"Writin_Reg;c-16315857" wrote:
Erpe - the teams are not machines - they don't just spit out packs - their pcs they use to make them are reformatted or replaced (upgraded with new technology and the new series tools etc) when one game ends and a new one is being made - as every system, engine, language even changes in a new series. It's why all work stops on the present game when a new one is being readied to be launched. They don't go back to former games as it is usually not possible.
Only time in history of the Sims I know of where a pack came out after the main studio and teams were working on the new series was in Sims 3 when ITF was made - it was done in the closing studio in Salt lake city on machines that still had the programming etc for the Sims 3 in them - while the Red Wood City main Maxis studio and teams were busy working on the base game (etc) of Sims 4. Otherwise we would have never gotten ITF from my understanding.
"Erpe;c-16316253" wrote:"Writin_Reg;c-16315857" wrote:
Erpe - the teams are not machines - they don't just spit out packs - their pcs they use to make them are reformatted or replaced (upgraded with new technology and the new series tools etc) when one game ends and a new one is being made - as every system, engine, language even changes in a new series. It's why all work stops on the present game when a new one is being readied to be launched. They don't go back to former games as it is usually not possible.
Only time in history of the Sims I know of where a pack came out after the main studio and teams were working on the new series was in Sims 3 when ITF was made - it was done in the closing studio in Salt lake city on machines that still had the programming etc for the Sims 3 in them - while the Red Wood City main Maxis studio and teams were busy working on the base game (etc) of Sims 4. Otherwise we would have never gotten ITF from my understanding.
The work on Sims 4 started already around 2009 where TS3 was released. Sims 4 was suddenly announced officially by EA in May 2013 and then released in September 2014. After the announcement of TS4 EA released the following packs for TS3:
Island Paradise EP in June 2013.
Movie Stuff SP in September 2013.
Midnight Hollow (in the Sims 3 Store) in September 2013.
Into the Future EP in October 2013.
Roaring Heights (in the Sims 3 Store) in December 2013.
It was just because of the extra studio in Salt Lake because the same happened 5 years earlier when TS3 was announced in July 2007 to be released at February 20, 2009 - except that TS3’s release later was postponed to June 2, 2009. After the announcement of TS3 EA still released for TS2:
Bon Voyage EP in September 2007
Teen Style Stuff SP in November 2007
Free Time EP in February 2008
Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff SP in April 2008
IKEA Home Stuff SP in June 2008
Apartment Life EP in August 2008
Mansion & Garden Stuff SP in November 2008
It is true that EA usually don’t release packs for the previous game just one or two months before the release of the next basegame. But it hasn’t anything to do with the developers being busy because EA has several teams working on different things at the same time. But EA wants people to switch quickly to the new game and therefore has a short break in the pack releases just before the new basegame is released.
"Writin_Reg;c-16316577" wrote:"Erpe;c-16316253" wrote:"Writin_Reg;c-16315857" wrote:
Erpe - the teams are not machines - they don't just spit out packs - their pcs they use to make them are reformatted or replaced (upgraded with new technology and the new series tools etc) when one game ends and a new one is being made - as every system, engine, language even changes in a new series. It's why all work stops on the present game when a new one is being readied to be launched. They don't go back to former games as it is usually not possible.
Only time in history of the Sims I know of where a pack came out after the main studio and teams were working on the new series was in Sims 3 when ITF was made - it was done in the closing studio in Salt lake city on machines that still had the programming etc for the Sims 3 in them - while the Red Wood City main Maxis studio and teams were busy working on the base game (etc) of Sims 4. Otherwise we would have never gotten ITF from my understanding.
The work on Sims 4 started already around 2009 where TS3 was released. Sims 4 was suddenly announced officially by EA in May 2013 and then released in September 2014. After the announcement of TS4 EA released the following packs for TS3:
Island Paradise EP in June 2013.
Movie Stuff SP in September 2013.
Midnight Hollow (in the Sims 3 Store) in September 2013.
Into the Future EP in October 2013.
Roaring Heights (in the Sims 3 Store) in December 2013.
It was just because of the extra studio in Salt Lake because the same happened 5 years earlier when TS3 was announced in July 2007 to be released at February 20, 2009 - except that TS3’s release later was postponed to June 2, 2009. After the announcement of TS3 EA still released for TS2:
Bon Voyage EP in September 2007
Teen Style Stuff SP in November 2007
Free Time EP in February 2008
Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff SP in April 2008
IKEA Home Stuff SP in June 2008
Apartment Life EP in August 2008
Mansion & Garden Stuff SP in November 2008
It is true that EA usually don’t release packs for the previous game just one or two months before the release of the next basegame. But it hasn’t anything to do with the developers being busy because EA has several teams working on different things at the same time. But EA wants people to switch quickly to the new game and therefore has a short break in the pack releases just before the new basegame is released.
