Why is the Sims 3 store still so expensive???

I happen to be lucky enough to own all of the purchasable items in the store (missing a lot of simpoint bonuses or limited offers) through a combination of buying myself, gifting from other simmers, free sim points videos (long time ago), and the complete my set feature.

One tiny pet peeve of mine of the store is that own both Lucky Palms world and the Lucky Simoleon Casino, but I can’t access the Lucky Palms Gold Edition and have to download separate files. Plus, the Make Me A Deal feature never will offer me a deal, just says something like... congratulations you got it all. lol

They way I see it, the store is overpriced (on most items) and EA is currently being greedy.

I say this because prices in the store didn't rise until after (2014) when the game had officially ended. Most of those items have been sitting there for years, untouched in either content or design. What has changed from then to now which would justify a hairstyle being sold for 100 simpoints in 2009-14 to now being sold for 129 simpoints? Nothing. On the sale side of things, how many previously 100 simpoint items which are currently reduced to 99 simpoints do you have to buy before an actual savings is seen?

Remember TS3 is an eleven year old PC game! Time is not on its side. Other iterations of it have already been phased out of existence.

Most likely the change in pricing has to do with the increase of 'new' or returning players to the game, which on the business side of things is 'more profitable' for them to sell popular (or desired) items at a higher price. After all, there is, still money to be made from the sale of merch, actually value for money be darned.

The bad part about this obvious last ditch cash grab is that technology is changing and pretty soon (if going by Microsoft's and Apple's changes to their current OS(es), having a PC which will be able to run the game may be a thing of the past in the not-too-distant future.

Now, unless EA/Maxis has plans to bring this game into a 64bit platform, and is using the increased cost of items to financially helps offset other costs, there is no justification for the system of pricing in the store other than 'last-call' greed. -Just my thoughts.

"mw1525;c-17645070" wrote:
They way I see it, the store is overpriced (on most items) and EA is currently being greedy.


The bad part about this obvious last ditch cash grab is that technology is changing and pretty soon (if going by Microsoft's and Apple's changes to their current OS(es), having a PC which will be able to run the game may be a thing of the past in the not-too-distant future.

EA is making a 64 bit version of the sims 3 for mac as we know it (least it's what they say for now.) And windows has given no indication that they are stopping 34 bit apps. They are upgrading, but know people still play 34bit game. Apple has never been video game friendly and macs are more used for people to create things. Even now with newer window 10 computers, you can still play 32 bit games. So no, I don't think they'll stop it very soon.

i love the sims 3

i love store content

the sims 3 brings me joy

so to me paying for the store content is worth it

the store is obviously still profitable or they wouldn't keep it up

my main problem is i've almost run out of things to buy. just a couple of worlds left and completing a couple sets..

I don't personally think EA will stop the store anytime soon either, as it still produces some revenue for them. Nor will 32bit applications disappear instantaneously overnight. However, a shift in technologies is currently happening. Most PCs are now 64bit. I can't think of a single computer manufacturer who is currently producing 32bit machines. 32 bit programs are still able to be run by 64bit machines, but compatibility for older games/software gets further and further apart with each passing year, each new OS and various continuous component updates.

The PC gaming market is moving towards VR and very high definition games. EA itself has been investing and developing VR technologies for a few good years now. Their goal seems to be to move players into an online playing field in order to expand (and better control) its properties.

Concerning TS3, the majority of its players are on Microsoft's Window System; which is who they developed things for first and then adapted/updated MAC users (2009-14). To my knowledge there has been no announcements to upgrade TS3 from 32bit to 64bit binaries for windows users; their majority market.

When it comes to TS3 being offered for sale as a 64bit game, it is possible. However, (in my opinion) very unlikely due to to a number of factors. But if it were to happen, 1) EA would have to plan and announce it within the next few years in order to get maximum results. And, 2) most likely it would be tied to Origin as a downloadable only game.

I always use the “make me an offer” tool when I want to buy something in the Store. If I don’t get any good discounts, I simply don’t buy it, because everything is just too expensive for me.