The Secret behing EA-Land Closing

[Guest]

Well, I think I figured out whats going on. I don't know for sure, but does anyone else agree with me?

Well I think the whole plan of TSO closing has been going on for the past year or so. And why I say TSO is because I think the whole plan was to take away TSO as a name. I think they didn't want to lose the name when the game was going to be shut down.

That explains having a terrible and boring name EA-Land. I think they just wanted to get something basic and easy for the closing.

They have promised Sims 2 graphics and now Sim 3 is coming out, I mean look at TSO It's still in the Sims graphic stage and theres no way they could re-vamp the entire game graphics and features in one update.

I think that are Sims Online name and game will be coming back in a while. I think there big plan is opening it up with Sims 3 Graphics, Custom Content like Second Life, A lot more features that we have been told about, etc.

I mean the game had so many people back in 02', There was so much activity and people It was basically full. So many people hear "The Sims Online" as the title something they all wanted really got peoples attention, but also lets consider that was when we had those old Sims 1 Graphics and Sims 2 wasn't even thought about.

In 2005 Sims 2 came out and that was the big extermination of players. It looked so out dated compared to Second Life and other major online games. Also the big exploit came out and no one liked that.

In 2007 we had the big merge and wanted TSO out of the picture. We had a very stupid name and they canceled our new currency name. I think it was just big plan to close the game on the name "EA-Land" not "The Sims Online." TSO sounds like a good name as we all know so that has to be the reason it was changed for the closing the game, they obviously want to use it again when I think a new TSO will rise with new graphics and features.

I mean really changing the entire game a few months before the closing and they never even gave any updates, that has to mean there up to something... Something big... Something better and Improved...

- Danny Banks

 

[Guest]

So yeah...

 

[imported_Starrfoxx]

If the game was still under Maxis, then I would have faith. But since EA owns everything under Sims now and their business practices have been less than questionable, I don't have much faith that we'll ever see a new Sims Online game or one that is even worth playing.

Personally, I'm done with EA Games after I finish my Sims 2 collection and possibly getting Spore.

 

[Guest]

While it may be fun and theraputic to come up with such theories, they are not very likely. If they wanted to shut down TSO, they had more than enough reason to do it without spending time and money trying to "fix" it as they saw it. Based on the size of the team, they burnt a few million dollars in the attempt.

I would guess that some people fond of TSO convinced management they could revitalize it and made promises they couldn't keep--that probably no one could keep, in terms of how much they could do how quickly and how well it would work.

Management likely said "OK, give it a shot" and they tried. But look at the task they faced, the resources and time they had, and you'll see that it was a long shot.

Calling it EA Land may have helped sell the idea to the executives, who like to think people care about brand names. Funny thing is, any stink left from the final result is on EA not The Sims. There was not a huge explosion, but they put their name on the line in public announcements just a few months ago, and now they look foolish. And they were foolish in many ways.

If they had been planning a replacement anytime soon, it would have been better just to leave TSO alone as a placeholder until the new thing was ready. So I would not expect to see a similar thing from them.

The idea of a Sims-like social multiplayer game with user-created content and an open economy sounds great to many people. Trying to build it in a year on the 5-year-old long-neglected software base of TSO was not a good plan. As the team struggled against the inevitable, I'm sure they broke promises and hearts.

As Robert Heinlein had one of his characters say: You have attributed conditions to villainy that simply result from stupidity.

 

[Guest]

Yesterday in Town Hall Pari. said that they did not get approval for next years budget, and they told them to stop working on the game and not do any more updates and dont spill the beans. Thats why there was a dead time. The devs just sat around playing Pogo.

Thats all. Thats it. The game was not making money. They dropped it and took the developers off it to do other projects. No conspiracy. Nothing.

There will be no online game with Sims 3. Thats was posted a while back. They said people dont like to play together. Thats when I knew TSO was doomed.

 

[Lord Death]

I'm on board with the hope that Sims 3 will have internet capabilities. But I am also cynical. If you look at EA's offering of MMO gaming you'll see it profoundingly (if there is such a word) lacking. UO and Pogo and nothing else. If I was to open my wallet again for Sims 3 it would have to have the ability to play online. If not there is no reason then for me to buy it.

