Rest In Peace Maxis

[SemiaCloud]

You may have noticed that maxis was shut down by the stupid #@!*$%^ at !#%@*&% EA.

R.I.P. Maxis.

[rtxoff]

No wonder after the last SimCity debacle.

[WinkAllKerb'']

such a mess ... sad story(ies) ... between the line(s)

[SemiaCloud]

No wonder after the last SimCity debacle.

One incident is no reason to shutdown the whole studio. I think it is about time. *grabs pitchfork*

[WinkAllKerb'']

investissor, managers reject there faults, and awfull behaviour, choices and directives on devs teams and families while they continue attempting reproducing the same choice with some other titles not seeing the disminishing return ... mostly ...

Edited June 2, 2015 by WinkAllKerb''

[Zephyriel]

The only thing that interested me from Maxis was Spore, and I lost hope for a sequel a long time ago.

[Ethanadams]

R.I.P mirrors edge (partly) because if they make a second one with ea owning dice its probably not going to be good

[SemiaCloud]

The only thing that interested me from Maxis was Spore, and I lost hope for a sequel a long time ago.

Same.

[pxi]

It's relatively old news now, but it's still a pity. Maxis's Sim games were a big part of my childhood.

[Fizwalker]

One incident is no reason to shutdown the whole studio. I think it is about time. *grabs pitchfork*

It wasn't just the last SimCity, but SimCity Societies before that and Sims 4. So... Basicly the last 3 titles on the PC. While it saddens me that they clised Maxis, I can't really say this surprises me.

When I first started to play computer games, SimCity was the first, and the series has been a constant in my library. Frankly, EA either never got, or forgot what made it good and thought that graphics alone would make them money (huge over simplification, I realize) and I don't think EA gets the average PC gamer. I think we like complexity, otherwise we'd be on a console.

EA is fixated on consoles, and the PC is a side market. I've liked the Bioware games, and I hope EA doesn't screw that up.

[segaprophet]

LGR - EA Shuts Down Maxis…

[Vanamonde]

Despite the name, it hadn't really been the classic old Maxis for quite some time. I'm sad about the company that made SimLife, and stuff like that, but not about the people who made The Sims as a cash cow.

[Flymetothemun]

Despite the name, it hadn't really been the classic old Maxis for quite some time. I'm sad about the company that made SimLife, and stuff like that, but not about the people who made The Sims as a cash cow.

Yeah, I've always been a fan of Maxis's work and mourning it's death now is like mourning the death of a zombie. It was totally gutted from it's unique self to basically a satellite of EA.

[Randox]

I'll have to agree with those above me. While I am sad to see Maxis go, the truth is Maxis as we used to know it hasn't existed for some time. The cruel twist in all this is that I doubt very much that the Maxis studio is responsible for the troubles experienced by their recent titles. They took their marching orders from EA as essentially just another EA developer. That is to say, I don't blame you Maxis, it wasn't your fault.

[adsii1970]

One incident is no reason to shutdown the whole studio. I think it is about time. *grabs pitchfork*

But it wasn't just one "incident" but several. I am a huge SimCity fan since the original release (SimCity with the clunky box graphics). SimCity 3000 had a few bugs and required a couple of patches just to make the game playable. SimCity 4 had four Maxis patches just to make the original release compatible with their own update (and the fan base at numerous sites began to mod the game even more to make it even better). Then there was SimSocieties which Maxis originally claimed was to be the elusive SimCity 5 just to ignore their own claim when SimSocieties bombed (it sucked really bad). Then there was the recent release of SimCity 5, which I didn't even bother to purchase. SimCity 4 had so much potential...

When Cities: Skylines came out, it really appealed to die-hard SimCity players. It seems that nearly every complaint we had about the Maxis SimCity franchise was answered by another game studio. Unfortunately, EA Games has, for the past fifteen years, spent more in developing first person shooter and sports related games rather than invest in the Maxis brand and simulator gaming. I know that many gamers enjoy first person shooters and sports, I prefer the challenges of simulation games (except Goat Simulator... i mean, really... ) If Squad ever wanted a way to destroy KSP, then just study Maxis...

[Specialist290]

Despite the name, it hadn't really been the classic old Maxis for quite some time. I'm sad about the company that made SimLife, and stuff like that, but not about the people who made The Sims as a cash cow.

Going to second this sentiment. Back in the day I used to love all the different ideas they had, back when they focused on proper simulation games (though I never did get the chance to try 'em all). Unfortunately, they got into a rut with rehashes of SimCity and The Sims -- both of which were admittedly quite fresh when I first found out about them, but I didn't feel the latest iterations of either added enough to be worth distinct sequels.

[Fizwalker]

While there were issues with SimCity 4, I really enjoyed the game. I think the series peaked there and I still play around with the Sims 3. (I need to find my copy of SC4 again... ) I enjoyed SimAnt... SimEarth, and I wish I had tried SimLife.... but others have said this, nothing that innovative has come out of Maxis in a long time. I kinda miss those games ..

