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Spending money on the game?

Simpsplay
67 posts Member
edited May 2019
Just a few thoughts...
I started playing "The Simpsons Tapped Out" in 2014 oder maybe 2013. There's no other game I have ever played for such a long time. I've tried others, but there's nothing comparable to it.
The dialogues are fun, the buildings and characters have been designed with heart and with an eye for detail. Also the little description-texts you see when you tap at the buildings can make you smile. And many events (not all) have really been funny and thrilling.
I've looked it up: All in all I've spent some 300 EUR on the game, over the years. But I haven't spent any more money since 2017, because it wasn't necessary any more. I'm on level 939 and have a lot of characters running around in the game. And I'm KEM-farming since then. So I can produce a hand full of donuts every day.
Now we've got the yearbook, and it's easy to buy many buildings, characters and decorations, which I would never have been able to afford otherwise. Some of them are really great, I've fulfilled some of my desires, for example the Krustylus Studios. But being able to buy one or two items a day makes that I'm not as happy when getting them as I was when I received other characters in earlier times. There are some figures and buildings for which I saved donuts for a long time. One of the first ones that I ever bought was Prof. Frinks and his laboratory. It is still fun to watch his visible tasks, and the laboratory is really a cool building.
Yesterday I received the mountain "Murderhorn" from the yearbook. There's a little jolly dialogue when you place it. I wasn't able to take screenshots (problem of my smartphone), but surprisingly (?) it said there frankly that EA would stop the game immediately if they didn't make enough money with it. I think it's Lisa or Grandpa who tells this to Homer. So Homer thanks the player for buying the Murderhorn and starts climbing it. I suppose they have not changed the text since they installed the Murderhorn in the gamecontent. But it tells us precisely a problem that might be a reason for this long time waiting for an update in the game: Does EA still make enough money with the game?
I wonder if they could really foresee that so many players would profit that much from KEM-farming so that they are no longer forced to spend money for donuts.
"Spirits that I've cited my command ignore"...
Installing the XP Collider in the game was maybe like digging a hole in the ground that became a part of the grave of the game...
I for my part have spent some real money for buying donuts today. Let's see what I will buy for this - there are not many premium items left outside the yearbook.
What do you think about spending money on the game right now?
What would you think if EA stopped the XP Collider or if they introduced a new currency which you cannot produce by means of percentages and KEM-farming?
There are voices here who say that EA doesn't owe us anything - except for a sign of life and a short message about the status of the game.
I for my part want to thank EA for all the fun this game has given me so far and I hope that we will be able to play on for years and years. But of course EA must be able to finance this - all the people working and developing on the game, the servers and so on (I'm no IT-expert). I'm willing to show my thankfulness by paying for the game from time to time, like I did sometimes in the beginning.
BTW something different: In the gamedescription in the playstore there's always a short funny note about the latest update (I suppose this exists also in the English/American version of the playstore). The latest text (from the last update in march) says something like "Learn what normality is like in Springfield"... I hope normality does not mean: "No more events". I wanted to add this point because I read in several forums but never saw somebody mentioning this remark in the playstore.
Post edited by Simpsplay on

Replies

  • 4junk3000
    6611 posts Member
    If we were able to take a poll of all the people who play or have played, and created a chart that illustrated how many people play, how many people spend money, and how many people have played long enough to float on only donut farming, we'd likely see what a minority we are. Thousands of people play this game daily. Only a few dozen know to farm donuts. Only a few dozen come to this forum.

    The game definitely makes money. There are new players downloading the game and starting from the beginning, EVERY DAY. Each new batch of players includes a percentage that will spend money.

