Some people started singing it not knowing what it was….
Ok… that might have been a little mean but sometimes I can’t help myself. Hello fellow Addicts. Wookiee here and still at my mad antics like usual. So, hot off an epic time at Springfield in Florida, I had to take the time to share a realization I had while enjoying the heck out of my life.
At the very end of October, you may have seen the news that EA announced that The Simpsons Tapped Out has made over 100 million dollars. Wowza! That’s a lot of doll hairs! I also read news in July that TSTO (for EA’s 2nd business quarter) had 5.4 million daily active players, generated 6 billion gameplay minutes, 1 billion quests, and players had spent more than 233 billion in-game dollars. It seems pretty safe to say that TSTO is quite popular and a lucrative venture for Electronic Arts.
Why do I mention all this? Well, from time to time I hear folks question the longevity of the game. One of the biggest things talked about seems to be about new characters and maintaining the freshness of the game. For a game about a show that has lasted 25 seasons, it seems like it could really go on and on, doesn’t it? Every new episode seems to have at least one new character. Even knocking out the one-hit wonders… we are currently at over 500 episodes (The Kid is Alright was #535). That’s a lot of future content!
Opinion pieces are generally not my cup of tea but I really wanted to share something that hit home for me when I saw a simple decoration in the Krusty Burger eating section of Springfield in Universal Studios Orlando.
As I wandered all over smiling at all the amazing stuff to see… this poster of characters from the show simply wowed me. It came with a diagram to tell you who each character was. Since images don’t translate when they’re not life size, I’ll just share the list that accompanied the diagram.
There are 457 characters on this list and it doesn’t even include the Rich Texan or Abe Lincoln. While it includes a ton of characters, it struck me this veritable cornucopia (sorry, it is Thanksgiving time) doesn’t even completely cover all the options EA could come up with for the game.
Just for fun, I went through the poster and starred out every character we already had.
I may have missed one or two but other than looking like a cell phone 4G coverage map, this hopefully gives you a small idea of what could be in store for all of us. (UPDATE: McBain, Jub-Jub and Poochie aren’t starred. Best. Readers. Ever.)
Why do I even mention all this? Just to say that I think we have a lot more fun to come and considering the cash cow this game has become for EA, I wouldn’t worry about longevity right now. If you’re a tech geek, the game files still have room for plenty of updates which is always a good indication for future growth.
I love this game and all the extras it has brought like blogs and communities and photo sharing opportunities. I’d love for it all to never ever end (insert Sandlot reference of kid saying forever over and over here) and barring the zombie apocalypse, I believe we’re safe for now.
Y’all stay classy… Wookiee out!
How did I miss this wonderful article first time around? It’s great to be reminded and reassured sometimes😎….💜X
lol it’s from 2013…back when we didn’t have as many lovely readers as we do now 🙂
Ah, that explains it! I think also for me I was still always firefighting & dealing with crashes and glitches etc. I was overfamiliar with your 101 page and didn’t have much time for anything else with pesky work and life stuff getting in the way……the good old days😂
What about Stampy
He’s in the game 🙂
King Homer……… we have him from the skyscraper
Let me see…..jub jub (igana) bottom right, stampy (as ballon), gumble (as ballon), McBain in camo, bottom left, side show bob, pouchie…I’ll look more tomorrow. Where’d you stay at in universal?
Good eye on McBain and Jub-Jub. I purposely left out the balloons since they’re decorations and still up for character status whenever EA wants. Prime example is SLH starting as a balloon in 2012 and then joining the game later. SIdeshow Bob is debatable. I still want him as a character with tasks so it probably was wishful thinking on my part.
I think they should stop the levels at 50 (a good, solid number) and from then on only release holiday events
I was hoping this game had a built in long life…I really enjoy it, and there was a game I played right before this called Pocket Potions that I loved, but the game designers announced they would no longer be offering new content in the game. Once I reached the last level, the game became boring and they no longer do anything fun or have events or sales. That’s why I love TSTO and my SF.
BTW…have you contacted EA about the Gil offer issue? I’ve contacted them but by the time they address it the sale will be over! I really wanted the sign and the brewery. Am I going to end up missing out on a good deal? Is it actually a deal?
They could go on for quite a while. So much still out there.
Still waiting for word from EA too. I hope it’s resolved. It is a good price for the two if you want them. My Gil deal is still in my premiums counting down.
