Teens: Do you find it offensive EA thinks they're trying to appeal to you?

[jthm_nny]

I'm EA's definition of a "cool" teen: Green hair, black band t-shirts, skate shoes, and dark shorts. I'm not a rebel, but I imagine if EA saw me they'll market my look as Rebel-Wear. The truth is, I'm not really happy at EA. The whole social stuff particularly. And their misguided opinions on what makes a person a rebel.

Anyways, if they were to market my look as what kind of person wears it they would HAVE to say: "For the biggest nerd in history. Wear for roleplaying, eating pizza, playing zombie video games and watching anime. For the Viking Folk Metal fan in you!" If they say anything about punks and rebellion I will be really pissed. Which is why I never want to meet an EA employee. I don't want to give them any ideas.

I'm just not happy with their ideas on what a teen is. They seem to have forgotten. Or at least looked at the wrong group of kids. :faceslap:

What do you think EA would do if they saw you? Would they market your look as something to buy off the store? Would they just bother you a whole bunch about a survey? Are you bothered they seem to completely misread every single part of our generation and do what only the stupid kids like?

[Elphiron]

Actually I'm more annoyed with the fans! Every time something really rubbish, shallow, and basically useless gets added to the game, the whole community is like "EA, stop making games for pathetic little teenage girls!" Of course, because every teenage girl views relationships as shallow and incomplete as those depicted on the Sims 3. Humpf.
BUT women, and teenage girls DO actually make up the majority of their fan base I believe, and the Katy Perry RUN-AND-HIDE stuffpack seems to be fairly well received at the moment on amazon so maybe they are on the money?

[fraavio]

Me walking down the street when suddently a wild EA employee appears. The exchange would go like this:
EA Person: Hey there, pal! Nice hair you got there, pal, looks like somebody's been playing a lot of with Fast Lane in his game.
Me: Wrong. My hair looks nothing like your ridiculous over the top japanese style pompadour you guys put in Fast Lan.
EA Person: But you seem to be into some stuff that came with our glorious Fast Lane Stuff Pack...
Me: Indeed I am. I really enjoy rockabilly and cars and that nifty vinyl rug that has a cat that looks like the Stray Cats' one. However, you could have put more effort when it came to clothes.
EA Person: Why, haven't you seen our I Heart the 50's pack on our magnanimous store? It's got some 50's looking stuff.
Me: That's right. Those jeans with the 473 inches cuffs are incredible. Not really. I think the flames of fury coming out of my eyes are a dead giveaway that I was not being serious. Seriously, though, how did you know I was a Sims player?
EA Person: You have a certain quality that I can tell you play The Sims. The way you walk, the way you talk gibberish and some other stuff our survey showed that you fit the description.
Me: The gibberish I was talking is called portuguese and you still didn't tell me how you knew I played The Sims.
Random co-worker appears:
Co-Worker: Oh, hey fraavio, you seem to have met Villain McEvil.
Me: Is that so? How did you guys meet?
Co-Worker: He was hanging out by your window earlier this morning. I asked what he wanted and he begged me to buy some crap from that hottie that shoots fireworks out of her boobs.
Me: Is that how you knew I was a Sims player? Because -cover your ears, co-worker- I was checking Sims stuff at work? That's preposterous, not only you stalk me but you also try to shove Katy Perry down my friend's throat?
EA Person: But you'll love it! It has candy stuff, and ice cream stuff and it doesn't have Katy Perry!
Me: But that doesn't appeal to me, you moron, Fast Lane gave me a bit of what I wanted, being cool cars, a bitchin' bowling shirt and the rockabilly music style, and yes, while I Heart the 50's is a nice set, it's just crumbles of what it could've been, it's half assed, like a lot of what you guys do. And as for the Katy Perry thing, I WANT Katy Perry , dumbass. Not because I am a fan or like her music at all, it's because as a Sim player is ought to do, I Freud all over the place while I'm playing by projecting my wishes and fantasies in the game. And boy would I have fun with Katy Perry. Don't look at me like I'm a pervert, you were the one trying to shove stuff down my friend's throat. Anyway, I gotta go, adeus.
EA Person: Don't go, here, have the Katy Perry SP.
Me: No! Go away!
EA Person: Please! Take it!
Me: Dude, no! Let me go! Let go of my leg!
EA Person: For the love of God, take it!
Me: Stop crying, you're embarrassing yourself.
EA Person: I can't help it, please, take it, just one.
Me: Okay, I'll take it. I hate to see a grown man crying.
EA Person: YAY! That'll be $456,89 plus tax.

