I have both Sims and Sims 2, but as I was looking at Sims 3 during the recent Steam sale on it, I'm just tallying up all of the DLC, which are priced the same as full games, and it adds up to almost $400 worth. The price of a single one of those costs as much as a season pass for other games.
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Sim City 5 to have in-game store
- Thread starter dmr87
- Start date
Thug Waffle
Member
Wouldn't be so bad if the prices they charge for this content weren't fucking outrageous.
SolsticeZero
Banned
I want this game so bad, but it just keeps getting worse and worse. Screw it, I'll just play Sim City 4.
Lost Fragment
Obsessed with 4chan
Sim City will sell because it's Sim City. Much like Diablo 3 sold because it's Diablo 3.
MotorbreathX
Member
$5 to raise population limit up 10,000?
VeryGooster
Banned
Get a real monthly bill from the Sim City electric and water companies.
Oh you mean like arcade games?
EA marketing didn't help medal of honor and a lot of other big EA games. They're bleeding money in that category.
Impeccable
Member
IA(G)P is the future, get used to it.
Parcheesi
malingenie
Member
I hate IAP just like everyone else, but Simcity and add-ons have a loooong history. It's not worth freaking out about it.
BolognaSoup
Member
Not if no one buys into it.
MotorbreathX
Member
EA leading the way again! Innovative!
Just like The Sims 3, basically.
Guess I'm waiting for it top drop in price by about 40 dollars.
Steam shows the expansion packs as DLC (which is somewhat accurate), and they're still sold at MSRP. There's a whole other store with normal DLC inside the game proper.
Guess I'm waiting for it top drop in price by about 40 dollars.
Steam shows the expansion packs as DLC (which is somewhat accurate), and they're still sold at MSRP. There's a whole other store with normal DLC inside the game proper.
grimshawish
Banned
If its cosmetic only I might be fine with it.
Otherwise am not buying this game and they've ruined what could have been a fantastic long term experience and example of social gaming.
Albino_Samurai
Member
Now that i'd be willing to pay for!
Allready preordered the limited/special/exclusive edition 3 months ago by the way.
Don't know what i'll be getting but i'll be willing to pay for extra content like landmarks or well known buildings and stadiums if it fits my taste and budget.
TheDeadHeroAlistair
Member
Not surprising. They've had an in-game store in The Sims 3 since 2010. Even though I'm still not getting it, I still hope there's a way to disable it.
Why would you do that?
Member
If Sims 3 is any indication, I can't see it affecting the gameplay. It's probably just new buildings and building skins, basically things that I won't care about.
As long as the main game has all of the expected buildings and features of a normal Sim City, and none of them are locked away as paid DLC, I won't care.
As long as the main game has all of the expected buildings and features of a normal Sim City, and none of them are locked away as paid DLC, I won't care.
I guess I just feel like that kind of stuff should be included in the game you paid $60 for.
Sir Abacus
Member
Oh come on. Februrary 1992 to July 1993 was more than just a few months.
The problem is that most main stream purchasers aren't really aware that this is happening, or how it negatively affects the game experience, until after they buy the game.
I think a large part of the blame really falls on game journalists, who seem completely unwilling to call out publisher's for these tactics, and sometimes actually blame the 'entitled' gamers who dare to complain about these practices.
I think a large part of the blame really falls on game journalists, who seem completely unwilling to call out publisher's for these tactics, and sometimes actually blame the 'entitled' gamers who dare to complain about these practices.
No one is really surprised by this, are they?
You don't need to look further than The Sims to know how EA and Maxis will handle this game. There will be big bright shiny buttons that lead to the shop.
There will be reminders to check out the shop every few seconds because something is on sale.
They will shove the items you can buy directly into the game's inventory (In the Sims, the first row of build/buy objects is dominated by golden-bordered items you can buy, pushing the items you own out of sight).
They will hold back features that used to be staples to resell them later in expansions or as cash shop items (a large number of objects found in the original Sims didn't make it into The Sims 3 until 4 or 5 expansions later).
It's EA games. You can guarantee you'll be buying back the features you used to get one microtransaction at a time.
You don't need to look further than The Sims to know how EA and Maxis will handle this game. There will be big bright shiny buttons that lead to the shop.
There will be reminders to check out the shop every few seconds because something is on sale.
They will shove the items you can buy directly into the game's inventory (In the Sims, the first row of build/buy objects is dominated by golden-bordered items you can buy, pushing the items you own out of sight).
They will hold back features that used to be staples to resell them later in expansions or as cash shop items (a large number of objects found in the original Sims didn't make it into The Sims 3 until 4 or 5 expansions later).
It's EA games. You can guarantee you'll be buying back the features you used to get one microtransaction at a time.
Not sure how anyone could even be surprised by this. From everything I've seen, there's plenty of game to be had in the original package. And guess what - don't like the microtransactions? Don't buy 'em! I've never bought anything like that and have been getting along just fine.
Lazy Man's Wallpaper
Member
Fortunately SimCity 2000 still runs fine.
