Sims 4 Events Failing? (New Survey)
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- čas přidán 4. 06. 2024
- The last sims 4 update brought with it timed events- but a new survey indicates community opinions, and players not building or in live mode gameplay or cas as much as expected may change the team's approach. Here's my honest opinion and analysis of this sims 4 strategy- and some mentions of the direction/ review of the future of the sims franchise.
Stay tuned for sims, paralives, life by you, inzoi and other simulation game news, reviews, commentary, updates and more.
Sources & Credits
www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the...
www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the...
Survey Link: survey.alchemer.com/s3/783987...
Thanks to @RutaSimming for the survey link!
My Past Video:
The latest sims 4 update brought with it time limited events- offering new build buy (bb) or create a sim (cas) items- many from other dlc packs. Now, fears about sims 4 monetizing grow, as new job postings reveal plans for the sims to add in new ways to get your money. - Hry
I don't even have the event in my game yet.
it's coming out on a rolling basis. But sadly I don't have info about when it'll come based on region
I don't have it in my game either, and I am in the USA.
The event is so badly implemented that I needed work arounds via gallery. This is really tragic. And it also diminishes the purpose of SDX drops as well 🙄
I don't have the event, but loaded a new game, and played a randomly generated family - one of them has the new trait. Very interesting
Neither do I. I'm in australia. It's a joke. They say on ea app home Page about it. I go on game today and it says about the forced update thing about June 10th but still no event.
My biggest issue with this event is that the rewards are not tied to your account, so if you launch the game on a different machine than the one you claimed your rewards, they won't transfer over. A MASSIVE oversight considering the nature of this so called "event".
oh crap… maybe they’ll be downloadable from the gallery? that sucks otherwise cuz i’m on console rn but hoped to go back to pc one day
So my plan to upgrade my computer would make me lose the items? Of course
This is such an oversight but not surprised they didn’t think about this.
which is such a weird choice for them to make
According to one of the EA Answers people, there is a way to transfer those, just as you'd need to transfer your saves, tray, and mods. What you do is save the UserSetting.ini file. (If you haven't enabled extensions in File Explorer, then it will just say UserSetting rather than UserSetting.ini.)
So, it's not any more onerous than usual when you want to transfer your game to a new computer. You just need to know to transfer that .ini file when you transfer the rest.
Thanks for letting us know about the survey. I ended mine with " EA is a terrible company. I'd love to see it go out of business or be otherwise destroyed."
no problem!
hopefully a lot of people will take the survey, Idk they will read something that says it's a terrible company though, that will prob be deleted
@@SimmerErin If they delete strong negative feedback, they won't get a clear picture of how we feel.
@@rawmilk905sadly, that's the point. They want to pretend they're doing a great job and that we love them 🤦🤦
Feel empowered to speak my mind?? Ha! I seriously doubt they want to hear a damn thing I have to say because I would not be one to sugar-coat it etc. That is why the only TWO times I posted errors on the EA help page (about switching to Origin against my will), it was removed for violating the terms (no profanity etc).... I don't bother to post bugs any more because it is quite clear they don't want to empower me to say that people need to boycott further content until they get thier act together as creators.
hm, I do think there's a balance between sugar coating and the opposite end, but I certainly hope they will take feedback into consideration. Could you give me a few more details about what you posted?
There is absolutely no need to use profanity to explain your displeasure with the game and its bugs. Being vulgar and rude is the fastest way to undermine your message and close off the very people you are trying to reach.
@@jennifersmith-clark6418 I said that I did not. Go back and read it again....
"Not sugar-coating it" doesn't have to go so far as being deliberately rude and vulgar. It's possible (and appropriate) to be civil about this sort of thing.
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[This what I wrote in case you or anyone else was interested. Yes, I accidentally wrote an essay. whoops, lol]
*****
I like getting new traits (aka game play), but it's just not enough to get me to open my game. Why?
1) Login events make the sims4 feel like a cheap, dime-a-dozen, mobile game. Would rather have it come in an SDX drop. (SDX drops makes me happy. Login events do not.)
2) The game's onslaught bugs and glitches! Perhaps the biggest reason I don't open my game anymore (as of months ago), is my sims CONSTANTLY cancel the actions that I've assigned them to do! Also I don't buy new packs anymore because I've heard from reviews that they make the game even more unplayable. There are several recent packs I did not buy because of this very reason. (I've been waiting for them to get fixed but since they haven't I've nearly lost interest in purchasing them.)
3) Lastly the day the shopping cart was added INSIDE MY GAME was the day that I was "done". Really? I always look up reviews BEFORE buying a new pack. Please, please, please make sure the any new dlc WORKS before selling it.
If you want me to spend money on pack and dlc again, please fix these main problems above. Otherwise, I might have to start looking into some alternatives like Life by you or Paralives. Thank you for reading, I really appreciate it. :)
hey thanks so much for taking the time to give them that feedback and also to share it here! (As someone who grades essays as part of my job, I do not mind extended comments!).
I think it's a clear message, and worded respectfully but firmly.
@@SimmerErin Ty! There's a lot of things I could've said but didn't. I didn't even touch the EA disaster app. But sometimes staying focused on one topic is best.
I think they do actually read these because there was one of these a long time ago where I said that if they ever had a werewolves pack, I would pre-order it. Then later when it was released, it was the only gamepack offered as a pre-order. ...It could just be coincidence. Who really knows.
they should've brought back the concerts. that would actually bring some players in and not be totally scummy
The concerts or challenge events like Jasmine Holiday
yeah I liked that theme better. low pressure, and maybe they could have done them a few times a year. I recall some didn't like the limit on them and they extended the time to do the event too. a lot more could be done to increase engagement and make it fun rather than feeling like a pressure/ chore
One thing to note is that sometimes companies that are having a rough PR time will try and use surveys to try and take the criticism they're getting out of the public eye to prevent it from spreading - IIRC WotC used that tactic to try and deal with the OSR scandal before giving in to community demands. I'd... Encourage folk to not just use the survey to give their feedback if they have a platform, even if that platform is just discussing it with online friends in places like reddit - just keep it respectful when doing so and remember that the developers are not the people responsible for the big picture decisions - including to focus on new content over bug fixes, putting out products that haven't been polished rather than delaying until fixes can be implemented, monetization strategies, and so forth in case this is one of those times.
