So, ladies and gentleman, we have finally seen the release of The Sims 4, the wildly popular franchise from Maxis and EA. As a hardcore gamer (which I just found out a few months ago that's what I am from a friend. I never really imagined myself to be "hardcore" as it drums up images of crazy Battlefield players) I've learned the hard way about how the industry works and how it's been changing. GameStop, the retailer we love to hate, has made pre-ordering the new thing and after buying in early to games many years ago that turned out to be huge disappointments I have discovered that parting with your hard earned cash and pouring it into something that you know nothing about isn't a very smart thing to do. It's like buying clothes without even knowing what they look like until you get them delivered to the house. Add to it the inability to get your money back when you find out those clothes are hideous and you're looking at a very broad view of how the video game industry works. Once you've given the developer the money you're basically stuck with whatever they give you, like it or not.
This arrogance, I believe, has led to the current state of affairs. Developers who hold the big titles in the industry know you'll buy the game simply based on the brand name and this had created some pretty terrible business practices. Mainly, get the core game to the consumer regardless of the state it's in and all the stuff that's hit the cutting room floor will be polished up and released a additional paid content. Looking back at The Sims 3 and it's litany of expansion packs and content packs, not to mention The Sims Store, and you're looking at the potential to generate THOUSANDS of dollars from a single consumer alone. With the hype leading up to the release of The Sims 4 it's hard to imagine a less fervent fan base waiting for the newest installation of the series, all eagerly waiting for updated graphics, expanded gameplay, and a bunch of new stuff to tool around with. From what I've been reading around what's posted on the net, it's looking like EA has made another video game in a favored franchise and twisted it around to the point of it becoming unrecognizable to long-time fans.
I must admit, before you read on intrepid gamer, that I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE I PLAYED THE SIMS 4. The following is just my personal opinions of the information I've read from other players. The single largest complaint I've seen is that the game doesn't have enough content to keep players playing, and that's usually the death toll for any video game title. If you can't keep people interested then you can safely bet they'll never bother shelling over cash for additional content. I've also seen many players appealing for refunds through EA's Origin digital distribution platform after only a few hours of playtime stating, again, that the lack of content and the "refreshed" gameplay experience is too far removed from their expectations. Many players are saying that the game feels and plays like The Sims 2 and it's too restrictive especially considering the open world design of The Sims 3.
Sims can no longer walk out the front door of their home and travel to any point in the game world. It appears you can only be active in one lot at a time and, in my opinion, this is not only restrictive to the player but it shows a lack of adoption of the insanely powerful computer hardware available today. A development house as big as EA and it's subsidiary Maxis should have no trouble taking the time to tweak a game to take full advantage of even low-end PC specs. You don't need an 8-core powerhouse with 15 GPU's to get great game performance. You may not be afforded eye-melting graphics but even a low-end PC from the past few years has more than enough juice to pump out something pretty. I seriously doubt the game would need much resources to run an open-world environment to traipse through.
The emotions and multitasking ability of Sims has been mentioned as one of the positive influences in the game, but a video game based solely around simulated human interactions seems like a dull place for me. Part of the charm of The Sims franchise to this point has been the exponential growth of gameplay, starting with the single lot interactions in the first game, progressing technologically in step with changing hardware to provide a huge open space to explore and populate. This seems like a major step back in the series and one I'm not enamored with. Also of notable deletion is the entire life stage of the toddler and the dis-inclusion of swimming pools and you've got one seriously upset fan base. And from what I've been able to gather those fans were upset for some very valid reasons.
Without having been able to play the game I can't tell you if it's worth spending your money on. I will suggest you wait, if you can which I know these days is SO HARD (read: sarcasm), because the inevitable stream of DLC is sure to be down the pike. With the fate of such a beloved franchise in the balance I'm quite nervous about where The Sims is headed, and I hope it's not in the same direction as Spore. Spore was a game that could have been so great and yet, because it didn't fly off the shelves with reckless abandon, EA dropped it like a lead balloon. It only received one "Parts Pack" and was then quietly walked away from. Low sales, a really stupid DRM in place, and repetitive gameplay with a lack of engaging content spelled death for what should have been a franchise right up there with the major seminal titles. If EA can FINALLY charge their practices, and if gamers would stop throwing money at stuff and letting developers know "It's okay, I'll buy whatever you sell only for the title slapped on the box and THEN give you even more money for additional content that arguably should have been in the base game", then I have high hopes for The Sims 4. If EA continues down the road we've paved for them with millions of dollars then you can expect truncated content and a long list of DLC that, for me, is so outrageously overpriced you'll find yourself taking out a second mortgage just to get a fake kitchen set for your Sims. If you're a smart consumer, which I think you are, you'll wait for proper reviews before buying The Sims 4. And if you can really wait you can pick up a copy of the game along with some expansion packs already bundle din for probably half the asking price of the title at release. As it stands, EA not allowing reviewers early access to the game to voice their opinions to the public before release speaks volumes in my estimation. It seems shady and backhanded and gamers should be aware of this before parting with their hard earned cash. Have you played The Sims 4 or have your own opinion on this article? Leave a comment below! That's it for now. Over and out and happy gaming!
