Jarzai

I really don't like to discourage anyone from doing something that they feel strongly about, and i'm a relative newbie on this forum so factor my ignorance in. However, these gaming mags thrive on exclusives, be it interviews, screenshots, ads, or just blurbs, any exclusive PR will do -its what moves their copy. They are unlikely to want to bite the hand that feeds them by carrying negative fan buzz about a game or company that they're courting for content. But you may be on to something with an editorial/opinion insert, a little controversy might be welcome there. Another approach is trying to score a Fan Interview with the devs at TMill concerning the new game SC:S. A collection of questions from the fans here that gets picked through and processed by the most dedicated and respected fans here. If its carefully edited, polite, and well thought out, you can actually ask some pertinant questions, get solid answers, and get your points across at the same time. Of course they'd need to agree with it, and that might be difficult with the recent hostility between fans and devs.

Originally posted by: schm0 Perhaps, but do you think they'd dismiss 1000 people outright?quote> Yes. They've already disregarded the collective opinion of over 170,000 members of Simtropolis, so what's 1,000 sigs on a petition/open letter going to mean to them? There's little chance that they've missed the insightful feedback over the years from the members here on the SC series, they made a conscious choice to disregard it.

My first thought was that they've done it again. They -being the industry. It -being oversimplified yet another great series. My continuing thoughts are much like Jedi Merr has said. This kiddie-fication of gaming is everywhere, and it discourages me. There's very few titles i look forward to anymore, and now there's one less. *sob*

Nik-nik, "It is well known that alienating the current fans is a dead sin and will cost EA some hard gained installed base." I'm not so sure of that holding true anymore, at least not with the bigger dev-houses with AAA budgets. Have you followed the drama of The ElderScrolls games? Their most current title in that series, TES IV: Oblivion, most definitely alienated the majority of the installed fanbase. The dialogue between Devs and the older fanbase concerning design decisions during production became increasingly hostile, then sparse, and we are now met with a wall of corporate silence. The most common complaint is that the series has been oversimplified and has deviated too far from its RPG roots. Granted, some older fans received the game very well, but for the most part the older fans have fled the forums and abandoned the series. Quite sad to have experienced. Yet, its undeniable that the game was/is a financial hit, a big time hit. The newer casual fans and non-traditional RPG players that they attracted more than compensated monetarily for the loss of the older fanbase. They, Bethsoft, were (sadly) correct in viewing the fanbase as a small niche that can be safely ignored. I believe i read once that even though the fanbase on the TES forums is 134,563 members strong, we make up less than 5% of the fan feedback that they take into consideration. We howled, we raged, we reasoned, we posted our fingers off, to little avail. When they were a struggling developer they listened more so it would seem that the larger the budget -the less leverage the fanbase has, as the devs/pubs can afford the risk. I see more and more devs simplifying sequels of beloved series and it dismays me greatly. I desire innovation in gaming, which always involves risk, its only the oversimplification i detest. Ah, but the discussion of risk/innovation and simplification/streamlining isn't appropriate to this discussion. "In my opinion EA gambles on a bigger financial gain with a more simplified game but they seriously need to remain a sense of realism else the game will not sell and the project will fail." Simulations are a different breed than RPGs. Realism is key, as Villagemayor brings up, whereas RPGs can take great creative license, hiding it in a fantasy art direction. That may be the one saving grace in the future of SC; Toon styles graphics with oversimplified gameplay are antithetic to sims, which TMill may painfully learn. Has any sim built in that style received critical acclaim and moved bigtime units? Pfft, they hit the bargain bin inside of one year. SC4 Deluxe is still on the shelf and comanding (avg.) $30 US. "Anyway, being a 39 years old marketing executive I am following this whole discussion with great interest. I am married and have 3 sons, the eldest is 7 years old and loves laying down waterpipes and powergrids in his SC4 town. Does he want a new version, well maybe he is attracted to the candy houses, who knows. But it is sure that the current SC4 can be mastered by him and the need of simplicity is in his case irrelevant." Bless his soul, there is hope for the future of intelligent and complex gaming with bright children such as yours. Have many more -and quickly! I kid, i kid.