Whether EA are doing it or not (not at all surprised if they are) but that is definitely a tactic. It's similar to when they tried to get people to put there criticisms on a particular forum/site, which if I recall correctly, wasn't part of the main forums.
yes, I know and understand people are tempted to go off, but honestly those are likely to be ignored. you prob also have fairly lower paid people who have to go through said surveys, and people not involved inn the company's decisions and just trying to make a salary to live
@@SimmerErin From my knowledge of a company that has done numerous surveys in the past, it's the type of work they give the interns.
This event is a definite turn-off for me. When I saw it announced I immediately uninstalled Sims 4 from my computer. I'll redownload it and play again someday (like you mentioned in your feedback, my desire to play will come back naturally because *I feel* like playing, not because of a LTE). For now, though, I'm just mad. The "What's next, a battlepass?" conversation was a joke before, but seeing them introduce something way too similar for comfort just isn't funny. Even though the event is free and the only requirement is that players login, it makes my skin crawl because I know -- *I know* -- it's only going to escalate from here. It's the starter course, the free appetizer to lure people in. Whatever PR speech they throw out doesn't make me feel any better. This is a starting point for a new model that will become a monetization scheme at some point. So many other games have gone this way, you've pointed to their efforts at adding new positions within the company directed at monetization, and with the garbage coming out of the head of EA lately, I can't see this as anything but the drive to turn The Sims 4 into more of a vending machine than it already is.
def understand your concerns. I don't feel a battle pass is likely at least not for rene-- I guess it;s not out of question for 4. The only reason I say so is due to what Pearson said about rene
What did Pearson say? @@SimmerErin
The Summer Sessions event a few years ago was extremely popular and actually gave us something unique and valuable in game play. But I'm sure as heck it cost a lot more to produce than this sad "event". The problem I think is they want to load up the game with frequent, cheap to produce but essentially unsatisfying to the player "rewards" (if this trial run was any indication). I don't think people are going to get excited about rewards that also aren't going to cost EA more to produce.
I agree that was a smarter and mote user friendly idea. And if it didn't do quite as they want, why not be innovative and play around with different things like that
Aww watching the trailer from 2015 in the background is so nostalgic. And sorta depressing tbh.
yeah, I could see that. I was late to sims 4- was in school and playing 3 (was even late to sims 3, took a long break between 2&3) so I didn't really experience all that. but I imagine back then feelings and attitudes towards sims 4 were quite different . Granted, its launch was quite controversial too. It'd be so interesting to do a retrospective, interviews and such
I basically logged in, grabbed the free reward (I have to admit, I did really want that trash can. The others I don't care if I do or don't get) and logged out. I play when I'm in the mood/have time. One of the things I like(d) about the Sims was that it wasn't based on FOMO. I abandoned both mobile sim games because of that. If I feel pressured to have to log in daily I'm more likely to just walk away.
What would motivate me to play more often is if the game didn't require me to be online to play, if the game wasn't so damned buggy that I'm not 100% sure I'm going to be able to save it before something goes horribly wrong, and if I could have the Sims 3 Create a Style (which I know is never going to happen and it's incredibly annoying because it very much limits how I decorate because I can't stand when shades of wood etc don't match).
Free stuff is nice, and I'll grab it when I can. But the few free kits they gave out inspired me to play far more than a dart board or a necklace. (I am going to grab the hair though, I like long hair).
While I get why they are looking for other ways to monetize the game I just worry about the direction they are headed in. I'm just not business savvy enough to think of another option. Mobile gaming has shown that people are willing to throw gobs of money at a game on a regular basis. I'm old school. I prefer to buy it and own it than the basically "rental" model of pay as you play, but I imagine the later is far more profitable.
yeah, and it's great you have a self awareness about how FOMO impacts you. while it impacts diff people in diff ways, it's great to critically examine- for all of us- what truly adds fun and value, and things that do not. I do think they seem aware this current system may be more apt to cause more log ins that may not inherently translate to more play hours as they desire
And yes, while the exact methods of further monetization are unclear, I do really worry about it. Idk why they can't build upon the multiple revenue streams or improve first what they have= like we have a physical merch shop, they have influencers in their network, multiple pack types etc not to mention there's a sims major film in the works too
@@SimmerErin It took a long time for me to realize, or rather finally do something about, that playing games with a ticking clock hanging over my head weren't bringing any fun to my life but were stressing me out. I had one where it was the first thing I did in the morning and the last thing before bed until I realized that was NOT healthy.
Sims is still fun for me now and I really don't want to lose that through monetization. Fingers crossed we're all imaging the worst and that it won't come to fruition. I am old enough to have played the original Sims when it first came out. I have played on and off ever since then and I want the game to continue and succeed. I'm just worried they are starting to get in their own way.
And I had no idea there was a film in the works. That's wild.
I feel the same way. I had a brief fling with Fallout Shelter at one time. It was fine for a few days while it was new and I was playing, but I stopped for a couple days and when I came back all my efforts over the previous days had unraveled. It was an instant rage-quit for me and I never felt the slightest urge to ever return to the game again.
What they are trying to do doesn’t match up the way I play. Due to my schedule I only play in bursts, such as a Saturday night for a few hours. I pretty much booted up my game last week, claimed the rewards then logged out and will do the same when the next week’s rewards are out.
yes and while I don't have access to data to know how the majority play, I think it is a safe guess that at least a substantial portion would fall under the category of sporadic playing. After all, lots of us have school, work, family, other games etc, And I do feel sims any of the games don't lead people to play everyday. For me... any game I did that for I'd get burnt out on anyway! I think one can think of ways to improve engagement instead of trying to create arbitrary spikes
I only play the Sims 4 during the summer and winter break which is when I’m a lot less busy with college. During fall and spring I literally virtually never play, I just do not have the time.
