Maxis

[purexevil666]

I know this is not the first time it's ever been said! but WHAT HAPPENED TO MAXIS? We desperately need them to run The Sims 3 Franchise more than EA's desperation for money! I mean KP's sweet treats? and the last expansion pack would been great if it was combined with LN :( am i the only one who misses Maxis? or the worst company in america should keep on making the sims less popular? :cry:

[Miss Harlequin]

Maxis were brilliant, however unfortuantly the Sims franchise was sold over to EA. They sold Sims because Will Wright wanted to focus on Spore, I believe.

[morphius1]

Oh well. What can you do, right?

[cameranutz2]

Maxis is part of EA as of 1997. They are the developers of Spore/Darkspore and are currently working on Sim City 5 to be released next year. I don't imagine we'll see the Maxis logo on the Sims franchise again, unfortunately.

[purexevil666]

I agree with cameanutz2 the sims series is originally owned by EA and Maxis are just devolopers but they could just keep working for EA if EA really doesn't want to lose their fans

[cmcallister14]

I agree with cameanutz2 the sims series is originally owned by EA and Maxis are just devolopers but they could just keep working for EA if EA really doesn't want to lose their fans

Well they better hurry because I getting fed up with the sims and I've been playing for years like everyone else and I'd hate to have to give it up because EA wants to ruin it.

[Petchy]

Maxis, or to be more precise Will Write still "owns" some of The Sims' name and trademarks, which is why you see him credited as "The Original Creator of The Sims" in credits and such, much akin to Terry Nation credited in the credits of every Doctor Who episode which the Daleks feature. However, I sincerely doubt they make a return for the Sims 3, heck, they might not return regardless, unless it really does become a flop. Why? Take a look at Sim City Societies, a 'purely EA' game, now it's being taken back to it's routes in Sim City 5.... which I'm very happy about. Sims 3 is still theoretically doing very well, why would EA give that up?

[sundaykindoflove]

I believe I read somewhere that Will Wright, the original creator of The Sims, wasn't particularly interested in the game. He never knew why people liked it so much, even though he created such a hit. I can't say I was surprised when I heard he had stopped being a part of its creation. But at least he's still creating, and Sim City 5 is looking like it's going to rock.

[applefeather2]

I believe I read somewhere that Will Wright, the original creator of The Sims, wasn't particularly interested in the game.
Are you kidding? It was his baby, which he fought for from the beginning. :faceslap:

Just to clarify:
It was a battle, the first few years, inside Maxis,” Will mentions, “It was referred to as “The Toilet game”. It was the game where you clean the toilet. We had a product review meeting at Maxis where we had to decide whether we’d publish this thing or not… and the executive said “No, let’s do that”.” So the Sims was over… except Will Wright secured the services of a tools programmer who wasn’t doing anything and worked secretly on the game. “No-body was using his tools, and they were thinking of axing him,” says Will, “I trundled him into my Black Box – so to speak – and did a little Skunk-works.
from this: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2008/01/18/making-of-the-sims/

Fargo: I understand it was kind of a maverick project at first. It was just you and a dream.

Wright: Yeah it was kind of low-level at first. I put it down for a few years while I was doing SimCity 2000 and Sim Copter. I picked it back up and it was still pretty low level, and that's when it was kind of very hard to sell everyone else on the idea.
from here: http://www.simsnetwork.com/news/2005/2/28/will-wright-speaks-simlish

[PsychoKatie]

I wish Maxis would return. I don't think I'll be buying Sims 4 (whenever it's released.) Heck, I actually stopped buying EPs- I refuse to spend another dime until they come out with seasons for Sims 3! If all they're going to do is introduce dozens more glitches into my game and make me go through all the trouble of updating all my mods regardless, on top of making me pay anywhere between $20-$50, then nothing's really worth it until I get some damn weather!

The only way I'd end up buying Sims 4 at this rate is weeks (or maybe even months) after it comes out, after I sufficiently get to read about all the bugs and issues people have. If it seems respectable and worth playing, I'd contemplate it. However, I don't think they'll ever get to match the fervor I had while waiting for The Sims 2. :(

However, I do intend on getting Sim City 5. I already wanted it, but being reminded that the Maxis team is working on it puts a new spring in my step. :) Hopefully it will cheer me (and many others here) up after the disasters that EA has sold us...

