What are the chances of EA making modding illegal in the future?

[jthm_nny]

It would be a terrible move, and I imagine they won't get any people buying from them anymore. Would they become stupid enough to do it?

[ButchSims]

I would say slim to none. They realize that mods and CC are are huge reason why the Sims has retained it's popularity. Also, they can mine the best CC for ideas. There was a pair of leather pants with zippers that looks remarkably like a pair of CC ones I've had for years

[Srikandi]

Some kinds of modding (and mod tool development) already violate the EULA ("reverse engineering" etc.). They decided a long time ago not to attempt to enforce that provision, and it is probably too late to start now, not that I can imagine why they would want to.

[game90]

Illegal or not, people will still do it.

[DigitalSympathies]

It's just like jaywalking and speeding. Illegal in most places, yet people still do them.

[ksstrek]

I wouldn't play without mods. I imagine lots of other folks wouldn't either. The profit margin would go down. Besides, why should the company care what I do with my stand alone game in the privacy of my home? I paid for the game and if I want to alter it, it should be my prerogative.

[Johnny_Bravo]

Downloading, Marijuana, Cokaine and other drugs and sharing you can think of is mostly illegal. But we do it. So even if EA would make it illegal, we'd still do it, OR they can abandon the Sims.

[christmas fear]

EA can write laws now?

[Sunshine021]

EA aren't that dumb, are they? >.>;

[Inge Jones]

When Sims 4 comes out, if it is multiplayer/online world then that will probably preclude behaviour mods, though they may, like with TSO, allow users to upload new models, using a standard EA behaviour for the object type. However it is unlikely they would bother to waste money trying to stem unofficial mods for the existing games, when they must realise how hard it would be to police.

[DuskTrooper]

They realize that mods and CC are are huge reason why the Sims has retained it's popularity.

Is that why they outsourced the installations of individual .package files by default and making it so that the player must install a game 'hack' in order to enabled installation of such file types? :report:

[Rock Chick]

Modding has probably kept the sims series alive over the years, it is unlikely EA would be short sighted and suicidal enough to try and rule it out.
EA of course wants to maximise their profit by steering people towards their own store content, be daft not to as far as they are concerned.
What I feel EA are missing is that plenty of sims fans would buy their stuff as well as aquire CC anyway because people love the variety and choice and that's what happened with Sims 2.
I am annoyed that a lot of casual creators are put off by Sims 3 being more complicated to mod and that's a real pity because our choice is a lot slimmer with Sims 3 and we're missing out on a lot of good ideas because it's more hassle than some people can afford time for.


Well it seems that way to me, I'm certainly someone who has less time to fiddle about learning new ways to make stuff, and I used to love churning out CC for Sims 2 (that may or may not have been a good thing!!)
It feels more like a chore to make anything now...that could be just my aging brain though.

I hope Sims 4 is more modder friendly. One of the major reasons for the Sims longevity, I think, is the way it has been something each individual can mould to their own tastes.

That's my tuppence worth anyway. :D

[iheartcowcapoos]

I am annoyed that a lot of casual creators are put off by Sims 3 being more complicated to mod and that's a real pity because our choice is a lot slimmer with Sims 3 and we're missing out on a lot of good ideas because it's more hassle than some people can afford time for.

i've felt this way for a long time. i still feel like there were so many more things available to download here for TS2 by this time in TS2 series. TS3 has been lacking. there's less stuff and the quality of some things aren't as good (no offense to any creators, it's nothing i've seen here but on other sites i've seen some really sad looking stuff) any even some of my favorite creators for TS2 that used to make hair, make up, skins, and clothes for TS2 only make hair now for TS3 because EA has made it more difficult for creators. and i can understand that because when i was finally starting to figure out how to make half decent looking things with the body shop, they released the sims 3 on me!

but back on the main topic. EA would be crazy to make it illegal. or rather try to say it violates copyright laws or anything. i don't even know how CC would be considered a violation of copyright, modding maybe because it alters the way the game is played, but CC at the very least i can't see violating anything like that. the things people create are, well, THEIR creations. i can't imagine EA really having a case there.
i don't think i could live without CC. i remember playing TS3 base game when it first came out and feeling really bored/frustrated because i had to use EA's hideous hairs and clothes. the only thing that helped was the CASt system. at least that way i could make that throw-up pink shirt a decent color. or those baby-poo green shoes black

[lulume]

The possibility is always there for new laws to be written. EA itself probably doesn't have the clout to get legislation introduced, but if enough gaming companies got on board, there are possibilities. We've seen this with Hollywood movie studios and SOPA.

