The Sims 3 to get new online options Comments by Ellie Gibson

micro transactions. bloody brilliant. EA rule

/end sarcasm

Then again, not very surprising.

I am not really interested in micro transactions. As long as the game delivers on PC and ipod touch, I will be happy.

Whats the problem with micro transactions?

You don't want to buy the extra t-shirt design, then don't.

end of. there is no argument to be had here, just people looking for any reason to kick off.

COR BLIMEY!

micro transactions?

pre-order canceled then. I can't let my wife loose on it knowing she'll buy all sorts of virtual tat with real money.

And the problem with it is, before they allowed pretty much anything in terms of user created content. But now if they can sell content, whats the motivation to let users create the same sort of stuff? I suspect crippled/limited user content tools as a result.

Thanks for your valuable diagnosis Dr Zoidberg. There was a time where you could add things for free on Sims, now the micro transaction craze has really taken off, its being put into EVERYTHING. Can't wait till the iPhone/iPod touch 3.0 firmware update, they're adding the facility to iTunes apps then.

Yes, if I don't want it I don't have to buy it - collect your PhD for Stating the Bleeding Obvious.

It all depends on how much they decide to let the items cost in RL money. And if you'll actually bloody own the item after you buy it, that you are not just renting the item for a week or something.

You know, I wouldn't be surprised to see EA jump out of an alley and shout:
"Me love you long time, only five dollahs!"

Stating the Bleeding Obvious.

Sometimes it needs to be stated, or you get morons complaining about it. OR maybe it will be a good incentive for the creators to get rewarded for their work?

Edit : by creators, i mean the fan based creators.

The older Sims had different content for free (no expansions, please). I expect that microtransaction will only be for premium content?

If not, well...

The "Game Page" link doesnt work, its pointing to the Eurogamer home page.

'There was a time where you could add things for free on Sims'

Will user mods and clothing NOT be available for the sims 3?

There used to be a time where people purchased things that were real, now we all spend money on virtual items, its a crazy world. Credit to EA they will make a bucket load on it. Wonder if they will still push out millions of expansion packs.

It will have user created content, but the problem I see is when that imposes on the paid for content. Let's say somebody makes some really cool coke styled vending machines. Then, EA decide to let you buy a real one for £1, what happens to the user created one? it'll probably get deleted. So they'll have to police all user created content so that anything which could be worth money gets nuked off so they can charge for the same thing.

I wouldn't mind paying to download expansions, but micro-content suggests otherwise.

iirc the user added content IS still part of the game (as thats what made Sims 2 such a big deal), the MTA is probly like the 'buy a body part' Spore has..

TBH I'd perfer MTA to 'Stuff' packs, I found a lot of the 'stuff' was 'meh' and only a few items per pack were any good to me. It's better to pay 50p for one item then £20 for just a handful.

To each his own I'm guessing

Rip off? Pay for a full game? then pay again for all the cool content.
Bound to make a fortune for EA - but not a very consumer friendly idea

I have to agree with Kremlik, the Stuff packs are terrible value for money but micro-transactions of individual items, if you want them, seems a much better way of doing things.

Considering the huge amount of community based freebies that keeps the Sims fanbase ticking over I doubt EA would want to stop that from continuing either.

Yes, some sort of reward for user created content that was downloaded a lot would be good but I guess its pretty unlikely, coming from EA and knowing their past track record. Even taking into account their 'new' image

It must suck to be poor.

Can I has ur monies then? If you're so rich and dont mind throwing money away on vitual tat?

My prediction: EA are gonna be too greedy and its going to be too restrictive, driving away the best of the user contributers, turning a sure-fire cash cow into a one or two egg golden goose.

Actually having the slightest clue about money means that you can be richer on a minimum wage job than someone without a clue about money is on 30 grand a year.

With this news it won't be long before microtransactions take over the gamiing world totally.
How long til EA bring out a Battlefield game where you need to buy weapons with real money (Battlefield: Bad Company episode anyone?) and it won't stop there if people continue to support such features.

Unfortunately, this will see the end of conventional gaming and expansion packs, in a Sony Playstation Home type time where you pay for a table or chair how long is it until we have to buy Humvee's to ride across the battlefield in? or vitural fuel? ok maybe thats a bit extreme but sadly EA and other companies will try to cash in on the blind idiots with more money than sense.

And it's all these people that say "Whats the problem with microtransactions? if you don't want them don't buy them" that will kill off conventional expansion packs.

In the end groups like EA are fueling Priacy with these money grabbing techniques with the advance of "Private servers" and "cracked games" EA could eventually dig their own grave and I for one long for that day.

Microsofts Xbox 360 console also adds to these problems with the lack of protocol. EA are allowed to offer you the chance say to purchase the "Ultimate Thug" in The Godfather 2 which could be concidered a bit crowl as the content is already on the dvd and you are just paying to unlock it.

Resident Evil 5, Tiger Woods PGA 09, FIFA 09 and many more games do this as well.


It's a sad day for gaming when people pay for items that should of come (and are contained) on the retail release.
And microtransactions are just another step towards the dark side.

"And the problem with it is, before they allowed pretty much anything in terms of user created content. But now if they can sell content, whats the motivation to let users create the same sort of stuff? I suspect crippled/limited user content tools as a result."

This. And for this reason I'll "wait and see" before buying it.

Actually, DoctorZoidberg, EA may avoid to put a lot of content that could go in the original non-updated game, just so it can sell the items later for money, when in fact they could very well fill up the DVD with content. But no, EA are very very innocent and pure and they will fill the DVD with as much as they can and they will only charge as much as it costs them to make the transaction from their server to your PC which will be less than 1 cent. Right? :)