Official Survey: They're going to sell individual downloads!?WTF?!

[Dr House]

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.

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.

[calalily]

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.

Ok... now I understand the difference! It's a DUH moment for me Thank you for helping clear that up for me.

I don't know why I was not figuring this out earlier... Oh, maybe cause I hadn't had my coffee yet when I posted

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

MOAR coffee.

[Ruloi]

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.

[falln_angel]

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 which introduced the idea of "The Sims 2 Store" and asked for input. Question #9 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 consists mainly of walls and floors, as well as arches, mirrors, rugs and wall hangings. Category two 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 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 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, how I acquired the EPs and SPs I have, and why I bought the EPs and SPs I have. 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 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 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.

Question #29 (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 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 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 more 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. (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 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.

[deelink]

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.

[Dr House]

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
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 ^^

[Ruloi]

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 is 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.

[missangelica]

Then we went back to the TS2 Store idea with questions 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 about what online game/virtual/etc. community I've been active in over the past few months

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.

[Requip]

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. 

[falln_angel]

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.

[redisenchanted]

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

[BlueMeh]

(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? )

*Passes rum*

[Saraswati]

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..

[Kragey]

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.

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.

[calalily]

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

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 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..

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.

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.

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