Support NeoGAF

[Dunan]

SimCity used to be something magical, something visionary and special. It wasn't like other single-player games, where you were just playing out someone else's story, or multiplayer ones, which were about direct competition. Playing SimCity, by contrast, was almost like dreaming--a sandbox where you could explore crazy "what ifs" and learn about the world without suffering the real-world consequences of fucking up. That was pretty much Maxis's modus operandi. I'm not saying they weren't a business, because of course they were. I'm not saying they were the only ones making sandbox games, because we all know that's not true either. But if you read up on the early history of the company (and Wright in particular) they were always about a lot more than just maximizing profits. They didn't always succeed (I was never able to get into SimIsle, personally), but they always dreamed big, and when they did succeed they hit it out of the park.

100% agreed. If there's one good thing about this ongoing debacle, it's that it inspired me to get off my duff, dust off my 2001-vintage SimCity 3000 for Windows CD, and mod it so I can play it on my current Mac. (Thanks, Paulthetall! -- google him if you miss SC3k and only have a Mac now)

SimCity is a wonderful franchise which has been losing its spirit with each passing entry. SC2k and 3k are the sweet spots. Play them and remember how great SC can be.

 

[endresults]

They hate ea and their 'liberal' agenda of supporting gay rights.

So liberal of EA, making a nice little segregated planet for gays in TOR. Wouldn't want the straights and gays sharing a drinking fountain, now would we.

 

[Acorn]

To be fair ea are the only major pubs atleast trying to do something positive in regards to gay rights.

Whether they're going about it the right way is up for discussion.

 

[sp3000]

100% agreed. If there's one good thing about this ongoing debacle, it's that it inspired me to get off my duff, dust off my 2001-vintage SimCity 3000 for Windows CD, and mod it so I can play it on my current Mac. (Thanks, Paulthetall! -- google him if you miss SC3k and only have a Mac now)

SimCity is a wonderful franchise which has been losing its spirit with each passing entry. SC2k and 3k are the sweet spots. Play them and remember how great SC can be.

Simcity 4 is better than both. Much more customizable as well.

 

[Darklord]

So liberal of EA, making a nice little segregated planet for gays in TOR. Wouldn't want the straights and gays sharing a drinking fountain, now would we.

What a stupid comment. That isn't even close to the truth. Well done on just reading a hyperbole headline and that's it. EA was actually voted one of the most gay rights friendly companies to work at out of anyone.

 

[endresults]

To be fair ea are the only major pubs atleast trying to do something positive in regards to gay rights.

Whether they're going about it the right way is up for discussion.

Bullshit. Numerous games have had LGBT characters, and most weren't labeled or pushed off to the side into some "special" area where they could be LGBT.

Doing it 'right' means not making any distinction based on sexual orientation.

 

[FyreWulff]

So liberal of EA, making a nice little segregated planet for gays in TOR. Wouldn't want the straights and gays sharing a drinking fountain, now would we.

Do you even understand that situation

TOR requires full voice acting for all characters. They added same sex romancing in the same update that added a new planet. The only characters set up for it so far are on that planet. It will be patched into the rest of the game later on as they have to re-record the dialogue.

This is how every MMO has worked in history. New features show up in the expansion continents/planets first, then is backported to the legacy areas later on. It's no different than Blizzard not allowing flying on the old continents until they had remodeled them to work with it.

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

Holy shit that is amazing.

 

[Acorn]

Bullshit. Numerous games have had LGBT characters, and most weren't labeled or pushed off to the side into some "special" area where they could be LGBT.

Doing it 'right' means not making any distinction based on sexual orientation.

They are doing more than putting characters in games.

 

[endresults]

What a stupid comment. That isn't even close to the truth. Well done on just reading a hyperbole headline and that's it. EA was actually voted one of the most gay rights friendly companies to work at out of anyone.

Keep derailing the thread even more, please. No amount of progressive thinking makes up for EA's fuckups, and using it as ammo in a Simcity thread is garbage-league stuff.

 

[Darklord]

Bullshit. Numerous games have had LGBT characters, and most weren't labeled or pushed off to the side into some "special" area where they could be LGBT.

You clearly have no idea what you're talking about. There's no special "area". It's a new planet, with new characters, people wanted gay characters so they included gay characters on that planet. What do you want them to do? Get all the dozens of voice actors for each class companion to re-record dialogue for that one thing?

