Well I'm heartened to see some of the influencers are as horrified as a lot of the community are. Perhaps if they speak up the people upset about this will be listened too.
For me it's not about cost, it's not about asking people to work for free. (I'm married to a game developer for a huge gaming company I know a thing for two about the process). I won't share his views other than to be surprised there are fans defending this practise.
This I feel is taking advantage of people. I know no one is forcing people to buy this; it's true. But four months ago we wee told no small pets because cats and dogs were the main focus. They knew people wanted small pets.
I do not believe this pack was put together in 4 months in response to upset about loss of small pets. I do believe this was planned from the start. I think had this been part of a game pack with a wider varierty of critters and game play this would have been accepted better.
But to create a pack that requires an expansion to get full functionality? (And by full functionality I mean able to use everything in it, not just to have it as decor?) I'm sorry but that is wrong. Many people do not have cats and dogs, many cannot have cats and dogs due to tech limitations and if they want the hamster they have to pay for it and a bunch of stuff they cannot use. How is that fair?
For people with cats and dogs? Well it's not much better, more inappropriate pet costumes, re skins of pet items as shown on this very thread. An admittedly nice coffee table and hamster enclosure but I'm sorry is any of it worth it for an additional price? We should have had this in cats and dogs. No excuses. Why for eighteen years could we have a fully fleshed out pets expansion, not once, not twice but thrice but in 2018 when technology is better we cannot? This is not much different than a certain game charging people for an additional save slot.
Graham said in twitter technically they could give added small pets in cats and dogs but the team wanted to try new things with the vet etc which makes sense to a degree but there then should have been honesty because slipping in a trailer a week after the launch of a highly anticipated game pack just seems very calculated. They knew backlash would occur.
I guess I'm saying I do want small pets but not like this. Not in a creature per stuff pack. Shall we expect birds next? Reptiles? Throwing in pet clothes doesn't sweeten the blow, it's just another reminder of things that should have been in cats and dogs.
If this pack does well, this will set a dangerous precedent. One that says it's ok we are happy to pay for expansions and have paid dlc to flesh out the expansion. We will have a Seasons pack with a snow fall stuff pack. Just remember that.
You know it's not gone down well when an influencer has openly said it feels like a cash grab and they can't defend it.
EA Staff
