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Fixed: Sims 4 pixelated mess

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Sims 4 pixels

The Sims 4 has been released into the wild and getting plenty of people excited and happy. Darryn is busy torturing our simulated replicas and I’m a bit too afraid to ask how it’s going. Some of you may be having an issue with growing pixellation in your Sims 4 experience, and here’s how to fix it.

At first, the blurring appears harmless as Player Attack reports. The usual modesty pixellation occurs when your Sim uses the toilet or takes a shower. However, this can then spread and eventually blur and block out the entire screen. Are you having this problem?

Then you’re a pirate.

That’s right, this was a little present to the numerous Sims pirates – a special gift from Maxis. Not only do pirates get a blurry version of the game, when they take to EA’s Sims 4 forum to complain about the problem, they are outed as pirates. Well done, Maxis.

Sims games have been notoriously popular with pirates and I actually really like this approach. Pirates can still play the game, and use it for demo purposes. I don’t have a problem with people trying out a game and then deciding to buy it if they like it, but this way it forces pirates to decide and prevents them from enjoying the full game without dishing out the cash. It’s craft and cool and is the approach to piracy that I like – recognize that it will happen and make a specific plan.

So, if you’re having a problem where your Sims 4 becomes a pixellated mess, it’s time for you to pay for the full game.

Last Updated: September 5, 2014

78 Comments

  1. Alien Emperor Trevor

    September 5, 2014 at 10:21

    HAHAHAHAHAHA. Well played! I love it when devs do this.

    Reply

  2. Sk3tz0

    September 5, 2014 at 10:21

    How was the launch of this game..?? Anything close to the Simcity one? or is it pretty smooth from launch ? looking to maybe get this the weekend?

    Reply

    • No!

      September 5, 2014 at 20:38

      Horrible, they took a step back to the lot system instead of an open town. This game feels like a husk that was built to sell lots of dlc

      Reply

      • PenguinColada

        September 21, 2014 at 17:46

        Welcome to EA.

        Reply

  3. DrKiller

    September 5, 2014 at 10:26

    8bit Sims! Awesome!

    Reply

  4. Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

    September 5, 2014 at 10:26

    That’s actually hilarious.

    Reply

  5. Hammersteyn

    September 5, 2014 at 10:28

    So what’s their train of thought, let’s pirate a game, complain on the forums that the stolen game doesn’t work and ask for a refund?

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      September 5, 2014 at 10:31

      How dof must you be to pirate a game then go to get customer support for it? Some people have a serious disconnect.

      Reply

      • Sith JJ

        September 5, 2014 at 10:34

        Dof brings free entertainment. 😉

        Reply

  6. Anon A Mouse

    September 5, 2014 at 10:29

    I must be a Lazygamer pirate then, the home screen looks like a blurry mess.

    As a side note, I’ll probably still play sims (if I were a bit interested in the franchise) even if it’s this pixellated, this isn’t a game that you buy for the graphics is it?

    Reply

  7. Jackie

    September 5, 2014 at 10:31

    I hate to be the bearer of arrrgh news. But if pirates and hackers can take down psn, MS, and rip apart juuuuuuuust about any game security out there. How long will a pixelated sim last? #noPirate.

    Reply

    • Sith JJ

      September 5, 2014 at 10:32

      That’s true, but the initial frustration and “easy way to spot pirates now” is doing its job.

      Reply

      • Jackie

        September 5, 2014 at 10:34

        Going to a forum with a pirate copy makes one a idiot. Not a pirate, they are way way smarter.

        Reply

        • Sith JJ

          September 5, 2014 at 10:36

          Well, technically anyone who downloads or spreads it is a pirate. Regardless of idiocy.

          Reply

          • Sk3tz0

            September 5, 2014 at 10:39

            no if they spread it they a prozzi 😛

          • Jackie

            September 5, 2014 at 10:42

            Agreed. There are people who break into banks and get away rich. And people that get caught asking the police officer where the get-away-car is.

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            September 5, 2014 at 10:43

            lulz

          • Sith JJ

            September 5, 2014 at 10:43

            Hahaha

  8. Sith JJ

    September 5, 2014 at 10:31

    Well done Maxis. Hats off.

    Reply

  9. Viking Of Science

    September 5, 2014 at 10:34

    Remeber Game Dev Tycoon’s anti-piracy?

    From wikipedia, because I’m lazy:

    “The game’s developers implemented a unique anti-piracy measure for Game Dev Tycoon. Patrick Klug, founder of Greenheart Games, knowing that the game was likely to be torrented extensively, purposely released a cracked version of the game and uploaded it himself to torrent sites. Gameplay in this version is identical except for one variation, as players progress through the game they receive the following message:

    Boss, it seems that while many players play our new game, they steal it by downloading a cracked version rather than buying it legally. If players don’t buy the games they like, we will sooner or later go bankrupt.

