- I only know of this site from the WCIF section at modthesims2.

I'd be interested in any other information, especially information specific to certain sites (like Peggy's, which inspired me to write that article).  I think that would have the greatest impact and controversy.

[Plum]

Has anyone mentioned that other gaming communities would not allow this to go on?  My eyes are only half-mast.

HI AEOLSON!  You are kind of awesome.  We will help you make your article more awesome, and then we will pimp it out.

[Paden]

Hi, aeolson, and welcome! We'll do our best to answer questions from our own side of the fence and set the record straight from our experience. One misconception is that the files hosted here at the booty site are stolen or what people call pirated. Nope. They've been paid for with hard-earned cash and the people who paid for them then donate them to PMBD for sharing with other Sims 2 players.

From everything we've ever heard from EA Games, file sharing is fine and dandy and they've never attached the caveat that the files we share can only be content that was gotten for free. From the wording given to us, the sharing of free files and pay files is good and encouraged.

There are many people here on this site and each one has a reason of their own for being here. Some are against making profit from something the pay sites don't own, like the .pkg file that was invented and copyrighted by said game company. It infringes upon the company's rights.

Others are against the idea of making a profit upon the backs of another company, like using the McDonald's or Disney's logo on content that to be honest, is really poor quality. Again, they're making profit that they have no right to make.

Some are into this fight because, well, they just like to fight against people that don't have a clue that they don't have a legal or moral leg to stand on when it comes to this issue. There are so many layers and sublayers to this debate, at least from our point of view that you're going to have to talk to many people to get a clear idea of what's going on.

We are a community within a community on some level, though. We want everyone to be able to have content that expands our game play, looks good and doesn't bork our games. Sadly, much of the paysite content fails to reach these goals because much of it is sheer, unadulterated crap. As long as sites that demand payment exist, we'll fight. No other gaming community permits this, so why should we?

There are awesome creators that give away their content, you can find them all around! Totally and one hundred percent free, not even asking for much beyond a thanks and lots of times, not even that. Check them out, they're worth looking at!

And some are like Pescado and like MOAR FIGHT and causing butthurt to arrogant psy site owners. How do we know they're arrogant? Easy, they come here and scream at us and prove it!

[Poisonthemonkey]

Some of us are here because we're just plain cheap.  :wink:

[JFederated]

I recommend perusing the hundred-some page thread Your Ugliest Paysite Finds on the Arr? board for some perspective on paysite 'quality'.  Start from the last page and work backwards...the Buntah stuff alone will make you laugh to keep from screaming (or, as I do, both).  And the never-dying Carla Niven Must Be Destroyed thread in all it's gruesome glory (that particular site has one of the more expensive pay plans, if memory serves).

I read your article, well done and good on ya for tackling it, but Paden's advice to amend the phrase 'take custom content' to 'purchase and freely share custom content' is very important for accuracy's sake.  

I read some comments to your article, one in particular stood out:

"I guess I can understand both sides. Firstly they ask for a donation, but if it is illegal to do so, I wonder if you emailed the site owner and let them know you dont have the money to donate, I wonder if any would be kind enough to give it away for free...doubtful, but worth a shot. Second... user created content could take hours to create. I know if I made something creative, Id want payment as well. But.... like you said, the TOS says they cannot make paysites.... so.... its in limbo. If all of a sudden all paysites were free, who the hell would want to create content? Honestly, the quality of content would suck, and take a huge dip. You think some of the textures are bad now, imagine if they were free? I do not want these sites to go away, because with it goes their content, and quality of work, which is hard work; like it or not. Yes some of peggysims things suck, and fool the eye on the pc, but 90% of her content is really frigging good."

My bold.  Whether the poster is blowing smoke or not (or inhaling something - 'peggysims things suck' but it's still worth paying for?!), that warped, ignorant, overall belief is still held by too many people in the sims community, and it is a total affront to all the free creators/modders/innovators great and small, as is any assumption that if paystuff is forced out of the community for good there will be nothing left.