I got the dartboard but I'm not logging in specifically to get the rest. Log in rewards only make sense in a mobile game. Thanks for covering.
no problem
yeah, I think that's the main thing; games aren't a one size fits all. I think they are so focused on trend and engagement chasing they're missing the bigger picture
I haven't gotten the survey, so far; if it does pop up for me, I will definitely take it. Like you, I am concerned about where they are planning to go with this - especially whether, down the road, it will require the input of real world money, or else, that one will be forced to participate in order to play one's game (the gameplay events concern me there: they could be fun, but I don't want to have to work through a bunch of mini games or quests in order to get to the story I want to play). It does seem like in their own desire for continually increasing their audience (and, presumably, their income), they are progressively getting further from the things that made the Sims what it has been since the first Sims game. They don't seem to realize that at some point they'll have pushed the game (or it's next iteration) into a different genre of game, which might gain them new players, but will definitely lose them some (or most) of their currently committed audience. It's depressing.
At any rate, I am very neutral about the current event. I don't care either way about the items offered; I am claiming them because I was already planning on playing the game and it seems silly not to claim something free. But it certainly isn't changing my behavior; I am not logging in more than I would normally be doing anyway. And I expect there are some players who are actively choosing not to log in while this event is going on, as a form of protest. But EA seems to be fairly resistant to players telling them when they DON'T want things, if it's something EA wants to do.
Thank you for sharing your survey with us. :)
I have included a link in my description so you can see if that works!
yes. I could be wrong, but I am worried about the overall intent with this structure. It isn't even one thing either but adding different pieces, statements and more together. It is possible they will change trajectory, of course- I just feel wary
I started to fill out the survey, but then I got a serious case of déja vu and I stopped. I've filled out surveys like this before, and they continue to take the game in directions I absolutely hate. So, it feels pointless. It's obvious they intend to do more of these events, no matter what we think. They ask us about how satisfied we are with the rewards as though just swapping out different objects would make us fall in love with this marketing ploy. They just won't hear that their internal obsession with engagement metrics simply doesn't concern us. We are concerned about the state of the game: the bugs, the lag, the crappy EA app, the shallowness of recent packs and the oversaturation of kits. I have already answered surveys pointing out that fixing those issues would make me more likely to buy more and play more. But I guess they won't hear that. So, now I'm content to be heard by not logging in (or at least not playing online) as much and not buying anything since HCH.
I tried playing the Sims 4 yesterday but I was stuck at the loading screen for many hours! I always get rid of cache and also repaired my game but still was stuck at the loading screen. This happened right after the recent update.
did you remove all mods and cc and then repair and clear cache? (in that order) I can't think of anything else that usually causes that, unless you have a connection problem maybe>?
More than half the time I wouldn't even notice these surveys if it wasn't for your videos.
yeah I feel they could be a better job at promoting said surveys well communication as a whole.
Now I do know some surveys are a random sample- only some people get them in those cases
Hmm the length of the event question is ambiguous. I put "much too long" because I find it atrocious it's spanned over 3 weeks, especially for a firs time event like this. It should've been just one round of rewards, not 3 - it's creating extra stress on top of stress and also missing out is much likelier when it spans over a long time.
However, your interpretation also makes sense since you get very little time to claim rewards every week. So I guess they'll get a bunch of mixed answers on that one.
indeed. It's not a clear or well worded q. When creative a survey, how you frame a question is so important as it can highly impact your feedback
I find it extra annoying that it's not clear when the next item will be available. There are 2 different points of reference on the same page, and one of them seems to always say it's the next day? I have been fooled more than once =(
Yeah, the one below is wrong.
I'm not sure if it's just my game or if it's like this for everyone, but it seems like each week of the event starts on thursday for some reason.
yeah... it's not very clear
I really don't see this getting me back into the game, i.e. past the loading screen and collecting whatever. and the "phased rollout" bit is just short of making me go full feral fury. it's the most baffling thing I've seen developers do in a long time. just how can we make this even more frustrating and difficult. for context, I have add and mild ocd in a way that seems specifically tailored to make this an absolute nightmare right now.
I wonder why the phased roll out seems to be taking so long too? I wonder how many players actually have it vs don't
I haven’t updated because of bandwidth. Which was because of a previous update and mods. I wish they would fix what we already have before rolling out what is basically a mobile game app incentive system and new packs the foundation is garbage.Also I wish they would do actual modding support so every time there is an update it doesn’t brick every single mod.
the last update came with it some performance improvements and new settings- did it do anything for you?
When it comes to games, I tend to hyper focus and either play in short bursts or stop playing completely.
Used to play that Kim Kardashian game and the Sims Freeplay, but the constant limited time events were annoying.
and I think it's safe to say there's at least a sizable group that play just like that
Honestly, I would participate in the event because it's free, but I've been moving since before the update. My game was running unsaved for about 4 days before the update while I packed and now my PS4 is sitting on a desk in a box in an empty room. To be fair, I don't like the set up of the event because I've gone a year without playing before. When I play it consumes my whole life, but only for about a month at a time before I burn out.
best wishes with moving!
and yes you make a good point: people have things they need to do. It just isn't practical as a whole
Interesting that they're already doing a survey. Not all players have even got the event yet
it is kinda weird. it seems that they knew they were uncertain and planned to get feedback- but idk why they launched it already and it does seem like loads of people don't even have it yet
I missed all the early events, the plant Sim event (that you can luckily still get), the Day of the Dead event (which I have never successfully summoned a DoD character to my area to get a sugar skull), the positivity challenge. The only one I caught was the Sims Sessions and now this current one. It is kind of a bummer, but at least I am not missing anything really important from those events. I feel like the things in this current event could end up in builds on the gallery, making that build not useful for anyone who missed the event. It seems like events were more common when the Sims was newer, so I can't say for sure events like this are unprecedented. As far as gameplay events, I worry about it interrupting my current gameplay (right now I am immersed in about 3 long term saves), but sometimes is hard to go back when I get interrupted, so saves go unplayed and then abandoned.
yeah if they did do gameplay events they'd have to be wise about how they implemented them
Thanks for providing the link in the description. Did the survey, explained my issue is less with the items than the method of delivery.
of course! hope as many people as possible take it
Also, no for other countries? I honestly want to know this.
