2006 Holiday Pack

[ZiggyDoodle]

They used to give out free items all the time with the first game.

True, they did give out some freebies but when they discovered that people would actually buy the stuff, well, what can you expect?

[laeshanin]

When I got the new EP this week there was a fair bit of advertising for this bloody thing with it. All I can say is that it is a ripoff, plain and simple, particularly as (already stated by too many to mention) most of what's in it was available for free not so long ago - I certainly won't bother. Plus all those decorations are lame. 

As for the newest nightmare EP... *bangs head against desk repeatedly, whining* My CC. My beautiful, carefully arranged CC. 

[Motoki]

They used to give out free items all the time with the first game.

True, they did give out some freebies but when they discovered that people would actually buy the stuff, well, what can you expect?

True, but I'm kind of of the opinion that just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. I realize it's a business bottom line, however it seems particularl ironic and Scrooge-like to try and shake us down for every last penny they can squeeze out of us over Christmas stuff.

There's a certain segment of the community that will buy anything Maxis puts out no matter what. There's the neurotic collectors and also the paranoid 'oh my god someone might make some custom content that needs it so I have to get it' types among others.

I guess ultimately though the community bears much of the blame since we support pay sites and now these stuff packs and are creating a demand for it that's causing it to be supplied to us.

[Sleepycat]

There's a certain segment of the community that will buy anything Maxis puts out no matter what. There's the neurotic collectors and also the paranoid 'oh my god someone might make some custom content that needs it so I have to get it' types among others.

don't forget those of us that actually like maxis/ea stuff 

[Motoki]

Well true but come on to pay for 20 measely very seasonal items. Well okay the clothes aren't so seasonal but still. 

I can't tell you how many people I've heard say "I'm not interested in the Holiday Pack but I'll get it anyway just because I have to have everything that comes out." 

[idtaminger]

don't forget those of us that actually like maxis/ea stuff 

What? Did I hear see that correctly? Pple like Maxis/EA stuff?

[syberspunk]

I can't tell you how many people I've heard say "I'm not interested in the Holiday Pack but I'll get it anyway just because I have to have everything that comes out." 

Hrm... I wonder who you could be talking about...

Now I could have sworn that the last time I pre-ordered a Sims game, it was supposed to come with a "I'm Maxis's EA's bitch!" t-shirt, but I never received it. Do you think I should order one again?

Ste

[Argon]

*grumbles* I don't want to give up my "Maxis's bitch!" t-shirt! I've been playing Sim games since the original SimCity came out when I was little... I will never wear an "EAmpire's bitch" t-shirt.

I want a cd dammit! *grumbles further about mini pack*

*starts up SimCity 4 and tries to remember how to do everything >_< *

[Giggy]

  FUCK U EA!!!!!!
Don't make people pay for 20 fucking items! stupid fucktards!

[Jelenedra]

Only thing I'd remotely be interested in is the clothes. And hopefully someone will make them non HP compatiable. (like HystericalParaoxgasm did for the Belle of the Ball dress)

[stormygsa]

HAH~I can beat all of you!  I'm STILL WAITING for OMGPETZ from the EA Store which I preordered in August. 
I went to their customer service site and asked when it would ship, and they answered with some BS about not being able to cancel the order at this time (which I didn't even ask to do).
I went and bought it from Target and will refuse the shipment when/if it arrives!  Grrrrrrr!
Won't be ordering from them again!

[Motoki]

Maybe they are trying to encourage people to use their spyware downloader.

[notveryawesome]

HAH~I can beat all of you!  I'm STILL WAITING for OMGPETZ from the EA Store which I preordered in August. 
I went to their customer service site and asked when it would ship, and they answered with some BS about not being able to cancel the order at this time (which I didn't even ask to do).
I went and bought it from Target and will refuse the shipment when/if it arrives!  Grrrrrrr!
Won't be ordering from them again!

I pre-ordered my copy from EB Games and got it on the release date, even though I only paid for 2-day ground delivery. I've never ordered from the official EA store, though it's not suprising that they fucked up your order and then had lousy customer service. It seems they can't even get THAT right!

[syberspunk]

A couple of questions:

1) Will this Holiday Stuff Pack include the stuff from the original Holiday release (from 2004 or whenever that was?) i.e. will this include the buggy mistletoe, holiday phone calls, and the buggy evil, cookie mooching, tree fire lighting, pee on everything, Satan Santa NPC, what points and laughs and ho-ho-hos at your miserable fate? As well as the equally buggy "Father Time" and "dancing" Baby New Year NPCs?

Or is this just another pile 'o crap stuff pack with only objects? And if so... does it contain all the objects from that first Holiday Pack or entirely different and new ones?

2) Also, are there any pre-order incentives for this Stuff Pack?

Ste

[miros]

Holiday Stuff is the old Holiday Pack, plus new stuff.  You will be able to buy a mini-pack with just the new stuff direct from the site.  Don't forget to burn it!

[KatEnigma]

1) Yes it includes everything from the original Holiday Pack

2) Yes- Amazon has eyeglasses shaped like 2007, EAStore has a snowglobe, and EB/Gamestop has a snowman light. You probably get the snowglobe from the idiot DRM Downloader version as well, but I haven't bothered to look.