Doing it 'right' means not making any distinction based on sexual orientation.

 

[Darklord]

Keep derailing the thread even more, please. No amount of progressive thinking makes up for EA's fuckups, and using it as ammo in a Simcity thread is garbage-league stuff.

You're the one who brought it up mate and I'm all for hating EA but credit should be given where credit is due and not stupid hate mongering. Hate them for real reasons in which there are plenty.

 

[endresults]

You clearly have no idea what you're talking about. There's no special "area". It's a new planet, with new characters, people wanted gay characters so they included gay characters on that planet. What do you want them to do? Get all the dozens of voice actors for each class companion to re-record dialogue for that one thing?

So you could have a gay character on that one planet? You're not really convincing me that I'm wrong here.

Edit: Gies mode activated.

 

[You Are Viewtiful]

EA please drop the price to $20. ty

 

[Darklord]

So you could have a gay character on that one planet? You're not really convincing me that I'm wrong here.

Do you even understand how adding new content works?

 

[endresults]

EA please drop the price to $20. ty

They will. When the expansion pack rolls out.

 

[endresults]

Do you even understand how adding new content works?

No, please explain it to me in depth, then tie it to whatever point about TOR you want to make, and then I'll tell you that if EA was so fucking progressive they would have put all that into the game on day one.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

I kinda wish it would be the developers thinking some of the online requirements are bullshit (as dictated by EA) so they made it as transparently obvious as possible what was going on.

I know developers who don't like putting up with management's bullshit, and while some may not believe it, developing and programming can be an art and the moment you take 'creative' ability away, you end up with some annoyed developers, especially if it takes away from the game they want to make.

Especially since game development can totally suck, long hours and lower pay compared to other developer positions.

 

[Ryaaan14]

If EA was smart they'd just say nothing and let this lose momentum.

For entertainment's sake I hope they don't though.

 

[Darklord]

No, please explain it to me in depth, then tie it to whatever point about TOR you want to make, and then I'll tell you that if EA was so fucking progressive they would have put all that into the game on day one.

Mass Effect? Dragon Age? They didn't add it because there are generally no gays in Star Wars, Lucas didn't want to add stuff like that into a simple fantasy tale but after pressure from fans they agreed to include it later on.

 

[lastplayed]

Do we have a new Doritos pope in the form of Arthur gies?

What's the deal with Arthur Gies? I think I missed it.

 

[moka]

If EA was smart they'd just say nothing and let this lose momentum.

For entertainment's sake I hope they don't though.

Well that's one option.

Another one is to release an update with this code removed, make it playable completely, without interference offline, apologise for everything and fire Lucy Bradshaw.

 

[endresults]

Mass Effect? Dragon Age? They didn't add it because there are generally no gays in Star Wars, Lucas didn't want to add stuff like that into a simple fantasy tale but after pressure from fans they agreed to include it later on.

So EA, paragons of personal freedom, went ahead and took the Star Wars license anyway, knowing they couldn't put "stuff like that" (your words) into the game?

Yeah, fuck EA.

 

[EmCeeGramr]

So where is this whole thing going to come to a head?

Personally, I think it'll eventually turn out that the source code is a digital wizard's spell to steal user's souls, or that the "agents" are actually Laotian war orphans being paid in gruel and trying to signal for help with bizarre behavior.

 

[Darklord]

So EA, paragons of personal freedom, went ahead and took the Star Wars license anyway, knowing they couldn't put "stuff like that" (your words) into the game?

Yeah, fuck EA.

Oh please, give me a break. If outwardly supporting gay rights, gay marriage, and voted "Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality” isn't enough then I guess you're fucked.

 

[Ryaaan14]

Well that's one option.

Another one is to release an update with this code removed, make it playable completely, without interference offline, apologise for everything and fire Lucy Bradshaw.

That's not going to happen. The damage has already been done, and if they decide to change their mind and make it offline, it makes them look like they don't know what the fuck they are doing. (Even though I don't believe they do). It is absolutely not an option.

 

[endresults]

Oh please, give me a break. If outwardly supporting gay rights, gay marriage, and voted "Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality” isn't enough then I guess you're fucked.

If you can't defend the argument, attack the opponent, right? Nice talking to ya. See you in the next 'EA did whaaaaat?!' thread in the next 24hr or so.

 

[Neuromancer]

So where is this whole thing going to come to a head?

