I've been wondering about this lately and perhaps it's just me, but...

I noticed that while the Sims 1 had an entire expansion pack dedicated to magic, Sims 2 only had the magic feature as a footnote to the Apartment Life expansion. I'm wondering, considering this, if the spellbook in the store is all we're going to see of magic in the Sims 3. I'm a little worried about this, considering I've been really looking forward to TS3 magic for a while, and it's been one of my favorite features in Sims games in the past. The spellbook, from what I've seen, is just a shallow delve into a whole genre, and I am really quite concerned that this might be all we get.

Talk me down, man! Talk me down!

I've never understood why some scripting/core modder hasn't jumped all over the Magician service sims, they are supposed to come to a party and do the magic show when your sim calls them on the phone. The problem appears to be that their name isn't on the list when calling for services.
Otherwise there are 2 XMLs at least on the magicians, all the animations are in game, the jazz file is in place.

Well, the new neighborhood they've announced for the Store (Hidden Springs) hints at having some magical things and makes references to fairy stuff. From what I've read so far, the magical Fountain of Youth doesn't do anything really new, since we have the Young Again and Age Freeze potions in Generations. And the 'fairy' references are so far limited to some green skinned Sims who may or may not be anything more than just Sims with green skin, and a 'Fairy Folk' park.
I'd suggest reading the thread around here about that, there's links to pics and previews.
Though it's not the much in the way of magic, it does show that EA is aware that there are players who want magic, and that they want to tap that market.

Shimrod, I just saw a "Magician" walking around my neighborhood the other day and wondered who the heck that person was. I didn't even know they existed in TS3. Was it something they had planned on putting in, but the idea was scrapped?

I, too, would love a magic EP. I could imagine playing a whole HP themed world and dying happy.

That's so awesome! I wonder what the animations consists of. I wouldn't mind seeing the original feature reinstated.

I don't meen to be rude, but GET REAL. EA would never ever expand the game that much in some silly little neighbouhood download. Fairyfolk park is most likely to just be some stupid regular park - with fairy statues or something.

i could mean we will be seeing rabbits (coming out of a hat) afterall!

Yeah, and that's why I said the fairy references are 'limited'. I didn't say the neighborhood was including fairies, or anything that spectacular, just that EA was working on something with a magic-ish theme, and that the OP can maybe take that as a sign that EA might come out with more substantial magic in future eps.

Well... if EA puts out a Magic type EP, it'll be another EP I'm passing on. I'm already passing on Pets because other than animals in my game, (I'm a huge pet lover IRL) but I don't think the Pets EP will enhance my game. That's just my silly opinion. Likewise with magic. I get loads of magic when I play my online MMORPG's.. like RIFT and EQ2. I didn't mind it when they brought it in TS2 as part of AL... I ignored that whole thing but I won't buy an EP that's dedicated to it.

I miss Making Magic and everything that it had. I just want it so bad. :[

Since I didn't play Sims 1, I would love to see an EP dedicated to Magic. From what I've read, it seemed like a lot of fun. I hope we don't have to wait until Sims 4 to get it.

Same here. I never even bought MM for Sims 1 and never used it in Apt Life for TS2

Seeing as though, if EA follows the pattern that many users have been noticing ( Original EP - Unorignal - Original ) as well as the thing about only having 8 EP's, which leaves only 3, and the next is supposedly Weather, which would break the pattern, etc..I don't really want a fully dedicated EP to Magic, as it may appeal to a good sized *minority* of Simmers I doubt there'll be a full dedicated EP to Magic like Sims 1..As you can see their already heading to approaching magic in Store form, as well from that old survey (which I thought was new x.x)..But I'd rather they use their last few EP's (if they're only doing 8 EP's) to finalize and touch upon the Education System, Weather, Business and more good gameplay...As for the stuff packs, I want to see more stuff with them, and I think a Magical Stuff pack could work out..So there's always that..But a Magical EP, no thank you.

That's pretty cool that you are an avid enough gamer that you play all those different types of games. But there are a lot of "casual" gamers that only play THIS game?

Should they spend another $50 (+ subscription fees where necessary) on another game just to get a magic fix?



But see, that's where the idea of subjectivity and opinion come in. A lot of people think that Magic is good gameplay. This is a "can't please everyone" world. There will always be people who wish the game included something it doesn't.