    —Greenheart Games, Game Dev Tycoon

    Eventually players of the cracked version will gradually lose money until they do go bankrupt, as a result of pirates.[5]”

    Reply

    • ZubSaber a.k.a Hans

      September 5, 2014 at 15:24

      Why don’t they implement this for all games??

      Of course you’d need to tailor the specifics for your particular game but I imagine the results being very effective…

      Reply

      • BoB The Slovakian

        September 5, 2014 at 16:14

        Because it ain effective… its funny, yes, but gets fixed in about a day. So its kind of useless. Same with this. Already fixed the Sims 4 pixalation

        Reply

        • ZubSaber a.k.a Hans

          September 5, 2014 at 16:42

          Yeah, apparently all it took was renaming a folder (or so says Reddit).
          Did they manage to crack the Game Dev Tycoon bug? Curious to know which anti-piracy attempts actually work…

          Don’t want to see my favorite form of entertainment getting burned like the ill-fated music industry. Gives me shivers just thinking about DRM.

          Reply

          • theunderlord

            September 5, 2014 at 23:27

            Yes, they managed to fix the game dev anti-piracy attempt, didn’t take that long either. mostly a waste of time for the dev’s since people can find ways around everything.

          • Stanley Wilson

            September 6, 2014 at 12:49

            How bad is the music industry really faring?? Do you really believe that garbage?? If so you are just a gullible mass media puppet, next person who whines about how badly things are going for the music industry should be required to look up Jay Z, Beyinces, or Miley Cyruses net worth. And then tell me how they deserve all that money, give me a break. Truth is the artists get raped financially by their producers, managers and labels, which is why certain acts like ICP or Macklemore avoid them like the plague.

          • ZubSaber a.k.a Hans

            September 6, 2014 at 13:53

            The fact that “artists” like the ones you mentioned are the most successful just proves what I said. But it also shows the ill-informed perception that mass-media producers have of the viewing (or in this case listening) public, presuming that we’re all sheep who will continue to soak in the “bling” of senpai’s like Wiz Chamillionaire and Miley Minaj..

            That particular industry was forced to change, whether it was forced because of piracy or outdated business models or *insert reason here* is too complex an argument. Regardless, those reasons are definitely relatable to the direction gaming is currently heading.

            When I said I didn’t want gaming to go the way of music, it means AAA titles are becoming the Jay Z’s, Macklemore would be the console exclusive and ICP is the crowd-funded guy.

            Now that I think about it, it might already be too late.

  10. Gerhard Davids

    September 5, 2014 at 10:35

    SO is this game origin only. I really want to buy it for my GF but if she needs an origin account it will only aggravate me.

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      September 5, 2014 at 10:36

      I haven’t seen it advertised on Steam so I’m guessing yes.

      Reply

      • Gerhard Davids

        September 5, 2014 at 10:36

        That really sucks donkey balls. Origin is a complete mess. Might have to just get her sims 3 instead.

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          September 5, 2014 at 10:39

          It’s not that bad really. My biggest annoyance with it is how it constantly needs to update the client.

          Reply

          • Gerhard Davids

            September 5, 2014 at 10:45

            I’m okay with it. But GF is non-gamer non pc user in general so adding this extra layer around a game is not pick up and play friendly. I will have to be around each time origin updates or something like that happens. Will see how it plays out.

    • Dutch Matrix

      September 5, 2014 at 10:40

      It requires an origin account. But are you buying the game for your girlfriend or yourself? 🙂

      Reply

      • Gerhard Davids

        September 5, 2014 at 10:46

        Was waiting or this lol. Nah it’s for her. I might give it a spin at some point. But it is my key to getting more streaming time with Hearthstone and Diablo if I can get her playing Sims.

        Reply

        • Stanley Wilson

          September 6, 2014 at 12:52

          Yes, because playing games is more important than spending time with your gf, better change your ways because if she’s a non gamer, she will eventually find a guy that’s a non gamer as well, then you will be boohooing oh why did she leave, lol

          Reply

          • Gerhard Davids

            September 7, 2014 at 11:03

            You fucking retard.
            You don’t know me or my girlfriend.
            Go have a wank before playing fucking soothsayer again k.

