The Beginning of the End?

[DGLita]

<blockquote><hr>

I think before people take the time to cause alot of useless drama with drivel threads like these, they need to think about EA Land from a simple business standpoint.

Would EA puts its name, its time, and some of its veteran employees on a project they are willing to drop on a whim? You don't know EA very well do you. The company takes very little risk without guaranteed reward, they are not known to be fly by night or to start projects they don't intend to give a good run at. The old TSO was Maxis' fault for the majority, and now EA is trying to turn the engine it has into a profitable venture to compete with games like Second Life.

[/ QUOTE ]

My post is not conjecture, it is based on FACT. I have researched this and done the figures. I think I know EA will not support a game that does not make them money.

You summed it up very well 'The company takes very little risk without guaranteed reward'. EA have not made the money they needed to from TSO in the past 5 years.

How are they going to compete with the likes of SL when at peak time they have no more that 1300 - 1400 players total on both servers? I havnt made these numbers up and I dont think 4 or 5000 members were on lots not in the top 100 list.

As someone else stated, the online game they looked at had 40,000 players online right now, with 400,000 in the past week.

If you take those figures and apply it to EALand, then you are looking at something like 13 to 14,000 in the week (almost the entire membership) and they have 40,000 online right now. Its not a pretty picture is it

 

[Guest]

I played this game during beta and at it's time was an amazing game to come out. The fact that several SEVERAL beta players have returned says something. In all honesty, the game hasn't changed much since 2002, but I like it that way. I like how small it is, I don't need 5,000 kids under the age of 14 running around on EA Land trying to have cybersex, screaming in houses typing nonsense for attention, and causing problems. I'd rather have 500-1000 mature teens and adults enjoying the game, making friends, and having fun.

You have to realize that this game was never given a lot of hype. During beta you would see ads on the back of The Sims expansion packs but nothing really in magazines, or tv, nothing like that. But you see commercials, tons of magazine ads, things like that for all other online games. This game became popular based on word of mouth basically! And for that I think the numbers are very good!

Stop overthinking this, it's a game! It's something that people have the choice to pay for! If you aren't paying for this, why on earth are you causing all this drama over it? If you are paying for this, and you're going to complain, perhaps you should find another game to play and stop upsetting free players, people who might want to come in, and people who aren't wanting to see 'The end is near!" I think if this game were to ever come NEAR ending, they'd give PLENTY of warning first as to see the players reactions and see if the game should continue and I doubt very seriously at this point with the continue of strong long-term players they would end it for good.

DGLita - get a life whether it be on here or a new game or in real life because this is not something people want to hear, or even care about at this point. We come to enjoy this game, not hear about how it doesn't stand up to others. If I wanted to know how HL or other games were, I'd go play them, but I don't. I play The Sims Online/EA Land and I FREAKING LOVE IT!!!!

 

[Shyanne1]

<blockquote><hr>

you do, for competely ignoring the rest of my post that addresses the issue.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually I ignored it on purpose. I don't think that posting that people who start posts to voice concerns mean that they are spouting a bunch of drivel, is that what you called it. The OP has some legitamate points and concerns and stating that people are creating drama based on nothing is wrong. I was just pointing that out.

 

[Shyanne1]

<blockquote><hr>


DGLita - get a life whether it be on here or a new game or in real life because this is not something people want to hear, or even care about at this point. We come to enjoy this game, not hear about how it doesn't stand up to others. If I wanted to know how HL or other games were, I'd go play them, but I don't. I play The Sims Online/EA Land and I FREAKING LOVE IT!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Possibly the free players that we are upseting, according to you, might find this post disturbing? I think you need to check your posts before you press submit because this has got to be the rudest post to another player that I've seen so far. For someone that has 11 posts you need to learn about online posting and etiquette before I'd post again if I were you.

 

[Guest]

How on earth is that rude? To tell someone to stop worrying so much about whether or not a game will get shut down and just learn to enjoy it is not rude in the slightest. And just because I have 11 posts does not mean I don't pay attention on here. I see people all the time calling each other names, insulting each other's intelligence and all I've said is for this person to stop creating posts that at this point are not doing anything but causing negativity, upsetting others, and might possibly even be running of potential new players, which doesn't help her numbers.

I swear people are way to sensitive when it comes to this game.

 

[DGLita]

<blockquote><hr>


DGLita - get a life whether it be on here or a new game or in real life because this is not something people want to hear, or even care about at this point. We come to enjoy this game, not hear about how it doesn't stand up to others. If I wanted to know how HL or other games were, I'd go play them, but I don't. I play The Sims Online/EA Land and I FREAKING LOVE IT!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

I have also played since Beta, I have 6 accounts that cost me $60 a month and I love this game. I really love this game. But loving the game does not blind me to the facts.

EA are not a charity, if this game does not make them money then they will close it down. They have given Luc and his team a final blast at turning it around. A final chance.

The players are unhappy with the way it is turning out, that is very apparent.

The Devs have lost sight of what the players really want, they want a fun game where they can make money and build their houses. Everything the devs have done recently fly in the face of this.

Unhappy players will leave, and the happy players will soon have no game to play.

You dont want to hear the facts or even care about them, thats fine, go ahead and bury your head in the sand. Turn the lights out before you leave.

 

[DGLita]

<blockquote><hr>

How on earth is that rude? To tell someone to stop worrying so much about whether or not a game will get shut down and just learn to enjoy it is not rude in the slightest. And just because I have 11 posts does not mean I don't pay attention on here. I see people all the time calling each other names, insulting each other's intelligence and all I've said is for this person to stop creating posts that at this point are not doing anything but causing negativity, upsetting others, and might possibly even be running of potential new players, which doesn't help her numbers.

