High End Loft Stuff Pack

[igzigpuff]

Wasn't sure where to post this, so I made a new thread...found some new info on the new SP being released in Feb. 2010 (there was an insert in the WA EP).  Here's what they are adding to the game:

•Add high-end furnishings to your Sims bedroom, entertainment room, office and patio.
•Transform your Sims’ homes into cutting-edge spaces with contemporary sofas, sleek coffee tables, and eclectic art.
•Give your Sims coveted electronics including high-tech, ultra-slim TVs, video game systems, stereos, and more.
•Upgrade your Sims’ wardrobes with fashion-forward apparel, tailored suits, and sophisticated outerwear.
•Plus Bonus Anniversary Items! This special 10th Anniversary pack also includes three well-loved items from The Sims and The Sims 2 games: the heart-shaped vibrating bed, the electric guitar, and the aquarium.

Yeah!  So happy they are adding some items from the Sims2 back in the game.
Here's the link:

http://simoperations.com/2009/11/25/the-sims-3-high-end-loft-stuff-details-box-art/

[Pam]

Thanks, igzig!  That's awesome!

[Carl]

Heck yeah, I'll be all over that.

[Bob]

They're releasing stuff way too fast for my budget.
Oh well, all for the better.

[Da Vinci]

YES! an electric guitar! I am "Elated"

[RCHaynes]

I want a hot tub
and University.... I loved that expansion.

I have an inherent dislike of Stuff packs as a money generating device that disincludes people without large budgets. 20 bucks or so for no new game, just eye candy has always seemed to me to be a bit more avaricious than I am willing to support. I feel much the same about the Store. I use the 'free' ones that they give with the game purchase, but I won't give them any more real money than that.

[Da Vinci]

I want a hot tub
and University.... I loved that expansion.

I have an inherent dislike of Stuff packs as a money generating device that disincludes people without large budgets. 20 bucks or so for no new game, just eye candy has always seemed to me to be a bit more avaricious than I am willing to support. I feel much the same about the Store. I use the 'free' ones that they give with the game purchase, but I won't give them any more real money than that.

The hot tub should be included later, and from what I have heard there will be a university pack, but much later. I could be wrong however.

[PJSim]

I have an inherent dislike of Stuff packs as a money generating device that disincludes people without large budgets. 20 bucks or so for no new game, just eye candy has always seemed to me to be a bit more avaricious than I am willing to support. I feel much the same about the Store. I use the 'free' ones that they give with the game purchase, but I won't give them any more real money than that.

I agree. I always disliked the whole Stuff Pack concept so, so much, it's such a complete rip-off.

They're deliberately putting too few items and outfits in the game so you'll quickly get tired of looking at the same things and then selling the rest of the stuff to you later in small installments so it won't seem so expensive. That stuff should have been in the game to begin with, I paid already!
The Store is the same thing, adding things a little at the time so you don't notice just how much money you're spending, quoting the price in "Sim Points" instead of any actual currency so it doesn't seem like spending real money at all... Business psychology 101.

According to Wikipedia the Sims franchise has sold more than 100 million copies. They do not need to do this!

I think the only thing I dislike more than Stuff Packs are sponsored Stuff Packs. EA gets a ton of money from companies like IKEA to let them advertise their junk to millions of players and then charge the players as well. Pushing early brand recognition on young people in this way is worth millions and millions to IKEA who's hoping that when these kids need to furnish their own homes they will believe that furniture having really lame meaningless names makes them "stylish and inspiring" (quote from EA's description).
And the cost of developing these items is next to nothing because the "MALM" bed and the "KILA" desk lamp are built on the exact same mesh as the original items, now they just have stupid capitalized names. And they still charge you.

Akh!!

/rant


So anyway, I'm going to pass on this just on general principle and I'm not spending any money at the Store either.

[Pam]

I'm going to take the opposite side on this discussion.  I don't have a problem with stuff packs, but this is also my first experience with anything Sims, so that may have a lot to do with it.  As for EA making money like this, it doesn't bother me because it helps them stay in business.  The people designing these programs for a fabulous game of this magnitude deserve to be rewarded for their genius, in my opinion.  It's easy for us to complain about the little things that are wrong with the game, but we take for granted all the stunning things that are RIGHT with the game.  Maybe it's my advanced age (hehe) that makes me feel this way.  I learned to type at age 14 on a manual typewriter with no letters on the keys.  To come from that to the marvel that is The Sims 3 is an amazing accomplishment!  So, if they want to sell us stuff packs and things through the store to help keep their revenue stream steady, that's ok by me!

[Metropolis Man]

I'm kind of with PJ in my thinking on the incredible lack of variety in objects with just the vanilla game. The whole official store really comes across as panhandling to me. Put it in the game to begin with. It's expensive enough as it is. The first character I created for Sims 3 was a Rock Star. You're choosing Electric Rock as the career for this Sim. So, where's the electric guitar and amplifier? I know I'm not the only one who can't believe that.