Personally, I think it'll eventually turn out that the source code is a digital wizard's spell to steal user's souls, or that the "agents" are actually Laotian war orphans being paid in gruel and trying to signal for help with bizarre behavior.

March 28, 2013: Lucy Bradshaw releases a video of her squatting over, then urinating on, a photo of Will Wright.

 

[jWILL253]

Stop derailing the thread...

 

[Kade]

March 28, 2013: Lucy Bradshaw releases a video of her squatting over, then urinating on, a photo of Will Wright.

Don't visualize this. It's not good.

 

[Pachterballs]

what I find strange is that NON. NON of the gaming media cock suckers are contacting EA for a story. break bullshit non news yes. real story drops?

gaming journalism. Can't anger one of the biggest publishers out there. Ad money!!!


I still don't think EA are an "evil" company. This is DRM handled poorly.

 

[Acorn]

March 28, 2013: Lucy Bradshaw releases a video of her squatting over, then urinating on, a photo of Will Wright.

Ha,I can quite believe it. Or a wwe twist with Lucy Bradshaw revealing herself to be Will Wright in disguise.

It was me Austin! It was me all along!

 

[notoriousKTR]

Will Wright is sitting quietly, collecting his royalties from EA. He has it good.

 

[Rebel Leader]

Stop derailing the thread...

Derailed or not

I feel you. I wonder if EA will blame fans at some point.

They already have days ago, Something about how people wouldn't stop playing which was causing server issues.

 

[Lint21]

At least Maxis has come off its "it HAS to be always-online because of complex server-side calculations" stance. The "straight answers" blog post lists what the game actually does online. I think most people can look at that list and see how the items not related strictly to multiplayer could have been (and still could be) implemented in an offline setting.

What I really dislike from TFA is this:

Almost all of our players play with connected cities. But some chose to play alone – running the cities themselves. But whether they play solo or multiplayer, they are drawn to the connected city experience.

The implication here is that "connected cities" is the same as multiplayer. Because of the tiny cities, you basically have to have several of them. I have two regions with about seven cities between them - but I only play single player. It's like having one item on your menu, then talking about how great that item is because it's all anyone ever orders.

 

[Septimius]

I feel you. I wonder if EA will blame fans at some point.

You mean like they blame you for wanting to play their game? Or how they blame you for wanting to play offline. Seriously, they said "players just loved the game too much, and it crashed!" while Lucy said "We know there are players that want to play offline. But everyone loves playing online!"

 

[krioto]

What's the deal with Arthur Gies? I think I missed it.

He's spawned a new Memento related-meme:

'Don't believe his Gies'

 

[GolazoDan]

Wowowow guys, let's not be dragging DmC's name through the mud. In terms of reboots/revivals, Tomb Raider's the high end, DmC's a bit below that but still a pretty cool time, SimCity's taken an elevator to the basement.

Is that tattoo picture... real?

 

[Acorn]

Does anyone else think that Lucy Bradshaw is going to be offered as a sacrificial lamb?

It reminda me of politics, push someone out front to be the face of the problem, then quietly kill them off.

Edit: incase some overzealous poster misconstrues this as support for EA or Lucy Bradshaw. It's not.

 

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

A $60 beta. Shame on EA/Maxis.

 

[Rebel Leader]

What's the deal with Arthur Gies? I think I missed it.

There's more

 

[QaaQer]

March 28, 2013: Lucy Bradshaw releases a video of her squatting over, then urinating on, a photo of Will Wright.

now that's a seriously niche porn site.

 

[fastford58]

Yay...NMA news picked it up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uFEYIVKOwA

 

[Rebel Leader]

Yay...NMA news picked it up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uFEYIVKOwA

Guess what NMA, the fans were right

 

[Nibiru]

Now the sub reddit for simcity will start censoring overtly negative posts about Simcity, Maxis or EA. Money talks.

http://www.reddit.com/r/SimCity/comments/1ah51f/the_state_of_the_subreddit_and_how_were_going_to/

 

[alr1ght]

 

[border]

Gies seems to have retconned his original comment to mean "Oh you can't accurately comment on this because you don't know how the game is coded."

 

[ClovingWestbrook]

Amazing

 

[soepje]

They should find some smarter way to get around the illegal downloads problem, doing it all on internet-access only is not the way.

 

[Kingven]

Dont know if this has been posted.. xD