Grant Talks about the Future of TS4

"@MidnightAura;c-16199307" wrote:
I wish they would stop talking about toddlers and pools and act like giving them free was the most generous act ever. It isn't. As said already it's base game content that should have been there at launch. As already mentioned the Sims 3 had more than one expansion a year and it shows. From the interview Grant implies they are making more content for this game then previously. All I see is expansions being served on a smaller plate with key features being served as separate dishes.

They’re not. They are reminding people they were free, not paid for DLC, because everyone assumed they would be paid DLC.

Also, Redwood are technically making more content than ever before. Salt Lake City made some of the EP’s, all of the TS3 store, and some of the Stuff Packs.

Take away the Salt Lake content, and the output from Redwood is 8 Expansions, and a few Stuff Packs (4 out the 9 that were released).

Salt Lake City isn’t Maxis. So Grant is correct.

"jackjack_k;c-16199418" wrote:

"@MidnightAura;c-16199307" wrote:
I wish they would stop talking about toddlers and pools and act like giving them free was the most generous act ever. It isn't. As said already it's base game content that should have been there at launch. As already mentioned the Sims 3 had more than one expansion a year and it shows. From the interview Grant implies they are making more content for this game then previously. All I see is expansions being served on a smaller plate with key features being served as separate dishes.

They’re not. They are reminding people they were free, not paid for DLC, because everyone assumed they would be paid DLC.

Also, Redwood are technically making more content than ever before. Salt Lake City made some of the EP’s, all of the TS3 store, and some of the Stuff Packs.

Take away the Salt Lake content, and the output from Redwood is 8 Expansions, and a few Stuff Packs (4 out the 9 that were released).

Salt Lake City isn’t Maxis. So Grant is correct.

As I said stop reminding people EA gave us base game content we had enjoyed previously free of charge. Had they given us something free we had previously paid for like I don't know weather I could understand it. (Note I don't expect weather for free)

So output from Redwood is 8 expansions previously, expansions we have had this iteration, what 4? And a number of stuff packs. Still don't agree that's more content then previously. If we were getting more content why are so many unhappy with how thin expansions are? If we are getting more content than ever before why are people complaining there's nothing to do in game?

"jackjack_k;c-16199418" wrote:

"@MidnightAura;c-16199307" wrote:
I wish they would stop talking about toddlers and pools and act like giving them free was the most generous act ever. It isn't. As said already it's base game content that should have been there at launch. As already mentioned the Sims 3 had more than one expansion a year and it shows. From the interview Grant implies they are making more content for this game then previously. All I see is expansions being served on a smaller plate with key features being served as separate dishes.

They’re not. They are reminding people they were free, not paid for DLC, because everyone assumed they would be paid DLC.

Also, Redwood are technically making more content than ever before. Salt Lake City made some of the EP’s, all of the TS3 store, and some of the Stuff Packs.

Take away the Salt Lake content, and the output from Redwood is 8 Expansions, and a few Stuff Packs (4 out the 9 that were released).

Salt Lake City isn’t Maxis. So Grant is correct.

"Look people, we could've been complete plumholes and made you pay for these features you previously had in the base game, but instead you just get them up to 2 years later ! For free ! Isn't that great ?"

And yeah, if you take his words on expansions like that he seems correct. But it's obvious that this is PR talk trying to justify the low amount of content per year. Because if he'd be honest he would at least acknowledge that TS3 got up to 3 expansions a year, even if it wasn't exactly his team that worked on all of them. That would be like SimGuruGraham brushing off the fact that they outsource parts of their Stuff Pack development. But he is actually pretty open about it and has mentioned it multiple times that their studio is not the only contributor to these packs.

@aricarai

"aricarai;c-16199265" wrote:
I found interesting that he said Pets is the biggest request...I would have thought Seasons was right up there too. Maybe they'll patch it in if he doesn't think it's a biggie.

nicely played :joy:

"@MidnightAura;c-16199430" wrote:

"jackjack_k;c-16199418" wrote:

"@MidnightAura;c-16199307" wrote:
I wish they would stop talking about toddlers and pools and act like giving them free was the most generous act ever. It isn't. As said already it's base game content that should have been there at launch. As already mentioned the Sims 3 had more than one expansion a year and it shows. From the interview Grant implies they are making more content for this game then previously. All I see is expansions being served on a smaller plate with key features being served as separate dishes.

