Small item for today, but I thought it was kind of brilliant.

In Clash of Clans, the last updated added seasons, where for $5 you get additional rewards for completing tasks (if you don’t pay you still get some rewards from the free tier). The final paid reward for the season is a skin for the barbarian king. There are very easy daily tasks, and then longer weekly tasks that unlock. Since not all tasks are open right away, you can’t earn the skin until later.

Well, except if you just spend gems (paid currency) to earn points towards rewards directly. The primary (at least IMO) reason for including this option is for those who are close to the final reward towards the end of the season, but for whatever reason can’t actually get there. Rather than frustrating them, the game allows you to pay a bit more and still get it. It’s a good option for allowing people to get the fluff they might want. It’s not like there is any real prestige or bragging rights for earning the skin; its overall super-easy if you just play the game daily.

What I didn’t expect, though perhaps should have, is that people are spending gems to earn the skin NOW because they don’t want to wait. Anyone currently using the skin has paid extra, because its impossible to have earned it by just playing. And again, this is kind of brilliant of SuperCell, because why not collect more money from people if they REALLY want the fluff now, and are willing to pay you more for it?