I swear people are way to sensitive when it comes to this game.

[/ QUOTE ]

How many negative posts have i created?

My post is about fact, not conjecture.

 

[jammybob]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>


DGLita - get a life whether it be on here or a new game or in real life because this is not something people want to hear, or even care about at this point. We come to enjoy this game, not hear about how it doesn't stand up to others. If I wanted to know how HL or other games were, I'd go play them, but I don't. I play The Sims Online/EA Land and I FREAKING LOVE IT!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

I have also played since Beta, I have 6 accounts that cost me $60 a month and I love this game. I really love this game. But loving the game does not blind me to the facts.

EA are not a charity, if this game does not make them money then they will close it down. They have given Luc and his team a final blast at turning it around. A final chance.

The players are unhappy with the way it is turning out, that is very apparent.

The Devs have lost sight of what the players really want, they want a fun game where they can make money and build their houses. Everything the devs have done recently fly in the face of this.

Unhappy players will leave, and the happy players will soon have no game to play.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly, why worry about the effect of negative posts on new players, if the old ones are leaving because nothing is being addressed in the game?
I don't understand this "negativity" tag. Its NOT negative to point out problems, its a positive attempt to get our voices heard.
What exactly does sitting back and saying everythings fine when it plainly isnt achieving?
I'll tell you what it will achieve......The end of the game SOME of us are fighting to keep viable

 

[Guest]

Yes but why do you feel you have to alert everyone of this drastic event? Why can't you just enjoy the time you have on the game and not worry about when it might end? Now EA will probably be swamped with e-mails of frantic players wanting to know if they should possibly:

A. Even bother becoming a paying member if the game will shut down.
B. If they can get refunded for a game that wont continue to be around.
C. Complaints about why they were never informed of a possible game termination why someone on a forum had to announce it.


You have to think about others too. And the age groups that play this game are getting younger and will take this in a more dramatic sense. Please just, stop freaking out over something not happening now, go play the game, enjoy it, have fun with it, meet new people make new friends go work something! Stop bringing this up when right now there is no need for it. Let others enjoy this game as it is, not as something we have to grip onto just incase tomorrow its ripped away.

 

[DGLita]

<blockquote><hr>

Yes but why do you feel you have to alert everyone of this drastic event? Why can't you just enjoy the time you have on the game and not worry about when it might end? Now EA will probably be swamped with e-mails of frantic players wanting to know if they should possibly:

A. Even bother becoming a paying member if the game will shut down.
B. If they can get refunded for a game that wont continue to be around.
C. Complaints about why they were never informed of a possible game termination why someone on a forum had to announce it.


You have to think about others too. And the age groups that play this game are getting younger and will take this in a more dramatic sense. Please just, stop freaking out over something not happening now, go play the game, enjoy it, have fun with it, meet new people make new friends go work something! Stop bringing this up when right now there is no need for it. Let others enjoy this game as it is, not as something we have to grip onto just incase tomorrow its ripped away.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hecate, just go play the game while you can, you are wasting valuable game play time reading somthing here that upsets you so much. If you dont want to be faced with the facts then great, go play and have fun

 

[Guest]

<font color="red"> General Warning to the thread</font color=red>

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Please try to stay on the topic of this thread, which is the possible end of the game.

Thank you.

 

[Krystal Bell]

<blockquote><hr>

My understanding from talking to people in TC3 is that EA Land's numbers have gone down, but that is due to the unwillingness of players to weather the storm so to speak and hold out hope for what is in store for those of us that do stick it out. As I see it, the future of this game is at least 50% in our own hands. If we give up on the game, then the devs will be financially justified in giving up on us like they could have in June of last year. We've been given a second chance and some people are just throwing it away, and by extension putting the rest of us that do still enjoy the game in danger of losing that game. Everybody wants to put it all on EA and say they're not doing this, or they waited to long to do that, or they want it exactly like they want it or they are going to walk. In my experience in RL you only get what you give so if people are willing to walk off and give up that fast, how can any of those people expect much more than that in return? But nonetheless even with all the flack the devs have caught here and on the blog (which again to their credit EA has let most of the criticism stay there, when they ran the boards before most of the negative stuff was dismissed out of hand and deleted if people remember) they are still doing everything they can do to make this game enjoyable to us and profittable to them at the same time. Every person that walks out decreases their budget a little bit at a time, so given that I don't see how anybody can expect them to make something out of very little. You can't build a skyscraper on a thousand dollar USD budget, so with that analogy how is the devs supposed to make this game reach all the potential it started with when they had a shoestring budget to begin with and people that walk out with their multiple accounts making that shoestring even more thin? Can anybody give a sensible answer to that question other than "Let EA shuffle some money from one of their best selling games to the EA Land budget" since that ain't gonna happen?

[/ QUOTE ]

I dont personally think that "future of this game is at least 50% in our own hands" it never has been. We are at the mercy of the devs and what they want to do to this game. We have been fooled into the falsehood of giving our wants and wishes for this game which so far I havent seen come to light. This game was on its way out years ago and simply because EA gave up on us and stopped doing updates. That's why mainly why people left due to boredom and thats why they are leaving again. You cant expect that people are going to find this game fun if the devs keep uping the way we can make money. People are fed up with playing a game that is worse than real life. Real life is depressing enough without spending hours upon hours trying to earn a few measly pennies in a game. A game should be fun and take your mind off the real world and all of its problems and so far the devs dont see this. As long as they dont this game will continue to fade away one player at a time.

I personally cant even bring myself to log in since my sister Bindy has been ill. I find it so boring and not the fun game it was even a few months ago. I could care less about being able to buy money from EA I wished they had left the casinos in the game because that was the biggest fun for me and I know it was for many others. As far as Im concerned as long as EA and the devs dont give us some fun things to do in this game its done and over with. I have enough rl problems to worry about I dont need to add in game financal worries, etc to it. I come to play, laugh and in general have a good time. Honestly I had more fun before the devs came back to "fix" the game and the economy, etc. Now its just another job instead of a game and a lot of people feel the same way.

Its a terrible lose and a shame that the devs cant see FUN is needed more than anything else at this point. They are so into the CC aspect of the game and for a lot of people CC is not FUN its just another money aspect. We need FUN until that is accomplished the game is done, time to find something else entertaining, which is very sad indeed.

 

[Guest]

I play and look at forums at the same time. Multi-tasking, very fun! lol.

 

[jammybob]

<blockquote><hr>

Yes but why do you feel you have to alert everyone of this drastic event? Why can't you just enjoy the time you have on the game and not worry about when it might end? Now EA will probably be swamped with e-mails of frantic players wanting to know if they should possibly:

A. Even bother becoming a paying member if the game will shut down.
B. If they can get refunded for a game that wont continue to be around.
C. Complaints about why they were never informed of a possible game termination why someone on a forum had to announce it.


You have to think about others too. And the age groups that play this game are getting younger and will take this in a more dramatic sense. Please just, stop freaking out over something not happening now, go play the game, enjoy it, have fun with it, meet new people make new friends go work something! Stop bringing this up when right now there is no need for it. Let others enjoy this game as it is, not as something we have to grip onto just incase tomorrow its ripped away.

[/ QUOTE ]

See, that's just the sort of attitude i was referring to

Lets all put our heads in the sand and wait for the game to die....
If you say you love the game, then you would fight for something to change so that it would survive in the long term.
Your peception that theres no need for posts like this now is soooooo wrong in my opinion. People are closing their accounts everyday and it doesnt seem to bother you.
If you read the forums, you will see peoples concerns about the game. You may not agree with them, you might think the game is perfect as it is, but you are not I assure you in the majority.
The more poeple are ignoring the complaints that customers bring up, the quicker the game will go.
Please don't aid its disapearance by trying to stop the voices of the players being heard.

 

[Shyanne1]

<blockquote><hr>

Yes but why do you feel you have to alert everyone of this drastic event? Why can't you just enjoy the time you have on the game and not worry about when it might end? Now EA will probably be swamped with e-mails of frantic players wanting to know if they should possibly:

A. Even bother becoming a paying member if the game will shut down.
B. If they can get refunded for a game that wont continue to be around.
C. Complaints about why they were never informed of a possible game termination why someone on a forum had to announce it.


You have to think about others too. And the age groups that play this game are getting younger and will take this in a more dramatic sense. Please just, stop freaking out over something not happening now, go play the game, enjoy it, have fun with it, meet new people make new friends go work something! Stop bringing this up when right now there is no need for it. Let others enjoy this game as it is, not as something we have to grip onto just incase tomorrow its ripped away.

[/ QUOTE ]

EA and Maxis have been getting emails since the beginning of Beta with these types of questions. It's nothing new. I would like to know if the game is on it's way out or not. I don't think asking hurts anything. The OP isn't stating that the game is ending, she is asking. Personally I think it would be great if we were all wrong and all of a sudden we got a whole bunch of updates. That's what I hope for.

 

[Guest]

I think that it would be wonderful but as someone else mentioned in this thread they are in the process of something much bigger than this game, and so EA Land is not a top priority. I think that we should just be very happy with what we have until they're finished. We can't really rely on stats for this game as a lot of people still have technical issues just logging on and can't get in to play. I think this game has a lot more potential they haven't reached yet, but until they can get everything else straightened out businesswise this is just going to have to wait.

Be patient!

 

[Krystal Bell]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

I just have to say, you all are depressing me to the point I feel like cancelling all my accts with all these doom and gloom posts/threads.

If I feel this way imagine how a person thinking about subscribing feels reading them.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's another good point. I understand being discouraged and depressed with how things are today but every time someone gets ready to post something like this, they need to think of the impact they are having on the overall picture. Even those of us who don't cancel our accounts, if we post stuff like this we very well could inadvertently contribute to a newbie who is considering upgrading their subscription from free to paid to avoid doing it seeing how some of the playerbase feels.

Lita, you are not one to consistently post gloom and doom, I will concede that point, so that comment isn't so much aimed at you as others who constantly post bashing the game or bashing the devs.....but still, even just one negative post could affect someone who is teetering on the edge of one decision or the other. I'm not saying people have to be Molly Sunshine 100% of the time, but in times where there are already so many negative threads floating amongst the few positive ones, I do wish more discretion would be used in adding to the negativity, ya know?

[/ QUOTE ]

Would you rather have people posting and not telling the truth about how they feel just to get others into the game?

Im not fond of spouting doom and gloom but I wont lie to anyone if they as me is this game fun, which as it stands it is not. Its mind numbingly boring and a major pain in the butt to accomplsih anything for sim goals now. There isnt any reason in the world to lie to others just to keep the game alive. Its not like they wont find out for themselves after a few days of playing anyway.

