So I have Origin on my Macbook Air, and I recently downloaded the Sims 3 and the Generations expansion pack. It works great! Now, I want to add in University Life into the mix, but when I press the download button in the Origin client, literally nothing happens. No install option in Origin for Sims 3 for Mac Sometimes, after downloading a Sims 3 Expansion or Stuff Pack in Origin, the external installer will not automatically open. Furthermore, you will only get the option to download the Pack again in Origin, not to install it.
- If you want the latest version of The Sims 3, download and install Origin, and it will update your game for you. If you're playing on disc (not through Origin) your game won't update past version 1.67.
- Get your Sim on again when you download The Sims 3: Generations for your PC. It’s time to grow up with The Sims 3 Generations PC download, an exciting expansion for your Sim universe. The parties that were the talk of the town now go into overdrive, with more elaborate choices that will thrill your social butterflies.
(Disclaimer: I'm not advocating piracy in any way, I paid for the Sims 3 and am simply frustrated by how bad the Origin experience is. I read the rules and will cite re piracy: 'Discussion is okay as long as names of and links to specific websites are not posted.')
Seriously, what is EA thinking with this? I payed for the Sims 3 and a bunch of expansions on Steam a while back when they had a bundle for sale. Now have a mac laptop and want to play the games on it, but unfortunately Steam doesn't include the mac versions of the Sims 3, only the PC versions. Which is a real shame because installing the Sims 3 and all the expansions I have bought through Steam is a breeze, a one click affair.
After having to go through an insane amount of work to get to my Sims 3 CD keys in Steam (I actually had to install it on a PC to be able to copy the CD keys from Steam - not EAs fault, but did not improve my experience) I finally managed to get them imported / activated in Origin.
Then the fun part begins of downloading the game installs from Origin, essentially just (.dmg) images of the game DVDs - compared to the way Steam just downloads everything Sims 3 in one go, a huge step backwards (you can uncheck which expansions you want in Steam but then they download and are ready to play, no separate install required as far as I could tell - all very seamless and smooth).
Then I go through the installer for each game and expansion as instructed, only to find after installing the last expansion that nothing works (Unknow Error Occurred before the launcher even opens). I start reading around, find out how to to a clean uninstall, try again in the correct order, testing each expansion as I've installed it, and find out that some of them simply won't install correctly at all (Ambitions, Fast Lane Stuff, others... I actually documented much of this because I was going through it so many times). Each time I had to do a clean uninstall and start from scratch. This process cost me a whole day sometimes, having to delete / clean up / redownload (some of them sometimes, Origin deleted the downloads after installing sometimes) / re-install the expansions takes a long time.
I even tried to backup my mac using Time Machine and 'rewind' back if the expansion pack failed, but I quickly found out that only made things worse and sometimes a working combination of expansion packs would fail after a Time Machine Rewind.
Sims 3
I gave up, found a pirated version of the game with all the expansions pre-installed and after downloading that it works like a charm. Why on EARTH can't Origin do this, since this is exactly what Steam does? (Apart from the piracy thing).
Origin Sims 3 Mac Download
I wonder if there is some way to change the CD keys from the pirated versions to my actual CD keys to make it 'legit'.
This will be the last time I rant about this, and most likely the last time I use Origin for anything. Now to actually playing the game. FINALLY.