Hello, and a couple questions

1. I have spent my fair share of money and will continue to do so because I love this game.
2. I have played to where I have loads of cash and nothing to spend it on. Which is why I want things like Road to Riches and Aspirational items to return.
3. I don’t think so. The game has gone back to giving us back to back events. Which is fantastic.
4. They have before and they also communicate with us (the mods)
5. Facebook and Twitter
6. Also I want other things to return like Friendship Prizes, Episode Tie-in’s & Level updates

Why are new players not sticking around and old players falling away?
Because the game ain't what it was.
This year has been far from stellar.
Long gaps between events earlier in the year,4 week multi events,lack of crafting, lack of neighbour interaction and frequent disconnects from the server.
Rectify these issues and we'll all love the game again. New players will as well.
It's not us it's them.

Hi OP,
I get what you are asking, and have had the same thoughts several times in the past. I briefly brought it up here once, but was met with derision. I have worried about the health of the game far too much to be good, and only recently, within the last year, taken a more laid back approach.
But the revenue the game has shrunk sizably, I used to watch on thinkgaming and a few years back TSTO was almost always in the top 50. Nowdays its not even listed, sometimes I see it listed as making 30$ or something.
I think people forget that freeium isn't free, someone has to pay, and its better to all pay a piece of the pie than depend on a few whales, imho of course.
I think some people think that because of lack of content no need to pay, where is I think the truth might lie the other way around that without money there is a lower quality of content produced. Look back at this year.
And not to step on my entire hypothesis, but I have barely bought anything with real money this year, there just hasn't been anything I wanted. Its kind of sad.
Heres hoping they smash it with the next event. Get everyone interested and eager again.

I've bought donuts in the past, but I'm dissatisfied with the game now. They're not putting the effort into events as they did before. Events are now just a string of mini events rather than a major, multilayered event.

Maybe this is due to excessive complaints by others, not sure of the reason for it.

The fact that there are multiple glitches in the game which have gone unattended for over a month now (ie. crashing, which I have thankfully experienced only periodically, and the sound setting override glitch, which I am still experiencing despite several updates and opportunities to repair, among others) leads me to think that the game is indeed not a major focus of EA any longer. I do think short staffing is mostly to blame.

And let's not even mention the pie man glitch. Players with this glitch have all but been abandoned. If EA were really concerned with keeping their numbers and revenue up, they wouldn't leave flaws of such magnitude in place. It is a fact that a lot of people have quit in frustration over these things.

Still playing, but not buying. I would have to be rich beyond reason or stupid beyond belief to pay for a product not being offered in hopes that I will someday be satisfied. Offering money for an inferior product just signals satisfaction for said product. And that isn't the message I want to send.

I have happily spent a lot of money on donuts over the past years. Sadly EA has eliminated all the elements that made the game so insanely addictive (friend points, neighbor visits, community prizes, hard to grind events, etc, etc). As a result I am sure revenue, active players and new players have taken a huge dip. Just look at these forums and all the blogs that used to exist around this game. I used to spend hours here chatting with other players, strategizing and sharing designs. This was one of the most vibrant online communities I had ever been too. My guess is that it will continue in this format, but never revert back to what it was. Like other city builder games, it can bring in a trickle of cash with little dev support or effort. There is no real benefit to EA to invest in bringing the other elements back, as the player base is gone. It just is what it is.

I bought the Donut Factory package earlier this year but that is the only cash I have spent in a long time.

Well judging by this thread response, it appears the game isn't making any money at all. That would explain the lack of new content.

Maybe the trick is to recruit new players. They won't know there's no new content until they reach level 939. Give everyone at your job this app for Christmas this year?

Diminishing revenue from long term players will be part of the business model. New players willing to invest will be essential. Negatively and lack of good buzz will be driving these factors.

Thanks for that thorough reply. Actually thanks for any reply at all.

Ah yes, Twitter. I don't have that. Have they made recent announcements there to tease the upcoming Halloween season? Anticipation is worse than Christmas it seems.

So i don't see a $ amount for how much you've spent THIS year. Is it possible that like me, it's $0?

I'm worried that vets like us who used to spend, aren't anymore, and new players aren't getting hooked like we did so they aren't either. I was looking for feedback to support or refute this.

Not much feedback in here these days. It seems like the game's heyday has passed. But maybe not because of the developers but because of the players.

I have never bought a single donut, nor will I buy one now, with the game being unplayable, and getting kicked out every 5 minutes or less. I am also going to encourage others to withhold their money too, that is the only power you have in a freemium game, and the only message you can send them. I wish there was a more constructive way to contact EA, but their lack of outbound communication, and difficulty in getting in touch with someone with authority leaves me and others with no other choice than to hurt EA in the only way they will listen. Do not buy donuts, do not spend money on any company that does not value you as a customer. EA has a bunch of PR people, developers, and social media staff on the payroll. How difficult is it for someone to be assigned to do outreach on their own forums?