Well don't forget they also had Emeryville Maxis Studio that closed also. I heard preliminary work and base game work for Sims 1 and 2, also Spore - as well as Sims City and My Sims used to be made there. So they always had 2 studios until Sims 4. Sims 3 preliminary was at Salt Lake City as well as the Sims 3 store and store worlds - and of course 4 of the EPs.
"Erpe;c-16317073" wrote:"Writin_Reg;c-16316577" wrote:"Erpe;c-16316253" wrote:"Writin_Reg;c-16315857" wrote:
Erpe - the teams are not machines - they don't just spit out packs - their pcs they use to make them are reformatted or replaced (upgraded with new technology and the new series tools etc) when one game ends and a new one is being made - as every system, engine, language even changes in a new series. It's why all work stops on the present game when a new one is being readied to be launched. They don't go back to former games as it is usually not possible.
Only time in history of the Sims I know of where a pack came out after the main studio and teams were working on the new series was in Sims 3 when ITF was made - it was done in the closing studio in Salt lake city on machines that still had the programming etc for the Sims 3 in them - while the Red Wood City main Maxis studio and teams were busy working on the base game (etc) of Sims 4. Otherwise we would have never gotten ITF from my understanding.
The work on Sims 4 started already around 2009 where TS3 was released. Sims 4 was suddenly announced officially by EA in May 2013 and then released in September 2014. After the announcement of TS4 EA released the following packs for TS3:
Island Paradise EP in June 2013.
Movie Stuff SP in September 2013.
Midnight Hollow (in the Sims 3 Store) in September 2013.
Into the Future EP in October 2013.
Roaring Heights (in the Sims 3 Store) in December 2013.
It was just because of the extra studio in Salt Lake because the same happened 5 years earlier when TS3 was announced in July 2007 to be released at February 20, 2009 - except that TS3’s release later was postponed to June 2, 2009. After the announcement of TS3 EA still released for TS2:
Bon Voyage EP in September 2007
Teen Style Stuff SP in November 2007
Free Time EP in February 2008
Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff SP in April 2008
IKEA Home Stuff SP in June 2008
Apartment Life EP in August 2008
Mansion & Garden Stuff SP in November 2008
It is true that EA usually don’t release packs for the previous game just one or two months before the release of the next basegame. But it hasn’t anything to do with the developers being busy because EA has several teams working on different things at the same time. But EA wants people to switch quickly to the new game and therefore has a short break in the pack releases just before the new basegame is released.
Well don't forget they also had Emeryville Maxis Studio that closed also. I heard preliminary work and base game work for Sims 1 and 2, also Spore - as well as Sims City and My Sims used to be made there. So they always had 2 studios until Sims 4. Sims 3 preliminary was at Salt Lake City as well as the Sims 3 store and store worlds - and of course 4 of the EPs.
Yes. But you seem to think that the closure of the studios in Emeryville and Salt Lake was forced on EA for other reasons such that EA just lost those studios and therefore couldn’t let them make the games that EA would have wanted them to make. But it was the other way around because the truth is that EA just chose to close those studios for the following reasons:
1. EA didn’t need the studio in Emeryville anymore because EA didn’t want to make more games like Spore and Darkspore and EA had nothing else to use the studio for.
2. The studio in Salt Lake was originally a studio for some of EA’s sports games. After year 2000 in first made PGA Championship games and later a big series of Tiger Wood golf games until EA didn’t need it anymore for those games. Then it was transferred to the Sims division and made some extra EPs for TS3 and also some Sims 2 and Sims 3 games for consoles. EA then kept the studio alive for a few years as a reserve and let it make some small app games for iOS and Android. But then EA closed the studio down in April 2017 because EA still hadn’t anything good for the studio to make because TS4 is mainly about SPs and GPs which the Redwood studio easily can make itself even at the same time as the studio also makes the Sims Mobile and most likely also TS5.
Yes, a lot of simmers in this forum really wants EA to make more EPs too. But GPs and especially SPs sell better because they are cheaper for us to buy and they are much cheaper and faster for EA to make too. So EA still just wants TS4 mainly to be about SPs and GPs and much less about EPs. If EA could choose then EA likely would prefer to only release SPs. But EA knows that to keep the customers the GPs are necessary as replacements for half of the earlier EPs. But I even suspect EA to not release EPs at all for TS5 but only SPs and GPs because they are so much cheaper for EA to make and sell better anyway.
