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Mad Poster
#26 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 9:47 AM
Even desktops are omitting disk drives. I was surprised when my new desktop didn't come with one and I have to use a portable drive.
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Scholar
#27 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 9:52 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Bulbizarre
Aren't laptops omitting disc drives these days? And Windows 10 broke SecuROM.


I have a USB connected external DVD-drive that I hook up to my laptop when I need it.

Paladins/SimWardrobes downloads: https://simfileshare.net/folder/87849/
Mad Poster
#28 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 10:00 AM
Quote: Originally posted by joandsarah77
I'm sure if she really wanted it, she could buy the disks cheaply on eBay.

She's already got most of the disks; I don't think she was interested in additional content so much as a (presumably) simpler way to install the game.

Quote: Originally posted by Bulbizarre
Aren't laptops omitting disc drives these days?

Most of them are, I think, yeah.

Quote: Originally posted by Charity
Even desktops are omitting disk drives.

Dang
Theorist
#29 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 11:06 AM
Quote: Originally posted by muridae
It's a bizarre decision not to sell it on Origin. It would certainly make money for them. The Mac version has been in the Mac App Store charts pretty much since it was re-released in 2014. It's lower in the charts than it used to be, because it has some graphics issues since last year with the latest version of macOS that need a bug fix and needs a rewrite to be a 64-bit application, but even with minor problems on new machines it's still a best seller.


It would outsell Sims 4, and EA can't have that :p

Avatar by MasterRed
Taking an extended break from Sims stuff. Might be around, might not.
Undead Molten Llama
#30 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 2:49 PM
Offering the UC was never meant to generate revenue in and of itself. That revenue stream had been closed once TS2 was out of production and removed from retail store shelves. The revenue to be had -- and it's generated a lot; I'm an EA stockholder so I get the quarterly reports -- was the proliferation of Origin. You had to install that in order to download/install the UC...and then EA's got you for advertising and probably more purchases in perpetuity, especially once they "patched" the UC to force it to launch Origin. (Sure, you can get around that, but the average casual player -- and those outnumber us -- probably isn't going to bother.) That's what they wanted, that's what they got...and now they're done.

Any revenue from "selling" the UC would be a pittance in comparison to what they can get via Origin. And if they took money for it -- which, note, they NEVER did -- they'd have to devote resources -- manpower, training, etc. -- to supporting it in perpetuity. And they don't want that. They want to move on, not look back. It's a sound business decision. WE might not think so because we're biased, dedicated to the game, fans of it, but in the grand scheme of things we are a tiny minority. Businesses don't cater to tiny minorities.

As for still getting the game...There are still multiple ways to do that, if you want it. Most of them aren't completely "legal" anymore -- buying used disks is shady from a licensing point of view, BTW -- but they exist.

I'm mostly found on (and mostly upload to) Tumblr these days because, alas, there are only 24 hours in a day.
Muh Simblr! | An index of my downloads on Tumblr.
Mad Poster
#31 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 3:21 PM
I'm not surprised by this. I was always under the impression that the UC was a limited time offer anyway.

As for the last part about 3 and 4, The Sims 2 is 14 years old. Regardless of how great the game is, it makes sense from a business perspective to push ones newer products over the old ones.

Because the earth is standing still, and the truth becomes a lie
A choice profound is bittersweet, no one hears Cassandra Goth cry

Lab Assistant
#32 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 3:32 PM
Oh well. So long, EA! At least I can still play my fourteen year old game forever.

Sims 2 Story|My Tumblr|Donate
See something of mine you like? Just ask, and I'll get you a link to the item you're looking for.
Mad Poster
#33 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 4:13 PM Last edited by AndrewGloria : 12th Oct 2018 at 4:24 PM.
For the life of me I cannot understand why EA don't just sell the UC. I was never really happy with their decision to give it away free, since it signalled that they were giving up on TS2 as a revenue source, and they would never devote any resources to a product that was generating no revenue for them. Even after they gave it away for a few weeks in in May 2014 with no questions asked, I thought they would just start charging for it. But no, they continued for over 4 years to give it away free to people who managed to jump through the right hoops to get it. Which meant paying their support staff to talk and argue with customers. While bringing in not a single cent in payment. Whereas, if they'd just charged for it, they would have pocketed ten of fifteen dollars (or whatever they decided to ask) every time someone downloaded it. Of course some people would 'phone up asking for support, bur the revenue brought in by selling the UC would more than pay for this.

