Okay, I'm just going to say one more thing about it and then I think I'm done with my argument.
I just want to point out the difference with EA's shopping cart and other games I've played that contain in-game purchases and why EA seems like they just don't "get" what they're doing.
I frequently play an MMO that has a built-in store for microtransactions of all kinds. This game was once for sale, and has made the transaction to free-to-play many years ago, as it's an old game. The game also releases expansion packs, with different levels to choose from, with "incentive" cosmetics, gameplay and game currencies for spending more on the upper tiers. I love this game so I usually purchase the top tiers of the expansions as well, to get all of the extra goodies. The EPs for this game run smoothly, I've never had issues, and the team stays on top of patching when issues do happen.
Now, a little bit about their shopping button. They do have it worked into their user interface, but tucked in a place where players are very unlikely to accidentally click on it while they are playing. The button does not flash, animate, or light up. It just blends in. But when you do click on it, it brings up an in-game window that allows the player to browse through and make purchases at their leisure, (having already set up their account separately on the game's website) and when the purchase is complete, there's both a visual and an auditory cue to let you know the purchase went through. The player can then close the store window (or not, they could move it aside if they want, it's not huge) and look in their game and...voila! They find either a game alert or package in their avatar's inventory to click on, depending on what they bought...waiting for them in their game without actually having to leave their game. They can then use the purchased content immediately and continue with their game. So the purchase button is a convenience for the player just as much as it is for the company. It offers a quick and smooth transaction without being a nuisance and there are no complaints. This game is also over 15 years old and has a very loyal player base.
So I hope you understand, EA, that what you have done in patching your shining shopping cart into the thick of your players' Sims games, is not offer a convenience of any sort. In fact, you have not offered anything that you have not already offered three times in the EA launcher, the main splash screen, and the world selection screen. Yet you have made the claim that we can now be made aware of your blatant marketing from "the comfort of our Sim's home". And if we click on your obnoxious shopping cart, what happens? The same thing that happens when we click on anything else in the game that advertises to us; it takes us out of the game completely to bring us back to a place we already passed before loading up the game. And if we do make a purchase, what happens then? We have to restart our game to get the purchased product. That doesn't sound very convenient to me, and in fact, is not only an absolute waste of time, but a grossly pestering advertisement placed always in my field of vision that you, EA, only ever just want more money from me and don't care one iota about your game quality, player satisfaction, or commitment to The Sims' AAA reputation. It's like sticking your open palm in my face every time I jump into my game seeking escapism and enjoyment, insisting on more money because the $1000+ US dollars that I've spent already isn't enough for you. Yes, that is extremely insulting, especially when more and more bugs plague this supposed AAA game and then I read about you laying off hundreds of your developers.
Do keep in mind that your product is not a human necessity. Nobody needs a video game. And if you step on us enough, we will walk away and play or do something else.
One more thing concerning the light on the calendar icon and why it's not at all the same thing as the light on your shopping cart. The calendar is part of the gameplay. Getting an alert to an in-game feature while being immersed in gameplay is completely different then being pestered to leave the game to spend more money so you can meet your quotas. If you truly want us to hand over more money, you would pay more attention to making the game the best it can be, ironing out the bugs quickly and efficiently, and doing justice to the reputation of a 4th generation game that has been beloved by its players for over 20 years.