You need to ask yourself is it worth it to lie about a game just to keep it open a few more months? I dont see a future here for EALand if the devs keep going the way they are. Its not the die hard players fault the game is going under its the way the devs are "fixing" the game. Ive played for years and even though we didnt have updates the game was more fun before they came to "fix" it. I wont lie to anyone and have them spend their hard earned money just to keep this game alive, not now anyway maybe before but not now.

Im sorry Carrie I really am, I hoped so much to see them make this game something great again. I hate to see it going down hill. I know they arent finished with it yet but what they have done so far hasnt accomplished a darn thing for making this game fun its only been to make more money for EA which I dont see that happening either.

 

[Shyanne1]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

.....but still, even just one negative post could affect someone who is teetering on the edge of one decision or the other.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think we need to give the player base a little more credit than this. I can't imagine how stating how the game is could send someone over the edge. Why sugarcoat it? As someone said in another post they will find out once they are in the game. From your post it sounds like there should be no negative posts and only happy positive ones. If forums were created just to convey happy thoughts I think they would of died a long time ago. Forums were created so that customers could have a say, negative or positive.

What people have to ask themselves is why there are so many negative posts. Do you think that the people that are so dissapointed in the game would come here just to cause trouble? If the game was fun and new and exciting don't you think we'd be playing the game instead of complaining about it and wondering when it was going to end? I think all of us would be far happier playing the game. The negative posts are there for a reason. More power to the people that are happy with the game and are positive it will survive but don't take away the voices of those that want to see it become what it should be.

 

[imported_Spaghetti Legs]

<blockquote><hr>

<font color="red"> General Warning to the thread</font color=red>

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[/ QUOTE ]

LAST CALL

 

[Guest]

 

[Guest]

GIRL FIGHT

Grabs

 

[imported_Spaghetti Legs]

 

[Guest]

And, yet another one of these threads pops up. -sighs-

 

[ephemeral]

<blockquote><hr>

In case anyone doesn't read or remember the news, EA is in the middle of a $2 billion hostile takeover of Take-Two - makes of the Grand Theft Auto series.


Often times in situations like this (even outside of the gaming industry), a company will halt non-critical activities as it evaluates their new priorities of the combined company (even before the deal is final). It's quite possible Luc and his team are preparing plans and budgets for the suits and aren't able to perform their normal tasks. If that's the case, then it is also highly likely they cannot disclose what they are doing.

This is <u>my</u> opinion based on <u>my</u> experience of having lived through several mergers during my career.

[/ QUOTE ]

I may be completely off track here, but wasn't the EA imposed deadline for the offer 11 April? If so, the "meat" of the planning and prep would have been done in January/February. That is when I would have expected personnel to be pulled off other projects to work on the takeover. Besides, EA is attempting the takeover, not the party being taken over. In my expereince with takeovers, it's the company being taken over that has to do the majority of the scrambling.

Now, where the takeover scenario DOES fit into the picture IMO, is that EA is going to want to cut any excesses out, in order to strengthen their (financial) situation. This means that non-profitable, non-producing projects will be terminated or at least put on the back burner for the duration. I think that it is very possible that the devs for EA-Land have been called off with the intent of ultimately terminating the game.

 

[Guest]

Well somebody got thwacked.

But, I am replying to the Tahiti thing.

Parizid would not go willingly to anything that drags her away from her work. They may have stuffed her in a suitcase but customs probably sent her back.

Also, she is the only one that is paid to deal with the community. She is the one that should be telling us "all is well" The devs are working hard and asked not to be disturbed. Or whatever is the case.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

I may be completely off track here, but wasn't the EA imposed deadline for the offer 11 April?

[/ QUOTE ]
The deadline has been extended into May and the price per share slightly adjusted (due to a stock offering Take-Two is making).

<blockquote><hr>

Now, where the takeover scenario DOES fit into the picture IMO, is that EA is going to want to cut any excesses out, in order to strengthen their (financial) situation. This means that non-profitable, non-producing projects will be terminated or at least put on the back burner for the duration. I think that it is very possible that the devs for EA-Land have been called off with the intent of ultimately terminating the game.

[/ QUOTE ]
All of which may require: "Luc and his team are preparing plans and budgets for the suits and aren't able to perform their normal tasks. "

However, from what I've heard, less than 10% of the Take-Two shares have been tendered.

 

[Terra Pin]

I think I'm probably a 'typical returning player' and this is the perspective from which I post. 2002 I receive TSO as a gift and begin playing. The addiction immediately sets in and I enthusiastically play every day for the next..hmmm... 9 months or so.

At that point I'm still playing regularly but I'm no longer logging in for the 'game' so much as for the people IN the game. By October I've taken my first break from TSO and I don't return until April '04.

I renew, but of course am disappointed that I have lost all my sims, locks, land etc. I persevere and am again playing regularly, making new friends, getting into trouble and having fun. Again, I'm logging in mainly for the people. There are now casinos, crafting comes along and that's a great diversion for a while. Then just as my interest is flagging, DC comes along. Oh how exciting the anticipation of that new city was! The planning, the plotting... and it WAS fun. It'll be like it was in the old days! And it was for the first weeks.

By December I've had it. I've started playing another online game with quests and real progression and LOTS of people at all hours of the day or night. That was the saddest part for me about TSO... losing all my friends one by one, having a hard time finding a lot open, never mind busy, my dark bookmark list and no real goals. Trust me, I'm capable of finding and creating my own fun in a game. I ran a mini-golf course, I've lived in an alien space ship with possibly THE most creative sim I've ever met (he built a 2 story stove in which to bake my teddy bear one day), I built a zoo using every item that even remotely looked animalistic... but there came a point where it was no longer fun, so I quit for good.

