Three days ago a Maxis official posted something on the BBS of the official site with some things in it about The Sims Deluxe. They aren't too good for us loyal fans, as basically it says the same as the press release - and that Maxis has, in their opinion, put in a lot of time and effort. It also says that there is a rebate coupon of $10 included with the pack, but as we know that only counts for people in the US or Canada, with original proof of purchase and that the action is only valid until the end of this year. It may not be just a compilation of The Sims and Livin' Large, but still it doesn't sound worth another $30 or even $40. You still have to buy the game and the expansion pack again if all you want are just a few extras. And that costs you $40, only a few lucky people will be able to get $10 back. And I still think it are only just a few extras, as 25 objects and 50 clothing options may sound nice, but in the end you will probably be disappointed.
Here's the full post from Maxis:
"There has been a lot of manic discussion about The Sims Deluxe Edition on these boards over the last week or so, and I just wanted to step forward and set a few things straight so that the discussion gets back on a more positive track. We understand some of you are still debating the value of purchasing The Sims Deluxe Edition, so I'd like to give you a few facts about the product.They could've posted the press release again and we'd have known the same. Why should an "integrated upgrade and expansion pack" cost more than a full expansion pack like Unleashed - which sounds like a much bigger upgrade with the community areas being added, as well as pets and gardening. That expansion sounds to be costing a lot more work for them, but you pay less than Deluxe. OK, you get the game that you already have and that isn't broken again, but what use is that? You have the same thing twice, you can only really use one of them at a time. In my opinion, The Sims Deluxe still sounds like a rip-off, especially to us Europeans who can't even get the rebate at all, and have never been able to participate in competitions either. So, the actions are continuing, the petition is still online, and we hope that Maxis and EA will actually listen to their customers for a change.
"In addition to The Sims and The Sims Livin' Large', there are over 25 new objects and over 50 clothing choices included that are exclusive to The Sims Deluxe Edition. In addition, there is also an all-new customization tool for creating Sim characters, The Sims Creator. While The Sims Deluxe Edition is an excellent way to begin for someone who's never played The Sims, it's also a significant expansion pack to anyone who already owns the game. Not only are there new objects and clothing choices available, you will also get The Sims Creator tool that allows you to customize your Sim to a new level of detail. Something else important to note, as a way of thanking our loyal Sims fans for purchasing The Sims Deluxe Edition with all its new content, we are also including a rebate coupon for $10 off for people who already own The Sims. This brings the $39.99 price down to $29.99.
"We hope our loyal Sims fans will see that we have put an immense amount of time into working on added content to The Sims Deluxe Edition. It does not simply function as a compilation of The Sims and Livin' Large, but as a much more integrated upgrade and expansion pack, with fresh content and a new utility that will give our players an even greater level of customizability to their Sims. For those of you who decide that the new content is not worth $29.99, you might want to consider the next expansion pack, The Sims Unleashed, as the next addition to your Sims family."
Written at 23:08 on Monday, 26 August 2002 by ChEeTaH.
