Forum Discussion

HaveYouSeenSean's avatar
HaveYouSeenSean
Rising Traveler
5 months ago

Pre-Order Bonuses from Older Packs?

Tl;wr: I feel like after a period of time, if you own the pack, you should just get the items/do away with the system as a whole.

I’m going to preface this with the ever-classic of, “I think this is predatory and disgusting in regards to your loyal fanbase who have purchased thousands of dollars in DLC”. Instilling a fear of FOMO (fear of missing out) in a single-player life simulator is crazy to me.

I’m trying to grasp how this is logical. Okay, I’d understand if you got the items early, but three exclusive items for buying a pack early that aren’t offered again or anywhere else is ridiculous. They are such small objects, minor things, but the point is moot when I pay $60 for a pack and three items are locked away. In regard to the most recent pack, that bed is amazing, and I can foresee it being used in a lot of gallery builds for teenagers – but I will not be able to get it because I won’t be getting the pack for reasons until after the pre-order date ends. Again, I’m not exactly mad or bothered about it, more disappointed because it sucks to lose out on items. I have missed the previous four expansion packs ‘early bird’ objects and, honestly, in my time looking at builds, a lot of them use the items.

I don’t know if you can even get them or if I just wrote this for no reason, but no amount of Googling gave me the answer. As someone with a few of the ‘early access’ items, I wouldn’t care if anyone who owned the pack got them. Gatekeeping anything is wild.

I also understand that people make mods of these items, but that seems terrible, honestly. I also think it messes up sharing gallery lots and downloading them. I don’t know if I’m off the rails, though. I just hate this system and encouraging impulse spending.

Thank you for your time.

  • On CD Keys you can buy the pre-order bonus for Horse Ranch, For Rent, Growing Together, and Lovestruck EPs if anyone is interested.  The one for Growing Together is currently out of stock but you can ask them to notify you when it's available again. 

    https://www.cdkeys.com/the-sims-4-lovestruck-the-heartbreak-happens-bonus-pc-dlc-ea-app

    https://www.cdkeys.com/the-sims-4-horse-ranch-expansion-pack-pre-order-bonus-pc-dlc-ea-app

    https://www.cdkeys.com/the-sims-4-street-eats-digital-content-pc-dlc-ea-app

    https://www.cdkeys.com/the-sims-4-outdoor-playtime-digital-content-pack-pc-dlc-originn

  • BissenNess's avatar
    BissenNess
    Seasoned Hotshot

    I like the EP bonuses, even though I've never bought a pack early enough to get them. They're like a thank you to the simmers who serve as unofficial beta testers by playing a pack shortly after release. These plucky simmers venture into uncharted territory with nary a map, grasping their way through the near darkness, never know what horrifying bugs they might encounter . . . Wait, am I talking about a newly released Sims pack or the Temple of Doom? The line blurs sometimes. 😛

    Anyway, these simmers deserve an exclusive reward for what they go through to get things fixed for the rest of us.

    • HaveYouSeenSean's avatar
      HaveYouSeenSean
      Rising Traveler

      I understand, I really do. I, however, have real gripe with the concept and God bless those that can buy every pack on launch and/or get them for free. They can offer these incentives if they want, my issue is that they’re not offered or obtainable later down the line. The Sims 4 has a Deluxe Edition that contains: Up All Night & Life of the Party Digital Content. Features the Laser Light Show, Flaming Tiki Bar, fun decorations, outrageous party costumes. Move all the old pre-order content to the Deluxe Edition. Sure, if you miss out on it at release, you must wait a bit (let’s say a month or two), but eventually it goes to it.

      I have such issues with a company that has thousands in DLC (which is not common in current day gaming and has people defending gatekeeping three items) that also squeezes you so hard with FOMO items that it makes people impulse buy because they want these cool exclusive items.

      That’s my issue. I don’t really mind as a whole. I just think they should be obtainable after a timeframe. Also, you deserve better than being an unpaid beta tester. A decade ago, this was a paid position at a company. No one should be cheering for this. People should be livid at the state of the Sims 4 when it has the potential to make thousands of dollars per player – that’s another topic, though.