With that being said. EA at least tried to provide stuff I like but failed to deliver properly. And the way I see it, they tend to go to broader niches, rather than something as specific as I think you're coming out as. They may have made stuff for otakus and they may one day make stuff for metalheads, but I think it'd be close to impossible for them to make stuff for metalhead otakus. With green hair, no less. I think I'm a good example of EA not catering for specific niches. I may be interested in rockabilly and old cars and vintagey stuff, which I am, but what I really like is psychobilly and I know from experience that people confuse us with punks sometimes, or even with skinheads, depending on what you're wearing and your hair and stuff. Thing is, I'm not gonna bitch because my "main" style isn't being represented. I can't find a quiff to download on any CC website or the Store? Well, it's okay, they have the pompadour from the I Heart the 50's set. I want creepers? Well, I either wait for it to show up, like I did for a long time, or ask for a CC creator willing to create it, which is what I did. What I'm trying to say is that if EA doesn't deliver something to your specific niche, resort to the CC Community, they may have what you want. And even if they don't have, you can always as somebody that is willing to make it for you. Or, you could MacGyver your way to your dreams by creating your own CC, as you could as well MacGyver your way through CAS by using what's avaliable to make something that appeals to you.

Sorry for the long post.

And I felt like this was like a PSA where they start off with something funny then talk all serious about that.

And I just realise that you were speaking directly to the teens, therefore, disregard everything I said, as I am a 23 year old senior citizen.

[TMBrandon]

To be quite honest, I don't think EA is trying to appeal to us, TEENS, but more of the TWEENS. But even in that case if they were trying to appeal to us, they're so late, rock and roll clothing was so 3-4 years ago. It's all about being a hipster, and showing your hip, a duh.

[sierrakusterbeck]

I'm 13 and I absolutely hated the whole "get rich and famous and go around the world performing mediocre songs!!" thing that happened with Showtime, and I think KPST is even more ridiculous. I hate how they think t(w)eens are all either obsessed with sparkly things or looking 'goth'.

[ButchSims]

Well, it has been quite some time since I could even be remotely confused with someone in their teen years, but I was one once, so I add my two cents. Here's the thing: EA can only make generalizations about what teens like. They have a fan-base that stretches across the world, and each culture has their own spin on things. But some things I have to take issue with your original post (sorry) is firstly, you seem to feel EA is the only company that does this. They are not. Any company has to gamble on how their product will appeal to a younger generation. While I agree that your "look" as you described it can apply to a wide range of peer groups, something you have to understand is that people WILL make assumptions about a person based on how they look. It may not be right, It may not be politically correct, but it does happen. If I saw a person walking down the street wearing the clothing you have described, I would make assumptions on what type of music they liked, what kind of hobbies they had, etc. And I am equally sure that person would make certain assumptions about me.

But the line I have the most problem with is this: " Are you bothered they seem to completely misread every single part of our generation and do what only the stupid kids like? "
Firstly, you are implying here that the things you value are more important than what what others do. If you like it, it must be cool, right? And if someone likes something else, that automatically places them in the "stupid" category? Like it or not, those "stupid kids" ARE a part of your generation. You can't have it both ways. I may not like Katy Perry, or candy-coated waterslides, or cookie bras anymore than you do. But the fact remains that the market for that DOES exist. They haven't forgotten what it is like to be a teen anymore than I have. Teens are teens, regardless of what era they are from, what music they like, what games they play etc. EA can't possibly fit in all aspects of life for them, so they have to make generalizations. Not every member of your generation follows your values, just as not everyone from the 90's liked grunge, the 80's liked synthpop, the 70's liked disco, the 60's were drug taking hippies, etc. But those are how those times are viewed. It's the same with today. Everything is different, but nothing has changed.

[TMBrandon]

Well, it has been quite some time since I could even be remotely confused with someone in their teen years, but I was one once, so I add my two cents. Here's the thing: EA can only make generalizations about what teens like. They have a fan-base that stretches across the world, and each culture has their own spin on things. But some things I have to take issue with your original post (sorry) is firstly, you seem to feel EA is the only company that does this. They are not. Any company has to gamble on how their product will appeal to a younger generation. While I agree that your "look" as you described it can apply to a wide range of peer groups, something you have to understand is that people WILL make assumptions about a person based on how they look. It may not be right, It may not be politically correct, but it does happen. If I saw a person walking down the street wearing the clothing you have described, I would make assumptions on what type of music they liked, what kind of hobbies they had, etc. And I am equally sure that person would make certain assumptions about me.