They’re not. They are reminding people they were free, not paid for DLC, because everyone assumed they would be paid DLC.

Also, Redwood are technically making more content than ever before. Salt Lake City made some of the EP’s, all of the TS3 store, and some of the Stuff Packs.

Take away the Salt Lake content, and the output from Redwood is 8 Expansions, and a few Stuff Packs (4 out the 9 that were released).

Salt Lake City isn’t Maxis. So Grant is correct.

As I said stop reminding people EA gave us base game content we had enjoyed previously free of charge. Had they given us something free we had previously paid for like I don't know weather I could understand it. (Note I don't expect weather for free)

So output from Redwood is 8 expansions previously, expansions we have had this iteration, what 4? And a number of stuff packs. Still don't agree that's more content then previously. If we were getting more content why are so many unhappy with how thin expansions are? If we are getting more content than ever before why are people complaining there's nothing to do in game?

But they need to, so people don't think it was charged to us. If you remember, everyone was saying Toddlers, Pools and Ghosts were omitted to sell to us later. That's bad press and they need to remind people that's not what they did.

You read it as a hardcore Sims fan, these interviews are for people who haven't bought into The Sims 4 yet.



And we've have 4 Expansions, 5 Game Packs and 12 Stuff Packs from Redwood. So that works out to be around 6 - 7 Expansions worth of content, and we're at Year 3 (and 3 months)
We got 8 Expansions and 4 Stuff Packs as of Year 4 and 5 months. So yeah, it's a lot more suff than previous.

And the people complaining are minority. 200 million players a month clearly means people are finding The Sims 4 enjoyable.

It's the same folk on here on here who seem to say there is "nothing to do". You don't get 200m players a month with a game where there is nothing to do, do you?

:)

"@Yoko2112;c-16199462" wrote:

"jackjack_k;c-16199418" wrote:

"@MidnightAura;c-16199307" wrote:
I wish they would stop talking about toddlers and pools and act like giving them free was the most generous act ever. It isn't. As said already it's base game content that should have been there at launch. As already mentioned the Sims 3 had more than one expansion a year and it shows. From the interview Grant implies they are making more content for this game then previously. All I see is expansions being served on a smaller plate with key features being served as separate dishes.

They’re not. They are reminding people they were free, not paid for DLC, because everyone assumed they would be paid DLC.

Also, Redwood are technically making more content than ever before. Salt Lake City made some of the EP’s, all of the TS3 store, and some of the Stuff Packs.

Take away the Salt Lake content, and the output from Redwood is 8 Expansions, and a few Stuff Packs (4 out the 9 that were released).

Salt Lake City isn’t Maxis. So Grant is correct.

"Look people, we could've been complete plumholes and made you pay for these features you previously had in the base game, but instead you just get them up to 2 years later ! For free ! Isn't that great ?"

And yeah, if you take his words on expansions like that he seems correct. But it's obvious that this is PR talk trying to justify the low amount of content per year. Because if he'd be honest he would at least acknowledge that TS3 got up to 3 expansions a year, even if it wasn't exactly his team that worked on all of them. That would be like SimGuruGraham brushing off the fact that they outsource parts of their Stuff Pack development. But he is actually pretty open about it and has mentioned it multiple times that their studio is not the only contributor to these packs.

It's an interview promoting Cats & Dogs and the console launch. It's intended for people who haven't invested in The Sims yet.
People who already play don't need an interview to tell them Cats & Dogs is out, or you can now get it on console.

So, they need to let people know, that features that were missing from the base game, aren't DLC. They are free downloads.
You're acting like these responses were comments made from Grant on here. This is a promotional interview.

Grant probably just forgot, I don't think he legitimately thought he could re-write history.

Plus he was talking about the production of The Sims 4 at Maxis. In context, they're correct. He's talking about how much content The Sims 4 has made with the 5 teams vs what they did during The Sims 3.