My wife also used to be the biggest Sims fan in the world. It's amazing to see how they've killed the community for that game, which used to be super vibrant and have a ton of custom content creators. EA being EA, I knew they wouldn't be able to resist taking control of that revenue stream in The Sims 3, and that's exactly what happened.
My wife also used to be the biggest Sims fan in the world. It's amazing to see how they've killed the community for that game, which used to be super vibrant and have a ton of custom content creators. EA being EA, I knew they wouldn't be able to resist taking control of that revenue stream in The Sims 3, and that's exactly what happened.
I'm curious about how well this will sell. I don't think a city builder sim will appeal to "casuals", the people who only play Sims, for example.
This will most likely be perceived as a strategy building-game, which means that there won't be a huge market for it.
The hardcore "Sim City 4" community is, seemingly, relatively large, but I doubt they will move on from the "modability", and extreme amounts of mods available for Sim City 4 for a game that is online only, has no mod tools or support besides what will most likely be overpriced DLC packs from EA.
They should obviously have supported the modding community of Sim City 4 by adding modding tools (As well as no DLC, or online only mode.). They would have ensured that the game would, most certainly, get tons of new content on a regular basis for a long time -- as a result, the game would stay fresh, active, and the developers/EA would gain the favor of fans.
"
Do you think they would try to sell content that's completely useless or is already in the game?
This will most likely be perceived as a strategy building-game, which means that there won't be a huge market for it.
The hardcore "Sim City 4" community is, seemingly, relatively large, but I doubt they will move on from the "modability", and extreme amounts of mods available for Sim City 4 for a game that is online only, has no mod tools or support besides what will most likely be overpriced DLC packs from EA.
They should obviously have supported the modding community of Sim City 4 by adding modding tools (As well as no DLC, or online only mode.). They would have ensured that the game would, most certainly, get tons of new content on a regular basis for a long time -- as a result, the game would stay fresh, active, and the developers/EA would gain the favor of fans.
"
Do you think they would try to sell content that's completely useless or is already in the game?
I wish I didn't have to run a VM for the Windows version though.
Little late for that. Loads of games (Sleeping Dogs, Hitman, Shogun 2 off the top of my head) have cosmetic horseshit costumes and weapon packs day one.
Possibly this.
Is Sim City 4 any good?
My interest in Sim City has been perked a little with some of the stuff regarding 5, but I'd prefferable like a good version of the game that a.) doesn't ask me to micro-transaction everytime I turn it on and b.) doesn't require me to install Origin.
FastRedPonyCar
Banned
I can't remember where I read it but I think I recall the devs specificlaly saying that the DLC won't alter the game play or anything like that. No pay 2 win DLC items so nothing like "oh for only $5 you can upgrade your power plant turbines!" bull shit.
I think it's supposed to be visual/aesthetic changes only (similar to path of exile's DLC)
If that turns out to be true, I won't have a problem with it. If there IS A pay 2 win element to it though, I'm most definitely waiting until a GOTY edition is released with all that stuff included.
I think it's supposed to be visual/aesthetic changes only (similar to path of exile's DLC)
If that turns out to be true, I won't have a problem with it. If there IS A pay 2 win element to it though, I'm most definitely waiting until a GOTY edition is released with all that stuff included.
The problem is that SimCity is basically a giant Lego set and EA is making you pay to unlock one brick type at a time. It affects the gameplay because having a multitude of 'building blocks' and managing how they interact IS the gameplay. But when features like subways, agriculture and terra-forming are removed, either because the engine can't handle them without a nosedive in performance (because they want the game to run on toasters) or because they're going to be sold back to you later, it's affecting the gameplay.
Sure, they give you a pretty good bucket to start with, but compared to what you used to get? You're getting duplo'd.
Isn't that usually how it is? That's what it looked like when my wife was playing The Sims 3, where you could buy a different style of cabinets for $2 if that's your jam. Same with what I remember in Dead Space, wasn't it mostly just cosmetic changes to the guns? There's still enough there to feel like a full game, I could care less about different skins.
Screaming_Gremlin
My QB is a Dick and my coach is a Nutt
Yeah, the Steam DLC is just just the expansions and the "stuff" packs. The actual Sims Store is an entirely other level of fleecing. I have to imagine there is probably several thousand dollars worth of items/town maps/hairstyles in there by now.
Dark Octave
Banned
Well I WAS interested in playing my first Sim City game since the SNES days.
The Sims, in general, is nothing but cosmetic changes. SimCity used to be deeper than that, but who knows how SC5 will handle it. People in Beta were reporting that they had no problem maintaining a budget, which is SCARY considering how notorious SimCity games are for micromanaging your tax/funding scheme.
The Sims store launched with over $40 worth of items. In fact, the store was up before the game even came out.
The really devious thing is that they sold the individual items at a discount if you bought them as a set, but none of the sets were worth less than $10. Guess how many free Sim Points you got with the purchase of The Sims 3?