[adsii1970]

While there were issues with SimCity 4, I really enjoyed the game. I think the series peaked there and I still play around with the Sims 3. (I need to find my copy of SC4 again... ) I enjoyed SimAnt... SimEarth, and I wish I had tried SimLife.... but others have said this, nothing that innovative has come out of Maxis in a long time. I kinda miss those games ..

I never tried SimAnt, but did do SimGolf for a while. The Sims, the one released at the same time as SimCity 4 was a really neat concept that Maxis/EA could have developed more. It was kind of neat to be able to get a SimCitizen's opinion of the city. SimLife was pretty awesome when it came out and it gave the player the ability to tweak a planet's evolutionary model; I remember one time I actually evolved - FROGS! Yes, folks, a planet where FROGS were the sentient species ... I read somewhere that SimLife was the basis for SPORE; so I did buy the game. It worked ok until you got into the space age. From there, the game got a little lame. I was really looking forward to the much hyped and advertised SimMars, but the game was pulled during development.

Going to second this sentiment. Back in the day I used to love all the different ideas they had, back when they focused on proper simulation games (though I never did get the chance to try 'em all). Unfortunately, they got into a rut with rehashes of SimCity and The Sims -- both of which were admittedly quite fresh when I first found out about them, but I didn't feel the latest iterations of either added enough to be worth distinct sequels.

I agree wholeheartedly. SimCity 3000 and SimCity 4 were great games but besides some visual updates, were virtually the same game. The Sims (1, 2, and 3) were nearly the same and probably 2 and 3 could have been add-on packages to the first game since neither the graphics, basic game play, or features changed in any remarkable way. But by 2000, Maxis was also being challenged by other simulation games - Tropico (and it has become a little stale, too), Roller Coaster Tycoon (which has also become a little stale in its three revisions), and Zoo Tycoon (Microsoft's attempt to do something other than its Flight Simulator and Train Simulator). I hope that when the decision is made to do a KSP 2, it is more than updated graphics and a few new trinkets...

[The D Train]

SimTower and SimCopter. Spent many a childhood day playing those two.

[viktor19]

It wasn't just the last SimCity, but SimCity Societies before that and Sims 4. So... Basicly the last 3 titles on the PC. While it saddens me that they clised Maxis, I can't really say this surprises me.

When I first started to play computer games, SimCity was the first, and the series has been a constant in my library. Frankly, EA either never got, or forgot what made it good and thought that graphics alone would make them money (huge over simplification, I realize) and I don't think EA gets the average PC gamer. I think we like complexity, otherwise we'd be on a console.

EA is fixated on consoles, and the PC is a side market. I've liked the Bioware games, and I hope EA doesn't screw that up.

I think that it's no coincidence that SimCity installments' quality went nosedive after EA started to influence Maxis more.

EA leadership knows that only good graphics isn't enough. But hey, we live in a capitalist world - they make money from half-finished game, and that's all that matters to them.

And about the EA's primary focus on console market: it took Rockstar 573 days to publish PC version of GTA V! They neglected the very thing that made GTA popular, the PC, because the were trying to milk the last of the console market.

Edited June 9, 2015 by viktor19

[Whirligig Girl]

I would just like to mention that no one on this forum should hate The Sims 4, because there are rocketships in it. Sure, they're unrealistic and cartoony, but still, they're rocketships. And astronauts.

EDIT:

I often forget how sarcasm can not easily be portrayed through the medium of text.

Edited June 9, 2015 by GregroxMun

[Kinglet]

I am not upset about maxis being closed. I am rather happy, as no games is better than horrid games hinting towards happy old times.

[pxi]

I would just like to mention that no one on this forum should hate The Sims 4, because there are rocketships in it. Sure, they're unrealistic and cartoony, but still, they're rocketships. And astronauts.

Sadly, for me that is not enough. I care about quality games. KSP is a quality game that does something innovative. Sims 4 seems to offer less than Sims 3, that's why I don't find it attractive. I'm more than happy to throw money at developers, as long as they do more than iterate on an idea that's already been done.

I could make the same argument about Sims 3, because it lets you be a hacker, but really, I'd rather play Uplink.

Edited June 9, 2015 by pxi

[Whirligig Girl]

Sadly, for me that is not enough. I care about quality games. KSP is a quality game that does something innovative. Sims 4 seems to offer less than Sims 3, that's why I don't find it attractive. I'm more than happy to throw money at developers, as long as they do more than iterate on an idea that's already been done.

I could make the same argument about Sims 3, because it lets you be a hacker, but really, I'd rather play Uplink.

I often forget how sarcasm can not easily be portrayed through the medium of text.

[pxi]

To be fair, I've recently been spending so much time on reddit, where most every post clearly delineates sarcasm with a /s on the end of the statement, that not seeing it leads me to unquestioningly assume the author is being serious.

I probably should re-adjust my sarcasm detector.