March '08 comes along and a dear friend im's me to tell me my beloved BF is being merged, along with all the other cities. He sends me links to the EA-Land info and I am intrigued! I never receive the actual email invite because I no longer use that old email address. I sign in as a free player and start poking around. I read the blogs and find out about amnesty. THIS is exciting news to an old player. We have to make new sims, but the chance to play with our old locks? Sign me up baby! I renew and head over to EA-Land and rediscover my simmy self.

And it IS fun again. Like hauling out an old copy of a beloved game and reinstalling it on the desktop. The familiarity of the gameplay with the added social aspect is nostalgic.

And also a little frustrating. Because after playing for a week I'm back in the old skill/make money cycle and nothing has changed. Except that it's harder to make money, harder to buy items, harder to set up your own lot. And even if you get to that point, harder to get yourself onto the map so other people can come SEE your lot.

As a returning player with no real emotional investment in this game anymore, what I'm seeing is the same old game with a few cosmetic changes. I'm seeing the shift away from it being a game of 'work hard, build up your corner of the sandbox, invite people over to share your idea of play' and into a 'buy your money here and be bigger and better than all the rest!' concept. I feel like I'm being manipulated into spending more rl dollars in order to get the same progression I was able to get years ago. The other option is to make my own the old way but extremely slowly and THAT feels very deliberate on their part.

Anyway, the thought of new fun stuff to do in my very first online game (which will ALWAYS hold a very special spot in my heart) was enough to bring me back. What my actual experience has been... it's not enough to retain me. I will await the amnesty rewards, but after that, unless they have something more up their sleeves than payouts I know my interest will wane and I'll be gone again.

Madra/Mairi

 

[Shyanne1]

<blockquote><hr>

I think I'm probably a 'typical returning player' and this is the perspective from which I post. 2002 I receive TSO as a gift and begin playing. The addiction immediately sets in and I enthusiastically play every day for the next..hmmm... 9 months or so.

At that point I'm still playing regularly but I'm no longer logging in for the 'game' so much as for the people IN the game. By October I've taken my first break from TSO and I don't return until April '04.

I renew, but of course am disappointed that I have lost all my sims, locks, land etc. I persevere and am again playing regularly, making new friends, getting into trouble and having fun. Again, I'm logging in mainly for the people. There are now casinos, crafting comes along and that's a great diversion for a while. Then just as my interest is flagging, DC comes along. Oh how exciting the anticipation of that new city was! The planning, the plotting... and it WAS fun. It'll be like it was in the old days! And it was for the first weeks.

By December I've had it. I've started playing another online game with quests and real progression and LOTS of people at all hours of the day or night. That was the saddest part for me about TSO... losing all my friends one by one, having a hard time finding a lot open, never mind busy, my dark bookmark list and no real goals. Trust me, I'm capable of finding and creating my own fun in a game. I ran a mini-golf course, I've lived in an alien space ship with possibly THE most creative sim I've ever met (he built a 2 story stove in which to bake my teddy bear one day), I built a zoo using every item that even remotely looked animalistic... but there came a point where it was no longer fun, so I quit for good.

March '08 comes along and a dear friend im's me to tell me my beloved BF is being merged, along with all the other cities. He sends me links to the EA-Land info and I am intrigued! I never receive the actual email invite because I no longer use that old email address. I sign in as a free player and start poking around. I read the blogs and find out about amnesty. THIS is exciting news to an old player. We have to make new sims, but the chance to play with our old locks? Sign me up baby! I renew and head over to EA-Land and rediscover my simmy self.

And it IS fun again. Like hauling out an old copy of a beloved game and reinstalling it on the desktop. The familiarity of the gameplay with the added social aspect is nostalgic.

And also a little frustrating. Because after playing for a week I'm back in the old skill/make money cycle and nothing has changed. Except that it's harder to make money, harder to buy items, harder to set up your own lot. And even if you get to that point, harder to get yourself onto the map so other people can come SEE your lot.

As a returning player with no real emotional investment in this game anymore, what I'm seeing is the same old game with a few cosmetic changes. I'm seeing the shift away from it being a game of 'work hard, build up your corner of the sandbox, invite people over to share your idea of play' and into a 'buy your money here and be bigger and better than all the rest!' concept. I feel like I'm being manipulated into spending more rl dollars in order to get the same progression I was able to get years ago. The other option is to make my own the old way but extremely slowly and THAT feels very deliberate on their part.

Anyway, the thought of new fun stuff to do in my very first online game (which will ALWAYS hold a very special spot in my heart) was enough to bring me back. What my actual experience has been... it's not enough to retain me. I will await the amnesty rewards, but after that, unless they have something more up their sleeves than payouts I know my interest will wane and I'll be gone again.

Madra/Mairi

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly my experience to the letter almost except I started in Beta.

 

[Guest]

Your post sums up why this and other doom and gloom threads have started.

The same game is in EALand and unless the few enhancements change your gameplay, you will be back to your old routine.

But now you cant afford carpet, much less a house.

 

[Guest]

Ditto, Terra.

I love this game more than any game I've played. When I heard Luc and his team were going to revive it and bring it back to life, nothing could stop me from coming back to the game. It was all fun and new once again when I first came back but since the "new and improved" economy has been put into place, my attention span has decreased. I'm lucky if I log in a couple of times a week but I'm still hanging on to see where the game is going.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

Your post sums up why this and other doom and gloom threads have started.

The same game is in EALand and unless the few enhancements change your gameplay, you will be back to your old routine.

