EA Statement regarding no pools or toddlers in The Sims 4

[CGurrell]

EA have released a statement regarding the reasoning behind leaving out Toddlers and Pools in the latest edition of The Sims franchise (At least, at launch).

Rachel Franklin, executive producer at EA for the Sims franchise, stated that the omission was because "new technology and systems" that were built for the game, including a new AI system, animation system, new audio positioning tools, new locomotion logic and new routing intelligence. She said that, because of this, there were trade offs, and that this was a "hard pill to swallow" but that they instead will "Focus on revolutionizing the Sims themselves."

This, in my humble opinion, sounds like garbage. Is it just me or do we hear stories like this all the time when talking about EA? In fact, I'd be willing to bet (not very much, but bet) that, when someone says EA, you immediately think something along the lines of "Money" or "DLC" or "Incomplete games". To me, this situation either sounds like reducing the base game so that more features can be implemented via paid DLC, something EA do a lot (e.g. the Tiger Woods series), or, that EA genuinely don't have enough time to implement pools and toddlers, for the game to be released on schedule (4th september for PC users).

 

This is very interesting, as only a few weeks ago, EA said that they would be changing the way they make games (see: the WAN show from June 21st, video below). They said, and I quote, that they "will be willing to delay a games launch when necessary". The real question here, is what is EAs definition of necessary? Do they mean "if a game cannot be played due to errors, we will delay it" or do they mean "if a game isn't as good as it can be, we will delay it"?

It would be interesting to get your thoughts on this guys, considering only 2-3 weeks ago EA were talking about changing, this does sound like a typical EA thing to do, whether it be removing features to add paid DLC later to reimplement them, or simply not giving themselves enough time to make a game as good as it can be.

Thanks for reading guys, this is my first article/news story written anywhere, not just on the LTT forums, so hopefully it wasn't awful .

 

Chris

YouTube video: The WAN show 21st June 2014 - EA plans to change how it makes games

 

EDIT: Ok the link where it starts at a certain point didn't work... the relevant part is at 0:19:52

Original Kitguru article which I read before producing this: http://www.kitguru.net/gaming/development/jon-martindale/ea-releases-statement-on-pools-not-being-present-in-sims-4/

[Yoinkerman]

Considering ea has crappy dlc that's rivaled only by jrpgs and crappy Korean mmos, ea can go bite my ass

[Kyuubixchidori]

liked because well written, good job!
 
I think its soley because of DLCs. Sims is terrible for the number of dlcs. like really. 
 
oh god. forgot you can buy individual items. buying all the dlcs for things like bf4 are bad right? well.
 
" ran the numbers. I went to the Sims 3 store and searched for "*" and got 3190 results. I took the average of the first 50 results and it came to 233.5 simpoints. A simpoint is worth 10 cents. So everything on the Sims 3 store costs approximately $74,486.50. As for DLC/the game itself, the total is $439.81. So grand total, you're looking at $74,926.31 to own everything the Sims 3 has to offer. Start saving those pennies!"

 

http://steamcommunity.com/app/47890/discussions/0/846954921951120944/

 

 

[ericlee30]

Im so glad i have never played any of the Sims games.

[BonBon Scott]

It's pretty obvious, it's because toddlers drown in pools.

[kuddlesworth9419]

They will put it back in as a DLC. Trus me.

[Phillyphries]

ericlee30, on 08 Jul 2014 - 07:46 AM, said:

Im so glad i have never played any of the Sims games.

 

The first 2 were so good

[CGurrell]

They will put it back in as a DLC. Trus me.

I guess we'll find out soon enough

EDIT: If EA gets enough flak for this, it wouldn't surprise me if they released these features as a free DLC to try and say "Hey, come on, we're the good guys!"

[qwertywarrior]

It's pretty obvious, it's because toddlers drown in pools.

they will release it as a DLC

[BonBon Scott]

they will release it as a DLC

 

Well, that just goes to show how bad EA is as a company. They are willing to release a "Drowning Toddlers DLC"

[ericlee30]

The first 2 were so good

Thats what i heard and was interest in playing it but never got around to it.

[CGurrell]

Just to be clear, this isn't a swipe at the Sims franchise, in fact tbh, I've only really played the first Sims game and the latest SimCity (If that even counts...)

[scaryjam823]

Old news, already posted here a few days ago. Too lazy to search for it.

