This is a genuine suggestion of mine. I think you guys have blinders on right now. For a long time it seems you've been releasing and releasing content that is not really groundbreaking. Even the packs that were well-recieved could have been much more.It seems like you release so much that you have stopped taking time to reflect, listen to the feedback, get inspired. You don't have to release so much DLC. The game feels like a train that has taken the wrong route and someone needs to pull that emergency brake and steer it in the right direction. I would suggest you stop, get off social media, try to empathize and understand the customers, reflect on what went wrong and what went right in the past 6 years and then have a meeting to discuss the future of the franchise. Take the time.And please do not misunderstand the fans and the criticism. Some Simmers in the community are bad at expressing it without being rude so I understand the frustration but I think you also need to understand that it all comes from a place of love for the game and the franchise and it's a way to tell you "We believe you have the ability to do better!". Sometimes it's not expressed in the nicest way but this is what it comes down to. Also if you are looking for better feedback that is (many times) constructive then come to the forums. Get off twitter and Instagram. There is no better place to connect with us than the official fan forums you made for us. I hope that you are well and healthy and I hope you can take the time to process everything that has happened this year, good and bad and make some sense out of it.

I agree. I would not mind at all if the team took a break. I would actually like for them to think about the direction that they are taking the sims4 right now. I am worried that they are trying too much to make the game into something else. If you want to make this game into a trend simulator, an adventure simulator a story teller tool...then you have to make sure that the game can support it, otherwise we are going to end up with a game that is just lacking in everything.So many games go down because they try to be everything instead of doing the thing that they know how to do well.

"Sk8rblaze;c-17641806" wrote:I don't know if that's the solution. The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 were pumping out expansion packs on a consistent 6 month schedule, stuff packs on a 3 month schedule. Expansions felt so much more complete than how they do now, even with that schedule. Now, it's just an inconsistent random schedule of things being released when Maxis feels they're ready, and the product doesn't feel like it's truly ready after all.I don't know what truly goes on at Maxis/EA, so I can't play armchair know-it-all and tell them what they need to do. All I know is I'm disappointed things aren't as they used to be.It's normal though if they feel out of it and uninspired/impassioned, for both new and old employees.I wouldn't mind putting a pause to the mediocre packs being pumped out (not like I've been buying any recently, last thing I got was Strangerville and I didn't even play it lol), but EA wouldn't approve that so, technically, yea it's not a solution.They have a problem at Maxis, they just have to figure out what it is because the game's genuinely hollow and doesn't feel like a 'AAA' game or even a 'live-service'.

"Sk8rblaze;c-17641806" wrote:I don't know if that's the solution. The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 were pumping out expansion packs on a consistent 6 month schedule, stuff packs on a 3 month schedule. Expansions felt so much more complete than how they do now, even with that schedule. Now, it's just an inconsistent random schedule of things being released when Maxis feels they're ready, and the product doesn't feel like it's truly ready after all.I don't know what truly goes on at Maxis/EA, so I can't play armchair know-it-all and tell them what they need to do. All I know is I'm disappointed things aren't as they used to be.Yeah but I think with the Sims 2 and at least for a big chunk of The Sims 3 they had a clearer vision and were going in a good direction. When you release a game like the Sims 4 that got so much criticism, maybe you need to stop and think why are people reacting that way what happened here?In short, "if it ain't broke don't fix it" but "if it broke then you better grab your tool bag, find the cause of the issue and make sure it doesn't happen again". How are you going to take a dump in a clogged toilet?

I think, as an unqualified bystander, that they need to sit down and decide what kind of game they want, who they want to make it for, and if the price of long time loyal simmers leaving or going to other simulators is worth it. I get it, I do, my time as a simmer is looking like its over, this game Series isn’t what it once was when I was a youngling and it’s leaving me behind. That’s fine, I just need to know so that I can enjoy what I have and be thankful for what I enjoy, without expecting or wanting anything else, basically I would love to know where the Sims team stands so that I can decide where to go from here. If the Sims team has decided that simmers like me and adults are no longer their target, who am I to beg them to make this game for me? I don’t beg people in my own life for anything, I dang sure won’t with a game. I am angry, and I am hurt. I’ve been playing the a Sims since I was a kid, I’ve been there for every base game launch, and nearly every expansion launch, I watched this game blow up into what it is today. I think I have the right to be sad and feel a little like the red headed step child.

Dear Sims team, do you want to take a break?

FlyingPotato659
5 years ago
Amen! <3
logionX
Seasoned Hotshot
5 years ago
I agree. I would not mind at all if the team took a break. I would actually like for them to think about the direction that they are taking the sims4 right now.

