The Sims 3 To Mesh With Social Networks 25
Electronic Arts has released a good bit of information about the online aspects of The Sims 3, which is due for release in early June. The game will have downloadable content available on launch day that includes a second, separate town called Riverview. They'll also be revamping the game's website to allow the sharing of content and integration with social media. In addition, EA mentioned that the game will make use of micro-transactions, which players can use to buy things like furniture, clothing, and other items.
I miss the original release of The Sims (Score:5, Interesting)
I miss the period of time when The Sims had just come out, and it was such a neat toy to play with. It was more of an architecture and people simulator with a tongue-in-cheek, 1950s nuclear family tone, especially the music. The game began to morph into something else, with people roleplaying and storytelling. Websites started charging for access to their downloads. EA went overboard with the number of expansions, adding crazy stuff like robots and wizards. Even the music shifted into hip techno tracks as the game got huge in the mainstream.
They advertise the game now using Sims that look like teenyboppers out of an MTV reality show, and the clever 1950s tone of the original is gone. It's no longer a life simulator as much as it is a mass-appeal sandbox for user-created clothes and stupid machinima sitcoms, which bores me. I don't need a videogame to write my own stories. Guess I'm not a part of the core audience anymore.
Re:I miss the original release of The Sims (Score:5, Interesting)
You think it will converge with nethack one day? That could be cool.
Re:extra, premium dlc on launch day? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:extra, premium dlc on launch day? (Score:1, Interesting)
Having DLC on launch day is definitely a polite way of saying they've taken some files off the disk and put them online for purchase. It's just a way to increase the price of the game without people realising it.
While in some cases this is true here is something for you to consider:
Because they plan on having launch day DLC they can afford to expand the budget of the game and put more money into developing it. Without the DLC this would simply raise the price of the game but now you can sell the core game for a reasonable price and allow people to spend more to get a more expanded version if they so wish.
I'm not saying it's what's going on here, it's just a scenario where day one DLC is not so bad