More Awesome Than You!

There's screenshots up at Snootysims. Doesn't look like a whole lot new of interest, though I suppose the read story to multiple kids interaction looks cute if it really does work that way.

They just released Pets and were getting another updated EXE in 2 weeks. Hope it doesn't break anything that wasn't already broken in Pets.

And I think they should make an interaction for cats to climb the Christmas tree dammit!

You're kidding, right?

I'm certainly not buying this.  Half the crap was available for download on the official site for FREE.  Maxis will pry the money out of my cold, decaying hands.

Which may be how they prefer it.

Who said anything about buying?  ;D

Look at the picture more closely.  It's staged.  Most of the kids are playing with toys, the toddler is skilling, and only the girl in the red outfit at far left appears to be being read to.  They pulled a similar trick with a screenshot of FFS, showing a similar group of kids "being read to", and I thought it was a pretty lame trick at the time.  

Karen

Oh, now that I look at it again, you're absolutely right. How lame.

Damn, I just got duped by EA's trick marketing.  :P

/me smacks 'Toki :P

I think the reason for all the spyware in the downloadable versions and the fact that they've made all the other stuff packs install just like regular EPs can be attributed to the fact that everything was up on the exchange right away.  They're not making that mistake anymore.  ::)

The packs should have been 6 weeks apart, but Pets was a month late, and I'm sure they wanted to make sure the new HP was out in time for Thanksgiving in the U.S.

I agree with needing cats to be able to climb the Christmas tree. Every year our two forget they are no longer kittens, climb the tree and knock it over at least 10 times. We invested in shatter proof decorations and they can continue to enjoy themselves.

In those screenshots I can see one new item, the rest was already in the previous Xmas pack.

Most likely they will just put all the previous holiday/Xmas stuff in there, and maybe ten or so new items and clothes. Don't expect any Pets interactions (Maxis didn't even enable GLS!).

And a new game version again of course with its own executable, yet another fork of the post-OFB code (expect reversions from Pets code, and maybe a few changes).

Yet another XP/SP which will need to be patched before it becomes usable.

I've counted 5 new objects and a couple new kids clothes in the screenshots. But I'm not buying it until I'm assured that there really is more than a handful of new stuff that wasn't in the last HP.  And then I'll probably get it on sale at Target.

I bet this is the holiday pack where they fix the stuff they broke in Pets, and force you to buy it again so you can get the fixed versions of everything they busted in Pets.

*Yawn* ain't buying that, I've already got the damn pack and I ain't installing it till I get my glamour and my pets

Oh yeah, there's some more.

SC1: Father christmas statuette, girl "elf" clothes
SC2: Snowman figurine

We already had the rest.

I believe the Asian clothes several of the adults are wearing are new. The long sleeved Chinese dress adult women are wearing in a couple of screenshots, the sari the woman coming down the stairs is wearing and the robe the guy reading to the kids is wearing.

Not your usual Christmas clothing, maybe they are going for New Year's. Chinese New Year is a bit later though.  :P

Aditional infos for the Holiday pack are out. 20 new items you could get alone in a special stuffpack. Requires the 2005 stuffpack to Install.

Wait, so now we have stuff packs requiring other stuff packs?  ::)

It sounds like if you have the previous holiday stuff pack you can get a 'special' stuff pack that only includes the new items, but the previous holiday stuffpack is required to be installed in order to install this special mini stuff pack.

However, if you dont have the previous Holiday pack you can get the new one which include all the previous stuffs plus 20 new items...

At least that is the way I read it.

Yes and as a top in germany and austria you could get the aditional stuff only by the ea downloader not in stores. : (

Looks like the mini stuff pack is just that: a mini stuff pack. No mention of the old Holiday pack as a requirement.
It's probably just a cheaper version of the stuff pack with the old holiday items removed from it.

The "full" holiday pack includes both old and new items.

The german ea site tells you the mini stuffpack requires the old Holiday pack to install. It is limited to owners of the old stuffpack.

Bitte beachte, dass die Installation des Minipacks über den EA Downloader nur möglich ist, wenn das Weihnachts-Pack aus 2005 bereits auf deinem Computer installiert ist! Der Kauf über den EA Downloader ist nur Besitzern des Weihnachts-Packs gestattet.

Translated:
Please note that the installation of the mini pack over the EA Downloader is only possible, if the Holiday pack from 2005 is installed on your computer. The purchase over the EA Downloader is only to owners of the Holiday pack permitted.

So original game $50 + 2005 Holiday Pack $20 + 2006 mini Holiday Pack $10 (I don't think they DARE charge 20 for it) = $80

Original Game $50 + 2006 Full Holiday Pack (includes 2005 pack + 2006 mini-pack) $20 = $70

2006 Sims 2 base game Holiday Edition = $50

Moral of the story, don't buy early or be a loyal customer or you get penalized.

I learned that lesson with TS1. The Sims Deluxe (and Double Deluxe, and Mega Deluxe) anyone? Maxoid never allowed early adopters to legally get the meshes for the 25+ exclusive objects, and 50+ clothes.

Havelock: the Dutch site makes a similar statement, that the "light" pack is intended only for owners of the previous holiday pack.
We'll have to wait for actual system requirements I guess.

I'm not getting the light version anyway… I detest DRM-ware downloaders.