Right now, my plan is to get it from Target for $5 less than anywhere else and download the pre-order incentives wherever I may come across them. 

I would NOT suggest downloading the mini pack unless you like running the Downloader everytime you want to play the game. Personally, EA can keep their Malware, and I'll buy the new version and totally eliminate my need for it at all. Because the old EXE for the original HP no longer works from within the downloader- they must add their DRM crap to what you now download. It does work as a regular executable, and I have it burned so no big deal, unless I want the new stuff, which I do, so 

[EntropyGuardian]

HAH~I can beat all of you!  I'm STILL WAITING for OMGPETZ from the EA Store which I preordered in August. 
I went to their customer service site and asked when it would ship, and they answered with some BS about not being able to cancel the order at this time (which I didn't even ask to do).
I went and bought it from Target and will refuse the shipment when/if it arrives!  Grrrrrrr!
Won't be ordering from them again!

Well, I preordered Glamour Life and Pets at the same time. I used the code for free Pets delivery and got free shipping with Glamour Life shipping free as well. They delivered Glamour Life on the day of release, and Pets on the day after. I'll be preordering from EA in the future.

anecdotes anecdotes

[KatEnigma]

HAH~I can beat all of you!  I'm STILL WAITING for OMGPETZ from the EA Store which I preordered in August. 
I went to their customer service site and asked when it would ship, and they answered with some BS about not being able to cancel the order at this time (which I didn't even ask to do).
I went and bought it from Target and will refuse the shipment when/if it arrives!  Grrrrrrr!
Won't be ordering from them again!

Well, I preordered Glamour Life and Pets at the same time. I used the code for free Pets delivery and got free shipping with Glamour Life shipping free as well. They delivered Glamour Life on the day of release, and Pets on the day after. I'll be preordering from EA in the future.

anecdotes anecdotes

Actually, no. EA got them to you on the "in store date" and the day after.  People who ordered from EB/Gamestop with overnight shipping got the games on release day, and were the only ones who did so. Which is typically 2 days before the in store date- and their stores have them the next day, so why wait an extra day unless you don't have a game store in your area? EA didn't even start shipping Pets until after I had my game. If you're happy with that, then by all means, continue ordering from EA, but please don't spread this misinformation on the BBS. All it does is confuse people, who then order from EA and throw hissy fits when some of us are playing our game and/or they see the game in a store 2-3 days before their game arrives. Because for some reason, they always believe the people who swear that they got the game on release day and ignore the ones who try to tell them otherwise and beg them to do a BBS search from every single previous release if they don't believe us. 

[EntropyGuardian]

If it says "In Stores on January 23rd!" and the game arrives on my doorstep on the 23rd, I consider that good. If the shipping was free, even moreso.

I am not going to pay someone 5-7 dollars extra to ship it 1-2 days earlier. Who would do such a thing?

[Motoki]

So you could go on the BBS and say OMFG I GOT PETZZ!!!!1111oneoneoneoneone 

[Jelenedra]

Besides, you don't get free shipping when you go express.

[KatEnigma]

If it says "In Stores on January 23rd!" and the game arrives on my doorstep on the 23rd, I consider that good. If the shipping was free, even moreso.

I am not going to pay someone 5-7 dollars extra to ship it 1-2 days earlier. Who would do such a thing?

Oh please, why preorder at all if you're not interested in when you get it? For the ugly bonus items that you can download anyway within hours of release? If you wanted to save money, you could have gotten GLS or Pets at Target for $5 less than anywhere else on the "in store day" anyway.

Like I said, if you're happy with the EA store, then order from them. Why would I care when you get your game or how you get it? The only thing I care about is your spreading of misinformation by telling people that you received them on "release" day when you didn't.  I do occasionally go to the BBS to try to honestly help out the sheep as best I can, and statements like that just make things more difficult.

[EntropyGuardian]

Oh please, why preorder at all if you're not interested in when you get it? For the ugly bonus items that you can download anyway within hours of release? If you wanted to save money, you could have gotten GLS or Pets at Target for $5 less than anywhere else on the "in store day" anyway.

Like I said, if you're happy with the EA store, then order from them. Why would I care when you get your game or how you get it? The only thing I care about is your spreading of misinformation by telling people that you received them on "release" day when you didn't.  I do occasionally go to the BBS to try to honestly help out the sheep as best I can, and statements like that just make things more difficult.

Because some people don't shop at brick and mortar stores.  v v If I am going to get the game, I might as well just pay for it now and let them ship it to me when it is ready. I don't think I have ever downloaded a preorder "bonus" item, either.

And I am sorry I devastated your cause by insinuating that the day the website states the game will be available in stores is the "'release date'". Next time I will say that EA delivered the games to me on "a day that was a week or so after the game had gone gold and 1-2 days after the game had arrived at brick and mortar retail stores, coinciding with the date on the website and all press releases that the game was claimed to be available by, and arriving at a time promptly at 12:15 P.M. Central Standard Time by means of a friendly postal carrier".

I am sure glad I didn't say I got the game on the ship date! Then I'd be in real hot water!