          • Roxii

            September 8, 2014 at 09:37

            Hey my boyfriend is a gamer too and im not hes gotten and helped me with all the sims games from sims 1 to now 4 , I think what your doing is sweet, its nice that you thought of her instead of just playing you games anyway . we sit together and he plays his games and I play my Sims . Its actually a fun way to spend time together ,Im not a gamer either and my boyfriend and I have been together for almost 3 years . So dont worry about what that guy Stanley says . Its not true

          • Gerhard Davids

            September 8, 2014 at 10:00

            Exactly. Thanks for chiming in. She makes time for me and my things just as I make time for her and her things. If you can’t compromise in a relationship then you are doomed.

    • Her Highness the Hipster

      September 5, 2014 at 10:40

      yup, origin necessary but only for download… then apparently can be played offline.

      Reply

  11. Sk3tz0

    September 5, 2014 at 10:38

    I’ve Pirated this game its not working its broken.. bloody hell better pop off to the forum to complain but first need to update my pirated windows first aswell.. falalalalllaaaa

    Reply

  12. Rags

    September 5, 2014 at 10:47

    Its morphing into a Xbox One version.

    Reply

    • Spaffy

      September 5, 2014 at 10:49

      Someone had to 🙂

      Reply

    • Kensei Seraph

      September 5, 2014 at 11:00

      Wahaha.

      Reply

  13. Kensei Seraph

    September 5, 2014 at 11:02

    I have 2 problems with this.
    1. It is not uncommon for anti-piracy methods like this to pull a false-positive and affect someone who has legitimately purchased the game.
    2. Eventually the pirates will figure out a fix (hopefully not anytime soon though).

    Reply

    • Lord Darque

      September 5, 2014 at 11:07

      If it is 1 I am sure they can get help and take care of it. As for 2 no security measure holds up forever that is just life. But if it allows EA to identify people who are pirating that is a plus. Ban them from the support forums and keep a little list for the future.

      Reply

    • Ibrahim Chhaya

      September 5, 2014 at 17:41

      They’ve already found a way around it.

      Reply

    • Bob

      September 5, 2014 at 18:22

      They already found a fix, lol. Pirates are quick XD.

      Reply

      • Dat pirate doe

        November 12, 2014 at 22:02

        WE ARE A PIRATEEE YAR HARRRR fixed

        Reply

  14. Norm

    September 5, 2014 at 11:03

    Nice one Maxis!

    Reply

  15. Norm

    September 5, 2014 at 11:09

    Tiny Sims… lol

    Reply

  16. Lardus-Resident Perve

    September 5, 2014 at 11:16

    Quick question, does this game require persistent online? My sister has played Sims 2 and Sims 3, and I usually help her get it legally. They do not have proper internet, so online would disqualify her from playing. Once-off activation I can help her. * I could Google it myself, but I don’t want this crap in my search history! *

    Reply

    • Sith JJ

      September 5, 2014 at 11:16

      Your “sister” you say 😉

      Reply

      • Sk3tz0

        September 5, 2014 at 11:17

        Dont worry Lardus.. Sims is a game for everyone. even guys.. I stand by u if u admit to playing sims we wont judge u much 😛

        Reply

      • Lardus-Resident Perve

        September 5, 2014 at 11:20

        Yes, my sister haha. I will admit to playing Sims 2 for a few months when I was a student. But back then I also watched an entire soccer world cup as an excuse not to study, so it cannot be held against me!

        Reply

        • Sith JJ

          September 5, 2014 at 11:21

          Haha. No man. I regret nothing. I played The Sims 3.

          Reply

    • Ryanza

      September 5, 2014 at 11:25

      Sims 4 needs to be connected to the internet to install and activate. Then you can play the game in offline mode. Doesn’t need a persistent online connection. But not sure if Origin will need online checks-ins from offline mode like Steam does.

      Reply

      • Lardus-Resident Perve

        September 5, 2014 at 11:34

        Gracias

        Reply

    • Dutch Matrix

      September 5, 2014 at 11:34

      From the back of the box it says connection required for product activation… I have heard some people say you can then play offline afterwards…

      Reply

  17. ??????? ???????s

    September 5, 2014 at 13:03

    How to fix the blur:

    1. Rename TS4.par to The.Sims.4.Launcher.par
    2. ????
    3. PROFIT!

    Nice try EA, but still not enough to stop us. 🙂

    Reply

  18. lol

    September 5, 2014 at 18:46

    LOL this has been fixed for days, gaming press was really slow with this one.

    Reply

  19. aleaallee

    September 6, 2014 at 00:31

    oh, fuck, i only have the pirated game because i don’t have 70€ to buy the whole game.