[jje1000]

Well, Will Wright is with Linden Labs/Second Life now anyways, so I think we can consider that he's been put to pasture.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2048/2087643712_cbe53c9e54.jpg

[christmas fear]

lol Will Wright left EA in 2009. There were a lot of other people who left the company as well. So maybe that contributes to the reason why ts3 is heading in another direction?

[cameranutz2]

S3 is heading in a different direction because that is what EA wants to do with it. Their #1 concern is to make money, which for all intent and purposes, is why businesses exist.

EA has said repeatedly that they do not want S3 to be a remake of S1 or S2. But it is apparent from the EPs that they are incorporating at least some of the previous concepts. Introducing legacy families from the previous games also attempts to give them some sort of connection, which seems a bit off kilter considering the legacy families are "in the past" except for Don Lothario, which is a different topic all together.

EA needs to remember that the vast majority of players are connected to the game from the early days and they know what they want. They gave us Pets and a magic EP is coming soon. They have acknowledged that weather is possible and are aware that players want it to return in S3. It has been considered for introduction in previous EPs but they would prefer to milk it and make it a corner stone for a future EP, which is fine with me so long as it comes to fruition.

Bottom line is, it doesn't matter at all who works on the development of the game, EA is going to put out products that they believe will put money in their pockets and they will continue to incorporate changes that they believe is the "future of gaming". This may not be the best route as far as some of us are concerned but hopefully EA will eventually see that what the players want IS what puts the money in their pockets and if they fail to provide it they will begin to see a downward trend for the franchise.

[purexevil666]

Will basically added his special touch to ts2 and all the quirckiness and the major fun remains in the sims 2... That's what i love about his work
And the sims 3 need some brilliant ideas and some talent to make the game shine :)

[edejan]

I was a dyed-in-the-wool Sims fan, buying every EP and SP from the beginning, in addition to buying hundreds of dollars worth of store stuff. Now I haven't played S3 for 6 months and haven't bought any EPs/SPs in that time. I sometimes toy with the idea of playing again, but I can't bring myself to go through the whole update/redownload cc/mods thing to play a game that had lost its quirky fun and charm, and had just become a drag. I think they've lost me as a customer. How are they replacing fans like me? I don't see how any new customers can be attracted.

[purexevil666]

I was a dyed-in-the-wool Sims fan, buying every EP and SP from the beginning, in addition to buying hundreds of dollars worth of store stuff. Now I haven't played S3 for 6 months and haven't bought any EPs/SPs in that time. I sometimes toy with the idea of playing again, but I can't bring myself to go through the whole update/redownload cc/mods thing to play a game that had lost its quirky fun and charm, and had just become a drag. I think they've lost me as a customer. How are they replacing fans like me? I don't see how any new customers can be attracted.
You're not the only customer they lost. I mean i had a hobby collecting the EPs and SPs more than playing them, for example i barely ever use the town life stuff and i only used master suite stuff twice. But if i'm gonna spend money on Katy Perry i would buy her music which is something is known for, not because she put her famous name on a video game O_o

[treeag]

Was Will even involved in The Sims 2? I don't think so.

[pico22]

A long time ago I read somewhere that he was a consultant, or something like that.

"Hi Will, nice to see you! Did you come to give us some advice?"
"Er ... yes. You must put Ms Crumplebottom in the game."
"We will. Anything else?"
"Well, not at the moment. I must go and play with Spore. See ya!"
:(

[Srikandi]

If you're a Maxis fan, play Darkspore... their last release ;)

Yeah, it kinda sucked...

And the moral is, just because a developer, or a company, puts out a game that is brilliant for its time sometime in the past, doesn't mean they can keep doing it forever :p

[lorinsv60]

Was Will even involved in The Sims 2? I don't think so.
According to this, he was.
http://woohoosimshere.freegametalk.com/t27-will-wright-on-the-sims-2
I also recall reading something a few years back that he was involved just through the Uni EP.