But the line I have the most problem with is this: " Are you bothered they seem to completely misread every single part of our generation and do what only the stupid kids like? "
Firstly, you are implying here that the things you value are more important than what what others do. If you like it, it must be cool, right? And if someone likes something else, that automatically places them in the "stupid" category? Like it or not, those "stupid kids" ARE a part of your generation. You can't have it both ways. I may not like Katy Perry, or candy-coated waterslides, or cookie bras anymore than you do. But the fact remains that the market for that DOES exist. They haven't forgotten what it is like to be a teen anymore than I have. Teens are teens, regardless of what era they are from, what music they like, what games they play etc. EA can't possibly fit in all aspects of life for them, so they have to make generalizations. Not every member of your generation follows your values, just as not everyone from the 90's liked grunge, the 80's liked synthpop, the 70's liked disco, the 60's were drug taking hippies, etc. But those are how those times are viewed. It's the same with today. Everything is different, but nothing has changed.

Yes, every company does do this, but EA is the worst offender of this. And I mean THE WORSE..I used to play a game called Habbo, which is now a social craptopia, and when they released new clothing, it was at the least appealing. Not saying EA's isn't, but it Habbo's met a mutual. And the generalization they have is so wrong. And I mean so wrong! And it actually does regard what era your from. Because values change over time, and we are the most marketed and media-hit age group of them all. So our morals and values depend on when we were born, where we live, etc..Which you pointed out, somewhat, but they really do matter. And the thing is now-a-days, most teens are generally more hipster, per say, like short shorts, skinny jeans, loose belly shirts, hollister, abercombie, hot topic, alll that stuff. Of course there's the ones that, are meh. And just saying, he has a point, that they are misreading our generation..Because we actually do like the 90's, seeing as we are from the 90's...And we are inspired by the 50's all the way to the 90's as said..Most of us like the Beatles, can jam to Aerosmith, and still can love pop music. Then we all break off into different little huts. So...Teens may be teens, but the era does matter..Cause when those kindergartners are our age, they're gonna have a whole other aspect on life, culture, views, fashion, etc..Just like you adults. :)

[piggypeach]

Well, I haven't really noticed anything like that. I'm 13, and yes, the way that they knitted in social media did bother me. I wanted a world of my own, and when I thought I was just buying another EP, I was actually buying another EP with added social media. So I'm off in my own world, doin my thing, when I get, "Would you like to share this?" or the direct status update through the game thing. Ugh. Gag me with a spoon.

Honestly I'm not really sure what you guys are referring to when you say they are trying to appeal to us. I find it a very cute game, and well... So far I haven't seen any snap-backs or vans. If they really ARE trying to be cool, they aren't doing a very good job. Maybe that's just local for me, and people elsewhere have different ideas of what's a la mode.

[DigitalSympathies]

I've been bloody offended from the start on even how they stood or their clothing options available to them, it just seemed . . . like they didn't care at all about them. Them and kids in the game. I'm not the most fashionable person on earth, I prefer band t-shirts and jeans and skate shoes over frilly dresses (I do neon Lolita and a bit of Yu-Gi-Oh! cosplay on the side but THAT'S DIFFERENT T_T) but holy damn are they trying to avoid the whole "normal person-wear" end of things. There's no hoodies, no baggy pants, no long shirts with band names on them, no skate shoes (or skateboarding?!), no nothing that is completely normal to urban youth culture here. (I'm talking about for teen females. Males get slightly better off.) I was really disappointed that we didn't even get texting or chav's or the ability to listen to music in our cars (I'm not sure about the last one) or even, you know, places for teens to hang out.

I just is one big disappointment to me. I mean, Teen Style Stuff wasn't much better (I have not seen a single person in any of those "cliques" in my life), but Sweet Treats and Showtime and stuff are NOT what I (or any of my equally-aged friends and coworkers) want in their games! We want . . . real stuff! Can they send somebody to a public place where teens are or something? Somebody?

(As for the social media part of it, I don't have a Facebook or a Twitter and don't intend on ever getting one. Get me a Tumblr extension for it and I'll maybe give it a whirl. It's more of a Tumblr thing than anything.)