I am worried that they are trying too much to make the game into something else. If you want to make this game into a trend simulator, an adventure simulator a story teller tool...then you have to make sure that the game can support it, otherwise we are going to end up with a game that is just lacking in everything.

So many games go down because they try to be everything instead of doing the thing that they know how to do well.
Wulfsimmer
5 years ago
"Sk8rblaze;c-17641806" wrote:
I don't know if that's the solution. The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 were pumping out expansion packs on a consistent 6 month schedule, stuff packs on a 3 month schedule. Expansions felt so much more complete than how they do now, even with that schedule. Now, it's just an inconsistent random schedule of things being released when Maxis feels they're ready, and the product doesn't feel like it's truly ready after all.

I don't know what truly goes on at Maxis/EA, so I can't play armchair know-it-all and tell them what they need to do. All I know is I'm disappointed things aren't as they used to be.

It's normal though if they feel out of it and uninspired/impassioned, for both new and old employees.

I wouldn't mind putting a pause to the mediocre packs being pumped out (not like I've been buying any recently, last thing I got was Strangerville and I didn't even play it lol), but EA wouldn't approve that so, technically, yea it's not a solution.

They have a problem at Maxis, they just have to figure out what it is because the game's genuinely hollow and doesn't feel like a 'AAA' game or even a 'live-service'.
SimmerGeorge
5 years ago
"Sk8rblaze;c-17641806" wrote:
I don't know if that's the solution. The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 were pumping out expansion packs on a consistent 6 month schedule, stuff packs on a 3 month schedule. Expansions felt so much more complete than how they do now, even with that schedule. Now, it's just an inconsistent random schedule of things being released when Maxis feels they're ready, and the product doesn't feel like it's truly ready after all.

I don't know what truly goes on at Maxis/EA, so I can't play armchair know-it-all and tell them what they need to do. All I know is I'm disappointed things aren't as they used to be.

Yeah but I think with the Sims 2 and at least for a big chunk of The Sims 3 they had a clearer vision and were going in a good direction. When you release a game like the Sims 4 that got so much criticism, maybe you need to stop and think why are people reacting that way what happened here?
In short, "if it ain't broke don't fix it" but "if it broke then you better grab your tool bag, find the cause of the issue and make sure it doesn't happen again". How are you going to take a dump in a clogged toilet?
Hypno_Toad767
5 years ago
I think, as an unqualified bystander, that they need to sit down and decide what kind of game they want, who they want to make it for, and if the price of long time loyal simmers leaving or going to other simulators is worth it. I get it, I do, my time as a simmer is looking like its over, this game Series isn’t what it once was when I was a youngling and it’s leaving me behind. That’s fine, I just need to know so that I can enjoy what I have and be thankful for what I enjoy, without expecting or wanting anything else, basically I would love to know where the Sims team stands so that I can decide where to go from here. If the Sims team has decided that simmers like me and adults are no longer their target, who am I to beg them to make this game for me? I don’t beg people in my own life for anything, I dang sure won’t with a game.

I am angry, and I am hurt. I’ve been playing the a Sims since I was a kid, I’ve been there for every base game launch, and nearly every expansion launch, I watched this game blow up into what it is today. I think I have the right to be sad and feel a little like the red headed step child.
SimmerGeorge
5 years ago
"Komura;c-17641829" wrote:
I think, as an unqualified bystander, that they need to sit down and decide what kind of game they want, who they want to make it for, and if the price of long time loyal simmers leaving or going to other simulators is worth it.

Exactly. Pick a lane.
Onverser
5 years ago
Not to be that person, but they have a job. They can't exactly just stop working. Definitely agree that a lot of things seem uninspired though. I suppose its hard to constantly come up with new ideas, same happened with past games towards the end of their life cycle once the core packs were done.

I think they try to innovate too much, they try to do the big and the unexpected too much and they end up missing the mark and alienating most of their audience. Sometimes its better to just do the more obvious packs which they already know people enjoy and build on what people already like.
GroovyLady1968
New Spectator
5 years ago
They will have a break. It's a 3 day weekend and most take Friday off also. The banks and post office will be closed Monday, Sept 7th. It is labor day weekend in the USA!
LiELF
Seasoned Ace
5 years ago
Just curious, what do you consider groundbreaking?
SimmerGeorge
5 years ago
"LiELF;c-17642091" wrote:
Just curious, what do you consider groundbreaking?

The Sims 2 University, Open for business. The Sims 3 Ambitions, World adventures, Late night. The Sims 4 seasons.
I consider these groundbreaking or close to that because they either added something completely new and executed it flawlessly or took an older concept and evolved it into something spectacular.

But I want to close this here because this is not what the thread is supposed to be about.