Interview with Don Hopkins
by Alphaville Herald on 12/02/04 at 3:20 pm
In this interview, Don Hopkins describes his early days on the Sims development team with Will Wright (back when the project was called Dollhouse) and the difficulties the team had fighting EA’s attempts to terminate the project, and then preventing EA from gutting it of interesting content (like architecture tools). Even now, he claims that EA fails to respect Will Wright and his vision by not developing custom content for TSO, and that it has shown no interest in a tool that he (Hopkins) created that would allow users to safely create custom objects that won’t crash the game.
Overview of the Interview — some headline quotes:
“I recall that one of our most difficult accomplishments was convincing EA not to cancel the project, because some of the EA old guard didn’t trust nor respect Will’s vision, didn’t “get” the idea of Dollhouse, didn’t think it would sell, wanted to inject it full of their old tried and trusted formula, and wanted to gut out the most interesting parts of the game (like the architecture tools). I think it’s a lucky fluke that The Sims ever shipped, and I hope EA has learned enough from their experience to trust the projects that Will is directly involved in, listen to what he’s been saying eloquently and consistently for years, and let something like The Sims happen again.”
” I don’t think the lack of user created content is the only reason The Sims Online is a failure, but I think it’s an extremely important one that EA went out on a limb and promised, but never executed on. EA still hasn’t officially announced that they’re not going to let Maxis support user created content, but as far as I have been able to tell, they’ve whitewashed the original discussion groups where they made and discussed the promise. I realize that there are some difficult technical issues that have to be solved, in order to support user created content in an online game like The Sims Online. That’s why I wrote this proposal for SafeTMog, a tool that would enable users to safely create objects for The Sims Online that could not possibly crash the game: http://www.donhopkins.com/2004/02/05.html#a72“
“Unfortunately EA was not apparently interested in SafeTMog, which leads me to believe that they’re not interested in ever supporting user created content in The Sims Online. I don’t know why Maxis never executed on the plan they promised, but I do believe they disregarded and didn’t respect Will Wright’s opinion in this matter, which he clearly articulated. I don’t think the problem was a lack of resources – just the opposite. So much conservative money was bet on the project that it wasn’t allowed to innovate. I don’t believe it was ineptitude at the engineering or design level, but more likely at the executive management, resource allocation and marketing level. My impression is that some of the people in charge didn’t believe in Will’s vision, didn’t trust him, didn’t listen to him, didn’t do what he’s been saying for years, all along. I wish EA would have taken some of the millions of dollars they made from The Sims 1, and invested it back in fully developing The Sims Online, instead of sucking it out of Maxis to support the rest of EA.”
Meanie
Feb 12th, 2004
You know what I have to agree here. 1000%1
Cocoanut
Feb 12th, 2004
“The original idea behind The Sims was to support user created content, but I believe Maxis shipped The Sims Online too early, and gave up too easily, before even beginning to execute on the essential, already-promised features that would ensure its success. . . I think it’s essential for EA to 1) keep the promises they make to the users, 2) listen to the users’ opinions, and 3) faithfully give the users what they want . . . I believe that EA lost the faith and goodwill of The Sims Online users, which caused fewer sign-ups, loss of interest, canceled subscriptions, and the failure of The Sims Online.”
I so agree!
“I wish that EA would stop treating their customers like a bunch of kids . . . EA should respect and respond to their customers’ needs and desires, instead of telling them how they should play.”
Agree again.
“My impression is that some of the people in charge didn’t believe in Will’s vision, didn’t trust him, didn’t listen to him, didn’t do what he’s been saying for years, all along. I wish EA would have taken some of the millions of dollars they made from The Sims 1, and invested it back in fully developing The Sims Online, instead of sucking it out of Maxis to support the rest of EA.”
For sure!
But – why does Don Hopkins act coy about the use of maze bots and other bots? First off, I don’t agree that making them and using them yourself renders null the notion that they are third-party programs: 1 = the game, 2 = you the player, and 3 = you the bot maker or the bot itself. And that’s just one argument.
Why would he encourage everyone to learn how to do this? What can possibly be gained by putting too much money into the game too fast? I don’t think I like his apparent philosophy regarding this, in any game.
coco
TrickSh0t
Feb 12th, 2004
Absolutely facinating.
I love reading behind the scenes information, even if it isn’t readily verifiable. This recounting sounds like it has the ring of truth.
RB
Feb 12th, 2004
Absoloutley fascinating Indeed it is. =) enjoyable reading.
there is far too much to quote and reply too, so i will just say im 100% in agreement with Mr Hopkins comments and thoughts =)
- RB
A comedy central viewer
Feb 13th, 2004
Dude. I just saw your interview on Comedy Central. What a crazy fuck you are. Get over it. It’s just a game. Get a life.
