Hello again ol' friend: Simcity 5 introduced

[fantom1979]

No, this is not Societies

ETA: 2013

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Nearly 10 years after the last major SimCity release, Maxis Emeryville and EA unveiled information yesterday about SimCity 4 (http://reviews.cnet.com/pc-games/simcity-4-deluxe-edition/4505-9696_7-30976780.html)'s upcoming successor.

The fifth version of the iconic SimCity (http://www.simcity.com/en_US) is due in 2013, and features a large range of graphic and gameplay improvements over previous generations. One major new feature is multiplayer region support (for up to 16 players). Playing with friends enables challenges such as leaderboards and the ability to "launch a space shuttle or build magnificent wonders," according to EA.

Multiplayer relationships go much deeper, though. For example, you can send fire trucks to another region in a massive crisis. If your city turns into a smog-filled re-creation of Los Angeles, then Sims in a friend's area suffer and experience health problems.

City architects can also choose a theme for each city, such as a casino-heavy Vegas layout, an educational college town, or manufacturing mecca. These choices carry great influence over the "look, feel and core personality of your city," the official Web site says.

Another interesting tidbit about the new SimCity: builders can lay curvy roads, a capability the series sorely lacked prior.

We also see a great deal of chatter in the details about greatly enhanced Sims (due to an enhanced simulation engine called GlassBox): "Now every Sim has a purpose in the SimCity world, a home to go to, a job to work at, even stores to shop in." We hope this doesn't translate into endless pop-up messages during gameplay from concerned or annoyed citizens.

A preorder page for SimCity (http://store.origin.com/store/ea/en_US/html/pbPage.SimcityNA/ThemeID.718200) on Origin confirms several things: a $59.99 baseline retail cost, average system requirements, and a special digital deluxe version for $20 more.



SimCity plans big return in 2013 | Crave - CNET (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57392907-1/simcity-plans-big-return-in-2013/)
SimCity Official Website (http://www.simcity.com/en_US)

[Groundhog]

Graphically, very impressive. Haven't played SimCity since SimCity 2000.

[wade moore]

Might be the first PC game I buy since, well, Sim City 2000 (not counting text sims).

[wade moore]

I just watched the video.

I am completely nerding out.

[Ksyrup]

I haven't played this game since, I guess, the original version? It was definitely during college, so in the 1990-93 range. I don't think I ever revisited the game, or at least, I didn't get as absorbed by it as I was back then.

[cody8200]

Cannot wait to get this.

[Coffee Warlord]

Does anyone else take issue with the fact they've ALREADY announced varying levels of content for Deluxe / Limited Edition copies? Don't wanna shell out 80+ bucks for the game? No Euro style buildings for you. Superhero lairs? C'mon.

I worry this is gonna go the Sims route: 50 billion expansions and a very stripped down game that requires a buttload of DLC.

[cody8200]

Does anyone else take issue with the fact they've ALREADY announced varying levels of content for Deluxe / Limited Edition copies? Don't wanna shell out 80+ bucks for the game? No Euro style buildings for you. Superhero lairs? C'mon.

I worry this is gonna go the Sims route: 50 billion expansions and a very stripped down game that requires a buttload of DLC.

I'm sure you are right but one thing that would be great - and Maxis has done in the past - is to release mod tools for the game. They did it for SimCity 4 and the community has created a million things Maxis never built and are absolutely free.

[wade moore]

I'm sure you are right but one thing that would be great - and Maxis has done in the past - is to release mod tools for the game. They did it for SimCity 4 and the community has created a million things Maxis never built and are absolutely free.

How do you get that stuff? Thinking about firing up SimCity 4 this weekend.

[spleen1015]

Sounds very interesting. Looking forward to MP with you guys.

[cody8200]

Usually at http://www.simtropolis.com but it is down this morning. Should be back up later today according tio twitter. Also, I just saw an article about modding on SimCity 5 and they said it would be fully supported.

SimCity designed to support mods - Shacknews.com - Video Game News, Trailers, Game Videos, and Files (http://www.shacknews.com/article/72768/simcity-designed-to-support-mods?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter#)

[Coffee Warlord]

I'm sure you are right but one thing that would be great - and Maxis has done in the past - is to release mod tools for the game. They did it for SimCity 4 and the community has created a million things Maxis never built and are absolutely free.

Which is what scares me. The modding community ROCKED for Sim City 4, I'm worried that EA is going to go so heavy on DLC that they are gonna make it a colossal pain to mod. (I won't say impossible, because people will figure it out, but it will almost certainly restrict what is and isn't feasible).

Edit: Ah, read the above about them saying modding will be supported. Here's hoping. I'm still nervous though - this is EA.

[cartman]

I haven't played this game since, I guess, the original version? It was definitely during college, so in the 1990-93 range. I don't think I ever revisited the game, or at least, I didn't get as absorbed by it as I was back then.

Yeah, I remember playing the original in college back in 1990, on a Tandy 1000. My roommate watched me play, and called it the stupidest thing he'd ever seen. He sat down and gave it a try, and didn't stop playing until 4am.

[ShaneTheMaster]

drool

[ColtCrazy]

please be on Mac, please be on Mac, please be on Mac...

[Wolfpack]

What's getting me a little twitchy is that they seem to be pushing the whole eco-"Inconvenient Truth" endorsement angle a lot in the early press. Makes me think the game isn't going to be a game, but a tool to push a viewpoint and that it will mean that a successful city will only be achieved through specific approaches, no matter that they couldn't be achieved in the real world or not. For example, someone in one of the articles mentioned that people in your city would be unhappy if you built a coal plant. Fine, understandable. But, does the game consider the costs involved in trying to do things cleaner and will the citizens be unhappy if those costs are put back on them in the form of an increased tax burden or some other balancing mechanic, for example? Cities are the way they are for a reason. We may not be happy that we don't have a pristine environment, but we also aren't going to pay through the nose to get it, either. I worry that there will be this sort of utopian approach and that doing it any other way will be seen in some way as doing the misanthropic thing.

[Buccaneer]

Still doesn't look like you can grow from a small, agricultural trading village to a medium-sized industrial city to a modern high-tech city. I guess that would still be my dream SimCity game, as oppose to having to plan out a modern city right from the beginning.

[MrBug708]

Ocean Quigley?

[EagleFan]

They're not going to fool me into this one. No matter what it looks like, it's still SimCity. Which means after about 15 minutes I'll realize that it is zero fun.

[wade moore]

Fired up SimCity 4 last night.

Can't wait for this game!

[Young Drachma]

please be on Mac, please be on Mac, please be on Mac...

My understanding is it will be on Mac and PC

I don't preorder games and I doubt I'll change that stance for this when there's a chance to do so...but I will certainly want to own it given I 've spent countless hours over the past near decade with SC4.

[bhlloy]

So I noticed you can now preorder this on Impulse with an expected delivery date of 12/31/2013? Am I just naive or is this completely insane? For all I know EA could take my $60, use it on hookers and blow tomorrow for an employee party and then deliver a bat file that says "hello world" to my inbox in January 2014.

I guess it's no different than I do for OOTP most years, but at least there's not 18 months of development time in between for things to go horribly wrong and Markus is at least providing screenshots and some evidence that he's actually developing a new game, beyond some concept art and some youtube videos.

[sterlingice]

For all I know EA could take my $60, use it on hookers and blow tomorrow for an employee party and then deliver a bat file that says "hello world" to my inbox in January 2014.

Short of maybe Rockstar, EA /is/ the company most likely to do that

SI

[HarryLime]

So I noticed you can now preorder this on Impulse with an expected delivery date of 12/31/2013? Am I just naive or is this completely insane? For all I know EA could take my $60, use it on hookers and blow tomorrow for an employee party and then deliver a bat file that says "hello world" to my inbox in January 2014.

This was my first thought as well.. anything can happen in 18 months.. just look at Diablo 3, i know guys who have had that on pre-order for over 6 months, and they just announced that it wont initially ship with PvP, which is 80% the reason people want the game!

Not to mention the recent furore of EA announcing some purchase DLC for The Sims Social which people purchased based on the item description, just to find it did absolutely nothing like what it was described to do after purchasing the item.....

i cant wait for the game being a huge sim city fan, but when i can pick up the copy and play it, i will buy it...

[Logan]

I don't think I've played this game since I was about 12 years old. Gotta think it would be a very different experience than playing as an approaching 30 yo.

[HarryLime]

i am over 30, and still get alot of enjoyment out of Sim City 4 when i fire it up.. i think as a 12 year old, you simply do not understand the strategy a game like sim city can offer..

[Bonegavel]

I still have my original Sim City box (1989) and have purchased every single version since. I think I posted a picture on here years ago of that original box (I'm a pack rat if you haven't guessed). I love this series and am hopeful they will do a great job with it. My expectations are high and there is great potential for them to make this a game I won't enjoy but I will definitely be getting this the minute it is out. I am dubious with all the DLC stuff but I do realize they need to make money so that the next version gets green-lighted.

[Tim Tellean]

new video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZXlas46oG4&hd=1

[Draft Dodger]

in the future, all cars will turn right from the left-hand lane

[bhlloy]

If they do it it right, very excited about the addition of resources. That's basically a whole new game right there and I think will help it become more of a challenge and less of a sandbox

[Ksyrup]

in the future, all cars will turn right from the left-hand lane

That would still be an improvement over New Jersey.

[Tim Tellean]

Doesn't bother me I use Steam all the time. Others may be upset.

Good news: If you want to download SimCity somewhere other than Origin, you'll have the option to do so. An EA representative confirmed with Joystiq that the title would be available for purchase on other digital distribution platforms, though a list of stores has yet to be finalized. SimCity is arriving sometime in 2013.

Lead designer Stone Librande confirmed that SimCity would be an internet-dependent experience. Players will need to be online on Origin while playing, even if that wasn't the point of purchase. The always-on connection becomes necessary with the game's emphasis on multiplayer and regional impact, and the use of a global economy that all players can influence.

SimCity requires internet connection to play, will be sold outside of Origin | Joystiq (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/28/simcity-requires-internet-connection-to-play-will-be-sold-outsi/)

[I. J. Reilly]

The always-on connection becomes necessary with the game's emphasis on multiplayer and regional impact, and the use of a global economy that all players can influence.

This takes me from first day purchase to wait and see.

[Qrusher14242]

yeah...this has made me probably wait for a bargain bin sale. I hated Ubisoft for this doing this crap with their games and don't like this. Why can't they just make it a damn option? my internet is very unreliable and if it's anything like what Ubisoft did, the game won't work when it goes out.

Only EA could screw up Simcity this bad. I can't wait to see how they nickel and dime us with the DLC.

[Coffee Warlord]

The always-on connection becomes necessary with the game's emphasis on multiplayer and regional impact, and the use of a global economy that all players can influence.

I can think of few games that need a multiplayer option less than Sim City.

Sigh. Will not buy now.

[bhlloy]

Yeah, I'll reserve judgement but it certainly doesn't sound like they are prioritizing anything that would make me want to buy the game

[nilodor]

The regions thing in SC4 was ok because i could build into other regions if I wanted to. But the way they are moving in development is just annoying. The great thing for me in sim city was that you got to build a city, solve it's problems, get it running properly, then encounter totally new problems as it got bigger and bigger. Having the region dependence lessened that enjoyment for me and having to depend on other players in the SC universe just about kills it. I hope there's like a curmudgeon mode for people who just want to build a city, one, simple city.

[jeff061]

I'm sure all the pirated copies won't require an Internet connection.

I can't believe this stuff still flies in 2012.

[fantom1979]

In reality, I don't think this will be a problem for me. Hopefully I can just team up with my brother and build a region together. In principle, I freaking hate it when companies do this.

[jeff061]

I generally don't care, but civ and sim are exactly the type of games I play on my laptop without Internet.

[Draft Dodger]

sounds a lot like the resource trading in Cities XL. I didn't spend much time playing that game, but IIRC you didn't HAVE to go online to trade with other region owners...but you wouldn't be able to max out your city without it.

bleh

[mckerney]

I can think of few games that need a multiplayer option less than Sim City.

Sigh. Will not buy now.

I think providing it as an option is great, but there's no way it should be required.

[mckerney]

I'm sure all the pirated copies won't require an Internet connection.

I can't believe this stuff still flies in 2012.

It's amazing that companies are still creating situations where people who pirate are going to be able to have a better experience than people who pay for the game.

[Qrusher14242]

Also, what happens in a couple years when they shut down the servers(like for Madden, Tiger Woods,etc) How will we play this game 10 years down the line?

[Coffee Warlord]

SimCity 2013: The deception continues ...: Message to Maxis (http://sc2013thedeception.blogspot.com/2012/08/message-to-maxis.html)

The more I see, the more I pained I am at the death of Sim City.

[Grover]

That is a really, really depressing list, CW.

[sterlingice]

That article just made me sad

SI

[Buccaneer]

Not being able to save your maps on the hard drive (you will not be able to reload the city to a stage prior to disasters).

Seriously?? Why must this game or any SP games for that matter depend upon an internet connection while playing? I understand for licensing and updates but all SP games should be able to play in off-line mode.

[mckerney]

Not being able to save your maps on the hard drive (you will not be able to reload the city to a stage prior to disasters).

Seriously?? Why must this game or any SP games for that matter depend upon an internet connection while playing? I understand for licensing and updates but all SP games should be able to play in off-line mode.

