Sims 3 Prima Guides: 7 in 1

[MaryMarsh]

Prima Games is releasing a boxed set of the seven Sims 3 guides (including pets). It will be available November 18, 2011.

Even though I know these guides are fraught with errors, I feel confident enough in my overall knowledge of the game to put up with it. I preordered my set from Amazon for $18.74. I can't always be near a computer and this set should make for some enjoyable reading.

[Schipperke]

Seven Sims 3 guides?  I'm sure there have only been 5:  the base game, World Adventures, Ambitions, Late Night and now Pets.  There wasn't one for Generations and there haven't been any other EPs so far.

[MaryMarsh]

Looks like seven to me  

http://www.amazon.com/Sims-Box-Set-Guides/dp/0307891860/ref=pd_sim_b_2

This is what the writeup says on Amazon:

Book Description
Publication Date: November 18, 2011
Exclusive "Object Reference Guide" only available in The Sims 3 Box Set.  This reference guide features images and stats for every object found in The Sims 3, each expansion pack, stuff pack, and on the EA store.

7 guides in 1 complete set!

Covers The Sims 3 and every expansion pack, including The Sims 3 Pets!

Over 1000 pages of comprehensive The Sims 3 Strategy makes this set the most complete The Sims 3 resource EVER!

[Sportsfan]

In your first post you wrote 2012.

Personally I don't see much of a point in the prima guides with carls guide.

[Jancy]

A friend of mine Pre ordered these for him and I also, a while ago.  I enjoy having a hard copy like this to read, it get's me away from being on the computer.
I'm really looking forward to getting them.

[MaryMarsh]

Oops .. date corrected, thank you.

Carls Guides have been an invaluable reference for me over the past couple of years, but I've often wanted something to take when I travel or can't be near a computer. There are also those late night epiphones when I've got a new structure on my mind and I want to look something up without booting a computer. I think the guides will be complimentary to Carls Guides.

But, I'll shut up; it's obvious this is an unpopular topic.

Mod: please kill this thread

[Sportsfan]

Why I'll he thread?!
It's great for people.

Just because I said I didn't care about the prima guides that doesn't mean anything.

[Jancy]

I have had other prima guides for the sims and I also find it enjoyable to take to work and travel when I'm unable to use a computer.  I think other folks may find them helpful and interesting to read also.  Plus it's a great price for all 7.  I already have a few of them from this package but its still cheaper to buy this package than it is for 1 book.

[Schipperke]

I agree, MaryMarsh.  Personally I always buy the Prima guides and find them useful, even if sometimes there are inaccuracies.  Most of the information in them is correct, and as you pointed out, you can read them anywhere.  I'm sure there are people who will be interested in the boxed set - I certainly would, if I didn't always buy the Prima guides as soon as they're released.

[ZapKid]

I might get this, good to have a reference on the go. Once correction though...

Over 1000 pages of comprehensive The Sims 3 Strategy makes this set the most complete The Sims 3 resource EVER![/i]

I think they're wrong on that, the most complete resource would have to be Carl's guide 

[Hosfac]

But, I'll shut up; it's obvious this is an unpopular topic.

It's not that the topic is unpopular...since the internet came along, the guides themselves just aren't as useful as they used to be.  Yes, they've got inaccuracies here and there, but so does the internet.  One of the big differences between the two, though, is that inaccuracies in an internet based guide can be easily fixed by changing a few lines of HTML code.  A hard copy book can't do that, so once it's inaccurate, it's inaccurate forever (or until it's reprinted...which doesn't often happen).  Possibly the biggest difference between them is that internet guides are typically free.

Most people these days just don't see the point in spending the money on them.  There have even been rumors that would indicate that perhaps Prima has at least discussed the idea of discontinuing making guides for some franchise games.  But regardless, there are still people who buy and use them, even with the inaccuracies and the free resources available on the internet.

I'm sure there have only been 5:  the base game, World Adventures, Ambitions, Late Night and now Pets.  There wasn't one for Generations and there haven't been any other EPs so far.

True, but from a business aspect it would be unwise to just package all the existing books together in a box and try to sell them.  Most of the people who would buy these have already done so, thus there would be little reason to buy them again just to get a box.  It's likely that two of the books are only available in the box set.  As Mary mentioned, one is an objects guide, and it wouldn't surprise me to discover that they made a Generations guide in order to help sell the new set.  But really, the other book could be anything.

While I'm not typically interested in Prima guides on their own, I do find that I like the idea of getting seven books for the price of two.  I might pick it up at some point in the future.

[Schipperke]

For anyone wondering about the number of guides included in this box set, I can confirm that it is indeed 7 as per MaryMarsh's initial post.  I just got my Pets guide, and in the back of that book, there is an advertisement for the box set with a picture.  In addition to the guides listed in my post above, the box set also includes a guide for Generations which I'm sure wasn't released separately and something called "Exclusive Sims 3 Encyclopedia" with descriptions of objects from stuff packs, wishes, moodlets, skills, career tables, socials and more.  So the box set does sound like a good all-round reference.  Just a word of caution:  I don't know what size these books are likely to be.  If it's the same as the box set for the Original Sims, those books were quite a bit smaller than the standard Sims 3 Prima guide, and the print in them was also smaller.  It wasn't a problem for me, but I think some people found the print hard to read.  

[folcon]

I'll probably find this boxed set useful if I get it, seeing as if I'm playing sims at the time, I can't easily hop over to the site to check something.  Then again, that is why I often just print some of the stuff out, like rule sets, building tips, etc.

[Audren]

Sound interesting. It'd certainly be useful if I need to check something while I'm playing Sims.  I might pick it up somewhere.

[Leto85]

The box looks pretty cool to me. I wonder what the Encyclopedia remains. Probably all sims through 'the years?' It's been now... 12 years of so? That is a very long time for a videogame name. I don't think I will buy that box, as I have plenty of information of this game myself, and the rest I can get here, but I think there are enough people who will love to have this.