Maria LaVeaux
Feb 13th, 2004
Don:
“”I recall that one of our most difficult accomplishments was convincing EA not to cancel the project, because some of the EA old guard didn’t trust nor respect Will’s vision, didn’t “get” the idea of Dollhouse, didn’t think it would sell, wanted to inject it full of their old tried and trusted formula, and wanted to gut out the most interesting parts of the game (like the architecture tools). I think it’s a lucky fluke that The Sims ever shipped, and I hope EA has learned enough from their experience to trust the projects that Will is directly involved in, listen to what he’s been saying eloquently and consistently for years, and let something like The Sims happen again.”"
I think this says just about everything that needs to BE said regarding why TSO is in the state it is.
“There is a rule in the TSO terms of service agreement against using “third-party utilities” with The Sims Online. Utilities you write yourself are not “third-party”, by definition. I always encourage everyone to learn how to program. No further comment at this time. ”
This is a little bit of Cheezey legal trickery. A tecnicality in wording that some would try to exploit, but this sort of arguement doesn’t fly as the INTENT of the TOS clause is clear. I think if you check with the corporate layers who have posted elsewhere in AVH, they will tell you that “Third Party Program” Is an acceptable Legal Description of any tool or utility not created by the Main Programs originator Regardless of Who created the utility. Their use is Clearly forbidden.
“You can’t charge me with Manslaughter officer, I killed a woman, not a man.”
I think we just file this one under “Nice Try”.
Maria
TSKELLI
Feb 13th, 2004
“I think if you check with the corporate layers who have posted elsewhere in AVH, they will tell you that “Third Party Program” Is an acceptable Legal Description of any tool or utility not created by the Main Programs originator Regardless of Who created the utility. Their use is Clearly forbidden.”
i agree, Mistress Maria, that “third party” for these purposes would likely be construed to mean anything other than that which is created by, or otherwise sanctioned by, EA/Maxis. The wording is nevertheless interesting, and i wonder if someone at EA legal has been reading Don’s post and will propose a rewording of the TOS (which, per the TOS, EA can do at any time without O/our consent).
kelli
toy
Feb 13th, 2004
hmmmm a reworded TOS? would that mean everyone would have to be booted until they agreed to it or is there a stipulation in the current TOS allowing EA to change it at will?
toy
TSKELLI
Feb 13th, 2004
“hmmmm a reworded TOS? would that mean everyone would have to be booted until they agreed to it or is there a stipulation in the current TOS allowing EA to change it at will?
”
sister toy –
unfortunately it is the latter. See the Member Agreement below:
“EA.com Inc. may update or revise the Membership Agreement at any time. By becoming a Member of EA.com, you agree that EA.com Inc. may change the terms of this Membership Agreement. If we revise the Membership Agreement, such revision shall be effective thirty (30) days after posting the new Membership Agreement on EA.com. You agree to review the Membership Agreement periodically to become aware of such revisions. You can view the Membership Agreement at any time by clicking on the Terms of Service link at the bottom of our EA.com home page. Your continued use of the Service thirty (30) days after a revised Agreement is posted on EA.com will mean that you accept all such revisions. If you don’t agree to the changes, or to any of the terms in this Membership Agreement, your only remedy is to cancel your Account (or subscription to a particular area or game).”
Legally, this means that if you choose to continue to use the service 30 days after the change to the Agreement, you are *deemed* by your action to have agreed to the changes.
kelli
Beatty
Feb 14th, 2004
EA better turn this around…im not sure if they realize how much this game can make them money wise if they just put their brains into it (do they have brains?) anyways…lets hope they get their acts together!
Lady Julianna
Feb 16th, 2004
I for one want to say that I love this game. I have been playing it since November 2002. We have lost the players for whom this game is not appropriate. What is left is a hardcore group of players who understand that this is a social game, and a playground to make our own in-game experiences.
Please get it together EA and recognize what you have here. You have a small group of people who may never leave. That is something that EQ or other games do not have.
Build on that, attract more like us, and your retirement fund is safe.
TSKELLI
Feb 16th, 2004
~applauds Lady Julianna from her chess table, smiling~
Hear, hear, Lady Julianna!
kelli
Peter Ludlow
Feb 16th, 2004
Discussion of this interview is on Stratics here:
http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/sims/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=tsogeneral&Number=69089&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&what2=postlist&fpart=
Dyerbrook
Feb 16th, 2004
Re: “We have lost the players for whom this game is not appropriate. What is left is a hardcore group of players who understand that this is a social game, and a playground to make our own in-game experiences.
Please get it together EA and recognize what you have here. You have a small group of people who may never leave. That is something that EQ or other games do not have.
Build on that, attract more like us, and your retirement fund is safe.
”
Ugh. No, Maxis, on second thought, shut it down.
Maria LaVeaux
Feb 17th, 2004
Dyers answer to everything:
“Ugh. No, Maxis, on second thought, shut it down.”
Or roughly translated, “Play my way, or not at all”
How Predictable of him.