[EmotedLlama]

If EA has been trying to appeal to teens, I haven't noticed. The only specific demographics I've noticed them seeming to be pushing stuff for are internet socialites and stereotypical 12-year-old girls.

[purexevil666]

Do they even listen to their players to even know what players REALLY want? i don't understand those Facebook noobs who are amazed with everything EA makes -__-

[joandsarah77]

Popping in here as a person triple the age of a 15 year old teen, but I don't think the latest stuff pack is aimed at teens but more at my daughter who is ten. Not that she has even seen it because I haven't bothered even looking at it. Hearing about it is enough! But I really can't imagine a 15 year old going "Look at all those cool sweets, I' have to get that stuff pack!" Or um whatever it is 15 year olds say these days. Maybe 'cool' is only used by us >cough< oldies.

EA should look more at who it's selling to. The first market comprises of 12-17 year olds. The 12's might like that pack. But often it isn't the twelve year old buying the pack it's the parents.
It's been shown the number of players after 17 drops off, but there are still players in the 18-34 year old category. There is a tendency in the 17+ crowd to think "We are too old for this game" Plus many have less time because they are at uni.
Then from about 35 (generalizing here as I'm not sure on the exact ages) it's been shown sales pick up again. We are not concerned with seeming "Too old to play computer games" We were the crowd that were first exposed to sit down video games as teens. We grew up with it and we don't care anymore what people think. There are a lot of us over 35 year old players, mostly mums who play sims and many of us have from Sim 1 days. We are the market they should be aiming at. Not only do we have the money to buy their stuff for ourselves, but we are also often the mums buying for those 12's or teens. If they appealed to us they could be getting a double wammy. However I'm quite sure those EA employers sat around saying "We can't market to housewives! That's so uncool!"
So they mistakenly market to teens, but don't actually ask any teens if this is what they want. They should have extended that 50's stuff as that would have been a winner with both crowds.

[EmotedLlama]

They should have extended that 50's stuff as that would have been a winner with both crowds.

What '50s stuff? I'd love to see some of that in my game. (Though I have a feeling that's not a common teenager trait.)

[olomaya]

Not to sound flippant but isn't it pretty cliche to be a teen and think that no one understands you or your generation? ;)

And in this day and age, they don't care what you look like because they don't need to know the color of your hair or what you look like to guess what you want. That's what cookies are for and the personal information they buy that lets them know your purchasing habits, that tells them that you and 50 million other people buy Katy Perry songs off iTunes and Diesel brand jeans and do etc other things that the mainstream does.
And 31 year olds are on Facebook and listening to Katy Perry just as much as 13 year olds. AND they have full-time jobs which means they have even more time to be on Facebook and listen to Katy Perry. :p

I disagree that the clothing option for teens isn't "normal". Jeans and a t-shirt is pretty much the standard "normal" teen wear for both males and females here (and pretty much almost everywhere in the modern world) and there are plenty of both in the game. Also, I'm pretty sure there are hoodies in the game for teen girls. (Am I wrong? Will have to load up the game and see.) When I think urban youth culture, I don't think of teenage girls in baggy jeans and hoodies. Baggy hoodies, yeah, sure, but baggy jeans? I haven't seen that as a popular style in years.

But what I liked about TS2 over TS3 EPs (among other many things) was that new TS2 EPs gave us new styles and genre types of clothing while TS3 EPs just gives us more of the same types of clothes. More tight bandage dresses, more print t-shirts, more cargo pants, etc. But considering now they have pretty much decided that all new and diverse interesting objects and clothes will go to the Store, that's not all that surprising.

Sorry, got off topic but anyway, I don't think EA is missing the mark on teens mostly because I'm not giving them enough credit to assume they're actually trying to target anything. I think they're just, as the saying goes, throwing a bunch of sh*t on the wall and seeing what sticks.

[fraavio]

What '50s stuff? I'd love to see some of that in my game. (Though I have a feeling that's not a common teenager trait.)

Fast Lane has some 50's rockabilly-ish stuff and the store has the I Heart the 50's set.

[fraavio]

Not to sound flippant but isn't it pretty cliche to be a teen and think that no one understands you or your generation? ;)

Also, this, right here. LOL

[Sunshine021]

Tween girls are EA's demographic. If teens and young adults were EA's target demo, I'll admit a lot part of their game would be better than what it is, and the Katy Perry Diabetes Time pack wouldn't exist.

