I really, really don’t want to post about this, but I do feel that the information needs to be out there regarding the current dealings of TSR (The Sims Resource) and EA. I’ll continue to update this thread as time goes on, hopefully I won’t make too much of a mess when updating).
Anger against TSR has been around for awhile – in fact, there is a whole website titled TSR Must Be Destroyed in which many articles can be found showing details of various TSR members obtaining personal information (login accounts, Paypal) from other members if they happen to disobey TSR rules. I cannot really comment on all of their past actions, you’ll have to read them yourself and gather your own opinion. However, a new situation regarding The Sims Resource has surfaced, and this time I’m trying to follow the news…
The Details:
I’ll let Delphy from MTS2 explain it as his words are better than mine anyday.
To sum it up, a member known as buggybooz had their account hacked in which all of their files from MTS2 were deleted. Luckily, Delphy had a backup and restored them. When he investigated the IP address, it turned out to be Thomas, one of the co-founders of TSR.
In a recent update, TSR has stated that it was caused by security breach in which they had 3 months ago and it left many accounts vulnerable. It’s your choice to believe it, but if that was the case, why didn’t they tell their members about this security breach in the first place?
Why People are mad:
Many people are already angry at TSR for a number of reasons…
- That they leak out private information of their members
- That they go against EA’s own EULA in which they are a paysite. Not only that, but the Maxoids break their own EULA by allowing them to continue
- The “buddy-buddy” relationship between EA and TSR
The Maxiod’s Actions:
In my opinion, I believe it is the Sims Community Manager who is suppose to be civil and try to keep peace in The Sims Community. However, this is not the case…especially with MaxoidHydra. Many fans are trying to get the word out on The Sims 2 BBS about TSR’s actions, but the threads do not stay up for long. They are quickly deleted by the Maxoids. In fact, there were so many threads, that Hydra had to step in with the following message:
It would seem some of our community members don’t have anything better to do today other than post off topic threads and hijack old discussions that happened earlier in the month. We’ve spent the whole morning trying to keep the boards clean.
Please do not post Off Topic threads or hijack existing threads. Continuing to do this will result in a temp ban.
Eesh. I hate playing the Bad Cop.
Forgive me Hydra, but the last time I checked, TSR stands for The SIMS Resource. Discussing the website isn’t deemed ‘off-topic’, and shouldn’t involve deleting threads. No rules were broken…fans are trying to keep it clean and civil. I mean, if you were going to delete the threads, wouldn’t you have to delete ANY thread which links or talks about fansite, good or bad news? No, of course not. I see threads there all the time guiding Simmers to various fan sites of the community. Leaving those up and just taking down the TSR threads….just feels hypocritical. Fans have a right to know what TSR is doing.
It seems that instead of trying to help solve this problem, the Maxoids are making it worse. An easy solution would have been, “We’re currently looking into this situation. We appreciate your concerns and will take your thoughts into consideration while we speak with TSR about the issue. In the meantime, please refrain from discussing until we can come up with a conclusion.” I don’t understand what is so difficult about posting a note similar to that. The worst thing about it is that they get paid! I do this stuff for free, and it only took one minute of my time to type out, and it would of settled things down! It’s not that hard to speak to the community, guys!
Im pretty annoyed too, I mean, ok, TSR has been around for 10 years and is probably the largest sims fansite around, but that doesn’t make them any more special than alot of the smaller fansites out there. Its not the size of the fansite that matters, Its just the fact that a site has been created by someone who wants to express their love of playing the sims. Therefore, no “one site” should get exclusive tools, especially a site which breaks EA’s EULA.
No, no I shouldn’t. It would then be the same problem just different target 😛 If anything, no fansite should have exclusives when it comes to tools from EA. It should be published on the official site so everyone can enjoy them. To use only one specific site, that would be called favoritism I believe…And as a company, EA/Maxis should not have a favorite site – all sites should be their favorites. However, if say, a maxoid were to be off-the-clock and use their own personal name, they would then have the right to list their favorite site. But on the clock, they are a representative and no such favorite should exist.