Do any of the sites say what the bonus EA Downloader only content is?

I have to say I think the Chinese stuff is kind of bizarre. It's too late for a "Fall Festival" and too early for Chinese New Year. And besides I don't think people are buying a Christmas pack for Chinese clothes. It seems like a forced attempt to seem multi-culural and say 'See? It's not just Christmas stuff. It's HOLIDAY stuff'. ::)

See the items there  http://thesims2.ea.com/about/holiday_mini_screenshots.php

Look, it's bound to break all the CC again just as we got it all fixed up for Pets!  Just Say NO!

and more importantly bork up SIMPE progress!

Thanks for the link, Havelock.  Some of the outfits aren't too bad, "holiday" themed or not.  Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the textures could be stripped off and applied to an existing mesh very well... I did that with the Glamour Life Egyptian-style dress, but that wouldn't work with the kimono or the sari as the meshes are too unique.  The Chinese dress would look good in short sleeves on the dragon dress from the base game, so maybe I'll do that after it's released and I can get someone to export the texture for me.

I agree the clothing does seem to be the nicest thing about it. Maybe they could be extracted so they could be used without having to install the pack and update the EXE. People did that with the long beards.

what do you want to bet they have some sort of wonky new bone assignment, thats not related to anything prior. I still cant use Glamour clothing meshes, even ones extracted from the game for those without Glamour. sneaky...

UK Pre-orders: £9.99:

http://shop.gameplay.co.uk/webstore/productpage.asp?productcode=RM03006&title=the_sims_2_festive_holiday_stuff_expansion (http://shop.gameplay.co.uk/webstore/productpage.asp?productcode=RM03006&title=the_sims_2_festive_holiday_stuff_expansion)

Exclusive "Blizzardous Biosphere" for those that do pre-order.

If I install this when I already have the Christmas Party Pack installed am I going to run into problems?

 :( a mini pack , great but I'm going to be so  >:( when I get to see how much I have to pay for 20 or so items!
I wish maxisEA would just give us folks with HPP with a patch with the items in there and you have to have either the holiday pack or the holiday edition!
honestly, not a good move, its like buying the pack but its about $50 dollars!  >:(

Who knows? If Maxis is going for the "full" SP approach, you'll end up with the new pack in objects.package, and the old items in the catalog bin, so you'll have duplicates.
Or their installer might put the new stuff in objects.package as per the SP method, and install the old items in the catalog bin, overwriting the "old" holiday pack.
No way to tell what they're going to do.

I wonder if they'll even bother to fix the christmas/newyears party phone interactions, or if we'll have to depend on the Pets override still...

I've never got the prob. what was it again?

For some obscure reason Maxis moved all the phone related stuff to new BHAVs, so all existing phone plugins must be updated for it. Since the old Holiday pack was only partially installed in objects.package (most of it is in \TS2\TSdata\Res\Catalog\Bins\H05.bundle.package) patches and new XPs don't update it, so Maxis placed an override file in Pets to fix it.

WAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!  Boohoooo :(   I think they're playing with us...

LIES AND PROPAGANDA!

I think they just ran out of fresh ideas for christmas. I mean, there are only so many ways you can do santa claus and a christmas tree. The clothes are fug anyway. I mean, how frigging *dowdy* is that thing?

"mini" stuff pack.. omg.. next they'll be asking us to pay every time a maxoid craps!  All of that stuff in the mini pack should be on their site for *free*!

We did?

Uh, why?

I'm still waiting for them to take a page from SimFreaks2 and start charging per item. Charging $10 or more for 20 measley items is pretty darned close though. Most "donation packs" in the community have way more stuff and cost less too. :P

yes but it doesnt have that 'trusty' EA logo on it...

They used to give out free items all the time with the first game.  $10 for 20 items?  Come on!

I got the HP last year, but I'm considering Amazon for this one, just to take the DRM Malware out of the equation. They are offering a "party peeper" or something like that. Or maybe Target who will offer it for $15 instead of $20 Eventually, I expect to replace my downloader copy of GLS, too. I know, it rewards EA for bad behavior, but at least it gets their crap off my system and I actually like and use the stuff from both of those packs

At very least I really don't think it's unreasonable that they give the mini pack for free to those who bought the 2005 holiday pack. The 2006 one is pretty much the same thing plus only 20 new items.

It's one thing to offer slightly update holiday pack for the same price as last year's, but it's even worse that they make those who bought last year's pay for the few measley new items. >:(

I just wish it were possible to hide or remove all of the holiday themed wallpapers and floors.  'Cause there is no way I am going to redecorate a room down to walls and floors for Christmas.  A tree, lights, stockings hung by the chimney with care, all good, but who rewallpapers in holiday themes?

yeah, you are probably right.  I wouldn't put anything past them.  Capital   Pigs.   ::)

They just added those kimonos and saris to make people who want those meshes to buy the stupid pack.


I know I want to now....dammit.

Oh I'm sure there is a way. Then all that stuff could just be left in a collection. I'll have to look into that at some point if no one else does.

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

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.  :'(

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. :P

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

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

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."  ::)

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

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? :P

Ste

*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 >_< *

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

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)

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!

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

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! ::)

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

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!

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  ::)

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.  ::)

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?

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

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

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!