But now you cant afford carpet, much less a house.

[/ QUOTE ]Okay, something's just piqued my curiousity here...

I can count a good number of threads and posts here from people griping and complaining and demanding that the devs return the game to "the way it was"; and here, I'm seeing nobody likes "the way it was".

What's with the gross inconsistency here?

 

[imported_CherryBomb]

<blockquote><hr>

Think of the possibilities...crossing online sims with stealing cars, running people over, destroying property. And here we thought they werent going to add any fun to the game. (just my sick sense of humor running amuck)

[/ QUOTE ]

We need NPC hookers.

CherryBomb

 

[Terra Pin]

<blockquote><hr>

Okay, something's just piqued my curiousity here...

I can count a good number of threads and posts here from people griping and complaining and demanding that the devs return the game to "the way it was"; and here, I'm seeing nobody likes "the way it was".

What's with the gross inconsistency here?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, the way I see it is the game in it's original format was never *quite* what they had intended it to be. It was a great game in that it was unique. It was the first real social game that appealed to people who just weren't drawn to hack and slash or first person shooters or any of that genre of gaming.

The trouble is, while the intent was for TSO to be completely open ended, we just weren't provided with enough tools to be as creative as we WANTED to be. We were begging for CC right from the very start and that was something we were promised. We begged for simple things, like floor tiles with letters and numbers. EASY stuff to provide that we could have used... never happened. Even new clothing! Oh how we begged for new clothes. Here we are, 6 years later and not so much as a new tshirt. And then terrain tools... omg, the minigolf courses we could have designed if we could have made hills!

I remember playing with game glitches and bugs that we got hours of amusement from (remember the cult of the wacketball worshippers?) .. harmless stuff that was always 'fixed' whilst the ongoing battle against the 'botters' continued on. Always to the detriment of the average player.

So no, the good old days weren't much better than they are now. Except that we were all learning and playing together at one point and discovery was fun. And there were oodles of people online. The only way a game can last through the years with a viable player base is to provide them with new material or they get bored and go away. In WoW and that genre of game, it's through expansions full of new quests and areas and races. Through a sandbox type game like this, it's through tools and interactive items we can USE, not by regulating how we are allowed to play.

Madra/Mairi

 

[jammybob]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

Your post sums up why this and other doom and gloom threads have started.

The same game is in EALand and unless the few enhancements change your gameplay, you will be back to your old routine.

But now you cant afford carpet, much less a house.

[/ QUOTE ]Okay, something's just piqued my curiousity here...

I can count a good number of threads and posts here from people griping and complaining and demanding that the devs return the game to "the way it was"; and here, I'm seeing nobody likes "the way it was".

What's with the gross inconsistency here?

[/ QUOTE ]

Theres no inconsistancy. We all loved TSO, but it became stale because there were no updates. What we didn't expect from an update is to have things taken from us......like ability to build, decorate, furnish, buy from the catalogue, casinos and money in our pockets to go shopping with.
Basically, we wanted things added so we could have more fun, not taken away so we could have less.

 

[imported_Dali Dalinza]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

Think of the possibilities...crossing online sims with stealing cars, running people over, destroying property. And here we thought they werent going to add any fun to the game. (just my sick sense of humor running amuck)

[/ QUOTE ]

We need NPC hookers.

CherryBomb

[/ QUOTE ]

Or NPC johns, heh.

(I was joking about this earlier today at my dancer job. The nightclub pays me so little, that "something extra on the side" is a temptation, I tell ya.)

 

[jammybob]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

Think of the possibilities...crossing online sims with stealing cars, running people over, destroying property. And here we thought they werent going to add any fun to the game. (just my sick sense of humor running amuck)

[/ QUOTE ]

We need NPC hookers.

CherryBomb

[/ QUOTE ]

Or NPC johns, heh.

(I was joking about this earlier today at my dancer job. The nightclub pays me so little, that "something extra on the side" is a temptation, I tell ya.)

[/ QUOTE ]

We used to have both, but Maxis cracked down on it. Those people went to SL which offers adult interactions. Maxis wanted this to be a kids game I think

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

Your post sums up why this and other doom and gloom threads have started.

The same game is in EALand and unless the few enhancements change your gameplay, you will be back to your old routine.

But now you cant afford carpet, much less a house.

[/ QUOTE ]Okay, something's just piqued my curiousity here...

I can count a good number of threads and posts here from people griping and complaining and demanding that the devs return the game to "the way it was"; and here, I'm seeing nobody likes "the way it was".

What's with the gross inconsistency here?

[/ QUOTE ]
Not sure your question is 'on the topic of this thread, which is the possible end of the game'.
If so, I would say they are not the same people.

 

[jasminemoon]

<blockquote><hr>

Okay, something's just piqued my curiousity here...

I can count a good number of threads and posts here from people griping and complaining and demanding that the devs return the game to "the way it was"; and here, I'm seeing nobody likes "the way it was".

What's with the gross inconsistency here?

[/ QUOTE ]

THE SKY IS FALLING! THE SKY IS FALLING! lol okay had to get that out of the way..and lighten up the thread as much as possible..

First, TERRA could not have summed up better exactly how I feel and how my gameplay has been!! Just WOW...and, ya know, I remember the zoo! It must have been yours! Along with most everything Terra said, I, too, did my best to be very creative in the game..and most times it paid off! It's really pretty sad, that with the change of economy, a lot of the roleplaying and creativity has gone with it (not all, as if you look hard enough you can still find some really fun lots that actually play games!).