    I just read the text you referenced. It sounds to me like just another typical take-down statement after an event ends. Please do not worry needlessly. Please instead, keep calm and tap on. Please.
    All my designs look unfinished because i can't place as many plants, streetlights, and fences as i would like. PLEASE REMOVE THE LIMIT, EA!
  • Simpsplay
    67 posts Member
    Thank you very much. Don't worry - I won't stop playing and enjoying it. 🙂

    Perhaps somebody else wants to say something. I'm curious.
  • bluntcard
    4069 posts Member
    Well, the issue is people have spent real money to buy items to improve their XP percentage which was EA's strategy. So it would be poor business practice to remove that earned privilege. But if the game is suffering financially ( maybe their strategy didn't include the idea that the game would still be going strong seven years later ) I think it would be fair to introduce a new additional premium currency of some kind. Golden donuts, etc. But honestly, I'm so past spending real money on this game, I can't see buying a new currency. That's my take, anyway.
    Make Nightmare Pile like Zombie Sandwich. All kids trick or treat at once.
  • 1Christmasville
    114 posts Member
    edited May 2019
    I have a bonus percentage of 17000 and can happily farm 2000+ free donuts a day if I want to. But I’ve been playing since 2013 and I’ve spent somewhere in the vicinity of $600 in the game over the years. When they introduced donut bundles with characters you could only get for $$ (Sven Golly), I was happy to pay $9.99 for it. But the next character (or maybe the next) was about triple and I said f you EA, too greedy. Additionally, and I don’t want to reopen the whether it’s okay or not argument, they then put some of those characters into the game for donuts and very quickly too (months, not years), and for that I say to EA: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” If they want to put things into the game for about a four times a year small cash infusion ($10-$15) and NOT offer those same things to other people for free, then I am more than happy to financially keep supporting this game. I would also accept a small monthly fee ($10 range). I want to support the game, but I also won’t be badly treated for my money, so no new $$$ until some communications happen. Simple as that.
  • I most agree with GrowlyOne. I wouldn't mind paying about $10 a month for something, but over the years (since the first Halloween event) I've spent hundreds of dollars. At this point, I can generate all the donuts I need without farming, so it has to be something special to spend real money on it, however.
  • Simpsplay
    67 posts Member
    As I said I have just bought some donuts at the weekend. Anyone hungry? 🙂
  • Please, what is KEM farming?
  • Please, what is KEM farming?

    Here is a good place to look into the joys of KEM farming
    https://forums.ea.com/en/the-simpsons-tapped-out/discussion/149536/kwik-e-mart-also-known-as-kem-farming-guide#latest
  • Thank you! It’s almost more complicated than this blond can comprehend. But I will figure it out. Appreciate it!
  • Thank you! It’s almost more complicated than this blond can comprehend. But I will figure it out. Appreciate it!

    The basics are actually pretty simple. One thing I've learned from hanging around these forums is the some of the folks here REALLY like math. Particularly probabilities.😁

    So long as you follow the fundamental process for placing and collecting you'll be fine. You can tweak quantities as you progress and when you feel comfortable laying out more IGC.
  • If you don't want to farm KEMs, try buying bloodmobiles. It's fast and fairly lucrative (and they don't go up in price as you buy multiples).
  • Please, what is KEM farming?

    Once you figure it out, there’s no going back😂
  • I’m sure EA has given much consideration to what new things they can introduce to get long-timers to spend real money. But frankly, what’s left? Little by little over the years, they’ve introduced the most sought-after items, so each new item becomes more obscure than the last. And to make money, they have to keep introducing more and more things that people will pay real money for. The well is getting pretty dry.
  • > @Tomhanks4554 said:
    > Pandorasbox2112 wrote: »
    >
    > Please, what is KEM farming?
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > Once you figure it out, there’s no going back😂

    That’s what I’m afraid of! I don’t have a lot of time these days. Try to play three times a day. More if there is an event. Thank you to everyone. You all are helpful!
  • empathy77
    4194 posts Member
    for myself personally, I have spent around $500 on this game which seems ridicules but I do not regret it, I have enjoyed this game for half a decade. I have purchased 4 Boatloads, 1 Truckload and a handful of other little purchases, my guess is $500.

    I would have no problem dropping $9.99 here and there for special items to keep the game going. I did not purchase the Donut Factory for $49.99 cause that seemed a little high to me but I did make purchases for $9.99 when characters were available.

    This is a free game, but it costs money to maintain, someone has to front the bill.
  • I’d forgotten how much that factory cost... fifty bucks? Lol.
  • daved7637397
    7234 posts Member
    I’d forgotten how much that factory cost... fifty bucks? Lol.

    I hear you neighbor. I liked it, and would have liked to have it in my town, but ultimately too rich for my blood
    I do not accept unsolicited friend requests! PM me and say hi first.
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