Who's Honestly Blaming Maxis/EA

Oh how right you are Josh. I agree with you here 1000%

I would go one step further even, and say that these company use not just parts that are about to become outdated, but they use second rate, barely functioning components that any respectable company should throw in the recycling bin, rather than put into a computer. These parts are made by and large in 3rd world countries, with few quality control procedures in place to ensure high quality parts, and most of them seldom make it through the warranty period before something has to be replaced. Being in the computer repair industry, I see people every day complaining that thier Dell/HP/Compaq/Emachines computer that they bought 2 months ago has already crashed and asking what they can/should do. Then I see the other people, who's warranty ran out 2 weeks ago and thier system just went belly up and they end up having to buy new, more expensive components to replace them.

I strongly reccommend, if you are going to buy a computer, go to a local computer store, and buy a custom system. You will get a more up to date computer, built to your own needs, that will last for years, is easily upgradeable, and can be very aesthetically pleasing.

By the way.. my take on Alienware..... its not what everyone makes it out to be. They build really nice cases, that are cool to look at... but I have seen thier computers in my shop as well, and seen parts in those computers that are not much better than Dell/HP etc. Sure they put good Processor/MB/Vid/Memory, but the rest of the components they use are generic brands, they just add little bells and whistles to many of them to make them look cool.

Again, that is my opinion, not neccessarily fact. Take it as you may, argue it all you want, it is only what I have seen and what I think.

Thank you all for listening to my two pennies.

 

I will go further with the rant on big name companies. I have a huge problem in that Dell in particular , in that they built its system so that if you want to upgrade it you have to keep buying the more expensive less quality Dell brand crap.


Better to build you system to suit your needs. You spend much less money in the long run. Don't complain if a high end game doesn't work on your low end computer. Even if your computer specs are somewhere on the low range of EA's requirements.

 

I wouldn't be slagging Dell & HP, or Maxis/EA for that matter. I'd put the blame on people themselves, always. Caveat emptor.

There is no cure for, or defense against, or protection for, stupid people.

 

Meh. My game seems to run fine so far and I haven't had to upgrade a thing on it (and it's a 3-year-old machine). So, I guess I can't point a finger at anyone, yet.

 

*gives Michael a standing ovation*

 

Abso-******-lutely

If TS2 doesn't work on a computer it is almost certian that it isn't anyone's fault except for the person who tried to install the game. Simple. Plain. Honest. Truth.

It sure isn't the manufacturers, retailers and resellers of computers. Firms like HP and Dell have shareholders who expect to see a profit. Stock must be cleared from shelves at the best price possible.

I have a computer that consists of a wireless keyboard that was bought after and a drinks accident with the one I had. I have a track-ball mouse, a wireless optical mouse and a graphics tablet that I use interchangably for comfort, convenience and health and safety. My monitor is a Sony 15" LCD bought off ebay (my original CRT monitor still works perfectly and is in a box in the attic against need). My printer is an HP printer/scanner combo the 750 I think ... it's under a pile of manuals at the moment. My speakers are a pretty good 3 way set by Yamaha that I got on offer. The centerpiece of the system, the tower case, cost me about the same as a PC World or Dell special. I had it built to order by a local specialist.

Why buy a whole new system including (often) printer and camera ... but always keyboards, speakers, mice and other crap ... when all you really need is the latest OS; the fastest CPU you can afford; the most ram and the best video display card? My system isn't pretty but it works like a demon!

 

Yes, someone always needs to be blamed for everything. Seems to make people feel better to blame others for their own shortcomings or foolishness.

If people can't read the specs on the game package, that's their problem. The game runs just fine on minimum specs - admittedly a bit slow, but the game runs.

Same crap went around with the release of SimCity4 with its ram-busting graphics.

 

A-frickin-men! Every time a new game like this comes out and I read all these horror stories of people who can't get the game to install, run, play correctly or not crash, I wonder how I get so lucky time and time again to get the one working copy of the game! Is it really just because I actually know what I'm doing?

