More Awesome Than You!

I just happened to go to check out the web page today and on the front page there was a link for the "last" survey.  I took it had to agree not to share what it was about.  Well I think EA has finally fiqured another way of trying to take our hard earned money.  Maybe they will soon be listed on the booty.

Meh. They didn't even care for people younger than 24, it seems. But yeah, the booty gotta be prepared ;)

G'wan, spill the beans. You know you want to. ;)

Basically they're turning to a paysite ::) I also had to lie that I'm at least 25 to get to see what it's all about :P

Yep I think they were seeing how much they could soak us for for objects.  I kept putting in 0's lol. And that I would not pay for they stuff.

They didn't have a comment box to put "EPIC PHAIL" in this time.

I put that I'd pay 10 cents (heck if it's really really well made I'll pay for it). One question was "would you pay $1.25 for one download of these types of items how many would you download in the next 6 months?" Seriously? Why would a pixelated toilet be worth $1.25 and what tard would pay that much for what would probably be a recolor?

I just wish there had been a comments box.

Pfft. You know where they ask how cheap it'd have to be before you'd doubt it's quality? I put -1 cent. Yes. If I were being bribed into downloading their stuff, I'd have my doubts.

It's really dumb when they keep the link up but don't take more participants.

Anyways, technically EA has the right to nickel&dime us for their creations, and it wouldn't really be the job of PMBD to get the files. In fact, they wouldn't get them as it erodes their moral high ground. Would it work? For a small percentage of 'tweens, maybe. But not for their apparent target for the survey. Those of us over 24 know how to add up how much things cost in the end.

Meh, the survey's apparently expired now. Clicked the link but got the message that they'd already received their desired number of replies. Agreeing with Zazzu - if you don't want anymore answers, quit with the 'Take the Survey!' already.

What EA fails to understand is that, while they do make some nice object bases, their mismatched, garish textures are total phail. If I'm not going to pay $20US for an ugly yellow kitchen SP, I'm sure as hell not going to plonk down cash just to buy one stupid item that's guaranteed not to match a damn thing in my game.

I saw that survey as well.  Aside from the whole idea behind them charging for CC (that will almost certainly not be any better than what's currently available through FREE creators), is that when they were asking where you currently download from, the only sites they mentioned were T$R, Peggy, Holy Simoly, Parsimonious, TS2, and the Exchange--TWO of those sites are 100% free and likely to stay that way, considering that the official site wants to be a paysite now.  Think they're trying to convince people that CC should be paid for by sending people to T$R and Peggy instead of MTS2 or WNF?

That said, I doubt that if EAxis goes the pay route, any of it will end up on the booty.  The whole point is that the paysites are violating the EULA; they don't have the right to make money off of .package files, but EAxis does.  They can charge for CC if they want; those of us who aren't complete friggin' morons will go get better CC free elsewhere.

Nothing to say about the survey but:  ::)

And the thread title, it killses me.

That figures-that EA is planning to flog their crappy creations to the faithful for money. Next step, they will charge you for the honor of being a validated user on the BBS! Pay to log on! Pay to be flamed at when you disagree with another poster! Pay to read all the little girls ranting and raving about their oh so special families and houses!
Oh, lord...they must be getting very desperate. Phail indeed!

If EAxis were to go down the paysite route then they might actually start enforcing the EULA as other paysites would then then be in direct competition with them. I think this is probably more of an indication of the direction that Sims3 is headed towards. They get to really milk the cash cow by dripfeeding new content but without the headache of added code functionality as they can contract artists to create themed sets of new content to sell on for large profits. There is one tiny plus point as I'd rather pay a couple of quid for the desirable items from a stuff pack without forking out for and having to install the whole thing.

I don't mind the paying arrrrring, but I do mind that the SPs are 400 mb of WHY? I could get equivalent CC in 10 mb.

Oh, and I hope EA thinks about how many tweens have a method of paying for their content online.