I don't think EA had been planning on closing TSO for the past year. It makes no sense. There was a large shift of devs from other projects to revamp TSO. Why waste all that dev time just to give us our 90 day notice. It was my guess that EAL would be a bridge from TSO to Sims 3. I thought that they could use the platform for other things, such as marketing new products, when all was said and done.

Something tells me that there was a bit of a fight, or at least a strong debate amongst the higher ups as to what to do with the future of TSO during the past three weeks. And besides that, who knows what Bings departure had to do with this whole deal.

Sincerely,
LD; aka Lord Lobo in Second Life

*I have given up on my coming soon signature

 

[Lord Death]

<blockquote><hr>

While it may be fun and theraputic to come up with such theories, they are not very likely. If they wanted to shut down TSO, they had more than enough reason to do it without spending time and money trying to "fix" it as they saw it. Based on the size of the team, they burnt a few million dollars in the attempt.

I would guess that some people fond of TSO convinced management they could revitalize it and made promises they couldn't keep--that probably no one could keep, in terms of how much they could do how quickly and how well it would work.

Management likely said "OK, give it a shot" and they tried. But look at the task they faced, the resources and time they had, and you'll see that it was a long shot.

Calling it EA Land may have helped sell the idea to the executives, who like to think people care about brand names. Funny thing is, any stink left from the final result is on EA not The Sims. There was not a huge explosion, but they put their name on the line in public announcements just a few months ago, and now they look foolish. And they were foolish in many ways.

If they had been planning a replacement anytime soon, it would have been better just to leave TSO alone as a placeholder until the new thing was ready. So I would not expect to see a similar thing from them.

The idea of a Sims-like social multiplayer game with user-created content and an open economy sounds great to many people. Trying to build it in a year on the 5-year-old long-neglected software base of TSO was not a good plan. As the team struggled against the inevitable, I'm sure they broke promises and hearts.

As Robert Heinlein had one of his characters say: You have attributed conditions to villainy that simply result from stupidity.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you nailed it!

Sincerely
LD; aka Lord Lobo in Second Life

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

If the game was still under Maxis, then I would have faith. But since EA owns everything under Sims now and their business practices have been less than questionable, I don't have much faith that we'll ever see a new Sims Online game or one that is even worth playing.

Personally, I'm done with EA Games after I finish my Sims 2 collection and possibly getting Spore.

[/ QUOTE ]

lol. I'm sorry. I find what you said funny. People are all about this NO MORE EA crap but when Spore or Sims 3 comes out, lots of you will go out and get it. Then when another sims expansion comes out, you'll get that too, etc...

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

lol. I'm sorry. I find what you said funny. People are all about this NO MORE EA crap but when Spore or Sims 3 comes out, lots of you will go out and get it. Then when another sims expansion comes out, you'll get that too, etc...

[/ QUOTE ]The sad part is that - you're right - that's exactly what most of us would end up doing. And EA knows this. If their executives are even reading these threads (which I highly doubt), they're probably laughing themselves silly over all the empty threats.

 

[Guest]

ea will allways be a dirty word in my mouth

 

[Lord Death]

<blockquote><hr>

There will be no online game with Sims 3... They said people dont like to play together. Thats when I knew TSO was doomed.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's unfortunate, especially when one considers the millions that play or have played WOW and Second Life.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

Yesterday in Town Hall Pari. said that they did not get approval for next years budget, and they told them to stop working on the game and not do any more updates and dont spill the beans. Thats why there was a dead time. The devs just sat around playing Pogo.

Thats all. Thats it. The game was not making money. They dropped it and took the developers off it to do other projects. No conspiracy. Nothing.

There will be no online game with Sims 3. Thats was posted a while back. They said people dont like to play together. Thats when I knew TSO was doomed.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think most of knew what had happened when the big nothing started.
We tried to convince oureselves of other things but basically it stood out what had happened.
The thing I don't agree is that people are saying that it could not have been done in the time they had.
I think the developers made a mess of things, wrong decisions and bad planning killed it.