But unlike movie studios, a lot of game companies welcome modders and even build support for mods into their games. A strong modding community can encourage players to buy a game.

Piracy is of far greater concern than users making a few pieces of custom content that don't work without the game. Now, mods that can be construed to enable piracy are another issue, and they are probably already illegal but simply not worth it, or too difficult, to prosecute.

There's lots of fun stuff going on in U.S. IP law right now. We'll see what shakes out in a few years.

[PhenethyaSim]

i've felt this way for a long time. i still feel like there were so many more things available to download here for TS2 by this time in TS2 series. TS3 has been lacking. there's less stuff and the quality of some things aren't as good (no offense to any creators, it's nothing i've seen here but on other sites i've seen some really sad looking stuff) any even some of my favorite creators for TS2 that used to make hair, make up, skins, and clothes for TS2 only make hair now for TS3 because EA has made it more difficult for creators.
While I understand that what your saying is accurate I feel very differently. Yes it may have been easier to mod and create for TS2 but EA didn't make it harder to create CC intentionally. I think a large part of that was unintentional. TS3 is just more difficult to mod and make cc for because thats what happens when when you have a game with new and different, and more complex coding and such. I think If EA intended for it to be difficult to mod we would be essentially screwed.

[eskie227]

EA can write laws now?

They don't have to write a law. They just have to change their EULA, which gives the user (yes, you're a user, not really an owner, if you carefully read the EULAs on many software packages, not just games) permission to use the software in a proscribed manner.

As Srikandi already pointed out, some mods and modding techniques presently in use violate the current EULA. EA may not choose to enforce it now, but that could change in the future, especially with a new edition of the Sims. They can also change a new version of the Sims to be exceptionally difficult to hack/mod/develop content for. It's already been posted that TS3 is not nearly as user friendly to make content for as TS2 was. While I have no "proof", it's hard to believe that was just some innocent choice by EA, especially given their clear intent of being the "go to" people if you want new stuff for your game. Let's face it, making it harder to create content, and even install content encourages users, especially casual players, to use their Sims Store for stuff. Remember, TS3 only got "native" support for user mods around ~Ambitions (?) when they gave the the game the ability to recognize a "mod" folder in Documents, no longer requiring some fancy framework with a dx9.dll (? something like that, I forgot the exact file name by now) to be placed directly into the game program's bin.

IF TS4 were to require some type of "MMO" play, or by requiring interaction with their servers even if you're running this for yourself, and have elected to keep other "players" the hell out of you game, they could flip a switch at any time to block out any third party objects/mods. For some games, like playing a multiplayer shooter, it is actually a good thing to keep hacked objects out of the game, to avoid giving one player an unfair advantage over another. However, if I want multiplayer, I'll play a multiplayer game. The Sims is NOT a multiplayer game, and I'll be damned if I can't have a nice car from Fresh Prince in my game for my sim just so some stranger can play around in my hood. Then again, once it's multiplayer, it really wouldn't by MY hood anymore, would it? Which is why the Sims should not be taken in that direction. If it does, then I'm out of here and I'll waste my time playing some other game.

[DigitalSympathies]

If it's extremely difficult to mod, remember this: Nothing is ever modder-proof. We'll just build a stronger modder. ;)

[Laserai]

As was previously stated, the SIMS series has been largely successful particularly because of their massive modding base. To put an axe to a critical element like that would be a blow I personally do not think they can afford to lose.

Granted it might cause users to be more inclined to go to the online store for more content. On the contrary it may end up blowing up in their face and causing the series to plummet or even crash out of existence.

Hopefully, they will do the right thing and continue their success in the same manner they have done with SIMS 2 providing mod support and encouraging user creativity. As for an online direction, its not impossible to see mod support but it wouldn't be easy by any means. Most games do not support it for obvious ramifications so personally I wouldn't be too keen on the idea.

Still EA has managed to stay on the good side for most of us "simmers" so in the end we can only hope they can keep that successful legacy going. After all as I have often heard, "don't fix it if it ain't broke." :giggler: