Guide: The In-App Purchases of The Sims FreePlay on Windows Phone 8

Sims FreePlay In-App Purchase Guide Windows Phone

While the flow of new Xbox games for Windows Telephone has slowed this yr, the number of free to play games in the Xbox lineup continues to abound. These titles rely on In-App Purchases (IAPs) for acquirement. Users who savour a game and feel motivated to purchase content can practice so, while other players can simply play without spending.

We'll be profiling the In-App Purchases of each new free to play or IAP-heavy mobile Xbox title that comes forth. We've already looked at the IAPs of Six-Guns from Gameloft; this week we explore the purchases in Electronic Arts' The Sims FreePlay for Windows Phone 8. Read on to learn exactly what IAPs the game has in shop and which offer the best values.

Dueling currencies

The Sims FreePlay for Windows Phone 8

The Windows Phone version of The Sims FreePlay has 2 types of currencies: Simoleons and Life Points. Dissimilar many free to play games, players can earn both types of currency through regular gameplay – and I don't hateful past winning some daily lottery. Still, both currencies can be purchased from the in-game store too.

To access the store, select the purple shopping cart icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen. The store is divided upwards into 3 sections. Annoyingly, you accept to cull an item and head to the buy screen in society to actually view its price (simply as with the iOS version). Naturally we'll listing the prices right here for your convenience.

Simoleons

The Sims FreePlay for Windows Phone 8

These are traditional Sims currency, represented by a greenish circle with a white shape inside. Simoleons are used to buy houses, buildings, businesses, furniture, appliances, and several other items.

Your Sims earn Simoleons by performing a variety of actions:

Gardening: A great source of both money and XP. A garden patch costs only twenty Simoleons, and then you might besides install more than than ane.
Blistering: Some other good source of money and XP.
Jobs: Adult Sims tin can go a variety of jobs, all with different working hours and pay. Increase your Sim's job level and he or she will earn more than pay.
Pets: Your dog or cat can observe diverse quantities of money and on very rare occasions, life points.
Ghost hunting: Buy one or more haunted ornament items and your Sims can accept up ghost hunting as a hobby. Select the haunted particular and cull to have the Sim look for ghosts. Afterwards your Sim finds the ghost, tap the red ghost icon and then tap the ghost iii times before it escapes. You'll earn money for the capture.
Multiple Sims can ghost chase simultaneously, but y'all'll need one haunted particular per Sim. The Pro Skater's Dream Pad includes a free skeleton in its rec room. Make sure you lot use it.
Other hobbies: Oh yeah, some other hobbies pay money besides.
Daily bonus: Every day y'all'll receive a dissimilar quantity of Simoleons in the mail.
House and edifice acquirement: All houses and many buildings produce money over fourth dimension. Visit the boondocks map to collect it.
Driving: When a Sim drives a motorcar, it produces musical notes. Follow the car effectually and hit those notes for small quantities of money. It'southward non especially worthwhile though.
Competitions: Later on building a Competition Center, your Sims who have hobbies tin can compete to earn prizes, including Simoleons and Life Points.

The Sims FreePlay for Windows Phone 8

Simoleon packages:

Note: quantities vary past role player level.

Handful of Cash – five,500 Simoleons - $iv.99 (ane,100 Simoleons per dollar)
Pile of Cash – 13,500 Simoleons - $seven.99 (1,687 Simoleons per dollar)
Piggy Bank of Cash – xix,000 Simoleons - $9.99 (i,900 Simoleons per dollar)
Sack of Cash – 32,500 Simoleons - $fourteen.99 (2,167 Simoleons per dollar)
Trunk of Cash – 108,000 Simoleons - $nineteen.99 (5,400 Simoleons per dollar)
Bank of Cash – 430,000 Simoleons - $49.99 (8,600 Simoleons per dollar)
Treasury of Cash – 1,080,000 Simoleons - $99.99 (x,800 Simoleons per dollar)

About free to play games give better deals on larger quantities of currency. But Sims FreePlay provides unusually loftier values on the more expensive packs. Of course, that means the low priced packs aren't also swell a value; the $5 pack provides so few Simoleons equally to be practically worthless.

Each subsequent houses and building yous buy costs more than the one earlier it; eventually they get pretty expensive. If yous detect yourself unable to afford a edifice or other expensive item needed for a goal or Achievement, your choices are to await and earn the Simoleons or simply buy them from the store. Of the Simoleon packages, I find the $twenty package most bonny.

Life Points

The Sims FreePlay for Windows Phone 8

Life Points are used to buy premium homes, vehicles, and many other items. Most importantly, Birthday cakes (needed to advance babies to toddlers and toddlers to preteens) and higher quality wedding rings toll Life Points. Goals can be skipped for five Life Points. Additionally, actions can exist sped upward at a rate of ane Life Point per hour.

There are several means to earn Life Points:

Goals: Many goals pay in Life Points, though not all.
Town worth: Reaching town worth milestones pays in Life Points.
Hobbies: Reaching milestones in a hobby will sometimes pay out in Life Points. Afterward maxing out a hobby, players can choose to start over in the hobby and earn the aforementioned rewards once again.
Pets: On very rare occasions, pets can discover Life Points for you lot.
Competitions: Like Simoleons, Life Points tin can be won at the Competition Middle. Offset prize is 3 Life Points. Your Sim volition need to be maxed out in a hobby to win beginning prize.

The Sims FreePlay for Windows Phone 8

Life Points packages:

Annotation: quantities vary by actor level.

Handful of LP – 6 Life Points - $iv.99 (1.two Life Points per dollar)
Bucket of LP – 21 Life Points - $7.99 (two.6 Life Points per dollar)
Box of LP – 62 Life Points - $9.99 (6.ii Life Points per dollar)
Barrow of LP – 105 Life Points - $14.99 (7 Life Points per dollar)
Carload of LP – 215 Life Points - $nineteen.99 (10.75 Life Points per dollar)
Truckload of LP – 645 Life Points - $46.99 (13.7 Life Points per dollar)
Boatload of LP – 1560 Life Points - $99.99 (fifteen.vi Life Points per dollar)

Whereas the sweet spot for Simoleon value is the $20 package, the $10 Life Point pack represents a off-white value at a lower price. Not that yous can't blow through 62 Life Points chop-chop. It's important to use them conservatively. Don't speed up actions with Points unless you have a compelling reason, and only skip Goals whose requirements are extremely long term.

Specials

The Sims FreePlay for Windows Phone 8

The Specials section of the shop contains several unique items that tin only exist acquired 6 IAP, plus a philharmonic Simoleon/Life Point package:

Swimsuit Bundle – $iv.99
We take new and exclusive Mankinis and Swimsuits for your Sim'south next puddle party!
Premium Home Pack – $four.99
Give your Sim's domicile the very finest in living with the Premium Abode Pack. Bonus: v LP.
Goldfish Aquarium – $0.99
The perfect gift for the Sim who has everything. Buy the Goldfish Aquarium today!
Tropical Fish Bundle – $3.99
Be hypnotized by the dazzler of Discus and Affections Fish in these 2 quality aquariums.
Dress-up Chest – $1.99
Play apparel-ups! Bumble Bee, Robot, Panda and Dinosaur costumes for your toddlers!
Wedding ceremony Bundle – $4.99
Desire to get married in style? You need a Wedding Dress and Groom Accommodate for your Sims!
Currency Bundle – $15.99
Piggy Banking concern of Simoleons (19,000 Simoleons) and Box of Life Points (62 LP) Packet. (2375 Simoleons and 7.75 Life Points per dollar) - Quantities vary past player level

The Premium Home Pack contains:

two-Star white toilet – Value: 700 Simoleons
2-Star shower – Value: i,000 Simoleons
ii-Star wall-mounted television – Value: 1,250 Simoleons
2-Star blackness stereo – Value: one,600 Simoleons
two-Star white bed – Value: 1,600 Simoleons
2-Star white sleeping accommodation table – Value: 375 Simoleons
2-Star white refrigerator – Value: 1,300 Simoleons
Grey oven – Value: i,500 Simoleons
two-Star white living room chair – Value: 1,500 Simoleons
ii-Star white couch – Value: ii,200 Simoleons
two-Star white coffee table – Value: 450 Simoleons
two-Star black bookcase – Value: 800 Simoleons
two-Star white dining room tabular array – Value: 700 Simoleons
two-Star white dining room chair (four) – Value: 3,200 Simoleons
Red square wall clock – Value: 175 Simoleons
Various plants
Gardening patch (x) – Value: 200 Simoleons
five Life Points

Excluding the plants, that adds upwards to 18,550 Simoleons worth of items. None of it is exclusive to the pack, simply it's essentially a $x Simoleon package worth of items plus the five Life Points all for v bucks. That's a way better buy than a $5 Life Point package!

A curious aspect of the Specials department is all three items listed as 50-threescore per centum off Tropical Fish, Clothes-upwardly Chest, Wedding Parcel) seem to exist showing upwards at regular toll. Non much of a bargain, right?

Equally for the Currency Bundle, it's a corking booster early in the game. You're substantially getting $10 packs of each currency for $16. The individual high value packages are even so a better bargain, but the bundle should exercise if yous're not looking to spend a lot.

Fourth dimension to get-go a faimly

The Sims FreePlay for Windows Phone 8

Did you brand any In-App Purchases, Sims players? Cheque back presently for our Sims FreePlay Achievement Guide, to be followed by our full review.

The Sims FreePlay – Windows Phone 8 (i GB of RAM) – 427 MB – Free – Store Link

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