In addition, wouldn't this make Peer-to-Peer file sharing of EAxis content even easier? Or would they try to implement some sort of licensing for each item? 3 installs, and then you have to buy it again, eh?

Yes-that is quite a problem..how many tweens have credit cards, anyway? I'm going to assume payment is by credit cards, and I don't know how many mommies and daddies are going to give little darling theirs for the privilege of downloading crap. I certainly wouldn't waste my money on such shit.
As for the EULA, that is going to hit the other paysites right in the pocketbook, including the official one-TSR. Not only does this come into direct competition with them, how long is it going to be before EA decides to cut off any connection with them, and restrict the ability of any creator to copy their stuff?
I have the feeling that Sims 3 is going to be extremely limited in what can be copied and improved on. That means it will be a disaster-nobody is going to buy a game that has such a stringent creation policy. Epic phail, on a massive scale.
I fully enjoy the idea of EA taking a financial hit on this..and I'm looking forward to it.

Much as I am salivating uncontrollably at the thought of getting a new EAxis toilet...  No, wait, that's not a good way to begin a sentence. 

You know, EA, why stop there?  Figure out some spy coding so that you know how many toilets we have on each lot, and charge us for each one!  Our sims pay for each square of flooring, each kitchen counter, and each plot of flowers -- wouldn't it be cool if we could, too?  It would make the game more realistic and help the children learn math skills like budgeting.  I might have to sell my real life toilet to afford all this cc, but it'll be worth it!  ^_^

Wow! I didn't think I had any remaining respect for EA, but I certainly just felt myself lose some, so I guess now I really don't. I've been debating whether or not to get FT and AL (when it comes out), 'cause I'm a bit short for money, and I'm just getting my game how I like it, but, well, with buggy games, "Stuff Packs", SecuRom and now this, I am never buying anything with EA on it again. I may or may not play them, but I shan't buy them. Yes, they have the right to charge for CC, but that doesn't mean they should even consider it, especially in public (yes, this goes for SPs, too, in my opinion - all of that content, or at least the good bits, should have been in the closest EP! But at least those had some kind of 'look how much you get for a tenner' factor) They're not exactly making a horrific loss on this franchise as it stands, are they?! I feel dirty to have ever paid for their crappy, have-to-be-rendered-playable-by-random-internet-people £20-a-pop expansion packs.

Grrrr.

I think it more likely that they're trying to gauge whether people are downloading from the free sites or the pay ones. If everyone who answers is ponying up for T$R's & Peggy's things, then charging for downloads would look like a moneymaker ("Hey, they'll pay for crap! We've got some crap! Let's sell them our crap!"). On the other hand, if everyone's downloading from Parsimonious, which is free, or AtS2 (was that it?) and Holy Simoly, which are mostly free with optional goodies you can pay/donate to get or do without, then it would look like we're not so much into being charged for stuff.

Of course, that assumes a sensible methodology to their survey, which may or may not be the case.  ;)

I wonder why they didn't mention MTS... :P

I just bought 10 Wii and GameCube games. Not an EA title in the lot, and that was intentional. They've already lost out on $$$ from me from BV on for the Sims; they aren't getting a cent from me for anyone else. I've also been actively seeking titles from Ubisoft, since they hate each other.

Maybe it is some preparation for the Sims3 site EA is planning. MTS2 has already stated that they will not be having a site to support Sim3 items. It is questionable as to whether any current site will support Sims3.

This could be another option EA sees to profit and control meshes.

It does seem that this would be problematic for EA. But then, I remember reading somewhere that TS2 is mainly played by adults (can't remember where I read this, so it may be a lie), so perhaps they think charging for downloads is worth the risk of alienating the tween users (and the tweens probably secretly want to be alienated. It gives them more things to be emo about).