Yes, The Sims 2 is 14 years old. But Shakespeare's plays are four hundred years old, and Homer's Odyssey is nearly three thousand years old. And the fact that there are newer poems and plays doesn't make them not worth reading, or watching , or listening to. The Sims 2 is a medium that allows us to create a myriad myriad fascinating characters and their stories. I don't think EA realise what an excellent masterpiece they have in TS2. The reason why TS3 and TS4 are disappointing is simply that TS2 was so good. So it won't be easy to make a TS5 that's better than TS2. I'm afraid the absolute minimum requirement to even attempt such a thing would be to bring Will Wright back on board. But why make a new version of The Sims at all? Instead of dumping everything they've done and starting with a new version (like they did with TS3 and TS4) why not build on what you've already done? The only model that EA (and I suspect other game companies) seem to have is to periodically ditch everything, and start off a new game, sharing little more than it's name with its predecessor. And the new game will start off with a half crippled base game so the player will have to buy half a dozen expansions (or whatever they want to call them) to get to anything like the quality of play that they had with the old game. I know this model has served the gaming industry well in terms of producing a profit, but surely there must be a better way one that allows a company to profit from the excellent product it already has, rather than replace it with an inferior half-baked one.

I know many people here paid a lot for their game, buying each EP as it came out. But personally, I came late to the party, and got my game for next to nothing. I paid £7 for my original Double Deluxe, and £1.99 for a new unopened copy of Open for Business. I then paid about the same a second-hand copy of University from CEX. So my whole game cost ne about £11. I don't know how much of that reached EA/Maxis, but I'll warrant not much. Had I been able, I'd happily have bought my EPs new from local shops (I prefer discs), and paid much more for them. But EA seem not to want my money! They gave me the UC for free! (In May 2014 when you could get it for just saying you loved TS2.) But they do send me adverts for games I don't want, and that wouldn't run on my computer anyway. (As I said in my last post, it can't even display the huge adverts!)

The best computer game yet made definitely deserves a long term future! Please EA, let it have one!

Quote: Originally posted by SciBirg
I have a USB connected external DVD-drive that I hook up to my laptop when I need it.
I'm the same, except mine's not a laptop -- it's a netbook!

All Sims are beautiful -- even the ugly ones.
My Simblr ~~ My LJ
Sims' lives matter!
The Veronaville kids are alright.
Mad Poster
#34 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 5:15 PM
Oh, there was a marketing ploy behind this - keep the Sims 2 fans happy until they move on to Sims 4 by bombarding with ads on Origin.

They may have thought it would not last - that players would not fiddle around with graphic rules and settings to make this old game of ours work with new technology.

My plan at this stage is to keep on playing my sims 2 UC - and if the day comes that I cannot play it anymore, I will find another game to play - but it will probably not be a sims game.
Mad Poster
#35 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 5:55 PM
EA has long been tired of keeping the Sims 2 people happy. They don't spend money, and they don't contribute to anything EA is doing right now-so by dumping the UC and all support, they are in effect abandoning it.

If they feel that way, why don't they just give it to GOG to sell for them? It'd make them money and they'd not have to extend any 'warranty' on it past purchase. But I highly doubt EA would do that because it would mean giving up their copyrights for the game and those are worth money, still, I guess.

As for me, I have all the disks. I'm guarding them with my life because they are hard to find in prime condition. It took me a very long time to get the entire collection (and some very great friends, as well)-and I'm not giving those up for love of money. Besides, the game is permanently installed on the computer drive and backed up on a secondary drive as well. I'm not taking any chances with my precious gems..