All I saw was it was a rolling basis- but didn't see any specific info about when for whom, sorry!
@SimmerErin I understand that. I would've given similar answers since I'm unsure about the future of this game.
I actually looked in your description for the survey link (thank you for that 💜) before I watched your video so that I could just go ahead and give my feedback before I watched your video. I think I responded to all of the 1-5 scale sort of questions identically to what you put. My comments were also very similar to yours, though maybe I was a bit firmer because unfortunately some of my frustration with EA tends to infiltrate my feedback when they do surveys since they do have occasional surveys, and I feel like they've heard my feedback from many Simmers before and it doesn't seem to do much. But, some of the things i put that were most similar to your thoughts were about not liking the specific model and having offline obligations and their adult audience can't always take that extra time to open the app, open the game, track which weeks they've done that, etc. It's just one more thing I don't need to worry about, so I don't. 😂 I appreciate you covering all the things.
great, glad you took the survey! that's my hope, regardless of answers. I do think it's strange they would not perhaps forsee some pushback... but then I don't know for sure who made the ultimate decision
EA really needs to focus on adding more careers and aspirations
what kind of careers and aspirations would you like to see?
How do you get the surveys?! I almost never see them!
sometimes they are on the main menu screen. sometimes it's a random sampling tooo and not all players get it. A few are sent via email.
this one I got notified about by someone on twitter lol- the link is in the description
It is weird having a survey on something which has not even rolled out to all regions or even finished yet.
yeah, I feel like the whole thing wasn't coordinated well
II updated my game yesterday morning. No sign of the event in main menue. In the evening I played for hours in my current story-save (without problems, even with mods/cc enabled again) and as my toddler aged up, I could give her the new trait.
Today, again no sign of the event, but my story-save, which worked fine yesterday, as I mentioned, failed to launch. I restarted the game & the EA app, as requested, several times, with and without mods/cc enabled, but that doesn't change anything, my save file stays corrupted.
To put it mildly, I'm -yet again- not very pleased. Looking at the bright side: I now had plenty of time off for the survey.
yes, apparently many regions have yet to get the event at all
I took the survey, i was confused when they asked about receiving pack specific rewards...what do they mean by that?
I presume rewards that are connected to packs- like something that would be a perk for example if you own seasons
As I stated in my survey answers I'm not very intrested in these types of events, but not opposed to them either as long as they remove the fomo effect of making the rewards exclusive to a timed event. It should be fun and rewarding, not punishing and stressful.
I did find it interesting to see an idea being to add items to existing dlc's, which I said I was interested in along with the return of Pack Refreshes (I can always try and hope), as long as items once again aren't exclusive to the event and made available for everyone in some way later, preferably being patched in a couple of months later.
mhm, even though people wouldn't all be excited about it, I think there'd be a lot less pushback if it was implemented in a different way
Its just sad about events that are just don't long last I liked the event with Jasmine Holiday it was so much fun
Those were fun, but the community hates anything like that or the current event. It's not engagement it's forced playing to many. It's interesting how people are just now talking about fomo.
what did you most like about the Jasmine Holiday event
Thank you for including a link to the survey. I did it. 😊❤
no problem, thanks to the person who first let me know
Thanks for this!! I followed the link and submitted my own survey response. :) Hopefully it gives whatever execs are making these absurd decisions some data that they can't ignore.
welcome! hopefully they'll get some substantial feedback
I agree with your thoughts in this video. I agree that forcing simmers to login a certain number of times to collect mostly variations of objects we already have is that great for everyone. Like you've mentioned people (me included) have other obligations aside from playing the sims and I do enjoy playing other games when I have free time. I understand E.A. is a business that wants to make money, but I think these limited timed events create unnecessary stress on those who can't participate for whatever reason. Others may find this event disappointing because we're getting mostly variations of what we already have. And yes, I know a new trait is being included in this event, but it's like that one year we got a redesign of a hot tub for the base game as an anniversary gift instead of something new.
yes, I just think it's not the best execution for the sims in particular
Here's what I wrote in the last question. It's probably too much (and a little ranty by the end), but I was so irritated by this whole situation:
This event is highly concerning for the future of the Sims 4 and Project Renee. It feels like a test and like we're being eased into a more mobile focused business model. This event feels VERY mobile game, and I DO NOT need that in my Sims game.
I won't complain about random free stuff, but it should be available to EVERYONE, not just the ones who happen to log in 3 times that week. A lot of people pay a lot of good money for this game. I've spent a SHAMEFUL amount of money on the Sims franchise. The least you can do is throw ALL OF US a free bone every once in a while, which you've already been doing! It should be pretty apparent at this point whether or not the community is motivated by free items. Making them temporarily available won't make a difference in the long-run.
Though lack of depth has always been an issue since the Sims 4 was released, Kits were the start, for me, of the real concern that we were being pushed into a more shallow mobile game-style microtransaction-focused business model. Kits have overall improved, but I still think they are far too numerous, completely unnecessary, and reminiscent of the Sims 3 store. Then Project Renee was announced to be supported on mobile. Sure we don't know if it's "The Sims 5" but we do know that we already have mobile Sims games, and they've never been marketed to this extent. This announcement was even more concerning. Then this event happened, and it's the most mobile game shit that's been pulled in the Sims 4 so far. The Sims IS NOT a mobile game. The Sims IS NOT a multiplayer game. The Sims WAS NOT supposed to be a game for small children. Stop trying to make the franchise into something it's not, or you will alienate the players who were here from the start. You'll have competition soon. If those previously loyal to the franchise go somewhere offering them better/more content for their money, The Sims will crash and burn. Think about that.
thanks for sharing what you wrote. I definitely think you make some interesting points, especially in regards to the seeming progression of what they've been doing. in such, this one thing certainly is not an isolated move
Well you have commented about I wanted to say in the survey already, so thank you for doing that so I don't have to lol.