Personally I would never pay for EA downloads. I think the only crap I've nabbed from their downloads are the scissors anyway. I have all the EPs but haven't bought one since OFB. After I'd spent $200+ I felt like I'd given the company enough. It's EA payment-fatigue. There is only so much I'm willing to spend on my pixel dollhouse.

Why would they? Because it's a FREE site, that doesn't hold CC for ransom behind 'subscriptions' and 'donation gifts'.

Several questions on the survey were related to payment for their crap. Some of the options were buying points online via credit card or through PayPal, or by purchasing a points card in a game shop. I wish I could say I'm surprised EAxis wants to milk the content cash cow even further by considering doing this but I'm not. I'm just thoroughly disgusted. $0.50 for a wallpaper or a rug? Fuck off!

How much will I pay? Not a damn thing.

IF they remove SecuROM and IF my laptop can run it and IF it doesn't look like Epic Fail, I MIGHT acquire a copy of Sims 3, but it isn't looking good.

As it is, I won't pay for anything with SecuROM attached to it.

I won't pay for SPs that have crappier content than I can find for free.

Will EA pay things end up in the booty? No. That's not the point of the booty. If they change the EULA and allow other folks to legally make money off of their products, that's their own footbullet.

As it is, I haven't--and won't--buy any EA products since BV, and haven't installed or PLAYED anything since Seasons. BV is still in the box, marinating there with SecuROM cooties all over it. Too bad I opened it before I found out.

It isn't even a matter of not being ABLE to pay for it. I could. I just refuse to be pickpocketed in order to get things that should be available as part of the game.

It would also be really swell if they could release a game that doesn't need a huge patch to cover up gross coding deficiencies that should have been beta-tested and corrected prior to launch.

EA: DOING IT WRONG.

Sims2host, or whatever it was called, tried this a year or two back. I did subscribe just the once. It adds up surprisingly quickly even with a minimal price per item. The was a collaboration of a few sites so there was a bit of variety, but over all not something I'm willing to do again.

Sims 3 is sounding remarkably like the sim city societies version of the sims. The dumbed down version of the sims where you only have the control of the sims EAxis says you can have.

Maxis used to give us a freebie once a week, once upon a time; it's sad to see that EAxis corporate greed has so far eroded the goodwill built from that time.

They are trying to use a MMORPG payment model for a non-MMORPG, not understanding that the point of special decorative-only pay items for MMORPGs is for the player's epeen. There is no epeen involved in the Sims, unless you have Crammyboy's peen.

That's unfortunately what happens when your average bloke redesigns a game predominately played by women. It basically reverts to virtual willy-waving and cries of "Hey, look at mine! It's bigger, better and comes in more colours than yours." It's the lack of epeen that makes TS2 appeal outside the 'normal' gaming demographic.

I think this sounds great.  Instead of torrenting shit packs for the sake of one or two items I like, I can torrent just the few things I want.   :D

You know, I was just about to post that exact same comment.  Saves me the effort, I suppose. 

I am getting more and more depressed - Securom, screwing me over for itty crappy bits of game content.  I really want it to stop but the bastards bought Bioware too who make my other favourite game.  There's a new NWN2 EP out later this year.  I could live without sims but my favourite RPG?

I find it really sad that we should look back on that as how it should be... Maxis used to update most weeks... usually on the day they said... their freebies were usually information or pictures... the item downloads were few and far between and then included in the next EP anyway.

Further back than that they used to give us freebies about once a week. Tuesday or Thursday, I think. I'm going back to early Sims 1 days.

Yeah, I was too... I had Sims 1 before they released the first EP... In any case I don't argue that it was better, I just wish people would stop using those few things as their excuse as to why they don't buy SPs. Sure there are good reasons, but Maxis giving us a few things free is not on the same page as people whining that the SPs, which any/all have more in them than was ever released "extra" for the first game, cost money.

I refuse to buy SPs on principle. I've never even ARRed them b/c the idea of them disgusted me. It was a telling sign of what was to come. And I guess I was right.