Not to sound flippant but isn't it pretty cliche to be a teen and think that no one understands you or your generation? ;)


^ Pretty much :Pint:

[jthm_nny]

:rofl: Diabetes Time, pure gold! But yeah, I'm really not cool at all, but they seem to like the "punk" "goth" wardrobe much, as it's very often seen in the store. Never skater stuff though. Most of my friends are skaters, and I'm attempting to skate. I'm terribly unbalanced, but I'm able to stop myself as equally as I'm able to fall.

To all who kind of wondered why I put cool in quotes, I meant I'm their idea of a rebel but I'm the farthest thing from cool. If you were to sum up my personality in one word it would be "stoner", though I never did drugs in my life. I just have that personality, that type of voice, and that outlook on life. Without the drugs :cool:

[jthm_nny]

Also when I said stupid kids I was referring to the ones that most likely spend hundreds of $$$ on phone bills for TEXTING every month! And the ones who think they're all gangsta when we ALL know who the real gangsters are.
I'm not that metal kid who HATES pop, but I just personally don't like it that much. Though Lady Gaga's pretty dang crazy if you ask me, so she's the only pop singer I can handle. Katy Perry, no. She sung her first song about kissing girls. And not even like "Oh maybe I like girls too!" but more like "Hey guys, CHECK IT OUT I JUST KISSED A CHICK! BI-CURIOUS N' LOOKING MORE SOME-" So she got famous for helping with the negative bisexual stereotypes. Nice. Slap a picture of her on a stuff pack and she's ready for some children! Firework boobs and all!

[SpookyOkyBatGirl]

If they really wanted to appeal to me, make more variety of clothing. It's all goth, punk or rebellious shit. My outfits consists of nice t-shirts or blouses and lots of jeans and pants. Why are all the t-shirts and pants that AREN'T rebel-like look fugly?

They would also add things like: Conventions (maybe for book, video game or car fans or something), a video game counsol that my Sims can socialize on (like Xbox Live) or something. Maybe even a texting option for the phones? I'm a nerd, not a rebel. I spend my nights and weekends playing Skyrim. I never use my phone anyway.

[EmotedLlama]

Fast Lane has some 50's rockabilly-ish stuff and the store has the I Heart the 50's set.

Oh, I remember that now. (And I actually have Fast Lane and didn't even think of it. Derp.)

[Srikandi]

Last set of statistics I saw, the Sims demographic skews much HIGHER than most games out there. Yes there are teens who play, but there are also a lot of us grannies and grampas :p Basically the series just gets a lot more of every different group than pretty much any other out there, which is why it sells so many copies.

Which does leave me mystified by the features that seem designed to alienate the older players, but whatever :p

But yeah, the whole point of being a teen is to be misunderstood... so enjoy it, kids :) They're giving you EXACTLY what you crave!

[jthm_nny]

If they really wanted to appeal to me, make more variety of clothing. It's all goth, punk or rebellious shit. My outfits consists of nice t-shirts or blouses and lots of jeans and pants. Why are all the t-shirts and pants that AREN'T rebel-like look fugly?

They would also add things like: Conventions (maybe for book, video game or car fans or something), a video game counsol that my Sims can socialize on (like Xbox Live) or something. Maybe even a texting option for the phones? I'm a nerd, not a rebel. I spend my nights and weekends playing Skyrim. I never use my phone anyway.
If only there was no such thing as risks with being best friends with people on the internet in real life I would probably be your best friend. The short one who takes up not much space at all and who's head can double as an armrest. I fully accept the fact that I'm a midget.

[VerDeTerre]

The truth is, I'm not really happy at EA. The whole social stuff particularly...I'm just not happy with their ideas on what a teen is. They seem to have forgotten. Or at least looked at the wrong group of kids. :faceslap:

What do you think EA would do if they saw you? Would they market your look as something to buy off the store? Would they just bother you a whole bunch about a survey? Are you bothered they seem to completely misread every single part of our generation and do what only the stupid kids like? This reminds me of the way I felt when The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family came out. There was no way those shows described teens as I knew them. That's pop culture for you - it operates on shallow definitions and stereotypes.

