Getting feedback from players is often an integral part of a developer's job, and the new Sims survey that was sent out to hardcore pro-life players is no exception. EA and Maxis have sent in questions about The Sims 4 and, it seems, The Sims 5, but many players have commented on how vague or suggestive the questions are and that they would like more feedback.
The Sims 4 poll does start with the standard, if vague, questions about players' general feelings about The Sims 4, and whether they recommend it or not. Players were also asked how they feel about the pace of adding content to the game, and what they would like to see in the future.
The format of the questions, as well as what exactly Maxis and EA are asking players, has piqued the interest of many players as they are concerned about how vague the questions are, ranging from "very satisfied" to "very dissatisfied", despite players want to give more nuanced answers.
You can watch Simmer Erin's video below, which shows some of the questions and answers available in the Sims poll that has been sent out to a select number of players.
Questions have also been asked about The Sims 4 base game going free-to-play and how players have responded to this change, along with general satisfaction with the amount of content in the base game and whether it's enough to "have fun with."
“I think a lot of the questions were too focused on the amount and pacing of the content,” says Sims forum user logion, “when they should be asking more about how fun their content is to play when it comes to different ways to play and how whether there's enough depth and development put into the game, not just whether there's enough content to be enjoyable."
Another telemwill player reports on the forums that they received the survey and that “there were opportunities to make comments. I've been asked several times why I chose the answer I did, which is a good sign for more specific feedback at the very least.
While some of the questions are quite vague, some of them seem to point towards The Sims 5. Maxis and EA may be gauging the interest of hardcore gamers in the ideas they are proposing for a new approach to the lifestyle game. Questions like “I prefer video games that allow me to create my own world” versus “I prefer video games that have a story that I can get immersed in.”
Again, weighing these two options against each other doesn't appreciate people who like both, as having to choose between them overloads the answers. But again, this poll doesn't mean that The Sims 5 development will be changed, nor does it explain exactly what it will look like, as it's more of an assessment of the interests of the player base than anything else.
I wouldn't worry about The Sims 5 based on this poll, even if it was worded and presented in a way that seems to limit the scope of answers and completely ignore external factors. The Sims 5 is currently being playtested as well, so I'd venture a guess that feedback on it is of great value to EA and Maxis.