EA told me it will take a week to get back to me!
I guess no deal for me 🙁
I’m really upset, but there’s nothing I can do about it.
Thanks for trying, bunny.
Don’t lose hope Stephanie! Furry fingers crossed tightly for ya.
Luigi is there? You’ve starred him! In the middle, slightly leftward. But great post anyhow – I’d love to see my favourite daredevil; Captain Lance Murdock in the mix personally.
I knew I missed one or two. I’ll tweak the post. Appreciate you looking out.
The game will continue for as long as it makes money…..
However this is a relationship between EA and the consumers or tappers if you prefer. If the game stagnates if the writers do not reinvent this then players will stop leaving only the addicts, though there maybe enough of us to continue to turn a profit.
There is a wealth of material and it is used very well so far with a lot of wit and on this aspect the game will go on for a while yet.
A list of things we like about the game would be interesting, what type of tapper are you? For me it is the designing and building of the town that keeps me coming back,
I think this aspect has taken everyone by surprise.
Great post Wookie
No worries! We still have Shelbyville to built! Lol
I was just eating at that Krusty Burger at Universal Studios and studying that poster two days ago!!! (Did you order the giant pink donut for dessert??? my kids begged for one) I want to know why EA hasn’t given us a TSTO Chicken Shack …
That donut looked delicious but my arteries begged me not to do it. That and a budget lol. Next time for sure and the chicken shack would be great in KL or Springfield.
Great post! Which made me start thinking……..Is there anywhere in the game that we can find out the exact day we started playing, and/or how much money we have spent on donuts? Although it would be frightening for some of us, it would be fun to know.
You may be able to find out when you first downloaded the game via your app store or the origin website. As for money, no clue and frankly don’t want to know (I already have an idea and it’s def geeky and mildly absurd).
Even beyond the many, many characters are costumes. Hopefully this game will keep going and going. It fills a weird need in me that I can’t explain.
One thing I would love to see someday is a street view of your town. To be able to walk the streets of your own Springfield. I know this is almost impossible in an app.
Also hope someday to see West Springfield ( desert area ), to properly place Mount Carlmore and The Devil’s Anvil. With cactus, boulders, dirt paths, etc.
Great post as always.
Wookiee, you got me thinking with this post… and that’s dangerous. LOL
My all-time favorite Simpsons episode remains “Krusty Gets Kancelled” (S04E22). I would definitely pay donuts to get Gabbo/Arthur Crandall!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krusty_Gets_Kancelled
But the thing about that episode that really makes it so awesome is the inclusion of celebrity guest-stars (Johnny Carson, Bette Midler, Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc.).
This begs another question: Will EA ever give us a celebrity guest star character for TSTO? It’s been a hallmark of the animated series since the early days … why not get them in the game? It would be too funny to have a celebrity character running around my TSTO Springfield.
Surely, an agent or an actor out there would like to get in on this first… contact Fox/Gracie/EA and make it happen!
I mentioned this is a WAWW. I really want the Springfield Clamphitheater with regular guest stars.
Thanks, Wook! For the record, Luigi IS on the list/in the picture at #247. You even starred him in the picture! 😉 Glad to hear you & yours had a great time in Florida.
Got it. Thanks!
The options for EA to string this game out past infinity are endless !!
I think our chances of surviving the ZA would be pretty good seeing as we all know how to build cities and scrounge up donuts.
I was just tapping away a few minutes ago and wondering why I still love playing this game. When I think about it logically there’s no good reason I’m spending so much time compulsively tapping my screen and paying lots of money for imaginary characters and buildings, but here I am. It may be OCD, but I can’t imagine I’ll ever stop, and apparently there are a lot of people like me out there. This game could last for more years than the series!
Great blogging JWR 🙂
However, TSTO’s future is also about Tappers buying donuts from EA… To coin a phrase from The Right Stuff… “No bucks, no Buck Rogers”
I think 100 million dollars should give us a good start lol Double D. No clue where this comes from but you made me think of the saying… “No cuts, no buts, no coconuts.”
I hope so! Just want to see the game keep going strong, so all this great content you’ve mentioned has a chance to be added 🙂
LMBO, I remember that saying; it means ‘no cutting in line’ ~ like young kids in a school cafeteria.
Amazing Post 😀 there are loads of characters that could be added to the game and this game could go on for a while!
From your mouth to EA’s ears Nathan.