To quote an esteemed colleague or two here at PMBD:  Bitch, please...

EA is lazy and blithe and has zero impetus to enforce its own EULA as it makes money on the game one way or another.  They pay lip service to the customer base about the 'benefit to the community' - the community in which they've allowed an environment of gamers fleecing their fellow gamers to flourish.  They suck...

Man, I hate EA today!   :x   They're crapping on one of my favorite pasttimes.  Ticks me off.

[Pineapplebrain]

I've invited her over to talk about it and give her more info for maybe future publications... I hope she's interrested.

So, anyone interrested in contacting some specific online gaming magazines about this? Or are you only here to complain and download?  :wink:

I'm interested. But how do we go about this contacting business? Should we just kind of forward the article onto them, along with other information that has been contacted? And I don't read gaming magazines, so I'm not sure who to contact. But I would like to help!

[aeolson]

Paden, my statement in the article wasn't meant to be interpreted that way.  I didn't mean take content as stealing content, and if it sounded that way, I apologize for that.  Although I can't re-edit it to make the point more clearer (that's an issue on AC's part), I can always do a follow-up article to clarify.

My biggest issue is actually with Peggy for lots of reasons.  Back when I was new to the whole 'custom content' thing, I was referred to Peggy and thought her stuff was great -- almost thought it was worth it to 'donate'.  Then when I downloaded the content and installed it, it didn't look as good in the game -- thought that content was supposed to be that way.  I didn't think you could get great quality content without paying, so I would peruse TSR and Peggy's site, thinking that's how EA designed it.  Thankfully when I found modthesims2 a while later, I learned that it didn't have to be that way (thanks to Ms. Bergkvist and Alkaloid).

That's a big issue.  Tonnes of other people probably follow that same belief and pay to get the content, thinking that's what they have to settle for.  They don't even know that this is illegal and it's not right for them, the paysite creators, or on EA's part.

If this can be addressed and brought to a bigger audience, it helps educate the masses.  Paysite owners lose customers, they close their sites.  EA may never change how they address this issue, but if paysite owners know that people will never download their content because they have the booty or places to get great quality content, they'll have to close down.

Anyways, to my main point: if someone could share with me personal experiences/stories about dealing with paysite owners -- like buying content and being less quality, contacting the owner and the owner decides to ban you, for example -- it would help a lot with spreading the word.  I'm especially interested in anything related with Peggy, since she's one of the biggest paysite owners with tonnes of traffic (plus the numerous problems with her content!).

(I'm not familiar with a lot of the paysite owners, so if there are other controversial stories surrounding other paysite owners...I'm game.)

[Markus]

Here's some more threads you should definitely check out:

http://phorum.mustnotbenamed.com/viewtopic.php?t=192

The original TSR thread

http://phorum.mustnotbenamed.com/viewtopic.php?t=1085

Thread about Jan/Charlotte/Sybil. She had a site called Main Street Sims and stole stuff from several free creators(some of whom go on here), and sold it as her own. If you read this, be sure to make some popcorn.

I'm new to the community, and don't know a lot, but if you want help don't hesitate to PM me.

[ADCO_Tae]

Welcome, aeolson.

You should also check this thread.

Carla Niven must be destroyed!
http://phorum.mustnotbenamed.com/viewtopic.php?t=5

She/he stole this one from Peggy and make it uglier.


These 2 use alpha of a dress I made when I was an FA at TSR and that dress is so crappy that I ask TSR to delete it along with other crappy things I made.




I know that shading on black cloth is quit hard, but this is not and accuse to make this.



It is so obviously that there is no word like 'quality' in her dictionary.


Did you know about the POSER meshes ?
More detail at
http://forums.sims2community.com/showpost.php?p=698385&postcount=310
Rose Pay and TSR
XMsims
Peggy Pay
Peggy Pay
TSR, Peggy, Rose, and others
XMsim and Peggy Special Gift
Various pays from Peggy and Rose, as well as XMsims
XMsims