    Reply

  20. Stanley Wilson

    September 6, 2014 at 12:41

    I don’t honestly see this lasting, they will always find a way around things and always do

    Reply

  21. trina81

    September 6, 2014 at 13:05

    Serves pirates right about time companys did this to disgusting thieves. While the rest of us true gamers pay for it awesome news im loving that approach wd MAXIS 😀

    Reply

  22. Angelo Ramos

    September 6, 2014 at 13:30

    arrrghh arrghhh, you will not take the best from us EA

    Reply

  23. Blur is easily removable

    September 6, 2014 at 13:55

    Yeah right, EA is so genious with this approach that this “feature” against anti-piracy is easily removable by renaming TS4.par into The.Sims4.Launcher.par

    Enjoy the piracy with no blur 🙂

    Reply

  24. AllDayErryDay

    September 6, 2014 at 14:04

    How much does EA pay you to keep the shilling on the comment section while deleting anti-EA comments?
    Don’t worry, you won’t earn a single dime from my clicks either, every single ad and javascript is blocked while I browse.
    Unless you ban me, I’ll keep spamming the same comment over and over again… oh right… I’m using a proxy:

    BLUR FIX:
    Rename TS4.par into The.Sims4.Launcher.par

    Reply

  25. asd

    September 6, 2014 at 14:16

    How much does EA pay you to keep the shilling on the comment section while deleting anti-EA comments?

    Don’t worry, you won’t earn a single dime from my clicks either, every single ad and javascript is blocked while I browse.

    Unless you ban me, I’ll keep spamming the same comment over and over again… oh right… I’m using a proxy:

    BLUR FIX:

    Rename TS4.par into The.Sims4.Launcher.par

    Reply

  26. BLUR FIX

    September 6, 2014 at 14:23

    How much does EA pay you to keep the shilling on the comment section while deleting anti-EA comments?

    Don’t worry, you won’t earn a single dime from my clicks either, every single ad and javascript is blocked while I browse.

    Unless you ban me, I’ll keep spamming the same comment over and over again… oh right… I’m using a proxy:

    BLUR FIX:

    Rename TS4.par into The.Sims4.Launcher.par

    Reply

  27. Doowangle

    September 6, 2014 at 17:44

    Anti-Pirate types crack me up. The good majority of you pick and choose where you will pirate. You probably have stolen music, or a stolen movie, or watch anime you haven’t paid for, etc, but suddenly when it comes to gaming, you are a morality crusader. In truth, most of you who don’t pirate games simply aren’t technologically inclined enough to do so. You are scared of virus’s because you don’t know how to safely avoid them. Or scared of getting caught because you are ignorant about piracy

    Those who actually hold the moral high ground and never have pirated anything in their entire life. Gold star for you, but from a pragmatic standpoint, you are fools. Spending money on something you can easily and safely get for free is always a stupid idea.

    And before you whine “but the developppers deserve/need my money!” keep in mind that this is an article about the sims 4. Which has had a disgusting and predatory business model for years. You are a fool to tell them that their practices are okay by voting with your pocket book. If you bought this game, you deserve to get cheated.

    While I am sure this article gave you some righteous indignation, note that the bug was fixed within hours and everyone who was wise enough not to pay for it is now playing the exact game that you wasted 60 + dollars on. But hey, at least you have the moral high ground right? Much better than 60 extra dollars! LOL

    Reply

  28. donitaruga

    September 6, 2014 at 21:34

    There’s a way to fix that so I’ll keep enjoying my pirated copy of the game without having to give money to EA.

    Cry harder children.

    Reply

  29. This Guy

    September 6, 2014 at 23:45

    Jokes on Maxis cause no one is buying this garbage. Lmaooo

    Reply

  30. Spencer Ingram

    September 7, 2014 at 19:09

    Easy to get rid of the pirated version pixelation just Rename file TS4.par from game folder to The.Sims.4.Launcher.par to fix that. Nice try Maxis.

    Reply

  31. dikwanker2000

    September 9, 2014 at 06:24

    Ah fuck, they have a fix for it you know.

    Reply

  32. Skeptical Skeptic

    September 12, 2014 at 08:08

    why did my minecraft vomit all over my PAID version?

    Reply

  33. natalia

    September 14, 2014 at 19:56

    This is an easy fix. Go to your game>bin> then open TS4.par with word and erase everything in it. Bug gone.

    Reply

  34. asmaah

    September 19, 2014 at 03:20

    gossshh i would say that itd unfair but it really isnt …

    Reply

  35. PenguinColada

    September 21, 2014 at 17:45

    Hilarious play by Maxis, yet Pirates are generally quick to overcome these things. As I understand, they have already found a work-around.

    Reply

  36. NedTheRobot

    October 2, 2014 at 16:42

    well too bad i bypassed it noobs!

    Reply

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