Because if you're not connected to EA's servers you might be able to install mods, and if you install a subway mod you won't need to buy the subway DLC for $9.99.

[Buccaneer]

Because if you're not connected to EA's servers you might be able to install mods, and if you install a subway mod you won't need to buy the subway DLC for $9.99.

Firaxis and Civ5 seem to do quite well playing offline while including mods and very popular DLCs.

[Vince, Pt. II]

That article just made me sad

SI

+1

While I'm super disappointed with the no off-line (or single player, really) modes, I think the biggest doozy there is the predetermined transit hubs with freeway access. That seems completely and totally counter to the whole point of the game, which is to design YOUR city the way YOU want.

[Young Drachma]

Seems these guys listened to too much of what the CitiesXL folks did.

[SackAttack]

Firaxis and Civ5 seem to do quite well playing offline while including mods and very popular DLCs.

Not the same thing, though. Civilization is the kind of game you can mod out the ass to create new scenarios, new worlds, or add civilizations in that are 'minor' enough that Firaxis probably never gets to them.

Or create new units, wonders, whatever. The possibilities are nigh-endless.

SimCity, on the other hand, what kind of mods are you going to create? New disasters? New transportation methods? New tilesets so that you can create a moonbase, etc?

Those are all things you could legitimately see Maxis/EA selling as DLC.

[mckerney]

Not the same thing, though. Civilization is the kind of game you can mod out the ass to create new scenarios, new worlds, or add civilizations in that are 'minor' enough that Firaxis probably never gets to them.

Or create new units, wonders, whatever. The possibilities are nigh-endless.

SimCity, on the other hand, what kind of mods are you going to create? New disasters? New transportation methods? New tilesets so that you can create a moonbase, etc?

Those are all things you could legitimately see Maxis/EA selling as DLC.

I was being somewhat faceteous even though I don't think it's out of the realm of possablility, but EA already seems to have an extensive DLC plan (http://store.origin.com/store/ea/html/pbPage.SimcityNA).

As well as all the great content in the Limited Edition, the Digital Deluxe includes three European City packs. Recreate European inspired neighborhoods in the center of your city! Place world renowned landmarks including the Eiffel Tower, Brandenburg Gate or Big Ben to help your tourism business in your city. Receive exclusive missions, complete unique achievements and earn big bucks as waves of Sims visit the landmarks. Watch as the businesses, homes and vehicles around your landmarks start to take on the flavor, style, and architecture of those countries.

SIGNATURE LANDMARKS
Be the envy of your region by placing exclusive landmarks to give your city district a fresh new look. Sims will visit your city to see the beautiful wonders.

CHANGE IN THE STREETS
Watch the streets, homes, businesses, and vehicles around your landmarks start to take on the flavor of those countries.

MORE PLOPPABLES
Move your Sims in style with new transportation ploppables. Double Decker buses from London, High-Speed Rail from Germany, and police services from Paris.

(And on a side note to the monetization plan, why oh why do they think SimCity needs missions? :banghead: )

Expect this one to get a full The Sims treatment, and boy oh boy can I not wait for the Katy Perry version.

[mckerney]

Firaxis and Civ5 seem to do quite well playing offline while including mods and very popular DLCs.

Sure it might not be the right or smart thing to do, but this is EA we're talking about.

[bhlloy]

It's really sad to see what they've done to this series and legacy. SC4 was so close to being a great game and they've just gone completely in the other direction when they could have made 5 a classic.

I guess they figure the dollars they can squeeze out of bored rich kids for all the Sims flavored add-ons and DLC is worth more than the money they would have got from all the people who loved the originals, or maybe they think gamers are too stupid to realize the difference. Fricking EA.

[Buccaneer]

It's probably a matter of perspective. I believe (assume) that one single Civ5 DLC probably outsells all of SimCity. I could be way off but perhaps Maxis/EA desires more control in their niche?

[Coffee Warlord]

Ya know, a friend of mine summed this up very nicely. EA is basically making a 60 dollar facebook game.

[Draft Dodger]

clearly, this is not the game I've been waiting all these years fo

[Karlifornia]

Ouch.

[Grover]

Ya know, a friend of mine summed this up very nicely. EA is basically making a 60 dollar facebook game.

Agreed. This seems a lot like SimCity Social.

[sterlingice]

No wonder the Zynga results are taking a beating on Wall Street! (ZING!)

SI

[spleen1015]

I can't believe they are really targeting the serious gamer with this version.

[Neon_Chaos]

I still can't believe the direction they're going with this.

:(

[DaddyTorgo]

some of the developers did a AMAA on Reddit, which was entirely swamped by people complaining about the social aspect and the need to be online to play.