 

[Guest]

But they were only given what...a year? Its seems to me that they made the approach of trying to revamp without any type of game plan or anything drawn out. It kept looking like everything was a spur of the moment decision.

IMO it would have been more of a success if they had first sat down, figured out what was wrong, priortized then attempted to fix the problmes one-by-one. Instead they just tackled everything at once. That was their biggest mistake and it cost us our beloved game.

If i'm wrong please correct me.

 

[Guest]

I think they had a plan.

But then we demanded things. How much time did the spend on merging the cities when that wasn't their original plan?

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

I think they had a plan.

But then we demanded things. How much time did the spend on merging the cities when that wasn't their original plan?

[/ QUOTE ]Entirely too long. I think the city merges cost the developer team about three months or so.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

Well, I think I figured out whats going on. I don't know for sure, but does anyone else agree with me?

Well I think the whole plan of TSO closing has been going on for the past year or so. And why I say TSO is because I think the whole plan was to take away TSO as a name. I think they didn't want to lose the name when the game was going to be shut down.

That explains having a terrible and boring name EA-Land. I think they just wanted to get something basic and easy for the closing.

They have promised Sims 2 graphics and now Sim 3 is coming out, I mean look at TSO It's still in the Sims graphic stage and theres no way they could re-vamp the entire game graphics and features in one update.

I think that are Sims Online name and game will be coming back in a while. I think there big plan is opening it up with Sims 3 Graphics, Custom Content like Second Life, A lot more features that we have been told about, etc.

I mean the game had so many people back in 02', There was so much activity and people It was basically full. So many people hear "The Sims Online" as the title something they all wanted really got peoples attention, but also lets consider that was when we had those old Sims 1 Graphics and Sims 2 wasn't even thought about.

In 2005 Sims 2 came out and that was the big extermination of players. It looked so out dated compared to Second Life and other major online games. Also the big exploit came out and no one liked that.

In 2007 we had the big merge and wanted TSO out of the picture. We had a very stupid name and they canceled our new currency name. I think it was just big plan to close the game on the name "EA-Land" not "The Sims Online." TSO sounds like a good name as we all know so that has to be the reason it was changed for the closing the game, they obviously want to use it again when I think a new TSO will rise with new graphics and features.

I mean really changing the entire game a few months before the closing and they never even gave any updates, that has to mean there up to something... Something big... Something better and Improved...

- Danny Banks

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you're probably right. What was going on with EA Land stopped making sense to me a long time ago. It was clear more was up than what they were fessing up to.

I, for one, will probably never play sims again -- whether online version of the game or otherwise -- unless they make some huge --and I mean HUGE -- changes. Graphics would have to change big time, format of the game ... For me, Second Life is kicking butt big time. Without being a paying member, I live in a penthouse, have tons of clothes, gadgets, fly, dance, go clubbing, surfing and way more. I'm much more willing to buy their currency given that I can do so much more for FREE -- you can buy free stuff people! And not crap stuff either. It's truly amazing to me.

So ... sims, online, with any other name, is still run by the same group that killed TSO. I doubt they'll impress.

 

[Guest]

Secret? NO secret at all!

We were told when they 1st started revamping the game that TSO was on the brinks of closing and Luc had stepped in to try to get the game earning a more profitable income to keep the game going.

Obviously they didn't meet the requirements what ever they were to keep the game afloat. There are no huge secrets or conspiracies etc. Just simple math that they couldn't keep the game earning what they needed to in order to keep it alive.

 

[Inge Jones]

Why couldn;t they simply have kept the old TSO running in exactly the same way for those people who were prepared to pay? Presumably it was breaking even, especially if they didn't have to put senior developers onto it to enhance it. I started playing as soon as I found out non-USA players were allowed on, and my early experiences were very like the old TSO. As they started bringing in the EA-land changes I went off the game.

So it might have been enough to simply advertise the old TSO from time to time, in places where Sims 1 or 2 players would see the ads, and they might have got new subscribers to the old game just by doing that.