I've found EA or Maxis's obsession with popularity annoying since The Sims (the original). One way of looking at it is that there is a statement in there about what people are supposed to be, aspire to, or want. To avoid being annoyed, I prefer to look at it as someone's adolescent fantasy. Face it - you don't fit the stereotype and this isn't your fantasy. That's probably because you are not one dimensional.

Me? I'd rather defy description than to allow myself to be boxed into a mold that does not fit. Those easy groupings of "punk", "goth", "hippy", "conservative", and the like are a trap.

[Jaguwar]

PiggyPeach..."Gag me with a spoon"? Really? You're so retro, especially for a 13 year old! LOL I haven't heard that one since... well, since before you were born! I'm dying laughing here.

Anyway, honestly I always get tickled by people who actively play or have played the game complaining about it. Um... the simple answer is (you've guessed it!) you don't like it, don't play it! Alternately, given the extreme flexibility of the game, make or get CC that more closely resembles what the game should be. That's why we have this huge contingent of creators out there, busting their chops making content that they intend to share.

Also, with no offense intended to jthm_nny or anyone else, I promise, anyone who colors their hair a way completely different from what exists in nature is certainly rebelling against something.

Having said all that, the truth is we certainly don't play the game to recreate our lives. There's a reason so-called reality tv is so clearly fake: who the heck wants more of "real life"? No, we want the stereotypes and the chance to make it different; we would choose to recreate our lives... or relive the past in different ways. Need I go on? The point is not to create yourself again. Although if you want to do that, the freedom to do so is there, too.

[morphius1]

I'm EA's definition of a "cool" teen: Green hair, black band t-shirts, skate shoes, and dark shorts. I'm not a rebel, but I imagine if EA saw me they'll market my look as Rebel-Wear. The truth is, I'm not really happy at EA. The whole social stuff particularly. And their misguided opinions on what makes a person a rebel.

Anyways, if they were to market my look as what kind of person wears it they would HAVE to say: "For the biggest nerd in history. Wear for roleplaying, eating pizza, playing zombie video games and watching anime. For the Viking Folk Metal fan in you!" If they say anything about punks and rebellion I will be really pissed. Which is why I never want to meet an EA employee. I don't want to give them any ideas.

I'm just not happy with their ideas on what a teen is. They seem to have forgotten. Or at least looked at the wrong group of kids. :faceslap:

What do you think EA would do if they saw you? Would they market your look as something to buy off the store? Would they just bother you a whole bunch about a survey? Are you bothered they seem to completely misread every single part of our generation and do what only the stupid kids like?

I think you should lay off the sims for a while. IT'S A GAME!!

[Tempscire]

But I really can't imagine a 15 year old going "Look at all those cool sweets, I' have to get that stuff pack!"
:lol: I may have gone for it when I was 15, and I certainly had friends of similar inclinations at the time. What can I say, I have a huge sweet tooth. ;) I think I still would have been at a loss for using most of it in the game, though, and I probably would have been as much repelled by the Katy Perry branding as I would be attracted to the candy. Mmm candy.

[DigitalSympathies]

17 here, never had the inclination to go and give my sims astronomically high dentist bills and Candyholics Anonymous meetings with this expansion pack. Give me retro, give me working class stuff, hell, give me a PUB! (yeah I've been playing Glendalough too much in my free time, cough cough) I don't care, just SOMETHING THAT WOULD ACTUALLY WORK WITH THE GAME'S OVERALL APPEARANCE! Give me random-ass clutter, give me gardening stuff (yes yes yes), give me chav's so I can light them on fire!

[Ketsu_sama]

15 going on 16 and I think that the latest I would be interested in the last expansion pack was when I was ten - but even then I wouldn't be interested in Sweet Treats.

I don't think any company in the history of the universe has ever captured the current generation of teens (as long as teens as a category has existed, anyway), so I wish that EA would look at The Sims' wide demographics and just make games for everyone. I have some hope for Supernatural, though.

[haricots]

If EA sees me? Well...

EA would make a Krisna-and-KatyPerry-themed Expansion Pack as EP 8 instead of the Supernatural thingy. EA would said that we're compatible.

I know, I'm fabulous. B-)

[J. M. Pescado]

The bigger question is why they attempt to "appeal" to a demographic that is noteworthy for its LACK OF ACTUAL MONEY AND INCOME. The only way a 12 year old is going to have any real money to spend on anything is if they stole it. This means that any attempt to appeal to this group is knowingly trafficking in stolen property. Is this even legal?

