Hi! I've been a Simmer for 15+ years and I'm a little bit frustrated with some of the comments I see on reddit, Twitter, etc. regarding the price of the packs. A ton of work goes into these packs and I would love it if the Sims team would address it. People don't realize everything that goes into this:
- concept development
- total number of hours put in by employees for 3D modeling and coding (obviously being paid for their work)
- cost of software/programs (some of these program licenses are incredibly expensive, especially when used for commercial purposes)
- paying employees for game quality/testing
- marketing, customer support, and administrative staff
- cost of rent for office facilities, business expenses such as paper, printers, ink, etc.
- and I'm sure way more that I'm not thinking of
People seem to have this seething mindset that Maxis/EA is robbing us blind with the cost of these packs, but the fact is, they are 1) a public, for-profit business with shareholders, 2) taking on considerable expense to develop these games, and 3) not a charity. If you go to a store and like something but can't afford it, you don't complain about the price. You just don't buy it or save your money if it's valuable enough to you. I am a college student on my second degree and working part-time (not making a ton of money), but I enjoy the Sims and start to set money aside once I see an announcement that new content is coming.
Anyways... this could be done in an interesting and non-confrontational way (social media video: Behind the Scenes of the Sims... showing man hours, office, equipment, etc. without giving any solid dollar amounts) because this narrative that Maxis/EA is pure greed is spreading like wildfire. I have professional experience in marketing and accounting and if anyone from the team is interested in discussing with me, I will gladly give my ideas. I love this game and want to see all of the hard work appreciated.
EA Staff (Retired)