Maria.
toy
Feb 17th, 2004
oh goodness dyer……. are you really that self-centered that you think TSO must be played by only your rules…. You have mentioned you live in NY. There are so many different people there, so many different ways people live their lives in NY. How can you possibly co-exist with them if they dont adhere to your strict guidelines as how they should live and behave?
no, toy expects no answers from you…. you have made it quite clear in previous posts that you are ‘above’ talking, or answering a slaves questions. A bit Domish wouldnt you say? The diference being though, both Dom’s Domme’s Master’s and Mistress’ DO answer this slaves questions, and they do enjoy sharing ideas and thoughts with this girl.. this perhaps comes from your own misconceptions of what a slave is, who can ever know this, since you refuse to answer questions. toy will close by once again saying that this slave pities you dyer, and will say a pray for you tonight
falara kajira toy
Maria LaVeaux
Feb 17th, 2004
Uri,
I read the content on the Sratics link,,, they don’t seem to like you very much. But for all their Criticism of the AVH the one point they seem to have missed is;
You got the Interview. Not EA, Not Stratics, and Not any of your Detractors there.
While they were making post after post wondering just what the H*ll EA/Maxis was playing at. Uri got them the answers.
Interesting that they stil don’t seem to se the Value in what you do, but then, some people just don’t like Controversy. It disturbs their Illusions too much.
Maria.
urizenus
Feb 17th, 2004
Reporters that I talk to tell me to expect that attitude. And now I see that some of those Stratics Board critics are writing letters to the Prez of Michigan to try and get me fired or in trouble or something, lol. Hey, if I got fired I could do this Full Time! Wooot!
toy
Feb 18th, 2004
toy thinks you could retire and do this full time from the lawsuit Uri
Maria LaVeaux
Feb 18th, 2004
I do believe my toy is correct,, such letters, if not annonymous Would indeed be actionable.
Maria.
Urizenus
Feb 18th, 2004
Don Hopkins just sent me the following post, which he posted on the Stratics link mentioned above:
Ina Me hit the nail on the head: “To me the bottom line is that it was promised to us.”
This has nothing to do with me or my credibility. It has nothing to do with the Alphaville Herald or Peter Ludow. He just asked the right questions at the right time, and I answered them as fully and honestly as I could. I welcome and encourage anyone from Maxis or EA to finally answer these questions which have been repeatedly raised in this and other forums.
TonyCeponi, do you work for EA’s public relations department? If so, I really wish you would listen to what Will Wright has been saying for years, before you go around telling people that the opinions of The Sims Online players don’t matter unless they actually worked for EA.
Tony said about me:
“This guy doesn’t work for TSO, and therefore, I can’t say that he can simply request that his new program be implemented as if he is any different than us players.”
“But he isn’t different, he is just like us because he doesn’t work for this game”
It shouldn’t matter whether or not I’ve worked on TSO — EA should listen to your opinions just as much as they listen mine or any other player’s opinions.
The central issue here is not which person or web site published those opinions, but whether or not the opinions are valid, and whether or not EA is listening to their players. It’s my opinion that EA is NOT LISTENING to their PAYING CUSTOMERS, and they’re also NOT LISTENING TO WILL WRIGHT.
I’ve worked for EA on The Sims, Transmogrifier and TSO, and apparently all the work I’ve done with custom content and my opinion as a software engineer doesn’t matter, so it’s out of my hands. It’s up to all of us as players to tell EA what we want, and take control of the game we’ve been promised and are paying for. The ball is in our court! We have a mandate to make ourselves heard, from Will Wright himself:
GameSpot quotes The Sims designers Will Wright and Chris Trottier as saying the following:
Wright, however, cautions that he wants to let players decide how to evolve the world. >>> he posits. >>> Instead, players need to build covenants with each other and establish the conventions of the world over time. >>> Wright explains. >>> With The Sims Online, Wright believes the community will form in a way similar to the one formed around Slashdot.org, the popular technology news site. >>> Ultimately, The Sims Online could turn into a similar self-governing world, and Wright and his team could sit back and watch it evolve over time. >>> says Trottier.
Will Wright’s statements are quite unambiguous, and leave absolutely zero wiggle room to justify EA treating its paying customers with contempt. Will Wright’s opinion certainly matters, and EA should execute on it instead of just giving it lip service. Instead of ignoring and marginalizing Will Wright along with all the paying customers they seem to hold in such contempt, EA should listen to Will Wright because he’s 100% correct on this point that he’s so eloquently made, time and again, in public.
So to summarize my point by paraphrasing Will Wright’s own words: >>>
I take what Will says as a mandate that we as players are OBLIGED to participate in the design process, just as we as voters have an obligation to participate in the election. The Supreme Court of EA cannot take that decision out of our hands, while at the same time giving lip service to “listening to the players”.
It’s EA’s choice to make, whether they want to “sit back and watch it evolve over time” like Will wants, or just sit back and watch it die a slow painful death, like they’ve been doing. But whatever happens, they’re going to have to answer to their stockholders.
Talk is cheap. Execution counts. EA has totally dropped the ball.
-Don
the big wing
Feb 27th, 2004
maxis has the worst website on the net. worst support of any major game maker. i am very disappointed whenever i have contact with them.