I know…I know…you are going to come up with a million reasons to justify spending donuts and cash on Black Friday. It’s just the way people have been trained these days in the United States, and yes…it is creeping into Europe as well.
But, I will say this once again...do NOT let your impulses get the best of you. At best, this is gambling. At worst, it is a complete money grab by EA. (Sorry John)
Let’s take a look at the two primary “dopamine tools” that EA employs here.
Most of what follows has to do with those who are considering dropping REAL CASH for Black Friday. Let’s put this into perspective really quickly… we’re talking about $49.99 here. What could you get in the REAL world with $50. During the sales this weekend…a TON of stuff (like 5 pairs of jeans at Old Navy).
So…let’s break down why you think you WANT to drop $50…and why you should take a pause.
1. Instant gratification…driven by a boost of dopamine to the brain…which helps create addiction. No surprises here. The entire online gaming industry is built on this, and phone addiction is as common as the excuses we use to explain it. But…take a look back over the past year, and ask yourself one questions. Once you have done the grinding to get something (perhaps the huge number of donuts needed to get everything offered), do you get anything out of it? Do you even remember the last 10 items you bought for TSTO…without looking?
Nope. You buy it. You move on. And except for having to clear the task from a character, the “satisfaction zone” for a character is getting shorter and shorter. So…before you think you need EVERYTHING… think again. You don’t.
1b. – At best, this sucks in the gamblers that think they are getting a deal by winning…even if it takes hundreds of donuts to get something that will likely show up later in a Vault offering. Hundreds…for a bauble. Even for donut farmers…you have to place a value on your TIME.
2. Read the above reality check, and then…add to this that you are being asked to drop at LEAST $50 to get a donut factory that makes 6 donuts a day. Even if you are placing value on the donuts in real terms…they are worth between .16 each (if you buy a dozen) and .04 each (if you buy a boatload). Which means you will have to do “hard time” of as much as 208 days, before you recoup your expenditure! SERIOUSLY??? THIS IS A GOOD DEAL???
I am not going to call out those who will work hard to justify this ridiculous expense. You cannot be helped.
But, I will point out that EA is making every Black Friday more punitive than than the last…and that is is a rip-off of epic proportions.
More so… It is ALWAYS a huge “Regret-Fest” when the Christmas update hits…and we hear tons and tons of players whining that they “wish they had saved their money for this event, instead of blowing it on useless stuff on Black Friday.
Now…if you are a DONUT FARMER…much of what I have written is moot. You are playing with “House Money” and all you have squandered is the time spent to grind the donuts. And yes…I confess to being elated when I got Kamp Krusty for 20 donuts on my first spin….and Herb Powell on my 2nd. But, then I walked away! I didn’t want anything else. Vegas hates me. That’s why. I spend what I can afford…have my fun…and leave…especially if I am winning.
Here’s the thing… if you passed on items during the events…there was likely a reason. After years and years of playing, I have LOADS of items that I have not bought…and never will. They show up every Black Friday…and I ignore them.
Show some common sense… rEAlly!
Most of this isn’t worth your time…and certainly not your money!
OH……and a LOT of you are asking (once again) where to find info on donut farming. Do a SEARCH in the Search box on this site…
Or Follow this link…
https://tstoaddicts.com/?s=Donut+Farming
*******ADDENDUM TO ORIGINAL POST******
As I predicted, people are stumbling over themselves to justify the $50 expenditure.
For the record…. you need to understand that this is a marketing test by EA. They are testing the waters to see how far we will go, before we push back.
I Don’t Mind Giving Money to EA!! What I do mind…is that for the same kind of “lame-ish” items…they have gone from $10, to $20 to $50…in very short order.
If you continue to support this method…they will ultimately keep jacking it up to $100 or more. Mark my words… I’ve been in marketing my entire adult life, and they are “pushing to find the point of pricing resistance.”
If you want to be part of the problem…go ahead. Don’t resist. For me…I vote NO! Not worth it…at all. 208 days minimum to recoup the cost…that’s just silly.