 

[imported_DutchAmerica]

When 'revamping' TSO discussions started with Luc, I had several impressions.

*EA was going to try to make TSO more of a community where people could access other EA games from.

*EA was going to string us all along as paying customers while they reworked the code and updated the game and once it was all worked out, kick us all out.

I didn't trust them, I was VERY vocal about it too. I was bashed into the ground for my opinion.

I decided to just relax and go with the flow and not worry about it. I figured at least it gave me another year to play TSO. Make the best of it.

So having people here attack me for just making the best of it didn't feel real good considering that back when this all started, no one wanted to listen to me.

Now these guys have done nothing but give the impression that everything was on track and going well and BAM!!! They slam the door in our faces.

(BTW...Shouldn't players that have been signing up as paying customers since the announcement of amnesty have a full refund of their subscriptions?)

I would like to believe that yeah the subscriptions aren't paying enough....blah blah blah....but then we find out about this EA Carnival thing. After reading the website, it is earily like what was being developed at TSO/EAland. Even the colors and font at the site is nearly the same. Reading what Luc wrote at the EAland site about being a community run game etc? DARN IT...same type of content is being written at Carnival. Why couldn't the budget for that have been applied to TSO to help fund advertising and further developement?

I don't want to believe that our team was misleading us. Maybe they were being misled a bit too? You know it wouldn't be the first time in that type of industry there would be shady dealings going on.

As for Sims? If EA releases Sims3 as a partial pc - online game, I may give it a try, but EA will never again be the recipient of my undying devotion as I was in TSO.

It would be nice if EA would make it possible for the game to stay open even if in a limited mode....but I doubt it happens.

 

[imported_CherryBomb]

<blockquote><hr>

Trying to build it in a year on the 5-year-old long-neglected software base of TSO was not a good plan.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is the one that really blew me away. Not just the old graphics and engine, but the fact that TSO was originally designed as a level-up grind game. The design was totally incompatible with the vision for EA-Land.

btw, it is not 5 years old. It is EIGHT years old. TSO was kludged right on top of the original Sims programming. Prolly the most impressive thing the devs did (to me, anyway) was re-coding that mess. They couldn't design their way out of a paper bag, but they can sure write code!

CherryBomb

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

Why couldn;t they simply have kept the old TSO running in exactly the same way for those people who were prepared to pay? Presumably it was breaking even, especially if they didn't have to put senior developers onto it to enhance it.

[/ QUOTE ]Breaking even isn't good enough for EA. They want to make squillions of dollars out of everything.

In their haste to simply close it down, they forgot one very important factor - us, the community of players. More important to them than the fact we are players is the fact that we are a) potential future customers for their other products, and b) have a voice in sharing our thoughts, good or bad, about EA with the rest of the world.

Having upset most of us with their broken promises, lies, failures and then simply pulling the plug at least one week after Luc quit (which makes you wonder how many more weeks they've been considering this; was I right in remembering there'd been no patching for about 3 weeks?) then I think a) and b) together being highly negative and quite widespread at present could probably damage EA's reputation - at least in the online gaming world - more than they could ever imagine, and they have absolutely nothing to offer to offset what they have done to appease us.

With Sims being probably their largest franchise, their actions could spread far, far wider than "people that just played TSO".

 

[Guest]

If that is what they are doin, why not let all the members know. Why make most of us angry and give up on them.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

If that is what they are doin, why not let all the members know. Why make most of us angry and give up on them.

[/ QUOTE ]I certainly haven't received any "official email" about TSO closing down... has anyone?

 

[Guest]

Just imagine we get this big announcement, Sorry members of tso, someone hacked in and put nasty roomers about ealand closing lmao.

There is definitly something goin on. Dont know why it is such a secret. Unless they dont want other companies to know about it so they cant steal their ideas. I think everyone should just wait it out. The nastier you are to them the less likely they will care anyway.

 

[imported_Qute Pi]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

lol. I'm sorry. I find what you said funny. People are all about this NO MORE EA crap but when Spore or Sims 3 comes out, lots of you will go out and get it. Then when another sims expansion comes out, you'll get that too, etc...

