RIP, Simpsons Tapped Out, You Never Should Have Existed

By Andrew Sanford | TV | September 27, 2024 |

By Andrew Sanford | TV | September 27, 2024 |

Anyone who has traded a video game in at GameStop knows how much of a ripoff it can be. They pay a pittance compared to what you initially paid, even if the game came out weeks before. Then, they slap a “Used” sticker on it and throw it on their shelves for well more than they gave you. It’s a racket. Still, in a frustratingly capitalist society, it makes sense. They are a company with shareholders and have to appease them lest a movie be made about them. And people have to choose to sell their games because they own them. At least, they used to.

Buying a physical video game is exciting for a lot of different reasons. Yes, capitalism sucks, but I live here, so I take part in it. Spending my hard-earned money on a (often) bright, colorful piece of packing that contains a piece of art that will take me (mostly) to other worlds is invigorating! I’ve been to midnight releases, swapped games with friends, and played the same games over and over until I knew every nook and cranny they had. They were mine. Then things changed.

In the late aughts, a lot of video games were made available to purchase online. The ease and convenience seemed great at first! You could buy whatever game you wanted, whenever you wanted, using your controller and an internet connection. Sure, it meant no more midnight releases, but that also meant no travel. You can even pre-order games and start downloading them early. But do you own them?

Simply put, the answer is no. You can play them at your discretion. They live on your XBOX, PlayStation, or Nintendo Whatever. But what if those companies fold? What if they sell off their assets? What if they just decide to not host the game you purchased anymore?? These are all very real possibilities, and fans of Simpsons Tapped Out are facing one right now.

Created in 2012, Simpsons Tapped Out is a mobile game. It plays as advertised. You tap a virtual Springfield, making its citizens do various things and cultivating the town as you see fit. There are events based on different holidays and specialty skins and characters available at that time. Unless you want to shell out some extra cash for those characters, or others that are buy-only. You can earn them by playing! But that can be a time suck.

I played Simpsons Tapped Out for years. I’ll admit that I, at different times, paid money for Homer in a MooMoo or the Maison Derriére. There was another game I played on my phone. It featured my beloved Ghostbusters. I put money into that one too (had to have Egon). But, soon after, it shut down without warning. I decided I wouldn’t spend money on a mobile game again, and deleted The Simpsons Tapped Out to avoid the temptation. Now, it’s shutting down for good.

EA (Electronic Arts) has informed players that the game will shut down early next year. You won’t be able to make in-app purchases. There will be no more themed events. You cannot bring it to GaneStop for store credit. The game will simply cease to be, leaving everyone who has spent money on it over the years ass out.

EA alerted players to the game’s destruction via a message in the game. “Sadly, in-app purchases have been disabled, and the game will no longer be available from the App Store after October 31, 2024. You may continue playing until January 24, 2025. Then the game will no longer be accessible. We bid you adieu. Until we meet again…”

They also posted a lengthy goodbye on social media, which you can read here. This isn’t a new problem. I know that the loss of people’s jobs will be the most devastating aspect of this, not the loss of a game. Regardless, it is a model that should not exist to begin with.