I mean, at best, this money is stolen from their parents, who at least won't be pressing charges. More likely, this money comes from robbing cars and dealing drugs. We all know they're a bunch of filthy hooligans and thieves. Or shiftless bums.

[eskie227]

The bigger question is why they attempt to "appeal" to a demographic that is noteworthy for its LACK OF ACTUAL MONEY AND INCOME. The only way a 12 year old is going to have any real money to spend on anything is if they stole it. This means that any attempt to appeal to this group is knowingly trafficking in stolen property. Is this even legal?

I mean, at best, this money is stolen from their parents, who at least won't be pressing charges. More likely, this money comes from robbing cars and dealing drugs. We all know they're a bunch of filthy hooligans and thieves. Or shiftless bums.

Wow. I really hate to do this, as it's Pescado I'm daring to reply to, but just to clarify about marketing to teens. According to a recent marketing report:


Teen spending money, accumulated through paying jobs, allowances from parents, “as needed” money from parents, and monetary gifts, will increase an estimated 3.5% annually, raising the aggregate teen income 14.4%, from $79.7 billion in 2006 to $91.1 billion in 2011.

Packaged Facts estimates that 12-14-year-olds have an average annual income of $2,167; teens in the 15-17-year-old age group generate an average annual income of $4,023.



I guess they can afford Katy if they want to after all.

In fact,



The market for products bought by and for the 25.6-million-member teen market will undergo a slight growth spurt, increasing from $189.7 billion in 2006 to $208.7 billion in 2011, despite an estimated 3% decline in the 12-17-year-old population in that same period



So between what kids have, and what their parents kick in, they are one BIG market to target. While, IMO, EA does not have a great product with Katy's sweets to go after this market, I sure can't blame them for trying.

BTW, 2011 was the latest year I could quickly dig up data from, but I'm sure 2012 can't be much different.

[VerDeTerre]

Wow. I really hate to do this, as it's Pescado I'm daring to reply to, but just to clarify about marketing to teens... I couldn't tell if he was serious or not.


You did a good job backing up your point with facts.

[eskie227]

I better back up my case with facts. If I ever pissed off Pescado, can you imagine what could happen to my game? Although in truth, Pescado is just a big teddy bear. A teddy bear with nicely manicured, big, sharp claws. :Pint:

[piggypeach]

PiggyPeach..."Gag me with a spoon"? Really? You're so retro, especially for a 13 year old! LOL I haven't heard that one since... well, since before you were born! I'm dying laughing here!

Haha! So true, I am so fascinated by what was popular when my mom was a kid. We have every brady bunch season on DVD... You could say that it's my favorite show :) The whole "swag" thing and the "awkward" and "epic fail" things we got going on nowdays... ugh. That's all I'll say, ugh.

So now that we're talking about what tweens/teens think is cool nowdays, I'm sure it's different in other places, but at my school, I've noticed a relationship going on regarding popularity. All the popular and "cool" kids like to pretend that they're a lot older than they are. They will curse and make sexual jokes like regular speech, and they are always just acting like putting your arm around a boy is just normal. I've heard that they are doing stuff like making out with each other. But in reality, this is all really immature.
While the unpopular girls have whole different views of themselves. One of my friends kind of dragged me into her group of friends, they are all really socially awkward and... well, they're outcasts. That doesn't really bother me. But we were doing this truth or dare thing, and my friend was asked what she likes most about the boy she has a crush on, and she said "well, he probably has a six-pack". And then this one girl says "Kids like us don't have six-packs..." As if it was common knowledge. Well, 13 year olds are definitely capable of having muscle in their abs that would be identified as a "six-pack". Not as much as older guys, but still, we're not "kids". We're "tweens", or young teens. But no... not kids. When I think "kid", I think 8 year old.

So basically if they were to try to appeal to the kids at my school, they would do something... I don't know, something that makes video games seem like a badass thing to do. But sweet treats? No... no. Everyone "cool" that I know would say something like "that stuff is making me sick." or somehow make it seem like they don't like it, because if they were to openly say that they thought it was cool, it would associate them with candy and junk food, and make them seem like a junk food junkie or a fattie.

Whew. Long Post.

[parrot999]

Eskie227: You do realize those numbers are skewed due to people who spoil their kids rotten. Most kids do not get that much money, even annually.