Receptacle Refugee & Resident Polar Bear
"Get out of my way, young'un, I'm a ninja!"
Grave Matters: The funeral podium is available here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/e6tj...albits.zip/file
My other downloads are here: https://app.mediafire.com/myfiles
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#36 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 7:32 PM
Here was said that it was not profitable to support The Sims 2, from a business point of view. But I can just buy Transport Tycoon, RCT 1 and 2, Chris Sawyer's Locomotion and many old games on the GOG.com. I can download free TES:Arena and Daggerfall from elderscrolls.bethesda.net. Why EA can not optimize The Sims 1 and 2 once and release it for sale? I think Bethesda does not suffer losses due to the fact that the Morrowind and Oblivion are on sale.
Mad Poster
#37 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 8:35 PM
Just to make it clear - if you already did get the UC via Origin, you do still have it there, right?

I got the UC while they offered it in the limited time period, but never installed it (I'm keeping it as a backup in case my next computer doesn't have a disc drive), so I'm hoping it's still going to work.
Alchemist
#38 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 8:47 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Eran of Arcadia
Wow, just made it in under the wire.

I have no interest in any other EA products besides this and SWtOR, which I no longer subscribe to, so I suppose they aren't ever getting more money from me.
what is SWtOR?
Scholar
#39 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 9:05 PM
Quote: Originally posted by mdsb759
what is SWtOR?

I think it stands for Star Wars: The Old Republic which is another EA product.
Mad Poster
#40 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 9:11 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Liza
There will be no more distribution of game codes through support, to those who missed the limited-time promotion offering in 2014, if I understood correctly.

https://forums.thesims.com/en_uS/di...llection#latest


In other words, they just aren't giving it out anymore, right? But if we buy a new computer we can still get it since it's on our account?

If that's right, everybody go get it right now. I don't care if you've never wanted it. Park it on a spare hard drive, just in case something happens to your disks.

As far as their not supporting it, ho hum. The people in our community have fixed the problems, not Origin.

"Fear not little flock, for it hath pleased your Father to give you a kingdom". Luke 12:32 Chris Hatch's family friendly files archived on SFS: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=603534 . Bulbizarre's website: https://archiveofourown.org/users/C...CoveredPortals/
Alchemist
#41 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 9:21 PM
Quote: Originally posted by smorbie1
In other words, they just aren't giving it out anymore, right? But if we buy a new computer we can still get it since it's on our account?
Right.

Quote:
If that's right, everybody go get it right now. I don't care if you've never wanted it. Park it on a spare hard drive, just in case something happens to your disks.
Nope, too late. They announced on the 11th that they were suspending the giveaway effective immediately.
Mad Poster
#42 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 9:46 PM
Assholes.

I'm secretly a Bulbasaur. | Formerly known as ihatemandatoryregister

Looking for SimWardrobe's mods? | Or Dizzy's? | Faiuwle/rufio's too! | smorbie1's Chris Hatch archives
Theorist
#43 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 11:15 PM
Quote: Originally posted by FranH
EA has long been tired of keeping the Sims 2 people happy. They don't spend money, and they don't contribute to anything EA is doing right now-so by dumping the UC and all support, they are in effect abandoning it.


But I want to give them my money, I really do! But they don't give me any opportunity to do so, since they won't release a quality sequel to Sims 2 which I could spend money on. Why won't they allow me to give them my money?

Avatar by MasterRed
Taking an extended break from Sims stuff. Might be around, might not.
Mad Poster
#44 Old 12th Oct 2018 at 11:45 PM
The SimCity games are on GOG, so I don't see why Sims 1 and 2 aren't as well.

I'm secretly a Bulbasaur. | Formerly known as ihatemandatoryregister

Looking for SimWardrobe's mods? | Or Dizzy's? | Faiuwle/rufio's too! | smorbie1's Chris Hatch archives
Lab Assistant
#45 Old 13th Oct 2018 at 12:12 AM
I’ve studied business and I hate to say it, but from a pure business perspective I can understand that they choose to abandon TS2 completely now. It’s been 14 years, and they’re not making any money from handing out licenses for UC. It actually costs them some, since they have employees that have to spend (although only just a tiny bit) time on dealing with that and give support. I suppose they could save some by dropping any further support, but I guess it’s a central policy that they offer support to all Origin games. There’s a niche segment in us, but we’re not that many. Also, there’s not that much recruitment — most of us are seasoned players and have already taken up on the offer. They have probably seen the demand for these licenses fall year by year, and now they have little to lose by dropping it altogether. Basically, they don’t want to incentivize players to use TS2 anymore. That also makes it very unrealistic that they would hand over the source code.

