A TSR puppet/employee** has made a post on the BBS, before we take this post as a newsworthy, let us take a closer look on what it actually says:
- “There is no change to our End User License Agreement” – says it all really..
- “We strive to provide players with tools that enable them to customize and personalize their game experience.”- Bodyshop and Homecrafter.
- “Sharing art online is a hobby” – Not a business!
- “These artists set their own terms for how they want to share their talents with the community at large. Those terms should be respected by other players.” - So if TSR follow these guidelines, they will no doubt be removing all work from artists who do not wish to share/sell it on TSR, in addition they will allow all artists the control to remove their own creations. I have a feeling TSR will adhere to this about as closely as they adhered to the EULA.
- “Whether players choose to share their original artistic creations with the community is up to them” Not up to TSR then? This should mean that Aikea, gelydh and many others will finally get their creations removed as requested.
- “original artistic creations” – keyword being ‘original’, not modified maxis meshes we already bought with the game that are resold back to us, not rehashed poser meshes, not designer labels, not Disney/Bratz/my little pony, not movie/TV franchises, not photographs of celeb faces stuck onto sims, not photo-skinned clothing, not even the mona lisa, which believe it or not was actually painted by DaVinci between 1503-1519, and not by TSR Chaz who started selling it as his own work in 2005!
- ”Original” original, as in not stolen from another artist/photographer. Jeans by Levi are designed by Levi and are not original designs owned by TSR and its ‘artists’. Textures are only original if created by the artist and not downloaded from google images or texture sites . Meshes are only original if they were created in whole by the artist not by Maxis. A face only belongs to you if it is stuck on your own neck.
If, ( and that is a big IF ) ’the sims team’ is anyone other than Steve & Co, the whole announcement post would be to say the EULA still stands because it disallows commercial use, however it is okay for artists to charge a fee/subscription to cover webcosts. TSR owners are neither artists, nor are they only charging money just to cover costs. Their advertising alone more than covers this, with plenty to spare. It also states we should respect the artists own terms when sharing their creations, something TSR has refused to do from the onset. The actual post as it stands still does not uphold any of TSRs illegal business practices.
Now let s take a look at what it did not say: - This is how the statement will would look when if EA affiliate themselves with TSR, thus sharing TSRs views and statements.
- EA legal have changed the EULA.
- TSR are now part of EA.
- EA fully endorse the sharing of paypal details, home addresses, and telephone numbers and we also encourage abusive phonecalls.
- We give TSR permission to sell work created with free community (non EA/Maxis ) made tools.
- We give TSR permission to sell work by any artist/designer/company in the world past or present without their permission.
- EA fully supports TSRs mission to be the only sims site. DDos and hacking any competition is fine by us at EA
- EA fully supports the use of trojans and trackers in TSR downloads.
- We at EA also grant permission to code these trojans to break users games ( and even damage their computers ) if they do not pay and download them from TSR.
- We at EA will allow you to pirate to sell our meshes so that you can afford stables, horses and that 2nd luxury dream home you have always wanted, and you do not even have to do any of the work yourself!
- We at EA hope you all die of ass cancer ( that comment was actually made by TSR STAFF MEMBER, BeosBoxBoy on his blog in keeping with the wholesome family image that is TSR.
- We at EA believe the sims community to be Nazis ( Again the words of TSR staff )
Until we see a statement more in keeping with what EA did not say, we have to concentrate on what they did say, which in fact was nothing newsworthy. TSR seem to think it is newsworthy though, Tom has offered extra incentive money to FA’s who post about it in their blog!
**employee = someone who receives money in exchange for doing a service.
UPDATE: Have you noticed the ’statement’ was made to coincide with TSR’s artist showcase on EA?
http://thesims3.ea.com/view/pages/home.jsp
WARNING: Link contains graphic images of DOTs lamps.
Awesome post, Coconut. I’ve been following this for a long time, and it’s good to see all these details finally coming out.
FWIW – I’ve just deleted the last of BeosBoxBoy’s crap from my game. Those comments were (as usual) far beyond any acceptable fuck-you.
Comment by Finn — March 7, 2009 @ 01:33
Lol Thomas give me money to post it on noukiesims2?
Comment by Nouk — March 7, 2009 @ 02:38
Thanks for the point by point analysis, coconut. Now we all have something to link to when people completely misinterpret and misrepresent what was that “announcement” actually was.
Comment by neriana — March 7, 2009 @ 03:00
“So if TSR follow these guidelines, they will no doubt be removing all work from artists who do not wish to share/sell it on TSR, in addition they will allow all artists the control to remove their own creations. I have a feeling TSR will adhere to this about as closely as they adhered to the EULA.”
I can guarantee that this will not happen as they just turned down a new request from me to remove my work from there. They did kindly delete my account as requested. Since they had changed the password, it was useless anyway.
Comment by Paleoanth — March 7, 2009 @ 03:43
Fantastic post, Coconut! I almost spewed soda all over my keyboard from laughing when I saw Drea’s “official post” on the BBS. If this is the announcement Thomas was pinning all of his hopes on, I’m afraid his state of denial is going to come crashing down at any moment. I was also hugely disappointed in BeosBoxBoy’s post (really, overreacting much?) and what may or may not have been Numenor’s response to it.