[/ QUOTE ]The sad part is that - you're right - that's exactly what most of us would end up doing. And EA knows this. If their executives are even reading these threads (which I highly doubt), they're probably laughing themselves silly over all the empty threats.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well those people are missing a backbone.
I know "spore" and "sims 3" will not get me to purchase another ea game. In fact I can't think of any ea product that sparks my interest.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

Just imagine we get this big announcement, Sorry members of tso, someone hacked in and put nasty roomers about ealand closing lmao.

There is definitly something goin on. Dont know why it is such a secret. Unless they dont want other companies to know about it so they cant steal their ideas.

[/ QUOTE ]Sorry, don't buy it.

1) If it was "we got hacked" wouldn't they have been all over this the moment they heard about it, denying it and issuing press statements etc?

2) Because it is all over the gaming press now, I doubt if they can do much to "keep it a secret".

Whilst they can copyright the "Sims" name, there is absolutely nothing they can do to prevent any other company creating a "life simulator" where you have to look after 'pixel people' and keep them alive, having fun and making different places for them to live in. In fact, even back in 1985, Little Computer People was released which was, albeit very basic, just what Sims is.

Perhaps, until now, people haven't bothered making an online 'life simulator' game like TSO because the market wasn't big enough - but now with TSO out of the picture, someone else might consider it worth a try. Something with the 'lasting factor' of Sims, together with the better graphics and infinite customisation of Second Life could, for the right company, be a massive success.

Let's just hope that EA stay well out of it.

 

[Guest]

EA has no obligation to explain anything to us. They gave the 90 day notice after many months of trying to bring it back to life. Now, who's fault the failure of the game belongs to doesnt matter in the least anymore.. its over.
When any other business in the world cancels a product they dont run out and explain to their customers why that happened! Everyone has the option to play or not play this game. Nobody was forced to play and pay for TSO or EALand all these years. It was a choice. This game could have been over last year. We had all these months to keep playing and for EA to try to revive the dying game. It failed. All these efforts to keep the game going, although commendable... will most likely be futile. I guess you can look at this process like how people go thru the stages of death and dying... people havent reached the acceptance point yet.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

EA has no obligation to explain anything to us.

[/ QUOTE ]Perhaps not, but as they've gone into lockdown and hiding there are going to be a lot of rumours bouncing around, and EA's silence actually only makes it worse for them.

You're right, no amount of arguing, complaining or shouting is going to make EA listen or change thier mind ... but that doesn't mean we can't express our thoughts about them (at least as far as the RoC will let us).

 

[Guest]

its just so odd that people are SO very upset about a game ending. With technology the way it is.. and we know everyone here has a computer, there are many other games and instant messaging programs to keep in touch. I know that the 2 times I quit playing TSO I had a few pangs of regret and sadness.. but dang, I got over it and went on to other things. There are so many other games and *gasp* real life!
I had never played any other type of online game besides TSO. When I quit TSO the second time I had already been in beta testing Pirates of the Caribbean. I had never played the shoot 'em up type of game.. thought I would be bad at it. I grew to really love it and become pretty good at it. There are a lot of nice people in that game. I know a lot of people that play WoW and enjoy the hell out of that.
The amount of money that would be needed to buy the code (which they said they wouldnt sell) is astronomical. Anyone donating money to the cause ought to think twice about it. Where will that money go.. someone will be getting interest off that.. and if it fails.. how will it be redistributed back to donators. It all seems like an "iffy" proposition that could lead to many hard feelings and even more heartache from losing that money!
Oh well.. people will deal with this in many different ways. In the end, everyone should just play what is left of the game, make some more memories and learn to accept the game is over and try to move on.

 

[imported_Calina.Rhiannon]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

If that is what they are doin, why not let all the members know. Why make most of us angry and give up on them.

[/ QUOTE ]I certainly haven't received any "official email" about TSO closing down... has anyone?

[/ QUOTE ]

You're totally right, I haven't received an email notification either.