I mean, it would have been nice to fact check, but he probably wasn't expecting to talk so much about The Sims 4, in an interview about Cats & Dogs.

"jackjack_k;c-16199490" wrote:

"@MidnightAura;c-16199430" wrote:

"jackjack_k;c-16199418" wrote:

"@MidnightAura;c-16199307" wrote:
I wish they would stop talking about toddlers and pools and act like giving them free was the most generous act ever. It isn't. As said already it's base game content that should have been there at launch. As already mentioned the Sims 3 had more than one expansion a year and it shows. From the interview Grant implies they are making more content for this game then previously. All I see is expansions being served on a smaller plate with key features being served as separate dishes.

They’re not. They are reminding people they were free, not paid for DLC, because everyone assumed they would be paid DLC.

Also, Redwood are technically making more content than ever before. Salt Lake City made some of the EP’s, all of the TS3 store, and some of the Stuff Packs.

Take away the Salt Lake content, and the output from Redwood is 8 Expansions, and a few Stuff Packs (4 out the 9 that were released).

Salt Lake City isn’t Maxis. So Grant is correct.

As I said stop reminding people EA gave us base game content we had enjoyed previously free of charge. Had they given us something free we had previously paid for like I don't know weather I could understand it. (Note I don't expect weather for free)

So output from Redwood is 8 expansions previously, expansions we have had this iteration, what 4? And a number of stuff packs. Still don't agree that's more content then previously. If we were getting more content why are so many unhappy with how thin expansions are? If we are getting more content than ever before why are people complaining there's nothing to do in game?

But they need to, so people don't think it was charged to us. If you remember, everyone was saying Toddlers, Pools and Ghosts were omitted to sell to us later. That's bad press and they need to remind people that's not what they did.

You read it as a hardcore Sims fan, these interviews are for people who haven't bought into The Sims 4 yet.



And we've have 4 Expansions, 5 Game Packs and 12 Stuff Packs from Redwood. So that works out to be around 6 - 7 Expansions worth of content, and we're at Year 3 (and 3 months)
We got 8 Expansions and 4 Stuff Packs as of Year 4 and 5 months. So yeah, it's a lot more suff than previous.

And the people complaining are minority. 200 million players a month clearly means people are finding The Sims 4 enjoyable.

It's the same folk on here on here who seem to say there is "nothing to do". You don't get 200m players a month with a game where there is nothing to do, do you?

:)

People complaining goes well beyond this forum. I would actually say this is one of the more calmer communities. Believe me I see a lot more shall we say honest feedback that doesn’t get expressed here in other forums. I don’t deny people find the game enjoyable. I do too in short bursts. I wish more than anything the game had wormed it’s way into my heart fully but it hasn’t.

I’m not overly fussed with player statistics though if I’m honest and that goes for any game. I don’t enjoy say Minecraft but if someone said to me “play it, it’s got thousand of players who play it every month” or words to that effect wouldn’t convince me to play it.

Not to mention I’m a little skeptical about 200 million a month. This from the same company who won’t reveal their sales figures but are happy to say they have 200 million a month playing? I know there was the 5 M badge but that was never confirmed that as in reference to copies sold.

"MidnightAura;c-16199307" wrote:
I wish they would stop talking about toddlers and pools and act like giving them free was the most generous act ever. It isn't. As said already it's base game content that should have been there at launch. As already mentioned the Sims 3 had more than one expansion a year and it shows. From the interview Grant implies they are making more content for this game then previously. All I see is expansions being served on a smaller plate with key features being served as separate dishes.

i have adjusted my willingness to accept prices along that practice
& if i add the limitations & bugs present, then with CL i am not not even willing to buy it at any price available so far & that was already 60% off

"MidnightAura;c-16199430" wrote:
...
So output from Redwood is 8 expansions previously, expansions we have had this iteration, what 4? And a number of stuff packs. Still don't agree that's more content then previously. If we were getting more content why are so many unhappy with how thin expansions are? If we are getting more content than ever before why are people complaining there's nothing to do in game?