I installed TS2 with no problems at all. The game has crashed on me once, during a long building session in which I demolished and started over probably about 10 times and I'm sure I had just completely used up all of my RAM and system resources. The only video and performance problems I've had are things I'm well aware are caused by my lower-end video card and not the workmanship of the game. My sims all grow up on time, don't lose their face icons in the process and don't just disappear entirely from the game without explanation. And my maids and nannies do their jobs.

Sure, I've seen a few minor bugs, but they aren't show-stoppers and I know they will be fixed as soon as their causes are discovered. In an open-ended game like The Sims, all the testing in the world cannot predict every possible scenario of what players will do and try, and some bugs are going to go un-discovered. There's just no way around that.

My computer is self-built and I upgrade it part by part as I need to and can afford it. Before I buy any game, I make sure I have the hardware required to support it (yes, my video card is struggling, but it's next on the list as soon as I have the money). If I'm not sure what I have, I ask my boyfriend who has helped me build and upgrade my computer. If you own a computer and you (or your parents, or at least someone in your household) don't know what you have, that is your own fault. You should have done the research, and if you didn't, you can't expect to get the next big game running and know what you need to do so. That is your responsibility. It's certainly not the fault of the game manufacturer.

 

If you want something done right....

If you want something done right, do it yourself.

This proverb is just as true in computers as it is in any other aspect of life. People who trust Gateway, HP, Sony, and Dell to make them a respectable comp for little cash are fools. And a fool and his money are... well you get the point.

The simple fact is this: with some time on the web reading tutorials on building a rig, some time using google to search for the parts you need, and a little time building anyone can have a good rig for under $1000. One that can easily handle a game like Sims 2.

My rig can and it costs under $500. For another $500 in two weeks I'll have a Half Life 2 level rig. Woohoo. And I built it myself.

So, in my opinion, all those people finger pointing at Maxis / EA should actrually be pointing the fingers at themselves. The required specs are on the box for a reason. And getting your computer up to specs can be cheap and easy if you take the time to make it so.

Self-reliance is an often over-looked virute in this modern day.

 

Lets look back 4 years ago to the first Sims game. It turned people on to computer gaming whose gaming experience has never gone past solitaire or the pre-packaged software that came with their computer. Also the first game didnt have take much to run since 80% of the game was vector graphic based sprites with a poly count as high as Quake 1.

Fast forward to today and those same people who originally purchased their computer for typing up documents, e-mail/chat, & browsing the web whos computer could run the first one back then since it didnt require much horsepower now find themselves unable to play The Sims 2.

Simply put barging computers ($300-$500), particularly store bought (Dell, HP, Sony, ect.) are not built to handle the amount of power needed to run Sims 2 smoothly. Incidentally, the higher priced PCs while are able to run the game with little problem, they are made with either average or below average parts. The crucial component required to play is the video card. If you have an inferior card then expect inferior results.

Any ATI card ending with SE or a nVidia FX 5200 or any Geforce 2-4 (Although some say the Geforce 4 runs better than the FX 5200) are ones you want to steer clear from. My computer was built for once purpose, to powerful enough to play Doom 3 and Half-Life 2. I knew if my system could handle those 2 games, it could handle any game. Doom 3 runs fairly smooth, the verdict is out on HL2 till its out.

Even if youre not building a monster gaming rig, its a good idea to learn about computers and their components. Not all parts are equal, and not everything is compatible.

 

Exactly! My computer is actually the old family computer relegated to my room, bought 4 years ago. I have the luck to live 5-10 minutes on bike away from the biggest computer store in the city. I have upgraded every single piece of the old computer steadily - down to the power supply and case (which I needed for better cooling). It's not hard to learn - I learned 85% by messing with the stuff inside the case and the remaining 15% by reading instruction manuals that came with the hardware, never needing a tutorial or assistance of any kind. As long as one is willing to experiment and "push all the buttons", it is very easily learned and VERY satisfying.

So NEVER buy brand-name computers if you can help it - in addition to the crappy hardware, you're always paying more than you would if you assembled it yourself. Also, remember that redundant things like mouse/keyboard, monitor, and speakers are never needed but are invariably shipped with a new system.

Sadly there will always be lazy people who never bother to figure out what their computer really is capable of doing, and when their decrepit system finally chokes up and dies on the latest game, they never bother to actually take a good, long look at their computer before dishing out the blame on everyone else.