Still, it would be worth the effort to try to make the source code available. We have nothing to lose, after all, and it doesn’t take much time to do! Perhaps the request could be harder to ignore if it came from ModTheSims as a site? This is the largest (and best!) Sims community, after all
Mad Poster
#46 Old 13th Oct 2018 at 2:06 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Batanau
they’re not making any money from handing out licenses for UC.

Many people would happily hand over money for the UC. EA giving it away for free was their idea, and if they don't want to give it away for free, that's completely 100% understandable. But they're not giving us an option to pay for it; they're just telling us to go play TS3, TS4, and some mobile thing.
Mad Poster
#47 Old 13th Oct 2018 at 3:06 AM
And they know in advance that we hard-core Sims 2 players will not cross that line..well, not many of us-I do know that some do play both 2 and 3. To each their own.

But I don't want to and won't throw my own hard earned money away on a subsequent title that did not live up to its' promises and the one after that which completely blew away any facade of EA to actually care about their customers beyond the pocket book.

Receptacle Refugee & Resident Polar Bear
"Get out of my way, young'un, I'm a ninja!"
Grave Matters: The funeral podium is available here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/e6tj...albits.zip/file
My other downloads are here: https://app.mediafire.com/myfiles
Scholar
#48 Old 13th Oct 2018 at 11:59 AM
it just seems rude how they'd practically say "hey look we didn't get cash from the UC so.....please buy our new cash grab games!"
no wonder EA is getting more unpopular.

I May Be Life Dumb But I'm Sim Smart(mostly).
My Tumblr
Scholar
#49 Old 13th Oct 2018 at 3:38 PM
Quote: Originally posted by SciBirg
That bites. I wrote them and told them to please put it on gog.com along with TS1 and the Sims Stories games.



it probably never happen. GOG means no drm and with absolutely delusional conviction, EA management, among the other says "DRM is goooood". Despise numerous studies (not mentioning so called "common sense") that reality is quite opposite. Well - in effect they probably just ignite more piracy that way.

ALso - for some extend I would not be surprised if the Company officials would see the S2 as threat to S4 (and other newer projects) sales, if not directly as commercial leak, then as a picture one. It's relatively easy nowadays to make good looking game, with current technology, especialy if you have pile of money or you have handicap of cheap labor (hello CDPR). Making the good one, that's challenge not worth taking risk in the Companies' management eyes. And current (really: since S3) happily standing banner in the CO's office says: "Cut more features off, cut them all".


favorite quote: "When ElaineNualla is posting..I always read..Nutella. I am sorry" by Rosebine
self-claimed "lower-spec simmer"
Undead Molten Llama
#50 Old 13th Oct 2018 at 5:15 PM
Quote: Originally posted by ElaineNualla
ALso - for some extend I would not be surprised if the Company officials would see the S2 as threat to S4 (and other newer projects) sales, if not directly as commercial leak, then as a picture one.


I don't know if they see the game itself as a "threat" to its newer games, but I DO know -- again, stockholder, with enough common shares to have voting privileges -- that they want to erase from the public consciousness the way that TS2 and other games of its time were sold. And they are not the only game developer that wants this, of course. They all do. They all found that they made a lot more money nickel-and-diming people with small bits of DLC than they did with a pack model. They go where the money is, EA no more or less than any other large developer.

So, in short, they used the UC -- and every person who accepted the offer of it -- to spread Origin far and wide. That was all they wanted out of it. They don't want people to remember TS2 and how you got a lot more for less overall money than you do by continuously buying a bunch of DLC. They certainly don't want to have to keep supporting a dead-end out-of-production game from which they make no money. In general, they don't want a business model where the flow of profit has spikes and valleys, like you get with people buying disks of content as they're released and then buying nothing else until the next disk is released. They want a constant, reliable flow of profit, and that's what they get with DLC. TS2 is dead. Gone. Done. Forever, most likely. WE will keep it alive as long as we can, of course, but EA is not interested in doing so. They've moved on, and they want you to do the same. We who cling to it are the vast minority.

I'm mostly found on (and mostly upload to) Tumblr these days because, alas, there are only 24 hours in a day.
Muh Simblr! | An index of my downloads on Tumblr.
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