Strange Tomato (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
strangetomato) wrote2009-08-03 04:16 pm
strangetomato) wrote2009-08-03 04:16 pm
Sims 3: EP announcement and some reflection
You know what? I honestly wouldn't have predicted that EA'd come out with an EP that I simply have no interest in, but they've managed it.
I'm not sure I can completely articulate why this repels me so much, but it has something to do with the exactness of the replicas of these world locations, and how they actually refer to them as China or France instead of some sim world analogue, like Twikkii Island. It's just not very Simlish, is it? Compare that to Veronaville, which was an obvious reference to certain European countries, but it had its own twist. It had charm. I'm not seeing the charm. Maybe things will improve from this first look, but right now it's just... lacking.
A while back I was putting together my own little review of Sims 3 (which was never posted), and I'm reminded again of my main criticism of the third installment in our beloved series: it's a departure. That's what's wrong. It's veering off into different genres, most notably point-and-click adventure, and they're falling down on the promise of the simulation side of things. This is a mistake, because that's the reason we're here. Their task should have been to build a better dollhouse, and only that. In trying to appeal to a wider audience, they're losing track of the whole point of the game. The Sims franchise was always about domesticity, and that was enough.
They did some things right, no doubt, like the increased level of customization, but they didn't go far enough, and they're changing the overall feel of the game. They haven't even improved the way the genetics work. If they did nothing else, it should have been that.
So those are my thoughts. What do you think?
I'm not sure I can completely articulate why this repels me so much, but it has something to do with the exactness of the replicas of these world locations, and how they actually refer to them as China or France instead of some sim world analogue, like Twikkii Island. It's just not very Simlish, is it? Compare that to Veronaville, which was an obvious reference to certain European countries, but it had its own twist. It had charm. I'm not seeing the charm. Maybe things will improve from this first look, but right now it's just... lacking.
A while back I was putting together my own little review of Sims 3 (which was never posted), and I'm reminded again of my main criticism of the third installment in our beloved series: it's a departure. That's what's wrong. It's veering off into different genres, most notably point-and-click adventure, and they're falling down on the promise of the simulation side of things. This is a mistake, because that's the reason we're here. Their task should have been to build a better dollhouse, and only that. In trying to appeal to a wider audience, they're losing track of the whole point of the game. The Sims franchise was always about domesticity, and that was enough.
They did some things right, no doubt, like the increased level of customization, but they didn't go far enough, and they're changing the overall feel of the game. They haven't even improved the way the genetics work. If they did nothing else, it should have been that.
So those are my thoughts. What do you think?
no subject
What I really don't get is... neither BV nor Vacation were even all that popular. I'm not sure why they'd make the equivalent their first choice.
In general, I tend to agree from what I've seen that TS3 is decidedly not a real successor to TS2. It's different. Possibly okay on its own merits, at least once they iron out the bugs (and, y'know, with the usual allowance for mods) but definitely very, very different.
Anyhow, at the very least, this is doing nothing to increase my desire to buy the game. I think I'll probably end up getting it at some point just to fiddle with it, mind, but probably not for quite a while.
I really wish someone would put together a viable competing life sim, though. If I had a spare couple million dollars, I'd do it...
no subject
*nods in agreement*
*nods more vigorously and claps*
You can really see the change in management (so to speak) from sims2 to sims3. It's like the new bosses didn't even LOOK at what made sims2 (and 1) successful. They just came in with a "this is what we're going to do and history be damned" bullheadedness.
To me, that's resulted in a watered down version of a game concept I would (and have) bought again and again (the sim/micromanaging type games).
And it makes me wonder what the NEXT EP will be. Something as equally "worthless"?
no subject
As for why this came first, the base game is probably still selling well. They won't really have the need to release a pets EP until a year or two from now, when sales will need something of a pickup. Of course, this will still appeal to those who feel the need to have every single EP.
TS2 and TS3 do not have the same relationship that the first two games had. TS2 took what the first game had, improved some features and added some, while removing little and thus did not fundamentally change the game. That is not what happened this time. There is no successor to The Sims 2.