Challenge EA

[Redwolf]

EA's new motto:

"Challenge Everything"

Okay...

...let's start with Safedisk 2.

Then we move on to the crappy $50-$80 pricing sceme. Then the $30 Sims expansion packs.

Then, oh yes, the rushed games that could have been great (that also goes for the toned-down-for-Wal-Mart games).

[CERuppel]

Won't say anything about the pricing...

But the Sims; The fans have been the thing keeping this going. Making custom (fill in the blank). Even writing entire add on programs (Sim Life Cycle for example). Then along comes Unleashed. Now the custom fan made add ons won't work if they in any way involve the character files. (I knw that the patch was supposed to fix this, but it only corrected a couple of the problems and added nearly as many new ones as it fixed).

Then they cancel the long awaited SimsVille game, instead replacing it with some crappy chat room in disguise. And the worst part about this is the fact that they have the SimsVille game, but are going with this crap in an effort to squeeze even more money out of the paying customers.

Oh, and as for the "Sims2" that is the rave of the forums; get over it. It needs a top end video card, can't operate with more than a dozen or so characters at a time (no downtown or old town) and all it offers so far is 'three dee' environments. What a joke.

The SimsVille expansion that has been promised since Living Large has held so many of the fans to this game. Allowing for the open interaction of the characters on the neighborhood level was new and different. Add to that the city builder approach from the Sim City series was (sort of) added in to the Sims and it was just about the holy grail of the game.

But it would only bring in money the one time the customer bought and paid for the game. Not so the chat room in disguise. You (the customer) have to first pay for the game. Then pay for the internet access (which most of us do anyway, but needs to be mentioned). Then pay the monthly fees for access to the game you already paid for. And I'm not certain if you can ever sell the game you bought (who'd buy it?) due to the registration system.

This all adds up to me having this to say:

Bah- Hum- Bug to EA.

[RedFury]

I agree. My wife was major bummed out that simsville was cancelled. She beta tested the "Simchat" and hated it. Buggy, and boring....sounds like at least they stay true to the series.

[angelcat]

Hey Red, the disk is working great! Oh, and as for the SimZip, don't worry about it, the Sim File Maid works much better.

[Redwolf]

agreed.

Angelcat, what do you mean thje disk is working great?

[skuz]

Something inside EA changed.

I remember the time of NFS I-II-III, my first contacts with EA. Their website looked professionnal and it was easy to find what you were looking for.

Suddenly (about 2-3 years ago), the website changed drastically, and looked like what I qualify as a "website for kids". It was really hard to find a patch which you know exists (or existed). I remember clearly downloading the F1 2000 1.09 patch from there, but try to find it today on their site...

If you look at their message boards, you'll see a LOT of whining and bug complains. NFSHP2 and BF1942 comes to mind. People have to help each other with games as there is very rarely an official answer.

I think EA diversified too much too fast.

[Redwolf]

EA got too big. All of the other PC game cos are losing a bunch cept Microsoft. EAs also gotten very gng-ho on copy protection (causing problems) and has become almost a wal-mart caterer (cousing rushing and tone-downing).

[RedFury]

RW, AngelCat is referring to the disk full of add on's for the Sims I sent. Not much in the way of skins if memory serves me, but alot of floor, wall, objects to sift through. Not to mention a few "extras" such as Servo the robot maid and the platinum Optimus Prime statue.

Glad to see you got it figured out AC. I was worried that I didn't compile that disk user friendly enough. ( I mean, I know where it all goes, but for someone that has never seen those files.... )

[OuTpaTienT]

Although I'm not one, I know all the NASCAR fans are totally bummed about EA getting the rights to make the game from now on instead of Papyrus. There goes another good game down the tubes.