[CGurrell]

Old news, already posted here a few days ago. Too lazy to search for it.

I did search for it, didn't find anything...

[Phillyphries]

Thats what i heard and was interest in playing it but never got around to it.

 

Once you start playing, you'll probably be dead to the world for about a week lol

[scaryjam823]

I did search for it, didn't find anything...

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/172896-the-sims-4-will-launch-without-pools-and-toddlers-to-be-added-as-dlc/

[ShadowCaptain]

They will put it back in as a DLC. Trus me.

 

Monthly subscription I reckon, £39.99 a month for pools + £5 for slightly different indoor lamps, maybe cushions too

[CGurrell]

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/172896-the-sims-4-will-launch-without-pools-and-toddlers-to-be-added-as-dlc/

irrelevant. this guy just copies an article from another website, adds one line and a source, whereas I have written an actual article. I did search and didn't find this, though not sure why.

He also makes a false claim in the title, as no decision has been publicly made.

[matin94]

They will put it back in as a DLC. Trus me.

isnt that what they said like weeks ago,  im pretty sure they are going to add it as DLC.

[Socky]

liked because well written, good job!

I think its soley because of DLCs. Sims is terrible for the number of dlcs. like really.

oh god. forgot you can buy individual items. buying all the dlcs for things like bf4 are bad right? well.

" ran the numbers. I went to the Sims 3 store and searched for "*" and got 3190 results. I took the average of the first 50 results and it came to 233.5 simpoints. A simpoint is worth 10 cents. So everything on the Sims 3 store costs approximately $74,486.50. As for DLC/the game itself, the total is $439.81. So grand total, you're looking at $74,926.31 to own everything the Sims 3 has to offer. Start saving those pennies!"

http://steamcommunity.com/app/47890/discussions/0/846954921951120944/

Wow that's some dedication. Holy shit that's a lot. And just get the Game and DLC on sale, got it all for about $100 or so

[Commander Llama]

It's not unreasonable to judge their past actions coupled with what they're doing here and conclude "Damn it EA."  The Sims series is particularly DLC heavy, in fact it's been on the DLC train for longer than the DLC train has been status quo.  You could even argue it started it, being of the most popular PC games ever.

 

And if you look at the expansion packs for Sims 1, Sims 2, Sims 3, the "useless stuff" DLCs get piled on more and more with each game.  Sims 1 was actually pretty content focused expansion packs, whereas Sims 2 started adding "stuff."  I feel like Sims 3 was even worse, but maybe it was on par.

 

Safe to assume the trend will continue onward, since that's what publishers exist to do.  Act conservatively.

[CGurrell]

It's not unreasonable to judge their past actions coupled with what they're doing here and conclude "Damn it EA."  The Sims series is particularly DLC heavy, in fact it's been on the DLC train for longer than the DLC train has been status quo.  You could even argue it started it, being of the most popular PC games ever.

 

And if you look at the expansion packs for Sims 1, Sims 2, Sims 3, the "useless stuff" DLCs get piled on more and more with each game.  Sims 1 was actually pretty content focused expansion packs, whereas Sims 2 started adding "stuff."  I feel like Sims 3 was even worse, but maybe it was on par.

 

Safe to assume the trend will continue onward, since that's what publishers exist to do.  Act conservatively.

I get that, I really do, but pools have been included in the sims since the sims 1 as far as I remember. Surely removing them now is just a kick in the teeth of the consumer?

[scaryjam823]

irrelevant. this guy just copies an article from another website, adds one line and a source, whereas I have written an actual article. I did search and didn't find this, though not sure why.

He also makes a false claim in the title, as no decision has been publicly made.

Pompous much? Sorry to burst your bubble where you feel like you done something important, but you really didn't. You could've posted your opinion in that thread instead of acting like you're breaking news, therefore it is relevant. 

[Misanthrope]

Sure EA just like our computers couldn't handle the new simcity without the always-online part because of the supposed server side calculations that did fucking nothing at all? And how bigger cities were just not possible only they totally fucking are?

 

Oh but that's not all: I guarantee that in less than a year after release they will be giving out more bullshit interviews saying how removing all that was "a mistake":

 

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/9516-EA-Ubisoft-A-Cycle-of-Perpetration-and-Apology?utm_source=latest&utm_medium=index_carousel&utm_campaign=all

[Heisenbleurgh]

It's probably because toddlers and pools aren't very relatable.