And in a world where you *can't please everyone* majority rules..or at least tends to. And in the case of a Magic EP seems there is more of a minority for it than majority. But even if they don't make it an EP they could always make it a SP, with objects that potentially give you magical things and powers...It wouldn't be a full blown EP where you get a new world and all, it would sorta be like Generations but as a SP..with less features, but more objects kind of I guess? But even if Magic were to be an EP there's really a limit, from making it a Magic EP that would appeal to everyone, or a good majority or making it into a Wizarding World of Hogwarts..What I'm getting at is, in my personal opinion Magic doesn't have a potential to be a full blown EP in Sims 3, which is why they probably touched on it in AL for Sims 2 instead of making it a full EP like in Sims 1..All the features that you would think of would end up being like a rotation, and going back into the beginning, like "cast a spell here" "become ____" etc..idk, but I just don't see Magic as an EP standard lol..Sorry for the mouthfull of confusing.

Nah, not confusing. But in essence, that kind of gameplay (the rotation) is all EA seems to know how to do (look at every Ambitions career).

But I'd be happy with a magic SP as long as they added more objects like that spellbook from the Store, but that do more. The only problem is that SP's don't usually ever involve new gameplay.

I'm certainly not going to quit playing the game if they DON'T add it, I would just really enjoy it if they did. (In all truth, I could quit buying EP's happily if they'd just give us back weather)! =)

I have to say, from my own personal impression (which is NOT based on actual data, just my impression), the four biggest requested ep's for The Sims 3 are: Pets, Weather, Business and Magic. So I don't think that Magic is for such a small niche. It's true that Makin' Magic was very polarizing when it was released. People either loved it or hated it.

But when I glance over the official forums, magic requests actually pop up quite a bit. And given that EA gave us the spell book, based on direct user feedback, I think it's save to say that a rather large portion of Simmers likes to have magic. I do find it interesting that EA is coming out with two distinct magical items in such a close time frame (first the book, now the magical spring of eternal youth), which means that the people doing focus groups at EA are realizing that having magic is actually something that makes certain players more likely to buy something. That's what I think is going on with Hidden Springs...

I lurk on the official forums. The EPs that I hear about constantly are:

Magic
Seasons/Weather
Vacations (not Adventures)
Farming
Business
Holidays
Hobbies and Interests
Babies and Toddlers
Boating/Cruises
Space exploration
Las Vegas/Casinos/Gambling
Underwater world
Amusement Park/Carnival

Yep... that sounds about right. Magic is in pretty high demand, actually, and it's either going to be released throughout gameplay adding store content or we're going to get an EP.

I would LOVE cruises. I think EA should do another 'Travel' pack, but put a nice spin on it.

A cruise ship shell, and amusement park, casinos. The demands for vacations is HIGH. EA just needs to act on it and give us some new content that the Sims have never had before.

EA would be extra stupid to not give us magic, either as a full EP, SP, or a part of a EP.
As Nukael said, there seems to be more who want it (at least from the players that post), than those who don't want it.

I'm sure EA is very aware of how much revenue magic could generate. All this fairy talk, is probably just a teaser.

Makin' Magic was by far my favorite ep for Sims 1. omgz, ROLLER COASTERS. and that funky music. and the little old lady who could find your sims a compatible date.

Does anybody remember who made the animated green slime? It took up a whole square as most of the objects did back then, and it would bubble and ooze. I used to put it under bridges and pretend trolls lived under there. Oh god how I wish somebody would make green slime again. lol, that was my favorite object!

The magicians conjure butterflies, coins, and other items. They also have a story-telling routine. I have 2 of these anims modded into other spots so any sim will do them, although they don't appear the same as they should; there are no butterflies being conjured in other words, but a different item is conjured instead. This happens when sims use the painting easel. The other one is the Punchline from the storytelling, used by me when sims chat on the phone. These mods are here: http://gnautylilgnomes.com/forum/index.php?topic=2429.0

I am sure EA also knows that an ALL magic pack could cut revenues compared to something like Pets or Seasons. There are many of us who would not buy a magic pack but would buy pretty much anything else. I don't use any of the 'magic' or 'supernatural' in my game already but that is fine because they were only a part of the pack. I never bought Makin' Magic either. But I bet even those who want magic will buy a Sims 3 weather pack. Sims 2 did it well by combining magic with Apartment Life. Those who didn't want magic still felt they were able to get their money's worth by buying the pack because they would get apartments. I don't really care if EA does a magic pack, unless they did it instead of a business or weather pack. I just won't buy it...probably why they left Makin' Magic as the last pack. Many of us just moved on to Sims 3.

There may be a good amount of people requesting Magic, but that doesn't count for the other people who don't post or anything, that wouldn't buy a magic EP, and there's quite a bit of us, as said above ^^

Also University is requested quite a lot, but I find it funny that it's not the most requested thing but one of things a lot of people complain about is how poor the schooling system is..

I want magic but I think I'd like it better if it wasn't its own EP maybe if they did Seasons/Magic in one i'd relly like that I think it could work together. Because alot of people want season and lots of people want magic I think almost every one I know wants one of the other. that way EA would appeal to the majority of players.