As for the topic at hand, it does look suspicious for sending out the survey days after this feature is launched. Even new ideas for packs only come out few months after packs are released. Are they really not confident about this feature not doing well? Hmm...
yeah, obviously the survey would have had to be designed before but it does kinda show a lack of confidence or an assumption they may need to adjust things I suppose
I’d be happy to get more scenarios but timed events are ass
yeah I suspect the time limit plus having to log in many times is what rubs most the wrong way who Arte against it
Haven't taken the survey yet, but that future events question reminds of No Man's Sky's expeditions. The difference being, I feel like I don't need to engage with them in No Man's Sky because there is already a ton of stuff in the game for me (as free updates to boot), whereas Sims 4 just doesn't feel that way.
I'll have to look into that, thanks for the example
I can't claim any of them. I click on the event on the main menu and nothing pops up. I can click on the instructional video and watch that, though...
Try removing any mods.
I had that problem too, and emptying the mods folder fixed it.
@A2n7tA so all I've got to do to get some not entirely great freebies is remove my mod folder every day I log in for the reward, then re-add it every time I want to play? Lol! Too much work for not enough benefit...I'm pretty sure someone already put the freebies up for download as cc anyway if I really want them...
@@johna6352 I just moved my mods to a new folder on my desktop and desided to not acually play the game until the event is over 🙃
There was a glitch though, if you filter all items by exclusive (i think) and choose all colors, all swatches of the items shows up. I don't know if it still works, but I've definitely already saved a full room.
Really I'm just logging in for the Cas stuff...
@@johna6352Oh, I'm just not gonna play until the event is over 🙃
Also, just search 'event' on the gallery and there is already multiple rooms with the items...
@@johna6352 OK, third try because apparently, my comments are not showing?
Basically, just search for event on the gallery
Consumer Survey's take week/months to plan, this was well in the works before-hand not a "reaction" survey.
3:30 I think the model changed because "free stuff" wasn't doing anything for them or impact engagement (as you mentioned). So I guess it begs the question, would you rather have gotten no free stuff or would you take free stuff using this model? That feels like the options that they had left. Frankly, I'd take free stuff + this model.
yes, I posed the question but I don't think it inherently means it's doing poorly. I think rather it expresses they may have had some hesitation and presumed they would need to adjust it. I do think a survey before the event launched may have been a better way to do it
Just because a survey is put out, doesn't mean a feature is "failing". But I will say, I took the survey (it was out probably the 2nd day of the "event") and my answers are close to yours. I don't care about it entirely, I log in an play when I have time, which in most weeks is 2-3 hours on 1 day in a week. I might log back in just to check the gallery or save something in the gallery, but this event is not a contributing reason to login and play for me.
yes, I discuss this in the video. It's phrased as a question., As I mention, it's good to get feedback.
and I agree. I don't think, as it's designed now, it would sensibly encouraging more actual hours of gameplay
I haven't seen the survey. I do think that some of my answers would be very different (as I rather like these events, although I'm concerned about other means to monetize the game.) I tend to be a daily player (as I generally do, unless I'm out of town, at least open the game even if I don't end up playing it.)
I miss scenarios. I liked the scenarios, even if I only play them when there is a new update (while I'm still playing vanilla.) My favorite is the PlantSim scenario. I also liked the frog one (but I haven't seen that on the list the last few times I've looked for it.) I finished the PlantSim one recently and since I'm still playing "vanilla" (since MCCC hasn't yet updated) I've continued with the same household. I'm playing some of the aspirations and careers I don't tend to play a lot. (I generally have my Sims do the tech career and the acting career, with the occasional scientist and chef.)
Frankly, the only item from the event that I wanted was the recolor of the nano-can. Just like I always pick up the Minecraft "gifts," I'll get all the event items (just in case I want them later even if I'm not particularly interested in them now.)
I have the survey link in my description if you'd like to take it
I do think scenarios were better and Id think it would more naturally encourage longer gameplay? vs just logging in
@@SimmerErin Thank you. I hadn't found the survey in any other venue. But I used your link without any difficulty.
I totally agree with your response to the survey. I think they are some petty rewards, to be honest. I would also much rather have them fix the game.
I was happy to see the last patch, and of course, different people work on those to things, But I do think it kinda overshadowed some progress they made. it's not ideal messaging wise
I received the first 3 items, now nothing even though I am opening the game every day.
Same
@@Manicpixie88 You need to wait until the next week unlocks (which is today).
I think after you unlock, there is a period of waiting for the next items
🤦🏻♀️ I realise that now, misunderstood what they said
I respect that its a roll out. But when you see on ea app home page about the event and not in game its annoying. Added to that i get the message saying game wont be playable after the 10th if not updated. My games always updated straight away havnt had mods for along time as building a few save games
apparently that is a one time update for the ea app, I am not sure the specific reason.
😤 you know what makes it worse is that it saves your progress on a file in The Sims 4 folder (like the one where the mods folder goes) I normally delete some of those files and start a fresh when updating my games. I also play on different devices so now what I have to claim on both or can I just copy the folder again there. I don’t know who thought this was a good idea but it’s just overall damn it should have been a sdx drop.
unfortunately, the reality of having mods is, for any game, you have to maintain and update them
@@SimmerErin am talking about where the information goes for the login event reward it does not save on the server but a file called usersetting ini (didn’t include the dot cause it will flag it as a link)
These last two updates forced me to agree to a new EA user agreement. I don't like that, since that means that EA are forcing us into new rules which they control and since there is a possibility of a monetization scheme brewing in the background, I'm a bit nervous as to what will happen withe sims 4 - moneywise.
the thing that both confuses and weirds me out about this whole event thing, is that this whole timed events thing must a testing ground for FUTURE games, not ts4, right? i mean timed events make sense for MMOs and other online style games, because it's a way to keep players coming back and keep their online servers populated, since online games live and die by their server populations. but the sims 4 is offline...so what could they possibly gain from or even lose from players either spending a lot of time on the game, vs players taking extended breaks from the game? there is no online server to populate, and the gallery is already filled with more builds than anyone could ever need/use. unless im just not looking at it from the proper angle, i just don't see what maxis or EA stands to gain from keeping people actively playing the sims 4 right now. whether we play every day, or take months long breaks, all they should be focusing on is pack sales, because our time spent in the game is not their money, so it doesn't make sense.