"Writin_Reg;c-16317143" wrote:"Erpe;c-16317073" wrote:"Writin_Reg;c-16316577" wrote:"Erpe;c-16316253" wrote:"Writin_Reg;c-16315857" wrote:
Erpe - the teams are not machines - they don't just spit out packs - their pcs they use to make them are reformatted or replaced (upgraded with new technology and the new series tools etc) when one game ends and a new one is being made - as every system, engine, language even changes in a new series. It's why all work stops on the present game when a new one is being readied to be launched. They don't go back to former games as it is usually not possible.
Only time in history of the Sims I know of where a pack came out after the main studio and teams were working on the new series was in Sims 3 when ITF was made - it was done in the closing studio in Salt lake city on machines that still had the programming etc for the Sims 3 in them - while the Red Wood City main Maxis studio and teams were busy working on the base game (etc) of Sims 4. Otherwise we would have never gotten ITF from my understanding.
The work on Sims 4 started already around 2009 where TS3 was released. Sims 4 was suddenly announced officially by EA in May 2013 and then released in September 2014. After the announcement of TS4 EA released the following packs for TS3:
Island Paradise EP in June 2013.
Movie Stuff SP in September 2013.
Midnight Hollow (in the Sims 3 Store) in September 2013.
Into the Future EP in October 2013.
Roaring Heights (in the Sims 3 Store) in December 2013.
It was just because of the extra studio in Salt Lake because the same happened 5 years earlier when TS3 was announced in July 2007 to be released at February 20, 2009 - except that TS3’s release later was postponed to June 2, 2009. After the announcement of TS3 EA still released for TS2:
Bon Voyage EP in September 2007
Teen Style Stuff SP in November 2007
Free Time EP in February 2008
Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff SP in April 2008
IKEA Home Stuff SP in June 2008
Apartment Life EP in August 2008
Mansion & Garden Stuff SP in November 2008
It is true that EA usually don’t release packs for the previous game just one or two months before the release of the next basegame. But it hasn’t anything to do with the developers being busy because EA has several teams working on different things at the same time. But EA wants people to switch quickly to the new game and therefore has a short break in the pack releases just before the new basegame is released.
Well don't forget they also had Emeryville Maxis Studio that closed also. I heard preliminary work and base game work for Sims 1 and 2, also Spore - as well as Sims City and My Sims used to be made there. So they always had 2 studios until Sims 4. Sims 3 preliminary was at Salt Lake City as well as the Sims 3 store and store worlds - and of course 4 of the EPs.
Yes. But you seem to think that the closure of the studios in Emeryville and Salt Lake was forced on EA for other reasons such that EA just lost those studios and therefore couldn’t let them make the games that EA would have wanted them to make. But it was the other way around because the truth is that EA just chose to close those studios for the following reasons:
1. EA didn’t need the studio in Emeryville anymore because EA didn’t want to make more games like Spore and Darkspore and EA had nothing else to use the studio for.
2. The studio in Salt Lake was originally a studio for some of EA’s sports games. After year 2000 in first made PGA Championship games and later a big series of Tiger Wood golf games until EA didn’t need it anymore for those games. Then it was transferred to the Sims division and made some extra EPs for TS3 and also some Sims 2 and Sims 3 games for consoles. EA then kept the studio alive for a few years as a reserve and let it make some small app games for iOS and Android. But then EA closed the studio down in April 2017 because EA still hadn’t anything good for the studio to make because TS4 is mainly about SPs and GPs which the Redwood studio easily can make itself even at the same time as the studio also makes the Sims Mobile and most likely also TS5.
Yes, a lot of simmers in this forum really wants EA to make more EPs too. But GPs and especially SPs sell better because they are cheaper for us to buy and they are much cheaper and faster for EA to make too. So EA still just wants TS4 mainly to be about SPs and GPs and much less about EPs. If EA could choose then EA likely would prefer to only release SPs. But EA knows that to keep the customers the GPs are necessary as replacements for half of the earlier EPs. But I even suspect EA to not release EPs at all for TS5 but only SPs and GPs because they are so much cheaper for EA to make and sell better anyway.
No - if you said that - you think that I would assume otherwise you are trying to make me look rather a fool. I don't appreciate that - so please refrain from that. Thank you. But I actually heard why EA closed them - they were not spacious, modern, and just getting too old. Ea prefers modern, spacious facilities for their employees. Better environments over all.
My point I was actually making is they were spaces that allowed a second full team to work on different games (like a preliminary base game from a future series apart from the present series - was my ONLY point.
Please stop trying to say what I think, or playing bizarre guessing games. I don't appreciate it. I can speak for myself. It is rude to second guess other posters. You say what you think and I'll say what I think or know (in most cases).
ETA one other thing my husband and I have been with EA gaming since the real early 90's - I'm well aware of what they make at what studio - but then so is many people - we don't need a lesson on EA's history. One only has to go to EAs main page and find out anything they want to know if one does not know it already. EA's history is irrelevant to the conversation at present.