Yeah thats what I meant lol, I guess im just no good at getting my point across lol 😛
I’ve been reading posts on TSR Must Be Destroyed and Im soo shocked at what goes on, its like an episode of the hills lol! They’re such happy people *rolls eyes*.
This is low even for TSR. I’m glad there never were any real details in my account to begin with. There’s been bad blood between TSR and myself for years now. Actually, there’s bad blood between them and alot of my staff too considering we all left to form our own forum due to the BS that was going on at TSR at the time. It used to be nice there in 2000/2001 but around the time Sims 2 was announced it all seemed to go to hell. TSR glued their lips to EA’s rear and many big egos began to surface. Many at TSR pretty much became online bullies at that time and it was pathetic watching people who had been friends for years turn on each other. Some really nasty stuff went on and has been going on for years now.
The BBS is the BBS it hasn’t really changed at all. Everyone in modding community for TS1 had their little war with MaxoidLuc (Luc Barthelet) who tried to blame many of the bugs in the later expansion packs on the community when that simply wasn’t the truth. So to have a Maxoid talking out of their *** is nothing new.
It’s a curious relationship though considering how much EA seems to favor TSR over any other site. They must get a cut of the profit or something because there’s no logical reason for them to cater to TSR so much. Just look at how many from TSR ended up at the creator’s camp as the “best in the community” when there’s clearly more talented members of the community that don’t come from TSR. I’ve count 8 or 9 so far and that’s not including Steve.
You’d think Inge, Numenor, Pescado would be included as the best in the community. Okay, maybe not Pescado because him going to EA would cause reality to implode on itself. But it would be fun to watch just for the anarchy it would cause. I somehow picture Maxoids with pitchforks and torches should that ever happen.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying anyone who went wasn’t a great artist because I can’t honestly say that since I haven’t downloaded from TSR enough to notice. But there’s clearly people that would have benefited the community more than those from TSR. EA seems to play favorites and their definition of “best in community” seems to translate into “those who will kiss our *** to get here”
As far as the exclusive custom content tools. If it happens to be true and TSR are the only ones to get them I’m sure it won’t stay that way for long. EA is batting a thousand in the security department so any exclusive TSR get will be pirated fairly quickly. Not that it matters much anyways since the community will most likely make better tools than EA.
I would pay huge, huge money to see Pescado get a chance to go to EA. Think they got it bad now? Hahaha 😛
Lol, I’ve bookmarked this news post so that I can keep checking back to see what everyones saying lol. Anyway, yeah its always been the same, as far as im aware, TSR have been invited to every event, its as if they have priority over everyone else.
Yeah you must be really pro-EA to be invited to fan events. One time, after I made a report of an expansion event, they mailed me that it was too negative and that I should change it. I refused and was never again invited to oversea fanevents.
Fortunately, the Dutch EA is a lot less strickt in this and is much kinder.
I’d rather visit the Dutch events myself. Dutch EA seems to act a lot nicer than the US EA. In fact, from what I heard, they’ll even respond back to your emails (I can never get a response out of anyone here anymore – probably blacklisted my name :P)
I don’t want to sound like some anti-government Dale Gribble (Refer: King of the Hill, TV Show), but this does kinda scream cover up. TSR’s covering it’s own hide about a founder doing some naughty, naughty things, and Maxoids (People from Maxis?) are just rolling with it.
And no site should be allowed to break the EULA. And no site that does break the EULA should be so chummy with the group Maxis/EA itself. My personal beliefs is that there’s some sort of partnership between the two, and TSR can’t be sunk. Then again, these are simply thoughts. Everyone thinks, don’t they?
The Dutch EA is very oke indeed: quick respons to emails and if they dont have an answer they ask around untill they have an answer. Just a shame that its such a small office and sometimes have no time to update us (fansites) with scoops like screens – artworks etc.