[XTremeGnomeS]

Well, I haven't really noticed anything like that. I'm 13, and yes, the way that they knitted in social media did bother me. I wanted a world of my own, and when I thought I was just buying another EP, I was actually buying another EP with added social media. So I'm off in my own world, doin my thing, when I get, "Would you like to share this?" or the direct status update through the game thing. Ugh. Gag me with a spoon.

Honestly I'm not really sure what you guys are referring to when you say they are trying to appeal to us. I find it a very cute game, and well... So far I haven't seen any snap-backs or vans. If they really ARE trying to be cool, they aren't doing a very good job. Maybe that's just local for me, and people elsewhere have different ideas of what's a la mode.

Yeah, that whole Sims Social thing I thought was kind of pointless. If we wanted to share something about the Sims we would just post it on here or on the Sims3 website in the first place. It was kind of like a little mini Facebook, and I think it's pointless since the majority of people already have a Facebook. Just another account to keep track of. I never got into that social network stuff anyway, but some people love it, so they can sure use it if they want to, but I personally didn't see the point.

[eskie227]

Eskie227: You do realize those numbers are skewed due to people who spoil their kids rotten. Most kids do not get that much money, even annually.

Well, the numbers are presented as mean, not median income. Besides, for the subset that EA wishes to market to who will run this on a PC, total family discretionary income is no doubt a bit higher than national averages to be able to afford the platform. Console game platforms are still more affordable than a reasonably capable PC. Then again, if they are running on a Mac, the family has way too much discretionary income to play with (sorry, I couldn't resist ;), no offense to Mac users; yes they're nice, with cutting edge design features).

One other fact. Video game sales surpassed music sales in 2011 (all music formats, download and physical media). Teens are a significant driving force in the US economy, especially for all those non-essential (like food, shelter), discretionary purchases. Again, I can't blame a company for trying to market to them.

[parrot999]

Whether it's mean income or median income, if you have say 200 kids who get an average of $500 a year, and 50 that get about $5000 it is going to skew the numbers. That said, EA is looking at these statistics, and saying "looks like we should market to teens with overpriced junk" when in reality, a minority of teens can afford to spend tons of cash at the store, and for EP's and SP's. I am willing to bet that the store rakes in less income than the EP's do. That is why they keep pushing the store so much.

They're basically chasing after statistical phantom money, that comes from the top 1%.

Edit: Then again, who knows. They might be trying to target the wealthy exclusively. After all, that would explain why you don't see lower middle class, or poor items for sims anymore. I miss the cinderblock bookcase.

[eskie227]

The Store might very well rake in less less income than their EPs do, but the distribution costs are way lower. There are no boxed DVDs to manufacture and distribute to brick and mortar stores, and no need to allow a percentage of the sale to go to the retailer. They get it all. It's another reason why EA would prefer sales be made through Origin than through a boxed EP. Still, while they may LIKE sales to occur that way, it's apparent they're concerned about missing out on some sales, which is why they created a retail box version for Hidden Spa I believe (maybe for BB too, I don't recall). I'm certain that's an attempt to see if they can achieve a fractional gain from folks who like to buy a physical "product".

[morphius1]

Do they even listen to their players to even know what players REALLY want? i don't understand those Facebook noobs who are amazed with everything EA makes -__-

As long as we keep paying for it, in their eyes nothing is wrong.
Just wanted to point that out. I, myself, don't see EA appealing to t(w)eens. They put they game up for sale and we bought it.
Don't get me wrong....I am not taking EA's side on this. There are some things they do that I hate....but I still buy their games.

[Shilus]

I suppose its just stereotypes to be honest. I don't really mind that much, in fact a few of my friends are that way, but I prefer the cutsy things in life.

[morphius1]

I suppose its just stereotypes to be honest. I don't really mind that much, in fact a few of my friends are that way, but I prefer the cutsy things in life.

Agreed.

I like the sims so I play the game.
If anyone here thinks that EA gives a crap about what people think or say about them...
They could care less! You and I will buy the next EP or SP whether EA appealed to you or not.

[Shhh]

I find it insulting they think we would actually like candy chairs and think I'm going to want my Sims walking around in cookie hats or ice-cream bras. I also find it insulting that just becuase Katy Perry's a bad singer with an immature taste, we're all going to love her and buy games upon games of crap centred around her. If I want anything in a game I want it to be realistic or fun to play with, not weird stuff I'm never going to use unless I really want to embaress myself and my Sims.