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ggsmufazkvbn's avatar
ggsmufazkvbn
Rising Adventurer
1 day ago

A 10-Year Perspective: Why Current Monetization Are Ending Player Retention

As a player since launch and a Club President for over five years, I’ve seen this game evolve through many cycles. However, I am writing today to report a significant decline in morale and participation within the veteran community.

As a retired Navy veteran, I look at the game through the lens of logistics and sustainability. Currently, the "Total Cost of Ownership" for a city has reached a tipping point where it is no longer sustainable for the average player.

Key Issues for Review:

  1. Service 2.0 Impact: While the intent may have been to provide higher-tier infrastructure, the rollout has functioned as a massive real-estate and resource "tax" that has left many long-term players depleted.
  2. Mandatory Ad Integration: Transitioning ads from optional rewards to functional requirements for CoM tasks and Daily Assignments has fundamentally changed the "vibe" of the game from entertainment to a chore.
  3. Reward Shrinkflation & Gambling: We are seeing a "pay more, get less" trend across all prize tracks (Mayor’s Pass, Train, and Vu). Reward tiers that previously offered guaranteed high-value buildings or SimCash are being replaced with smaller quantities of low-value items. Even worse, guaranteed rewards are being replaced by "Mystery Boxes," which introduces a gambling mechanic into a game that should be based on effort and strategy.
  4. The Household Budget Reality: We are currently in an inflationary period where the cost of living (including $4–$6/gallon gas) is at a record high. When a game demands more financial and time investment during such a period, it becomes the first thing households cut.

My Observation:

I am seeing a drastic drop in War participation and a "quiet quitting" trend among my most dedicated members. Veterans are the "institutional memory" of your game; if we lose the veteran base because the game feels like an "Economic Pressure Cooker," the social fabric of the Clubs will dissolve.

We are looking for a return to a balance where spending is an option for aesthetics, not a requirement for basic progression.

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2 Replies

  • CityofFatBottoms's avatar
    CityofFatBottoms
    New Scout
    22 hours ago

    It goes back to something I've brought up a couple of times already. For the longer term players and those willing to spend money, there should be further land expansions. Mayor's Pass, VU Pass etc offer land deeds as rewards that are wasted on many veteran players who have no more land to expand upon, and storage vastly filling up with buildings. The services was a big headache for me but after several weeks, it has settled down and kinda worked out - but that's just me. I agree that a larger emphasis on ads, particularly making them a part of daily assignments, is not good enough. Ads are already there to earn rewards via bubbles or skip paying simcash in certain areas, but further requirements using ads spoils the game further. One of my biggest gripes is making CoM progression harder, and enticing players to spend ever more amounts of real money on seasonal coin "50% extra" bundles - particularly in this season where there are THREE different seasonal coins and THREE different payments required to earn 50% extra. More often than not people can scrape by the season and not need to pay extra, but they do anyway in fear of not earning enough coins. The three-week seasons are a disgrace and should be discounted compared to four-week seasons. The revamp of the VU pass means more money spent. The recent addition of a railway season pass, while helpful to progress in upgrading trains, is another additional cost. God knows what this new Mass Transit hub will entail (I have a sneaking suspicion that the next season will revolve around trains). 

    Many veteran players have spent a lot on this game. I know I have. I think they need to get back to the drawing board. Further land expansions, a new region or two. Less over-commercialisation and needless tinkering. 

  • Graczczczcz's avatar
    Graczczczcz
    New Scout
    20 hours ago

    Great respect to veterans of military service anywhere in the world!!!

    AD.4.

    In the country where I live, a gallon of gas costs $7.20, with a minimum wage of $970 net. The world has gone mad!

    I agree with You that the first line of defense against inflation is saving money on pleasures.

     

    AD.3.

    Indeed, inflation = "pay more, get less." Remember that a game developer is an institution created to make money. Keep in mind that if an institution is not responsive to the needs and voices of customers, they will abandon it.

     

    AD.2.

    It's like paying for a train ticket just because you're at the train station.

     

    AD.1.

    Personally, I believe that using Services 2.0 should be voluntary. Players who want to stick with the old buildings should continue playing, while players who want to use the 2.0 buildings should gain benefits (e.g., increased range for technical buildings) from switching to the new buildings.

    ------

    In summary, the game developer doesn't care that our lives are getting harder. We need to learn that "we can also eat with a small spoon"...

     

    ...the game developer forgot about that.

     

    Greetings from Poland!

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