if i count one GP bundled with two SPs result in sort of an EP
then i have by now 2 EPs & 4 ! bundled "EPs" & the game feels still way emptier than every of those before
GTW, GT, DO-bundle incl Movie Hangout, Spa Day-bundle, Parenting bundle incl Bowling & OR-bundle

if i compare only the first 4 EPs i bought for TS3 preordered released in only the first 2 years !
WA, Ambitions, Late Night & Generations, they were as rich that i skipped Pets alltogether to this day, skipped Showtime until a year ago first, so for the whole development of TS3 & even most of TS4s
& in that timeframe i bought the first 2 SPs & then i just lost count because i bought also store content straight after they started to release it with the free Riverview world, which i played to death then
after only two years the game was rich with content & rich in gameplay
in fact, i found TS3's basegame lacking only in regard to objects, never gameplay

same was with TS2 & there was not even the simstore palooza at that time
TS2's first 6 EPs : University, Nightlife, Open for Business, Pets, Seasons, Bon Voyage brought so much in gameplay !
the game felt RICH

with TS4 i have to buy something because what i have now is just so little
my rotationally played athletic teenage girl has still not enough to do to define her life, since i don't own CL, so she is unable to play that one ball game there is in the entire TS4 after over 3 years ! this is just ridiculous ! & i am not going to buy CL until they improved the festival outfits !
i would buy for her the Fitness SP but that wasn't bundled yet, there is not even an announcement of a GP which it would be bundled with, so it will take lots of time until i can play her at least better than now
one of the reasons i decided to buy the Parenting GP bundle which included bowling was to just have SOMETHING to do for her that doesn't end up in the gym

if they would release a whole fitness GP, i would buy it straight away (after it's bundled oc :trollface: ), i would probably reconsider even to buy something like this as an entire EP !
with several ball games like soccer, tennis, ping-pong, football, with additional sports activities like boxing, golf, skating, frisbee
all or at least many of those had to be available to kids as well, cause the life of those poor small simsouls is even more empty than those of teens :confused:

the life of my rotationally played sims is meager
& if i add to that all the bugs & then the crazy gameplay decisions like CONSTANT autonomous drinking water, hugging, skimming books & playing with cellphone/tablet/computer then their life is pitiful :confused:

TS4 feels after 3 years still empty, it's pretty, but empty of things to do for sims

I don't think they'll patch in cars, that means reprogramming the moving decor cars in the background to make them usable by neighbors, and they won't re sctrach how cars are implemented for us..its EA and it's "too hard" for them ^_^

"jackjack_k;c-16199418" wrote:

"@MidnightAura;c-16199307" wrote:
I wish they would stop talking about toddlers and pools and act like giving them free was the most generous act ever. It isn't. As said already it's base game content that should have been there at launch. As already mentioned the Sims 3 had more than one expansion a year and it shows. From the interview Grant implies they are making more content for this game then previously. All I see is expansions being served on a smaller plate with key features being served as separate dishes.

They’re not. They are reminding people they were free, not paid for DLC, because everyone assumed they would be paid DLC.

Also, Redwood are technically making more content than ever before. Salt Lake City made some of the EP’s, all of the TS3 store, and some of the Stuff Packs.

Take away the Salt Lake content, and the output from Redwood is 8 Expansions, and a few Stuff Packs (4 out the 9 that were released).

Salt Lake City isn’t Maxis. So Grant is correct.

What exactly is the purpose of reminding people that they were free? They weren’t free, they required purchase of the base game just like Sims 2 and 3 with the distinction that we actively had to wait for said content to be created for Sims 4. Toddlers took over three years to be added.

You are right that the studio is making more now than they previously were, but that’s not necessarily a good thing. They are making more stuff, with about the same level of staff probably even less per team when you break it down. Consolidating all development into one location has its positives, but it’s resulted in less stuff coming out for the game in general. It also hasn’t helped in regards to bugs, as this game still has a ton of bugs.

All in all, Grant is not one of the developers I want to hear about future stuff from. He’s head over heels for City Living, which is about the worst Sims EP to ever hit store shelves. His explanations for Cats and Dogs were a tad exaggerated as well, but hey he’s also the one who confirmed all that stuff prerelease that they weren’t even working on at the time.