BTW, there was one line that I thought was worded strangely when I read it: “This is how the statement will look when EA affiliate themselves with TSR thus sharing TSRs views and statements.” Was “will” just a typo? As it is worded now, it seems to indicate that you do believe EA will eventually endorse TSR.
I particularly liked the fact that Drea is encouraging us to break the EULA. Guess piracy of the game is endorsed by a Maxoid now! Good to know.
Reply: Sorry, I must have been TSR brainwashed for a minute there! typo corrected and medication taken
-Coconut
Comment by Sigmund — March 7, 2009 @ 05:26
I had recently requested too that all of our work be removed but we were also declined by way of a standard yet polite ‘don’t be so ridiculous, you do all hard work, submit, we keep forever kaching mwah hahaha’ response. I am thinking of now opening up our own free website as I want to turn my back completely on TSR. I have pissed off my father, and have gone against his wishes, as I have just sent them a message of reply which is not so polite. I apologise Dad, but it’s something I had to do. And if I am grounded for the rest of my days for speaking of what I feel is right, then so be it!
The ’statements’ from Beos has left me seething in contempt for the pitiful fool that he is becoming. He is turning into a cliched parody of himself. If it really was Numenor that made the post in agreeance to Beos’s statement, then I am losing respect for him too. FUCK YOU Beos, you fudgepacker, and may your needledick drop off with an incurable cancer you ignorant asshole. Here, let me hand you a magnifying glass so that you’ll be able to find it once it’s dropped off. I am ashamed of you as you sent us some lovely messages of support when we were losing our mum. In fact, they were some of the nicest messages that we ever read. But now it feels like they meant nothing if that is how your attitude has changed. If you create shit, then you should expect to get shit thrown back at you you numbfuck.
Drea’s ’statement’ is bullshit. I only needed to read it once before I picked up on several flaws with said ’statement’. EA really allowed her to post it? Do they not bother to read it first anymore?
The Sims world represents a community of loyal fans. People who want to be able to just enjoy playing the game, making things for it and sharing the things that they create for it. Most of us do that for the love of the game. And I am pretty sure that the majority of us would never EVER dream of wanting to make money from our hobby. But as it seems that EA are agreeing that paysites are OK? Then I think I may give up Sims altogether. I am sure that there must be other games franchises out there that are much more enjoyable.
Because it’s things like this that are taking the fun out of playing and making things. I am part of the next generation of young players who want to say ‘Hey, look at what I can make, and can I share my stuff for free?’, but I am starting to wonder why am I bothering. Money gives you power it seems. If that is the case, then I forever want to be poor.
Comment by Lucy (Underage Pirate) — March 7, 2009 @ 06:12
I wanted to add about a strange coincidence with the challenges wizard going wrong in the week of this EA announcement. I am presuming that it is just a coincidence, but maybe they did something to it to make it possible to access our computers more easily? I was wondering because I play the challenges and upload stories using my dad’s computer as he has everything installed on his, I only have the base game on mine. I have been noticing how the computer is ‘acting up’ ever since this fiasco with the wizard happened. Once the wizard was fixed, I ran it, and it made a noise like something had completed being downloaded, but I cannot find out what it is. Has anybody else had these experiences or problems since the wizard was ‘fixed’? What makes me think that they have done something to it, is that they never made an announcement to say that there was a problem that they were trying to fix, and that they never replied in the forums to say that they were fixing it whenever people complained about it, and that they never said when it was fixed. I don’t trust them.
Comment by Lucy (Underage Pirate) — March 7, 2009 @ 07:05
Not to piss on the parade, because I think it’s all bullshit too. However, TSR does make you sign a statement before you can upload saying that once you upload anything to TSR, it now belongs to them. You can post another version of it (same thing, just a different file) anywhere you would like, but the one you uploaded to TSR belongs to TSR, lock, stock, and barrel.
That, I’m sure is the way TSR plans to “get around” the “respects of the artists.” Since all artists must click on that “I agree” button, then it is their wishes that TSR hosts the item and that they don’t mind what TSR does to it.
Comment by Wicked — March 7, 2009 @ 07:50
Thanks for the information, analysis and all of your hard work, Coconut.
Words can not even express the level of disgust I feel for Beosboxboy and Numenor. Both have a very serious case of Special Snowflake Syndrome – Beos because he thinks his words actually mean something and Numenor because he feels that he should be allowed to do everything and anything because he’s a good modder.
Drea’s words mean nothing. They’re not a mandate but an opinion. Even if EA were to officially endorse TSR, my opinion against paysites (and my loathing for TSR) will not change.
Comment by CoconutFan — March 7, 2009 @ 08:26
Thomas is paying peeps to post Drea’s dribble on their blogs? How strange…how manipulative, yet funny in a weird way, he does actually make me giggle at times!
