"EA_Cade;c-18163178" wrote:Hey all, The Sims 4 Mod Policy has been updated today which clarifies the following point:Note, The Sims recognizes that creating Mods takes time and resources. To recoup these development costs, Mod developers may: Offer an early access incentive for a reasonable amount of time. After a reasonable early access period, all users must be able to access the Mods in full for free regardless of whether they donate. Run passive advertisements and requests for donations so long as they are limited to the Mod website or distribution site, and do not appear within the Mod itself.Early Access will still be allowed after all!Original Post:Spoiler (Highlight to read)This has been all over the sims community on twitter but I couldn't find a thread for it on the forums so I wanted to make a thread here to discuss it. Yesterday EA made a statement saying that Sims 4 custom content creators/modders would no longer be allowed to use early access for mods. https://twitter.com/TheSimCommunity/status/1554074363208630272https://twitter.com/marlynsims96/status/1554042758251290625For reference, previously the rules were that modders could upload their mods to Patreon with 3 weeks of early access to players who pay to subscribe to their accounts. This has been widely used by modders as a way of funding their work, and allowing them to have more time to work on mods which add new content or fix existing content. For example Carl who runs Carl's Guides has used the money he makes from Patreon early access to allow him to work full time on his mods which adds content such as fixing Dine Out and adding burglars to the game, and he's said this has only been possible because of early access.https://twitter.com/CarlsSimGuides/status/1553874796076834817Opinions?This has been all over the sims community on twitter but I couldn't find a thread for it on the forums so I wanted to make a thread here to discuss it. Yesterday EA made a statement saying that Sims 4 custom content creators/modders would no longer be allowed to use early access for mods. https://twitter.com/TheSimCommunity/status/1554074363208630272https://twitter.com/marlynsims96/status/1554042758251290625For reference, previously the rules were that modders could upload their mods to Patreon with 3 weeks of early access to players who pay to subscribe to their accounts. This has been widely used by modders as a way of funding their work, and allowing them to have more time to work on mods which add new content or fix existing content. For example Carl who runs Carl's Guides has used the money he makes from Patreon early access to allow him to work full time on his mods which adds content such as fixing Dine Out and adding burglars to the game, and he's said this has only been possible because of early access.https://twitter.com/CarlsSimGuides/status/1553874796076834817Opinions?

It sounds to me that a lot of mod/cc creators will make less mods and cc now? Without being able to get any financial support they will only be able to make enough mods that their financial situation allows. Occasional donations is not financially sustainable so they are not going to be able to put as much work into making these mods and cc.This sounds bad for everyone.

I think they should not back track. It was previously the policy that modders could charge for early access for two or three weeks. While EA should go after the perma paywall creators, some creators make their living with early access. The players will lose out if this policy is enforced. Hopefully EA will reconsider. I know I wouldn't buy High School Years at all if there weren't mods available to fix certain issues.

I will not play Sims 4 at all if Mccc and UI ext. are no longer updated due to EA ruining everything for the creators.

I never minded waiting the two or three weeks and even supported a couple of creators because I love their work. I will continue to support them even without the benefits of early access. I saw some creators who took advantage of simmers and had $20 paywalls and they never unlocked their content. It stinks that a few people ruined it for everyone.

The whole situation has left me feeling pretty glum. At least one creator has retired from modding, and that's just one I happened to stumble across, no telling how many more are going to do the same. If modders start quitting and not updating their mods, I'm never going to update or buy another pack again. I won't stop playing, but EA won't get any more of my money.

UPDATE: New Statement on Modding Rules

wildirishbanshee
New Novice
3 years ago
It seems like over on the Broken mods thread several modders are already on their way out.
Onverser
3 years ago
I do wonder if they'll actually enforce it though, I don't think they ever enforced the old rules it was just to try and put people off of permanent paywalling
NikkiXoLynn
3 years ago
This is not a statement. Why does no one know what a statement is? This is an EA chat rep who has no qualifications to make a “statement” and can not be relied on to give this info. If we listen to chat reps y’all need to start deleting all your mods because when I asked the same question my rep said if we continue using mods we’ll be banned. Guess that’s also a “statement”
MagiCornPrinces
3 years ago
> @mitchiebanjo said:
> Everyone in the creator community that wants to get paid for what they make could go to work for TSR or similar websites. A lot of really great creators have never charged for their content. I usually download from them.

they arent paid to work for TSR lol ... its simply a hosting site and gallery
PhilxSims
Seasoned Traveler
3 years ago
EA have definitely gone about this in a half cocked way. The article (in EA Help) was posted on 21 July and the only official reference they've made to it (as far as I could find) was in a tweet (on 30 July) about having issues in game with mods.

https://twitter.com/EAHelp/status/1553430768700928000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">

They need to be much more up front with everyone and spell out what is and isn't allowed.
User_577435777
3 years ago
That, or... a push for Sims 5...?
caridwen_goth
3 years ago
Actually it seems the Sims is the only game where necessity of material gain is so rampant. Surely there were always donation bottoms and stuff like this everywhere, but this early access and paywalling (and harassing, doxing, sharing personal information, faking legal documents etc.) is getting out of hand.
So in my opinion EA was right to get rid of all this madness and I hope they enforce it, as their update on early access seems to not really be interesting to some peeps who think they are above the rules, bc they decided to make something that is supposed to be a hobby into their fulltime job without being employed by EA who owns the whole Sims thing.
User_577435777
3 years ago
Here's my thing. If they go after modders, who actually seem to work their butts off to fix things, they will stop modding. They saved TS4 from being boring to the point where nobody would play it. It's a heavy loss imo.
david_badalati
3 years ago
this has been going on for years they have finally completely cracked down on modders who lock things behind paywalls

early access just caught in the crossfire seems to many people don't make them free or keep them locked in a paywall for too long or make too much money out of it that it's far beyond 'financial support'

lots of people made a lot of money out of the sims over the years with donations/paysites and patreon - no matter how hard they work on them it belongs to EA/Maxis and they can pull the plug at any time.

Just look at something like the whicked whims patreon page they have 9537 patreons lowest amount is $1.50 it then goes up to $6.50 then $13AUD that's a lot of money for 'support'.. MC command mod also has 5000 patreons with the lowest tier being $4.50AUD that's over $20,000 a month.. it's likely the same for other mods that use patreon

if they can't do early access they just have to run ads or find other ways to keep going

the brutal honestly is mods is a hobby not a full time job (and a well paying one for some creators)
luciusstorm
Seasoned Veteran
3 years ago
As I understand this, modders can still collect donations to recoup their time and expense doing development. So, if you were willing to pay for early access to a mod, are you now willing to donate that same amount to support the development of that same mod?

I am.