I'm honestly not sure, I suppose it hinges on ho :successful it is and if they might even do something similar but even more built in. but yes, my biggest concern is the overall long term vision
I think I'm probably their target demographic: a person who bought the base game and one expansion pack, was disappointed, and decided to go back to play Sims 3. I will download free stuff for Sims 4 when offered, and MAYBE play the game for about an hour when I do. Many players are upset that the "free" stuff are just recolors of items already in different packs they may have already bought - but I don't own those packs, so if I can get the trash can that pays you back for putting stuff in it, that's great because I've never had one before. The necklace that is a combo of two necklaces that were already available in Werewolves and Realm of Magic? I don't own those packs, so the necklaces are new to me. I really think they are testing out this feature in Sims 4 because they plan to use it in Project Rene which is more of a mobile game format. I have played Sims 4 more often and longer since the start of the event because, hey, since I'm here anyway . . . .
I agree with it being kinda nice to have content from packs in the base game, but that sometimes can have a negative impact on how people view those items. A big part of why people don't like them importing stuff from packs to the base game is the "I payed for this, and now it's free?" feeling of indignation. Like, when they added that (ugly) hot tub to the base game in the anniversary, people were annoyed at the fact that it was **the** selling point for The Sims 4 Perfect Patio Stuff Pack, now in the base game for free.
This problem tends to be more intense for Stuff Pack content, though, since those always have that one gameplay aspect that is their major selling point, which can make people feel betrayed when they see the pack's content be awarded for free to everyone... Though ideally, like, 80% of items from Stuff Packs should be base game or included in other, larger packs.
(Oh, and by the way, the NanoCan is a base game item. So the recolor is not giving you anything new, just looks.)
Taking the survey now......The new Nano Fridge is not just recolored it is also 1/4 the price of the original. Even though I own all the packs ( except the kits I only have a few of those) I am finding temptation in the items. As a just log in event I am not upset. I can hit the load button while heading to the shower - no harm no foul. If it becomes a quest to complete that is stressful. I already play almost every day as this is still my mental happy spot to stop adhd hyperfocus and switch gears without bringing work frustration into family time.
I didn't check the details, kinda interesting they did a price change on that
Thank you for your videos and thank you for the survey link.
no problem!
I still play Sims 3, I just can't do 4. It's way too boring to me, and I can't get into the graphics. The packs were SO much better in 3 with so much more to do, i.e. Island Paradise comparison along with many others. They don't want to ask everyone to do the survey lol, so many still don't like it. I heard it's not even the same developers so I'm sad to say I don't think any Sims version will ever be better or even as good as 3 is.
I have 2, 3, 4 installed. I find that each game brings something good and each has drawbacks
If they want to stubbornly keep these events, I will just wait for the rewards to appear in the gallery 😂I play the game when I feel like it, and them trying to pressure to play daily does the opposite effect
I'd presume if you downloaded a home with said items and you didn't have them, you wouldn't get them- kinda llke when you download a build with pack items when you don't have that pack
Not against all events but certainly hate the idea of limited time/edition items. Adults are too busy for this and kids go to summer camp for a week+ at a time. Great ideas but the timing part sucks. Just submitted the survey, thank you for the link!!!
thank you!! Not going to dl a copycat&dogs hairstyle. I do like the single square, juice bar, tho. I took the survey space to point out many other issues as well. Fix the Game! My sims are idiots who stand around and hardly engage. They just get in a loop, grabbing coffee, or PC, or some other targeted item/action over & over again. It's hard to play. I see streamers with no mods having the same issues.
Update: I did not DL the (new) cats&dogs hair, but it's in my game! How Odd!!
I don't need to be motivated to play the game. What the question is that? I play when I want to and have time... This is all very surreal to me tbh
it is kinda weird isn't it.
I'm not all the bothered by the event. I would have preferred the items be given to us as a SDX Drop, but I don't have a problem booting the game up to claim an item off the home page and then exiting right away- it only takes a couple minutes.
I think you did an excellent job of answering this survey. I hope EA gets the clear message that we are unhappy with this. On a side note...imo, they could have saved what probably had cost them 4-5 digits worth of money to launch this experiment by just sending out a survey on this to begin with before actually investing in the programming to make it a reality. I feel like EA spends their money so freely on failed experiments and then scratch their heads as to why they struggle to maximize profits.
thank you
right! that's what I was thinking too- why not do a survey first
I haven't seen the survey yet. If it becomes available to me, I will be taking it. My answers will most likely not be helpful though, as I will tell them as I always do, that I extremely hate the game as a service model since it makes every single game into a trashy mobile game. I will also include that zi do not want this or any type of in-game advertising/forced online engagement in my single-player game whatsoever.
I have the link in my description if you'd like to take it :)
Seems like they rolled the Sims Mobile team over to the Sims 4 and with it they are trying to implement some of those ideas to try to cash in on the mobile game money. Also, this could be their testing/conditioning for project Renee. They want to see the pressure points with their community so they know how much they can boil the frog before it jumps out the pot, because if they just release Renee with all those microtransactions they are working on, the frogs are all going to be gone. Which also circles back around to running both games simultaneously. Makes me think management knows they are not going to get a lot of sims players to migrate and a really scared for a SimCity repeat.
the next game will be mobile cross platform and I do think they are eyeing some popular models. the one size fits all approach just isn't striking me as the best idea
OMG, survey already!! 😂😂😂
yeah, I assume it was rolled out right alongside the launch. I kinda wish... they'd actually done a survey before asking if people would be interested in such a thing?
I thought they were a terrible idea. Most people following social media posts and announcements from The Sims would be logging on anyway. Why not just put it in an SDX drop? What was the whole point of this?
to spike engagement numbers. In earnings calls, they focus a lot on engagement metrics, which are in turn presented to their investors
@@SimmerErin It's essentially a form of fraud to mislead their investors.
I literally don’t feel anyway about it. I’m more annoyed that everyone keeps complaining about “I might miss out” like most of this stuff is recolors or stuff we already have….
