Black Friday 2017 analysis

After four days Storm8 finally lowered the shutters on Black Friday. This year's event has been a very interesting experience, with the drama spread out over the entirety of Thanksgiving weekend. So get yourself a hot mug of cocoa and settle down - here's my overview and analysis of Black Friday 2017...

The fun and games commenced as early as Tuesday when everyone received a pop-up window which teased that 'something special' was on the way come Friday:

First notification for Black Friday 2017

This is a fairly standard notification in the lead-up to Black Friday, but nevertheless it is always a source of great relief - confirmation that the game's developers will be getting involved in the shopping mayhem and hopefully sending us all to the nearest cash machine wallet in hand. This was compounded by a second teaser on Thursday, perhaps designed as a reminder for anyone who since Tuesday had forgotten about what was coming (as if!)

And so Friday arrived, with the first indication of something a little different being reports from players that their current gem sale was set to end at around the classic update time (18:30 GMT) rather than at reset (08:00 GMT). It was therefore no great surprise that there was a complete absence of dazzling orange frames throughout the day, until after 18:30 GMT.

There was no special gem sale such as the 40% discounts of yesteryear in sight (personally I got a standard 30% off one - not sure if this was the case for everyone) but there were plenty of sale items...

 Friday

Perhaps the most important aspect of this entire Black Friday bonanza was the launch notification:

Notification for Black Friday 2017 sale (Friday)

In particular, the line 'check back all weekend for other goodies' suggested that there would be more than just the initial roll-out. And the vast majority of players were certainly thankful for that after browsing the market to find that the reduced content consisted almost entirely of Christmas themed stuff:

Black Friday 2017 sale items (Friday)

Thirty-eight items were marked down on Friday in total, with five entries from each market category, with the exception of the appliances tab which yielded three, and the boxes tab which yielded none (although those Christmas themed chests not permanently in the game were re-released). The timer on all of the items was initially set to three days, which should mean a Cyber Monday removal.

Never has a Black Friday sale been spread so evenly across the categories. Usually floor decor is all the rage, and rightly so given that such content is typically the most expensive and showstopping. To see so much other stuff available kind of disappointed me - I don't save my gems up months in advance to then purchase a set of tables and chairs.

And the focus on Christmas decorations was infuriating. Back in 2014 there was what I described as a 'slight emphasis' on festive gear, and even that had the community riled up. The fact of the matter is that we are likely to have around four weeks of Christmassy glitz ahead of us which is fairly likely to include a sale. So lots of Christmas content at this juncture is not required - I'd much rather see a healthy range of themes represented in order to ensure everyone is well served.

The most intriguing inclusion in Friday's offerings is surely the easy appliances. The Easy Stove, Easy Oven and Easy Grill were introduced in July 2011 (another era in the Restaurant Story timeline!) and to my knowledge had never been reduced in price. Down from 10,000 coins to 5,000 coins, this is a nice opportunity for any players who have not yet invested in these cookers which reduce the amount of preparation and serving taps required. But for old-timers such as myself who already have 18 of each it's immaterial.

 Previous special sales

 26/11/16 Black Friday 2016
 28/11/15 Black Friday 2015
 20/12/14 Christmas 2014
 29/11/14 Black Friday 2014

 30/11/13 Black Friday 2013

Of much more relevance to me is the Build a Snowman. Initially added in December 2014 for 50 gems before being removed in March of the following year, this 4x4 sized floor decoration is not only a beauty, but at 25 gems represents the largest discount thus far in proceedings. In light of the rolling nature of this year's sale I've not pulled the trigger yet, but I do anticipate eventually splashing out for a piece which is sure to enliven any festive scene.

Beyond the Build a Snowman my interest levels are pretty low, partially because I already own a good few of the items outlined in orange. The Holiday Fireplace is such an example, meaning that although it is only 5 gems (which is an absolute steal!) I'll be passing. In fact, the Holiday Fireplace seems to go on sale either on Black Friday or over Christmas every year - as sure as night follows day!

Something I have invested in is the Colored Lights given that I didn't have very many previously. You can never have enough Christmassy lights, and with these ones up for coins they're a decent buy. Indeed there is a pretty equitable split of coin and gem content, with 21 for coins and 17 for gems. That's always nice for any players who are short of gems but still want to get involved.

The verdict when I went to bed on Friday night? Underwhelming. There is the odd quality item to be had, but otherwise it was a lacklustre showing. And this was only added to when I opened up the sister game, Bakery Story, to find that not only is the sale over there running until Tuesday, but it also includes every box at half price! This resulted in frequent and increasingly maddening check-ins to Restaurant Story in hope that the gamemakers had accidentally forgotten to knock down the crates, but alas there was to be no repeat of the sweeping 50% discounts of 2016.