Want some unbiased video game reviews? Check out my game review website www.alwayslategamereviews.weebly.com. It's constantly being updated with new reviews and will continue to grow in time.
This arrogance, I believe, has led to the current state of affairs. Developers who hold the big titles in the industry know you'll buy the game simply based on the brand name and this had created some pretty terrible business practices. Mainly, get the core game to the consumer regardless of the state it's in and all the stuff that's hit the cutting room floor will be polished up and released a additional paid content. Looking back at The Sims 3 and it's litany of expansion packs and content packs, not to mention The Sims Store, and you're looking at the potential to generate THOUSANDS of dollars from a single consumer alone. With the hype leading up to the release of The Sims 4 it's hard to imagine a less fervent fan base waiting for the newest installation of the series, all eagerly waiting for updated graphics, expanded gameplay, and a bunch of new stuff to tool around with. From what I've been reading around what's posted on the net, it's looking like EA has made another video game in a favored franchise and twisted it around to the point of it becoming unrecognizable to long-time fans.
I must admit, before you read on intrepid gamer, that I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE I PLAYED THE SIMS 4. The following is just my personal opinions of the information I've read from other players. The single largest complaint I've seen is that the game doesn't have enough content to keep players playing, and that's usually the death toll for any video game title. If you can't keep people interested then you can safely bet they'll never bother shelling over cash for additional content. I've also seen many players appealing for refunds through EA's Origin digital distribution platform after only a few hours of playtime stating, again, that the lack of content and the "refreshed" gameplay experience is too far removed from their expectations. Many players are saying that the game feels and plays like The Sims 2 and it's too restrictive especially considering the open world design of The Sims 3.
Sims can no longer walk out the front door of their home and travel to any point in the game world. It appears you can only be active in one lot at a time and, in my opinion, this is not only restrictive to the player but it shows a lack of adoption of the insanely powerful computer hardware available today. A development house as big as EA and it's subsidiary Maxis should have no trouble taking the time to tweak a game to take full advantage of even low-end PC specs. You don't need an 8-core powerhouse with 15 GPU's to get great game performance. You may not be afforded eye-melting graphics but even a low-end PC from the past few years has more than enough juice to pump out something pretty. I seriously doubt the game would need much resources to run an open-world environment to traipse through.
The emotions and multitasking ability of Sims has been mentioned as one of the positive influences in the game, but a video game based solely around simulated human interactions seems like a dull place for me. Part of the charm of The Sims franchise to this point has been the exponential growth of gameplay, starting with the single lot interactions in the first game, progressing technologically in step with changing hardware to provide a huge open space to explore and populate. This seems like a major step back in the series and one I'm not enamored with. Also of notable deletion is the entire life stage of the toddler and the dis-inclusion of swimming pools and you've got one seriously upset fan base. And from what I've been able to gather those fans were upset for some very valid reasons.
Without having been able to play the game I can't tell you if it's worth spending your money on. I will suggest you wait, if you can which I know these days is SO HARD (read: sarcasm), because the inevitable stream of DLC is sure to be down the pike. With the fate of such a beloved franchise in the balance I'm quite nervous about where The Sims is headed, and I hope it's not in the same direction as Spore. Spore was a game that could have been so great and yet, because it didn't fly off the shelves with reckless abandon, EA dropped it like a lead balloon. It only received one "Parts Pack" and was then quietly walked away from. Low sales, a really stupid DRM in place, and repetitive gameplay with a lack of engaging content spelled death for what should have been a franchise right up there with the major seminal titles. If EA can FINALLY charge their practices, and if gamers would stop throwing money at stuff and letting developers know "It's okay, I'll buy whatever you sell only for the title slapped on the box and THEN give you even more money for additional content that arguably should have been in the base game", then I have high hopes for The Sims 4. If EA continues down the road we've paved for them with millions of dollars then you can expect truncated content and a long list of DLC that, for me, is so outrageously overpriced you'll find yourself taking out a second mortgage just to get a fake kitchen set for your Sims. If you're a smart consumer, which I think you are, you'll wait for proper reviews before buying The Sims 4. And if you can really wait you can pick up a copy of the game along with some expansion packs already bundle din for probably half the asking price of the title at release. As it stands, EA not allowing reviewers early access to the game to voice their opinions to the public before release speaks volumes in my estimation. It seems shady and backhanded and gamers should be aware of this before parting with their hard earned cash. Have you played The Sims 4 or have your own opinion on this article? Leave a comment below! That's it for now. Over and out and happy gaming!
Want some unbiased video game reviews? Check out my game review website www.alwayslategamereviews.weebly.com. It's constantly being updated with new reviews and will continue to grow in time.