I'm concerned about the overall vision here and paving for future plans. but it's okay to have a difference of opinion, both ways
I like the events and it only takes 2 minutes or so to log in and get the rewards. That being said, I feel like these items should be added to the base game in the following update, these events should be more of an early access to these items instead of log in or you miss out on them. If they add a cost to these, then that is when it will be a problem for me.
yeah, I wish they'd been sdx or something.
The one thing I do like about the log in event is its free stuff for simmers who probably don't have the money to drop on packs
yes, I don't mind things being free, but I do prefer things like sdx
I kind of got all information from youtubers. Log in events is kind of pointless. sometimes you only log in to clame it.
mhm, so even though they may get more logging in idk how much meaningful gameplay time increases it would produce- maybe why they also hinted at doing other things like gameplay events
I quit buying sims 4 packs and stuff last year. Don’t miss it either since sims 1,2, and 3 are so fun. I’ll just stick to CZcamsrs playing the new stuff now. I’ll wait to see what sims 5 is like before I make a decision on buying it too. If it’s pay to play I won’t buy it at all.
always good to do what is best and most enjoyable for you.
and yeah, idk, all the next games being produced we'll just have to see how they turn out
I'm not even a full minute in and I have to say please keep digging Detective Erin! We rather be prepared for what EA evil awaits. Thank you for all of your hard work!
welcome, I enjoy investigating. but it's certainly not unique to EA I'.m afraid
If they want to bring people into the game, then they should really consider looking at why the previous 3 games were such as hit with fans and casual players alike.
1. The witty humour that was ingrained in the franchise. It was never afraid to make fun of itself, take shots at current events, or even throw in so many innuendos for older players. If I'm honest, they're aiming at the wrong target market. Ever since at the launch of the Sims 4, they have wanted to keep it "Family friendly." You have 3 games that are full of adult innuendos and content or older players, even though let's face it younger players did play the game. Now those older people have grown up, and they're confused and bored - relying on mods. Heck, even the devs who play the game use mods because its too tame. Kids who do play it are essentially children of the OGs.
2. People are tired of having the monetisation shoved in their faces. Its free now. It wasn't originally. The same can be said about the packs they keep giving out for free.
3. The content people pay for isn't great. Premium prices, high expectations due to misrepresented trailers has resulted lacklustre results, and a game that keeps focuses on bringing out more broken content to a broken game.
4. People have issues with EA controlling when players can play a game they have spent quite a bit of money on. The game is digital only now. The company has full say when we can play the game. If the EA app doesn't work, we cannot access the game. Gone are the days of storing data on a disc and not having to worry about that. Now, we have to prove who we are to an EA staff member if we want to move over to Steam.
5. The sims was never originally designed as a live service. It was a game where you could play it wherever you wanted, whenever you wanted. Yes - even WITHOUT INTERNET. Now INTERNET is REQUIRED. WHY? IT IS A SINGLEPLAYER GAME
6. People are beyond tired of the Live service scheme. People actually have lives of their own. What may surprise game companies, their game isn't their only game and not everyone is going to continuously play it. People get bored. They get busy ect. So, no. This has strayed very far from what the sims had started from. All in the name of profit.
some great points, thank you for this analysis
I've never done a timed event and I have no interest in them.
I wonder if the new marketing hiree is looking at the data on them.
I'd think they would be
They're already failing? I'm trying really hard not to burst out laughing. 😁
You're not fearmongering, you have genuine and valid concerns which are balanced you stating the things you like, or at least don't mind in all of this. Fearmongering would be more in ine with claiming everything is bad, the Sims is dead etc, which you are definitely not doing.
I don't think they are really failing. could they not be meeting their set engagement numbers- which in of themselves could be arbitrary? sure, I think that's a possibility
ha yeah, idk, saying sims is dead is a little bland, since it seems many love saying that on repeat.
@@SimmerErin I was questioning more than stating that it's failing, mainly through hope that they do fail. Although EA won't ever admit it if they do, they'll quietly put them aside and try something else. Alsom "not meeting expectations" is pretty much game publisher speak for this has failed. Even successful games have seen development studios being closed for not meeting expectations.
Have a great weekend.
I did a couple of the rewards and got a couple, but tbh I don't really care for them now that much. But it seems we are stuck with them until RA gives us something ELSE (we don't want) to do and we don't seem to yet again even get a SAY as to what we actually want for our game. As it is EA is NOW forceing US to UPDATE our game?! Yeah heard about that on some one elses page. I don't think that's rite either. Now either we DO thier updat or we can't continue to PLAY thier game?! What is that crock about?! Again NOT RITE! So NOW we are NOT given a choice. It's just UPDATE or NO playing the Sims 4
Oh and WE MUST DO thier update BEFORE the 10th of June. All this IS NOW According to EA. 👎👎👎
the update I guess is a one time thing and related to the app itself vs sims.
Just doesn't feel like The Sims anymore. A lot of this stuff they're offering as rewards could easily be put into the still eerily empty base game and more people would play because they'd have a slightly higher chance of enjoying themselves. Everything they've been doing lately has felt tone deaf, disconnected, desperate, and money hungry.
I think they'd get by with it more if they did less, and things in a way that felt more natural and a side to the game
@@SimmerErin Honestly, it would be a better experience all around if they saved all advertising for their socials etc. I understand they need to make money, but they DO make money and this game with all packs and kits is more than $1,000. How hard is it is to allow players to simply enjoy a single player offline game they purchased in peace?
I honestly don’t see an issue, it’s honestly fun to me. Free stuff is always fun, especially when I remember other simers don’t own everything. I have a friend that just started playing the sims and it means a lot to them to get free items.
The sort of issue is the FOMO specifically the items being permanently missable if you don't log in within the week they're available. The Sims FreePlay also had this issue as each Quest and Hobby has a prize that you can only obtain if you complete the quest/hobby within the time limit. If you don't beat the quest in time, there's no other way to get the item.