In reply to Katheryne,

Personally, I don't want it to "go back to the way it was"; I truly and honestly want it to be better. I think a big part of the problem (and there seems to be a consensus here) is that before the big "loss", there was no interaction from the Devs and nothing new was introduced to the game for so long that it became stagnant, even though TONS of us had TONS of great ideas. (which btw, most can still be accessed through this very forum)

I am ecstatic that a few have taken it upon themselves to redeem and save my beloved game! I am especially impressed that they took our biggest petition to heart and implemented CC almost immediately!!! WOW, (and wtg!) on that too! (Now if I can just get it together, learn to do CC, and submit some really neat stuff!)

What I'm puzzled about are the things that they implemented that seemed to "come from thin air"..ATMs, Cashout, Lower object payout..stuff like that...

I've seen Greg's list many times posted on this board (thank you Polly)-

"The priorities we hope to drive to (in order):
1 Entertainment
2 Social
3 Custom Content
4 Economy (objects, currency, skills)

It feels like we've made good progess on 3 &amp; 4 (we aren't done, there is more tweaking needed - refer to 20+ thread regarding 'pools' ) Now we need to double down on one 1 &amp; 2.

Regards
gk"

Okay, so they have a numerical list...with Entertainment FIRST, why weren't those prioritized in that order that they are listed as?! I think that puzzles me the most...that they somehow, or for some reason tackled the list almost completely backwards..Why? It's like when my sim goes nutty and runs around the entire house just to go through the front door..*laugh*..only that is funny.

Maybe so we couldn't flood the new city with the new objects? I think at this point most of us just want a bone to gnaw on...something to give us hope. Hope is a big deal for most people in RL too, it will calm the fears of most if not all.

I really do think that is why so many have become disparaged.


But, I have to admit, although I attempt to keep a positive attitude (and most times succeed), I can't help but worry that EA-Land is more about making money than keeping players..and that is scary. I realize that the Devs are sincere in what they are trying to do, but what if the "big wigs" have other ideas?!


It's almost portent that they haven't started the 3rd lava lamp game..they must have already been prepared for it, or why did they stop the last one? *see scary thoughts*

The fact that there have been NO responses (not even on the other sites) to the recent "the sky is falling" theory, makes me fear even more that they are becoming just as depressed as we are!!! Who knows what is going on with them (they may well be fighting to please us-and/or keep the game- and being shot down right now!)-SCARY. So, scary that I don't even like considering that thought....so I'm going to stop it.

Instead, I'm going to pray that there is something big coming...something that will make this fear seem REALLY stupid later.

Jasmine

 

[Guest]

Get out of my head, Jasmine!!!

 

[jasminemoon]

<blockquote><hr>

Get out of my head, Jasmine!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Teehee! BUT WHYYYY? It's so fun in there! *rofl*

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

What I'm puzzled about are the things that they implemented that seemed to "come from thin air"..ATMs, Cashout, Lower object payout..stuff like that...

[/ QUOTE ]

They can make a lot more money from people investing in the game through ATMs than all the money spent so far in subscriptions since the inception of the game (see biteme's post). With cashout you will get lower payouts, EA are not going to give you money. Money lots and jobs are going to be a thing of the past unless the money comes from other players.

 

[jammybob]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

What I'm puzzled about are the things that they implemented that seemed to "come from thin air"..ATMs, Cashout, Lower object payout..stuff like that...

[/ QUOTE ]

They can make a lot more money from people investing in the game through ATMs than all the money spent so far in subscriptions since the inception of the game (see biteme's post). With cashout you will get lower payouts, EA are not going to give you money. Money lots and jobs are going to be a thing of the past unless the money comes from other players.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well thats just it....Where did the idea of cash-out come from? Was it introduced for the botters they say they are trying to eradicate?
What other purpose can it be for?Most players want to be able to play the game and enjoy it, not make money from it

 

[Terra Pin]

<blockquote><hr>

Well thats just it....Where did the idea of cash-out come from? Was it introduced for the botters they say they are trying to eradicate?
What other purpose can it be for?Most players want to be able to play the game and enjoy it, not make money from it

[/ QUOTE ]

*nod* That was MY question when I first got back and started reading the forums again. My reaction to cashout was a rather baffled "Huh? Why'd I want to do THAT" But, Aster posted a poll a while back here that seems to indicate at least 24% of players DO want it. It's not the majority of those polled, but it's also not an insignificant number.

So there we have it, an open ended game draws in an eclectic group of players, each with their own playstyles that may or may not mesh. The dev's appear to be catering to the hardcore 'buy money, make money, sell money' end of the spectrum, likely because it's more profitable than catering to the 'goofy, sims just wanna have fun' group.

Madra/Mairi

 

[Alynn]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

Think of the possibilities...crossing online sims with stealing cars, running people over, destroying property. And here we thought they werent going to add any fun to the game. (just my sick sense of humor running amuck)

[/ QUOTE ]

We need NPC hookers.

CherryBomb

[/ QUOTE ]

LOLOLOLOLOLOL

 

[jammybob]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

Well thats just it....Where did the idea of cash-out come from? Was it introduced for the botters they say they are trying to eradicate?
What other purpose can it be for?Most players want to be able to play the game and enjoy it, not make money from it

[/ QUOTE ]

*nod* That was MY question when I first got back and started reading the forums again. My reaction to cashout was a rather baffled "Huh? Why'd I want to do THAT" But, Aster posted a poll a while back here that seems to indicate at least 24% of players DO want it. It's not the majority of those polled, but it's also not an insignificant number.