 

Okay I'll chime in

Being a poor working stiff and not having a mommy or daddy to buy me the latest whiz-bang computers, I have one of those off the shelf $500 HP computers. I use it mainly for Quicken, surfing and organizing a softball league. I've never had a single problem with it running any game or doing anything I needed, however when I wanted Sims2, I realized my video card might nbot be 100% up to snuff. Sure enough, while it supported directx9, it would only support up to Direct CD 8, not enough for Sims2. So I went out bought a video card and it was an extremely simple install and I have absolutely zero problems. (with the possible exception of my Sims addiction). So before you bash HP and Dell, remember not everyone on the planent has unlimited funds or mommies and daddies to buy them toys. There is a reason cheap PCs exist. And at least from my experience they actually work just fiine.

 

mines HP and a pc world piece of sh*t however I am editting my film on it without problems it runs sims2 without problems on full?? Seems fine to me However I did buy my computer this year so it is fairly new. I agree with the above, no parents no money. Mr.T could afford the best computer in the world, a gold one.

 

Well, they certaintly won't get a prize for being the first to do that, they'd only be falling into line with 99.9999% of the world's business community. And maybe it has to do with where yyou live but personally I've never seen them advertise that way. But as I also stated if HP is a cheap-*** computer my 3 year old one runs TS2 with absolutely no problems at all, so I'm not even sure what the issue is. Don't know much about Dell. Also if it wasn't for these kinds of companies TS2 may not even exist since PCs would never jhave gotten decent market penetration if prices had remained in the $2,000-$2,500 range.

In the end it is simply and only the users fault. It ceratintly woul;dn't be Maxis/EAs fault since the requirements were clearly known, It isn't the PC makers fault since there capabilities are known, the user is responsible for knowing what hes doing. If I buy a Honda Civic and race it against a Ferrari and if it Honda's fault for advertising their cars as being good performing vehicles?

 

It's not EA/Maxi's fault, they clearly printed computer specs on the box of the game. It's not the computer manufacturer's fault either, you get what you pay for. I bought my new computer strictly for internet use, so the video card wasn't a big deal to me at that time. I didn't mind buying a new video card, at least you have the option to upgrade.

 

I think it's easy to point fingers at the big companies but the vast majority of people who want a computer would have no clue how to build one! lol Get real. I've listened to many adults proudly talk about buying a computer for their kid who think all you have to know is how to plug it in. My own mother in law bought a grandchild a computer and complained that she never used it. We discovered she hadn't bought any software! For the vast majority computers are complicated and comes with it's own techno bable that is indecipherable. I've owned a computer since the first apple came out. We discovered a long time ago that we get our money's worth if we buy top of the line. Since software frequently outpaces the hardware, if we have too much of everything our computer isn't obsolete in a few years. I've owned apple, ibm, and compaq. My niece has owned multiple gateways. Hers have been in the shop more than in use but then again she bought the "deal" through her university. She got exactly what she paid for. Every computer I've owned has lasted me at least 8 years without any repairs needed. I will concede that I did custom order this computer from compaq. For those that don't live near a great computer store or understand much about computers it's a great way to go. I didn't have to pay for features I'll never use and used that money for upgrades on things I do with someone on the other end of the phone who could explain why to choose pentium or athalon. I think the real crime is that computers have become so necessary and yet the computer industry still makes it so hard to get a handle on it. Why else would the technical threads on all game sites still be so popular? Most people still don't know how to find a driver or ram on their own computer! lol I can understand why so many can't figure out all that stuff on the game box and whether it will play on their computer. Why does everything need to have names like nVidia GeForce 4 MX 440? Many people have other passions in life that limit the time you can devote to keeping up with the computer industry. A computer is a tool. The industry needs to make it a little easier for the user.

 

You dont have to be rich to have a good computer, as some stated before, its cheaper to make your own than to buy one off the self that gives you inferior parts and pass it off as the latest thing. Where one person pays $600 for a store PC, another person can get the same thing for around $400 if they built it themselves. Just requires a basic understanding of computers. It wouldnt make much sense to pay more for an inferior product when one could do better on their own.

And for the record I paid for everything my self.