I think the free stuff is fine, I have more a concern with the overall model and their future plans. but nothing wrong if people enjoy it too
do people still play the sims 4 at all ? i dont see much content on it anymore and it feels as thought people are moved on for the most part... or is it just me wishful thinking ?
keep in mind that social media algorithms will impact what you see, based upon what you engage in. also keep in mind that those active or vocal on socials represent only a portion of a large community. thus, perspective can be shaped greatly by one's personal social use and not inherently reflect broader data
I hate them on Sims Freeplay, so if course I'll hate them on Sims 4. I'm already having difficulty playing on my computer because of the slow processor and the EA app screwing up.
what has your experience been like with freeplay? do you still play?
wonderful video friend
I didn't know anything about it I haven't played Sims for a minute
it's good to take a break, from any game really
Also. Hate to say it. But I am REALLY starting to DISLIKE EA's demands! Fans won't like it either.
EA NEEDS to Becarefull what that SAY or DO Fans won't take thier bull
Much longer. Just saying.
Anyways ty for this post and as allways take care Erin and simmers. 👍✌💫
it's not just EA, I'm afraid. it's a very common model, and the mistake is assuming that it works for all gaming communities
I’m curious if anything will happen when a bunch of us say we heard about it from influencer videos and we hate it. Hope there’s no blowback on you all
won't be on me, I'm too small ha
Oh I spoke my mind. And how. Much less polite phrasing than yours, really.
4:40 To me it's fairly clear that this is what they're trying to fight against, and will not take into account that we have other stuff outside of their particular game (the only extent they have included that in this test event was by allowing 3-day gaps between some of the rewards, and letting us start whenever we like). They don't see it as "oh no, that's an inconvenient" at all.
I tend to be diplomatic in my feedback as it's my personality but also likely tied to my profession. But more, I know that the people reading it prob are not even close to being in charge of things. I also think it's prob more likely to be read
@@SimmerErin Sorry if that was unclear, but this was not written with the intention of dismissing the way you say things. You're probably right that the people reading it don't deserve to be talked to like the state of things is their fault.
i cant even get on to the event to get free gifts
It's rolling out more slowly for certain regions, not sure who gets it when though
This event is a complete joke. I haven't even seen the prompt in game to participate, despite logging in over various days since the event started.
Just another bug to add to the list, and a reminder of why I'm playing the sims 2 instead.
I don't have it either. I read on the forum that it's being rolled out by geographic zone and that all players should get it by 15 June
you may not have it yet- apparently it's rolling out slowly based on your region- and I have no info as to when or how and for whom. it's messy
@@SimmerErin finally got the pop up about rewards today... this was communicated so poorly 🙄
Most people still haven't got those 😅
where are you based?
@@SimmerErin Portugal but i play pirate.. 🥰
Lol I’ll bet they are failing. I literally just log in to get the rewards and then don’t play because I’m tired. It doesn’t improve my time playing - if anything I want to play less because I’m waiting until I unlock all the junk they’ve promised before I get back into the game.
I don't actually think they are failing so to speak, but it is possible they are not meeting the engagement numbers (which are likely unrealistic) investors want. But a larger issue is that the update didn't even roll out yet apparently for a lot of people- that in of itself is messy
I had them, and today it’s gone
that's very strange, did it ever come back
@@SimmerErin it finally did! But I have to search for it on the homepage now instead of it popping up.
@@SimmerErin it finally did!
I believe it's failing. You can get the items already thanks to modders
there as apparently a way for vanilla players to get said items originally by filtering in build mode too- I didn't go searching myself- assume that was a glitch,
as far as modders course not everyone can or does use cc; also not great for gallery uploads
@@SimmerErin Yes, for the build mode, selecting every color when sorting will show all the swatches. The trait and CAS items can show up when randomized, however with the CAS items, this could take a long time, given how large the pool of items is, particularly for those who own many packs.
Daily log ins are meant to be daily, not bi fucking weekly
sry, I don't quite understand what you're saying. you have to log in a few times a week
That's what I mean, there should be more rewards to fill a month, in Classic EA fashion they give us the bare minimum and expect us to rejoice, they aren't changing weekly which is what you'd expect from log in bonuses, instead they've added a weeks worth of items and expanded them over the month. It might change, it might not. At this point they should just do a sims battle pass 😂😂 the biggest stick with it though is half of them are retextures. I love the idea of adding new traits each month but a new mini fridge, nuh uh
Honestly I don't hate things like log in events. As someone who plays many games there is actually a lot of time to get these rewards but I feel like the amount of rewards are severely lacking. I have mixed feelings because I like the idea of rewards and events that give us stuff to work towards but the limited time aspect of these events is not something I'm a fan of. Im torne because I feel like the sims is lacking a sense of progression and I think events where we work towards unlocking things would be fun and kind of fix that. But there are so many ways they could mess it up (ie. Requiring us to complete tasks that require us to successfully use broken features of the game) as well as the problem with the fomo model. Personaly I don't mind the fomo model for myself in this game but I understand other people not being happy with it. A way they could kind of get around this is by maybe making it so that the events can happen and then afterwards the items can be obtained through a different way? Possible through a kit although that wouldn't be the most ideal.
thanks for your perspective! Yes, I presume most are concerned with the time limit and log in requirements, and those are personally at least where my own concerns lie
I feel like your idea is a nice middle ground, even though I think they won't likely do it
I can't wait for life by you, paralives, inzoi to come out, I'm TIRED of EA seeing us as $$$$ and nothing more. I will be happy if they went bankrupt, they're greedy corporation
Yeah, I similarly rage at EA. They seriously need to go away. The games we enjoy would not disappear, they'd get better without EA.
we'll just have to see how everything turns out.
I personally don't want the sims to die, though. and EA going bankrupt wouldn't even inherently mean they're out out.,
and even if EA no longer existed, that's a lot of games either dead or up to be purchased by a big company. in short, I don't think that would be positive
If they think I would reinstall EA app and Sims 4 to do the survey, then they would find themselves very disappointed.
I like simulation games like The Sims but that is not the only genre I play. Until other simulation come out (Paralives, InZOI, LBY, etc), I would rather play other games like Wuthering Waves.
I have a link to the survey in my description, so no need to reinstall