Comment by Jonesi — March 7, 2009 @ 13:16
Coconut, thanks for the additional information in the EA thread on PMBD. I saw where Maxoid Drea handled Steve personally at the Creator’s Camp while her assistant dealt with the other attendees. If TSR isn’t paying Drea money, maybe Steve was paying her in a more…physical way. *speculates*
Reply: Funny you should mention that, there has been long standing rumors for a while now, they started a while before the latest camp and Steve has done nothing to dispel them, in fact he has made the odd joke about it in chat. However there is no solid evidence.
-Coconut
Comment by CoconutFan — March 7, 2009 @ 14:12
As always, thank Coconut. You rock.
CoconutFan, I was going to say the same thing about Drea. As far as I am concerned, until EA comes out and formally states that Drea is their FormalOfficialSpokespersonInAllThingsSims, well anything she says is just her opinion. I don’t even go to the BBS, so the only way I would know that she even SAID anything is when I am pointed there by PMBD or Coconut. Drea’s “opinion” is about as important as, well a flea on an elephant’s ass.
Lucy, you keep on creating for the love of it, and for the love of the game. You will have tons of support.
Comment by SpunkySim — March 7, 2009 @ 22:47
Sorry, eta — THANKS Coconut, not “thank” Coconut.
Comment by SpunkySim — March 7, 2009 @ 22:48
Was this really the big announcement that Tom had been bragging about at any chance he got? If so, it is quite the disappointment.
Comment by Kutto — March 8, 2009 @ 01:27
Kutto, that totally makes me want to say ‘That’s what she said’…
Comment by Clawdee — March 8, 2009 @ 02:45
That comment by Beosboxboy was so extremelly offensive. Colon cancer is a very serious issue.
Comment by no — March 8, 2009 @ 05:10
BBB posted his response to his ban in GSC comment.
http://beosboxboy.blogspot.com/2009/03/just-for-record.html
He deserves it quite frankly. Cancer in any form is a serious issue.
Also his followers decide to delete all of Marvines stuff (Thinking it was his) because of the ban. Disgraceful!
Comment by Anonomus — March 8, 2009 @ 07:20
I’m really tired right now and will not comment on the actual stuff…but, somehow I can’t help thinking what an immature, impudent and disgusting little sod, Beosboxboy is…
He should do us all a favour and jump to his death.
Comment by wtf — March 8, 2009 @ 11:46
I’ve made 2 comics about the article above: Hope you enjoy.
http://wikka.moreawesomethanyou.com/images/2/2d/MATYland–giggy0308a.png
http://wikka.moreawesomethanyou.com/images/0/0c/MATYland–giggy0308b.jpg
Comment by Giggy — March 9, 2009 @ 12:25
DOT’s lamps she made at the creator’s camp defy logic. Lamps with marble lights?? HUH??
Comment by Lola — March 10, 2009 @ 07:54
All of *MARVINE’S* stuff is back up at GSC.
Comment by TheCat — March 10, 2009 @ 11:20
wow , i think these people need to get a grip and stop thinking they are the be all and end all of the sims community! i must admit the people who are going around trying to control everything about sims they see are like nazi’s! But don’t stop creating lucy, and sorry to hear about your mum hon. do it for you and because you want too. i enjoy creating because i like it and i also except that it is very hard to police what happens to your files ,when they are on the internet for all! but i wouldn’t care if all of the sims communtiy was sharing my files! good for them. i only ask that they don’t put them on as their own creations, but i also know i have no copyright over the actual iff! only the creative side to what i have done! so i wish these people would stop calling others thieves for sharing and also act like we are scum of the earth for sharing pay sites files or sharing a file that no seems to be able to get hold off! IT IS A GAME PEOPLE AND WE SHOULD BE ENJOYING OURSELVES NOT ARGUING !! by the way you all rock PSMD!!
Comment by clare — March 16, 2009 @ 01:06
Hey,
I’ve been reading all the ridiculous antics of TSR in order, so I’m sure that I’m quite behind on this… but isn’t a great deal of their “terms of use” flawed when it comes to creators like Lucy above? I may be misreading, but from her comment it appeared that she’s underaged. As far as I know from law, it’s illegal for minors to enter into a contract agreement of any sort without direct parental permission. If her father or mother hadn’t signed anything, doesn’t that throw out any jurisdiction that TSR has over her or her creations, as it would be a faulty contract, and thus trampling her legal rights? If there is some option to allow parents to confirm their child being a member and sharing her work, has TSR legally covered their asses? What proof does their contract need of proper parent/guardian authorization? The combination of a flawed signup and their semi-adult content (I have noted extremely risque clothing for both adults and teens, as well as almost-adult stories being approved) could leave them open for all sorts of legal issues. Laws surrounding minors and the lawmakers who deal with those laws are often extremely less flexible, as often it can be seen as exploitation.
Just a thought. Obviously I’ve never been an SA or an FA, so I don’t know about the process fully. However, in the case of a commercial website, a great deal of the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the service provider than the customer. After all, artists who are FA or SA would definitely be a “level” of customer, as they have to exchange service to participate, and not as equal members.
Anyhow, I wanted to thank you for this brilliant website. I did have a subscription, but I’m certainly not going to be renewing it after reading this very disgusting display of greed, immaturity, and poor business practices.
Comment by Ash — August 15, 2009 @ 00:37