So there we have it, an open ended game draws in an eclectic group of players, each with their own playstyles that may or may not mesh. The dev's appear to be catering to the hardcore 'buy money, make money, sell money' end of the spectrum, likely because it's more profitable than catering to the 'goofy, sims just wanna have fun' group.

Madra/Mairi

[/ QUOTE ]

Then I presume they are happy with 24% of their current customers being happy.... They will be left with players that want to at least make their subscription back every month. How is the game meant to survive if they are catering to people wanting to make money from it??
*puzzled*

 

[imported_ChipsAhoy]

<blockquote><hr>

Okay, something's just piqued my curiousity here...

I can count a good number of threads and posts here from people griping and complaining and demanding that the devs return the game to "the way it was"; and here, I'm seeing nobody likes "the way it was".

What's with the gross inconsistency here?

[/ QUOTE ]

There has been nothing new! No updates! I see people that I played with back in 2003 and I have no idea how they could have stayed playing the same game all the time. the SAME jobs, the SAME objects... same same same. For years. There were good times to be had, but OMGoodness!

Then we get the email that the game is more fun now and things are going to be happening. About 6 weeks later (which is completely unacceptable), nothing is happening yet, and people are grumpy.

 

[Guest]

How is the game meant to survive if they are catering to people wanting to make money from it??

They hoped to make EAL a success like SL. Some people would produce neat stuff if they had a monetary reward. Other people would buy the neat stuff. Only unlike SL, EAL has no scripting language. And people in EAL are used to having money objects which you can not have if you have cash-out.

The history and culture of EAL is completely different from SL. This also goes for There .

 

[jasminemoon]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

What I'm puzzled about are the things that they implemented that seemed to "come from thin air"..ATMs, Cashout, Lower object payout..stuff like that...

[/ QUOTE ]

They can make a lot more money from people investing in the game through ATMs than all the money spent so far in subscriptions since the inception of the game (see biteme's post). With cashout you will get lower payouts, EA are not going to give you money. Money lots and jobs are going to be a thing of the past unless the money comes from other players.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well thats just it....Where did the idea of cash-out come from? Was it introduced for the botters they say they are trying to eradicate?
What other purpose can it be for?Most players want to be able to play the game and enjoy it, not make money from it

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed! Why cash out? I realize that the devs may have devoloped this as an incentive..but with everything that is being taken away..the trade off is SO not worth it,

<blockquote><hr>

"They can make a lot more money from people investing in the game through ATMs than all the money spent so far in subscriptions since the inception of the game (see biteme's post). With cashout you will get lower payouts, EA are not going to give you money. Money lots and jobs are going to be a thing of the past unless the money comes from other players."

[/ QUOTE ]

and, yes BiteMe has some REALLY SUPERB ideas (I don't see a post where anyone says that more money will be made from ATMs: where is that?)...and I don't know where you got the info that they are making alot more money off of ATMs than they did when player base was at it's peak. I'd like to see that too, maybe then I'll be convinced.

BUT overall, it seems to me that everyone begins to sink money into the ATMs, won't money lots and jobs become a 'thing of the past' anyway?..I mean why would one need to go to a money lot if everyone uses the ATM?

But, IF the game goes in the right direction, with consistent updates and more fun implemented into the game-and some good advertisement (without taking out the fun that was here: ie. fair paying money objects, building, shopping, etc). Then the player base continues to grow..so why wouldn't they make as much, if not MORE money, with more subscribed players than they would by forcing the players to use the ATM? (which I don't really believe is being used as much that it actual creates such a profit you speak of--rather it is, more often than not, used as a last resort, and only spending a small amount, from those of us that eventually become desperate and frustrated)...and then leaving out the whole concept of "earning" money in the game..it's like the point of the game is disappearing..and that puzzles me even more!

I realize that there were a few players that have yelled out over the years about ridding the game of botters, but the overall consensus, as far as I've ever seen, is that was the lowest concern of most of players; most were asking for more updates. Now, those of us that liked to (and always did) earn money through the game, rather than 'buy' it illegally or bot..are now forced to play the way those players played!..."buying money instead of earning it through gameplay and then expecting to make some sort of RL money off of it."

AND, it creates a game where those that have a lot of money to sink into the ATMs becomes the "HAVEs" and the rest become the "HAVE NOTs"..whether they are paying subscribers or not

!

Obviously I am still very puzzled about the reasoning of the whole concept...oh well, I can only hope that the devs are still working on this "new system" for a really good reason that I just can't envision right now, and that it really will eventually bring a better game to us all.

Jasmine

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

and, yes BiteMe has some REALLY SUPERB ideas (I don't see a post where anyone says that more money will be made from ATMs: where is that?)...and I don't know where you got the info that they are making alot more money off of ATMs than they did when player base was at it's peak. I'd like to see that too, maybe then I'll be convinced.

[/ QUOTE ]

What I am saying is that the amount of money Electronic Arts can potentially make from a real cash economy in a year is way over all of the subscriptions fees paid in the last 5 years. I never said they are making that money, that is where they want to go.

Over 5 years a subscriber would of sunk about $600 into the game, thats fine if you have a huge subscriber base. In a real cash ecomony you'll see that amount invested by most in a year, by some in a month and by a few in a day. In fact in games that already have a real cash economy that can be easily the amount blown in a day. So why bother waiting 5 years to get $10 a month out of you when people will blow that in a hour?

 

[Guest]

Actually, a few of the new players that I know, have already spent $300 in ATM charges for the month to build their businesses. I imagine it would be very profitable for EA to have new members who are not opposed to using ATMs.