IMO its simply geared towards casual gamers who, by far and away, make up the largest gaming market/audience segment. Its a game that can be picked up and played with ease, with a very gentle learning curve. Nothing wrong with that kind of game, or gamers, at all. And honestly, who can blame EA/TMill for trying to reach that audience with its big bucks to spend which brings financial security. I can understand and respect that. Am i happy about the direction SC is currently taking? No, and so i have little interest in this installment. I'm not a casual gamer as far as SC goes, i've been playing since the original. I still don't judge EA/TMill's design decisions as malevolent, nor do i take it personally. I wish them well, its just not my cup of tea. So, i'm a hardcore city builder and RPG gamer. However i am a casual gamer in FPS for example. I wonder how many of those hardcore fans cursed my acceptence and purchase of a game sequel that ruined their precious series in their opinion? To each their own. EA Enlists Former Activision Exec To Head Casual Division -June 5, 2007 Edit: Perhaps this is the start of what was announced here. Its about time that casual gaming development got a place of their own, as well as a unique development/publishing/advert structure. The clash of hardcore and casual gaming development is getting a bit heated. And so another psuedo-genre is born: "Officials from major publisher and developer Electronic Arts have announced the creation of EA Casual Entertainment, a new division focused on developing and publishing casual titles for consoles, PCs, handheld devices and mobile phones" Full blurb: http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=14211

IMO its simply geared towards casual gamers who, by far and away, make up the largest gaming market/audience segment. Its a game that can be picked up and played with ease, with a very gentle learning curve. Nothing wrong with that kind of game, or gamers, at all. And honestly, who can blame EA/TMill for trying to reach that audience with its big bucks to spend which brings financial security. I can understand and respect that. Am i happy about the direction SC is currently taking? No, and so i have little interest in this installment. I'm not a casual gamer as far as SC goes, i've been playing since the original. I still don't judge EA/TMill's design decisions as malevolent, nor do i take it personally. I wish them well, its just not my cup of tea. So, i'm a hardcore city builder and RPG gamer. However i am a casual gamer in FPS for example. I wonder how many of those hardcore fans cursed my acceptence and purchase of a game sequel that ruined their precious series in their opinion? To each their own. EA Enlists Former Activision Exec To Head Casual Division -June 5, 2007 Edit: Perhaps this is the start of what was announced here. Its about time that casual gaming development got a place of their own, as well as a unique development/publishing/advert structure. The clash of hardcore and casual gaming development is getting a bit heated. And so another psuedo-genre is born: "Officials from major publisher and developer Electronic Arts have announced the creation of EA Casual Entertainment, a new division focused on developing and publishing casual titles for consoles, PCs, handheld devices and mobile phones" Full blurb: http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=14211

Originally posted by: Meastro444 well, that aint necessary Silur you know what we have seen? graphics only, nothing else do you know how it will play? as much as i do! also, the title is very strange, i expected a formal thing, not just an idea regards MEastro444quote> Yup yup, graphics do not a game make. The pics/screenshots are just an easy way to capture and advertise a game. Graphics are quite low on my list of priorities. I'm waiting to hear about gameplay, core gameplay, and that is mighty difficult to capture in a few bytes and slap on a mag cover. And yeah, the thread title is a bit misleading. I thought that there'd been a legit change of plans.

Originally posted by: north country dude Given the first press release where it was quoted that the game currently under development is "focusing on scaling back the complexity and micromanagement", and the latest press release about the fantasy elements, it gives me pause as to what the actual target audience is and how EA is approaching the marketing aspect of it's latest installment in the Sim City Franchise. quote> This sounds bad to me. The complexity and micromanagement aren't just aspects of Sim City, they ARE Sim City. Though i'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt too, and i put little value on Press Hype Releases, and its still early in the game, this sounds like an entirely different game to me. Not an updated improved SC, but an entirely new game. One, that so far, i'll take a pass on. And yes, in part because it simply sounds too childish to me (we share the same age range). Gads, i'm getting a bit tired and discouraged by this influx of simplified games hitting the shelves.

@Bones1, Good grief, i've played this game off & on since its release and i never knew that about the inter-city commerce! (or lack thereof) Thank you for your explanation.