 Saturday

I mentioned the significance of Friday's notification earlier, and come Saturday morning its phrasing was very much under my microscope. Storm8 are known for making a hash of these events, so I had my doubts as to whether there would be fresh sales on Saturday. However, no matter how I looked at it, the suggestion was that the Black Friday experience was going to be more like a 'Black Weekend'.

Low and behold, the old update time signalled the drawing back of the curtains on a new array of sales:

Notification for Black Friday 2017 sale (Saturday)

This time the game's developers acknowledge that it is 'favourite community decos' which have been thrust into the spotlight. Historically Storm8 have not been the best at listening to requests from the players, with plenty of examples of suggestion threads over on the Storm8 Forum seemingly long forgotten by the people who matter. So this claim deserves a spoonful of scepticism.

How best to put it to the test than by perusing the content added to the sales rack:

Black Friday 2017 sale items (Saturday)

Fifteen items joined the orange frame club, consisting purely of floor decorations, with the exception of the Autumn Door (not pictured above). Notably this collection was only available for one day. That in itself introduced a dilemma - do you splurge on this lot and risk being out of pocket if there are further waves of deals still to come? It's a decision which every player on a budget had to face, but it's one which I relished.

Christmas was still strongly represented in this second batch of goodies, but again there was a satisfying split of coin and gem stuff - in fact it was 50:50.

But is this representative of the community's 'favourites'? I don't think you can fault the gamemakers here - the Cider Bar, Haunted Clock Tower and Jazz Band are probably on the all-time list of a large contingent of players (the former two are certainly on mine) and I'm pretty sure I've seen requests at some time or another for most of the rest.

And there's some sterling deals to be had too. Fifteen gems for the clock tower and 19 for the bar is outstanding, as is 7 gems for the always adorable Mistletoe Kiss. I already own all three, but that doesn't mean I can't give an emphatic thumbs up.

My buys have been threefold. First of all the two characters on offer - Lava Girl and Cookin' Mama. I could have had Lava Girl when I first started playing in 2012 and have always been annoyed with my ignorant newbie self for not making her mine. The fact that she's available for coins made it a no-brainer.

As for Cookin' Mama, well she's been catching my eye every time I trawl through the market ever since she was added two years ago. She's a lovable figure like Gran-Gran and fits in snugly with my existing staff. At her normal price tag of 30 gems I could never justify the spend, but at 15 gems I was happy to make the purchase.

After much deliberation the Jazz Band was my third buy. It was included in Black Friday 2016, with this being only the second time that players across all platforms have had an opportunity to buy it. I've got a few musicians in my place already so ordinarily would likely have passed on this decoration, but I've got plans forming in my head for a very special 'TGT Presents' and the Jazz Band is now going to be a key component of that. As far as any further details on that go... my lips are sealed!

So at the end of day two my mood had improved. A more enticing selection of items which gives some kind of indication that Storm8 have actually been listening to the players. That gave me plenty of hope for the rest of the weekend. Will the Gem Dispenser be next? Maybe some box deals? Or more of the same?

 Sunday

Day three, and the Black Friday sale still had legs. This time it was the return of the bundles which created the headlines:

Notification for Black Friday 2017 sale (Sunday)

As with Saturday's offerings, the bundles were only available for 24 hours, meaning that they will vanish at 18:30 GMT on Monday. At the time of writing I'm unsure of the availability of them to Android players since they haven't previously been made available on that platform. Typically the items within have been released on the market as a compromise. If anyone on Android can clarify that would be great!

All four of the bundles which have been released previously are back (at least on iOS) and can be found near the end of the boxes tab (just be careful where you tap!):

Black Friday 2017 sale items (Sunday)

You can tap on a bundle in the market to get the price as well as a breakdown of what's included. They are all 75 gems with the exception of the Classic Bundle and contain the exact same content as they did when making their respective debuts in 2015.

The Classic Bundle is not pictured above - that's because I've bought it before and you can only access a bundle once. It is probably the pick of the bundles given that it focuses on the much coveted Classic Kitchen box. So many desirable items, headlined by the Ticket Station, and via the crate with normal prices you'd be forking out at least 144 gems, so it represents outstanding value.

It's intriguing to see the Jazz Band get another go in the New Orleans Bundle after appearing as one of the deals on Saturday. This time you can get it in conjunction with a number of other decorations, including the New Orleans Door which in my view is the best door design the game has seen. The normal market value of the bundle as a whole comes to 66 gems, but that's without the Jazz Band which was 20 gems on Saturday. So it's a good deal if you like the look of most of the items.

The Easter Bundle appeals just because of the general lack of Easter themed stuff. It's not an occasion which has been celebrated very much in Restaurant Story down the years, and so related decor is hard to come by. But when you look at each item individually, are they really up to much? The Egg Painting is the only piece larger than 1x1, and it is only a second prize in the Easter Chest. If you haven't had a shot at the Egg Stove before then that's certainly an attraction, but at 75 gems this bundle does not price up well in my opinion.

