Maxis Makes Steps to Improve Custom Content http://www.worldsims.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=661 What are your thoughts on the steps Maxis has done?
While it isn't as complete as the provenance idea and doesn't stop someone from taking pay site stuff and putting it on the Showcase, I think that they've probably done all they could do at this point. It should go a long way to helping the problem.
That new exchange looks SO much better than the old one. I wonder if the longer tooltips are permanent though? Otherwise it'd be pretty easy to change 'em. Though, I suppose, most of the plagiarism on the Showcase is unintentional... so anyone who DOES alter the tooltips IS a dirty thief! (I like the chose of burglar screenshots, to go along with the letter ) They have given us a lot of incentive to upload our stuff to the exchange, too, with the first person to post content getting, ultimately, the credit for it. This might help people who can't afford bandwidth for their own site, but don't like the Showcase yet. Still, there's the unanswered question about paysite files... and I also wonder what will happen to the current uncredited stuff in the exchange. Yet, it's a positive step in the right direction. I'm pleased Maxis looked into this.
I never REALLy cared about the whole plaigerism thingy on the exchange, casue I am of the opinion "If you dont want it stolen, dont put it up" sorta thing. But i do understand that many people didnt like it, so I'm glad that Maxis is trying to put an end to plaigerism.
I think Maxis has found a great way to help stop 'clothes stealing'. It sounds easy to implement and it could do away with most of the problems. I wonder if the same idea can be used on other websites besides TheSims2. Amy
I really like this idea. So many game companies are more than keen to 'fleece' their fans and give nothing back. Maxis has obviously listened to our concerns and acted upon it. I was really pleased that they made an effort to stop 'theft', (although personally I don't think it will stop it entirely - as it would mean I would have to post all my skins first to the TS2 site before here - and who can be bothered with that!!!)
Hello, First time posting on a Vbulletin, so please forgive any mistakes! First off I have a few suggestions, that if you also like, I would appreciate them being passed on. Its understandably hard to get in touch w/ the powers that be. 1 A way to "mark as read". Since one of the biggest complaints about the showcase is the sheer number of files to search though, it would be wonderful to only search the new submissions. I'd assume this would make it faster for the in-game interface as well. 2. A break. Since the new body shop will have the longer tag line I want to edit all my creations to include longer file names. I'm not 100% sure how they plan on implementing the new exchange, I'm going on the assumption that they are going to delete the showcase (or at least take away the download feature) and start fresh w/ the new exchange. Where everyone will have to re-upload their custom content. Giving a few days AFTER the game is out will give CC creators time to use the new features in the finial version of BS. I'm also hoping that the new exchange will eliminate pay sites. I would tend to think that the majority of Maxis customers want CC for free. After all in the beginning all content for the sims was free and thats when the whole "sims Community" concept was born. When bandwidth became a problem, thats when people opened pay sites. Now Maxis is offering a way to alleviate some of the bandwidth problems. Since they have no problem with CC creators linking to the page on the exchange this should also help with the complaints of searching the exchange for certain peoples content and also make it easy for the people who prefer web site downloading. Sorry to be so long winded for my first post!!!! I honestly think that this Exchange has hit on the MOST important problems! Longer tag lines and easily giving credit to those who made the content. I think we should all worry less about keeping a strangle hold on our CC (not that everyone is) and stay positive about what we create, and enjoy the act and we should also enjoy seeing what other people do with it. Thanks!
It would be nice if the Showcase offerings could be tagged as "read" and it would be nice if they could make it easier to search. However, I suspect that it's just too much to change at this point. I think we're very lucky to get the changes we have. If someone wants to fix their own creations with the better lines, I suspect that they can do that. (After all, the deletion feature is pretty fast with the current Showcase and I doubt that they'd take that feature away at this point.) However, I don't believe that they will take away what we've already got loaded onto Showcase, but just go from when they put it up, leaving what is already there as is. (Some of it will show up a little better, however since I suspect that it will show the tags that are there, which is a start. I know I always put KtAnbs in that tag part to show that it's mine.) I really doubt that the pay sites will be eliminated, any more than the free sites are. The pay sites will continue to have a better way of searching for what you want (since most of them at least separate out clothes from makeup, eyecolor and the like) and they often have higher quality stuff. But it depends on how worth while it is for them to continue. I doubt that the exchange will have that much impact on them in the long run, however.
Couldn't agree more - I can't imagine maxis going 'nah lets start from scratch' - they are already lauding the fact that the have 20,000 sims already on there and the game has not yet launched - it is to great a pr exercise. Which is a shame really!
It's got me doing more outfits for my Sims, however. I spent most of today working on a one piece suit and a bikini. My elderly ladies now have so many swimsuits and exercise outfits that I have trouble scrolling through them all! What I'm finding interesting is that I can see lots of textures in my graphics programs for what I've been working on, but I can't see it in BodyShop. I have a feeling that because of my integrated non-T&L capable video card that I'm not seeing all that would normally show up in BodyShop. (Nanshi, I'm having a great time with the embossing!)
Excellent! however I hope that you get that vid card problem sorted - what a bummer if you can't see TS2 in its full glory!
1 small question... why is there a picture of (what looks like) The Sims Vacation next to the "Quick Search" in this picture? http://www.worldsims.org/modules.php?name=FileDatabase&page=viewsingle&category=1&singleitem=241&database_database=1
Hahaha you're right... that looks like the Vacation box!! Maybe they haven't finalized the box art for Sims 2 yet?
I just have to be patient. My husband says that in the fall we can get a new computer for me and then he'll take my current one (which I've only had for 1 1/2 years) to replace his dying P3 400mhz one. (There's a method to his madness, I think.)
I think pay sites are really stupid. I'm not gonna pay for something that I'm just gonna use in a game.