[treeag]

Oh yeah until Uni probably. I wasn't around until OFB and he definitely wasn't involved then.

[ElementMK]

If you're a Maxis fan, play Darkspore... their last release ;)

Yeah, it kinda sucked...

And the moral is, just because a developer, or a company, puts out a game that is brilliant for its time sometime in the past, doesn't mean they can keep doing it forever :pBoth Spore and DarkSpore were underwhelming. I think Spore needed another "0" in its budget to achieve its potential, and DarkSpore was, well, I don't even know.

But, hey! SimCity 5! It's gonna be wonderful.

[Rileyjcquinn]

Both Spore and DarkSpore were underwhelming. I think Spore needed another "0" in its budget to achieve its potential, and DarkSpore was, well, I don't even know.


I was in the Public Beta for Dark Spore and really underwhelmed, it was no-where near what I had even hoped, and it was just spore mixed with Diablo. Spore fell apart in many ways, Check out a Zero Punucation review from back in 08 here (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/218-Spore) which explains all the flaws really nicely (minor language). Will Wright didn't touch the final spore that came out, his spore was the one he demoed at GDC 2005 which was mind-blowing at the time. I do think the game was crippled by a four year development cycle, as well of the fact of EA. At this point EA has hit rock bottom with Securom and the Sims 2 Free Time, the worst EP in a long time with hundreds of bugs and problems. The Cute vs. Science arguments

Is it me or do you remember a better Sims, I started with SimCity 4 on a school computer then picked up the game when Seasons had just came out and that was probably the height of the EA/Maxis Empire. The thing that I think is the difference is the whit and the smartness in the game studio and maxis. Sunset Valley isn't funny or humorous, its boring with adding of a young Mrs Crumplebottom and some Goths. If you were like me and experience the Sims 1 after the fact you see just plain whitiness and laughing. It didn't take life to seriously, I didn't have to go to the gym and stay fit, I enjoyed life. Who cares if I cheated, I had fun. There were alien references and StrangeTown and Shakespeare references in Veronville.

[HarVee]

or the worst company in america should keep on making the sims less popular?

If anything EA has potentially made the series more popular than it was in the early 2000's. Though EA has made some quite stupid decisions. However, they're not the worst company in America.

Activision and Wal-Mart are undoubtedly the worst.

[Mootilda]

According to one of the articles linked above, Maxis was unwilling to develop the Sims. It wasn't until Will pitched the game to EA that he got any backing for it. EA recognized the value of the game immediately. So, without EA, the Sims might never have existed. Interesting....

Reference: http://www.simsnetwork.com/news/2005/2/28/will-wright-speaks-simlish
when they saw The Sims the EA execs were much more enthusiastic about it. After EA bought Maxis all of a sudden I never had to argue again about getting resources on the project, because they were totally behind it.
Unfortunately, EA seems to have lost that vision. They are so obsessed with DRM and DLC now that they don't seem to be able to make a really fun game anymore. It makes me very sad to think that they're going to ruin the new SimCity reboot by forcing us to use their Origin spyware.

[SiliconAI]

As far as EA being the worst company in America, I don't know if its true despite the fact that they got an award for just that. From what I have seen from EA in the years that I have been a gamer is that they can spot talented studios with upcoming products that will be mind blowing. They snap up these studios as fast as they can using however much money it takes to secure the deal. After the acquisition, staff, resources, and anything else that made that studio relevant is slowly siphoned off until we as the end user (remembering what the original studio's products were like,) wonder what happened to our beloved game franchise. The Sims wasn't the only franchise that was diluted by EA. Anybody remember a popular Sci-fi RPG called Mass Effect? Bioware has now gone the way of Maxis and many people are unhappy with the end result of their beloved franchise. This almost happened to Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive a few years back. Imagine what the Grand Theft Auto franchise would look like had that happened!

So now we are stuck with what EA thinks The Sims should look like. Its not what Will Wright or Maxis would've wanted, but its certainly a moot point now. And as (former) fans of the franchise we can either accept this pale imitation of what was or move to some other game that strikes our interest. SimCity 5 looks like it will be outstanding. But I know how EA works so I will reserve any enthusiasm until after release day!