The Blossom Bundle was very controversial when it hit the market in April 2015 due to most of its content having been available for coins until their removal just a fortnight earlier. Much water has passed under the bridge since, and newer players who didn't earn the blossom collection from the relevant goals back in the day may well like the look of this one. The Blossom Grove is a gigantic 4x4 floor decoration while the Spring Picnic is a beautiful item which doesn't include any dodgy looking characters. And don't forget the Fruit Bar which is a rare 2x1 sized appliance which looks the part.

In all honesty I've found Sunday's specials to be underwhelming. But that's because I've had a chance to buy these bundles before, and have seen all of the content freely available on the market at some time or another anyway. But for those who haven't been acquainted with the bundles before it's certainly a release which requires plenty of thought.

So that just leaves Cyber Monday. Both the Sunday bundles and Friday's initial releases expire on Monday which leaves me pondering whether we've had our lot or if there will be one final flurry. I've a sneaky suspicion there could - the sale in Bakery Story runs until Tuesday and it would be odd to have the two games operating different sale durations. Then again the format of proceedings has been very different in each so perhaps we shouldn't be comparing them!

 Monday

My suspicions were confirmed! It was a Monday of the Cyber variety, with 64 of the 67 crates ever to have appeared in the game available for 12 gems. The only omissions were three seasonal boxes - the Holiday Box (initially released in 2010), Spring Basket (2011) and Valentine's Box (2011) did not return. But a range of other temporary crates were back.

Notification for Black Friday 2017 sale (Monday)

If truth be told this is the part of the Black Friday proceedings I had expected more than anything else. A sweeping crate sale was at the centre of the 2016 event, and with box deals pretty much a given with any sales we've had this year I'm not at all surprised to see this finale to an exhausting weekend.

It goes without saying that the boxes are a gamble. In some ways that makes them a poor fit for Black Friday since this event historically has been an opportunity to bag some serious items - not take a chance with a lucky dip. Indeed in the good old days box prizes would be offered out of the box for a limited time. Those days feel like another life now!

But that doesn't mean the box sale isn't a bad thing. Yes there's no coin content for the taking, but since just about every chest is reduced, you had the opportunity to pick and choose depending on which themes you wished to top up on. It's a freedom which a standard item sale just cannot replicate, so although it's an expensive venture it's also an expansive one.

 Crate Catalogue

 All the details on all the boxes

Before addressing the boxes personally, my intention was to - upon opening the game just after 18:30 GMT - go ahead and make my purchase of the Build a Snowman from Friday's deals. But of course it was gone! A total fail on my part, having mistakenly thought that the original sale would be running until Tuesday - that was Bakery Story!

So with steam coming out of my ears, I took on the boxes. But with it being a work night I was not exactly in the optimum position to make the most of my 'mastery minus one' technique! Fair to say that the kitchen staff at The Garlic Tree were working overtime! I managed to scrape together enough gems to open nine crates - four goes at the Birthday Box, three at the Holiday Gift and two dips in the Winter Crate.

The Birthday Box yielded the Pile of Gifts and two Birthday Treats (both third prizes) before delivering the Birthday Girl (fourth prize). The Holiday Gift then took all the fun out of my Black Friday experience by providing the third prize Santa's Toy Bench not once, not twice, but thrice. I finished off with the the Santa's Helpers (fourth prize) and Reindeer Display (third prize) from the Winter Crate.

So not exactly a classic haul which just goes to show that risk element when it comes to the boxes. The three consecutive benches from the Holiday Gift was particularly frustrating, and provided a stark reminder of why I hadn't cracked open a box since last Black Friday. A somewhat gloomy end to a frantic Thanksgiving weekend.

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With the circus having finally left town, I can reflect upon Black Friday 2017 as a whole. It's certainly been a different experience this year, with Storm8 mapping it out in an organised and orchestrated manner spanning four days. In all honesty they approached it in the same manner I would have done if I were at the helm - drip-feeding content will result in players spending all their gems only to then see something desirable pop up on a later day, thus invoking a real money spend.

It was nice to see a variety of decor included, be it boxes, bundles, floor decorations or stuff from the other market categories. At first I felt there was an overly Christmas feel to things, but that faded and was completely gone by the time the crates were released (even if I was pulled in by a couple of festive boxes!)

The one omission which has irked many a player is the Gem Dispenser. There was so much anticipation and hope that it would put in an appearance, which makes it seem as if the game's developers have definitely dropped the ball. But then again let's not overlook the power of the Gem Dispenser - owning one could well mean the end of real money purchases for a player which is clearly not in Storm8's interests. Obviously this has to be weighed up against the potential income resulting from putting the Gem Dispenser on the market, and on this occasion it was obviously decided not to include it. You never know though, it could hit our screens over the festive period...

So all in all a very successful Black Friday in my opinion. It was original, varied and had everyone coming back for more throughout the weekend. I just wish my box luck had been better and that I hadn't confused myself as to the end time for the Friday sales!