[Da Vinci]

I'm kind of with PJ in my thinking on the incredible lack of variety in objects with just the vanilla game. The whole official store really comes across as panhandling to me. Put it in the game to begin with. It's expensive enough as it is. The first character I created for Sims 3 was a Rock Star. You're choosing Electric Rock as the career for this Sim. So, where's the electric guitar and amplifier? I know I'm not the only one who can't believe that.

That is actually shockingly identical to what happened to me. My first sim was a rocker, and when I realized that their was only a wooden guitar , I was sad and annoyed; whoever has heard of a hard rocker playing songs on the sims 3 vanilla guitar ?! So I had to be satisfied with changing the color and texture to black and metal respectively. Now my sims and actually have a good guitar for his career! I love these smilies

[Carl]

I'm with Pam to a degree. Here's my take. I am unhappy with how many new objects came out with the expansion, however the new features themselves are great. Is this a tactic to keep us buying from the store? I'm not sure but I wouldn't think I'd put too many new objects in if I had alternatives for purchase with cash. What makes me angry about the objects available is that most of them are decorative in nature and don't fulfill needs better than the existing stuff. I can't buy a bed better than the one that comes with World Adventures with my Sim points.

Stuff packs are completely optional however, we won't miss new "features" just objects. It's really going to be $20? Then this is probably a steal for people who DO like buying things with their money. They'll get way more objects to play with than they would from buying them individually. These have always been controversial for players. I think they started with the Sims 2 and there were a ton of those stuff packs for that game. Take 'em or leave 'em as they say. The exchange has a lot of stuff but some of it looks flat out of place in the game compared to the professionally designed objects.

I'm in agreement on the acoustic guitars though. What the heck were they thinking? And I'm still sick waiting on my WooHoo in hot tub action. Some of us will end up paying $200 or more for all the expansions and stuff packs that come out over the years. After playing World of Warcraft for a year this just doesn't sting me as bad as it would have three years ago. I'm just starting to get used to games requiring me to pay recurring costs to stay up to date. Sucks, but true.

I'm still looking at the vanilla game as a great foundation for all kinds of new features. With how many bugs we had at start, and the production costs to keep adding to it I'm glad I got the game for the price I did. Continuing to add stuff would have only raised that.

[Arafel]

Ok, I'll weigh in. I'm always up for giving my opinion 

Persoanlly, I never bought a Stuff Pack for sims 2. I wanted to tho but perosnally I like the idea of the Stuff Packs -even the ones like the IKEA ones. It kinda makes me feel like I can pick and choose what objects you want in the games and I personally didn't think $20 was that much. I guess it could all add up if you got all of the Stuff Packs and Expansions but then again, that's you're choice to buy all of them.

And like Carl said, after paying $15 bucks a month for World of Warcraft, paying for the stuff pack (and even expansions) *I* want to add to my game, doesn't seem all that bad.

Although! I do not like the Sim store at all. I personally feel a lot of those items (if not all) should have been in the vanilla game. I noticed a huge lack of clothing and hairstyles compared to sims 2. It seemed to me like they created all this stuff for sims 3 and only put 1/3 of it in the actually game with the hope you'd spend more money just to get (what should've been) the basics. That seems greedy to me. Where as with the stuff pack, I truly feel as if you're getting extra items in addition to all of the good items that already came with the original game.

So...long story short, I'd rather spend money on the stuff packs than the Sim Store.

[PJSim]

You know I think what really made me mad is this:

It seemed to me like they created all this stuff for sims 3 and only put 1/3 of it in the actually game with the hope you'd spend more money just to get (what should've been) the basics.

They deliberately left things out that everyone who's played Sims before expected to be there!
After playing the game for just a couple of days it was obvious to me that items were missing. Like the electric guitar and the hot tub. And the pool table. And where's the diving board and slide for the pool? In the next stuff pack maybe?

Stuff packs should be for the people who likes a lot of different couches and outfits and so on to choose from and those of us who don't care should be able to do fine without.

Like Carl said:

Stuff packs are completely optional

Well, they should be. But putting the electric guitar in a stuff pack? How many people consider the electric guitar optional for a rock star?

I've seen this new SP mentioned on other forums and the comment I see over and over is something like: "Heck, I'll get it just for the guitar." I'm sure that's why the guitar is in there, to make people who don't really want stuff packs buy them anyway, right? Now that there is a store why is the guitar not in it? It's the one item everyone wants to buy. Maybe I should hold off being mad until i see if it will show up there when this SP is released so I can spend my hoarded sim points on that.

I'm just worried that there's going to be one stuff pack with the electric guitar, one with the hot tub, one with the pool slide...

Oh and there's a reason I might be more mad than most people: $20 is the price when you live in the US. I live in Europe and we're for some reason presumed to have more money than you guys so we always get to pay more for everything. The price I have to pay to get an electric guitar for my rock star will be closer to $40. For one item basically. Which should have been in the game to begin with!

[Pam]

PJ -

Is that the price after being converted back to U.S. dollars?  Or the price in your money?

Also, I think the foosball table replaced the pool table.