Board Thread:Casual Discussion/@comment-8857978-20130726103158/@comment-10811288-20130805180439

The thing people forget about this game is that you don't have to buy ANY of the premium items. They're neat to have, and they provide a little extra content, but the full experience is right there for free.

EA releases premium characters and buildings as the one and only way to turn a profit on this game. It takes time and resources to animate and voice the characters and buildings (Both free and premium). Plus there are resources needed to maintain the content, work the customer-service end of things and keep providing new content. If you hack donuts, you're denying them that profit. If you want it that badly, then you must be having fun. If you're having fun, pay for a few donuts, so they can keep making money and keep providing free content.

That said, throwing them a few dollars here and there doesn't have to be a bank-breaking experience. I've paid less than $20 and I have 7 premium characters, thanks to Gil's donut sale and lottery-ticket wins (And I got Squeaky-Voiced Teen for free from a box, and Hans Moleman from a Homer Buddah I got from free donuts).

It's worth it, to me, to pay for a little content just as a way of saying thanks for the fun I'm having. I know not everyone can afford even a few dollars, but there's plenty of game there for free. I've been playing since the St. Patrick's Day quest and still haven't finished Level 32. I'll never have EVERYTHING, but I've targeted things I really wanted (Frink and Dr. Nick are two of my favorite Simpsons characters), and have them, and it didn't cost too much.