[A-Husker-4-Life]

Doesn't bother me I use Steam all the time. Others may be upset.

Good news: If you want to download SimCity somewhere other than Origin, you'll have the option to do so. An EA representative confirmed with Joystiq that the title would be available for purchase on other digital distribution platforms, though a list of stores has yet to be finalized. SimCity is arriving sometime in 2013.

Lead designer Stone Librande confirmed that SimCity would be an internet-dependent experience. Players will need to be online on Origin while playing, even if that wasn't the point of purchase. The always-on connection becomes necessary with the game's emphasis on multiplayer and regional impact, and the use of a global economy that all players can influence.

SimCity requires internet connection to play, will be sold outside of Origin | Joystiq (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/28/simcity-requires-internet-connection-to-play-will-be-sold-outsi/)

Went from day one puchase to a No Go.. Fuck EA and make SIMCITY a single player experience with MP ability. Again Fuck EA..

[Qrusher14242]

Yeah, wish they just called it Simcity Online...then i wouldn't care if they did it this way. But this will bomb like Simcity Societies did

[cuervo72]

Ya know, a friend of mine summed this up very nicely. EA is basically making a 60 dollar facebook game.

I've heard talk - specifically in reaction to the closing of City of Heroes - that this is where companies might be headed for a while.

NCsoft closed the game soon after selling a large chunk of stock to Nexon (perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not).

Nexon, the provider of good and quality free-to-play games (which is a rare thing in the industry) and NCsoft of pay-to-play games -turn free-to-play. Nexon, for casual games while NCsoft for serious games. Not to mention, these two are powerhouses.

The thinking is that Nexon's influence was going to move NCsoft away from these more serious games to more zynga-like games which conceivably could reach a much larger audience. Like Marvel: Avengers Alliance vs City of Heroes. For old-school gamers, that's not a good thing, unfortunately.

[Buccaneer]

My long time gamer friend is interested in this but like me, has no interest in any social aspects to any games. He has read through all of maxis info and believes that you can play without involving any others in the traditional solitaire mode. Guess we'll see.

[finketr]

must find sc4..
must find sc4...
must find sc4....

[Mota]

You still need constant internet connection in order to play. That's a big concern to me considering that EA is shuttering games released in 2011. In the licensing agreement there should be a clause for a final patch to enable any game to be offline before they discontinue the service.

[Ryan S]

I got a beta invite, but the servers have been too busy to allow me to log in. Not a good start.

[Bonegavel]

I"m in the beta too and I'm skeptical of the direction the game is going but I'm glad I'm in beta so I can at least give my 2 cents (not that it will matter). I'm not holding my breath but I hope they are open to suggestions. It seems that it would be impossible for them to reverse the direction they are headed but there is always hope.

[Blackadar]

I got into the beta for the latest SimCity. Considering that I had to wait 30 minutes to log in, then the game couldn't/wouldn't even load a region for me to play in, I'd have to suggest to everyone to stay far, far away. It's obvious that the "always online" component is going to cause some serious issues.

EDIT: 4:30 PM EST

Fast forward a few hours hours...

First time I try, the server is unavailable. So I try immediately afterward and the server is available, but "play is blocked". A few minutes later I got in, but I got what I got early this morning - can't load a region. I'm one of the biggest fans of the SimCity series. I think SimCity IV is one of the most underrated games of all time. I play Cities XL to get my Sim fix. But this? This is even worse than I imagined. I thought it would be hard to live up to my most pessimistic opinion of the online portion of the game, but give EA credit...they hit rock bottom on this one.

I'm quite curious as to how bad it will get, so I'll continue to try. I'm a glutton for punishment.

[Karlifornia]

So, you haven't actually played yet?

[chinaski]

Being its in early beta, this really means nothing.

[Blackadar]

So, you haven't actually played yet?

Can't get in.

Being its in early beta, this really means nothing.

Sorry, I disagree. Every time I've beta'd a MMO with these types of issues, the launch has been disastrous. A few issues are to be expected. Not being able to get in at all (and there are many who can't) isn't expected and points to bigger issues. Finally, considering this releases in less than 2 months, it's most definitely not an "early" beta.

[INDalltheway]

I think it's a huge issue as well. A perk of the preorder is supposed to be the ability to play the game before release and possibly influence the game with feedback. That is being completely taken away = disaster.

[Blackadar]

I have good news and bad news.

Good news: 24 hours after the beta opened, I was finally able to get in.
Good news: I played a zone for a whole hour without getting bumped out.
Good news: There's a little charm & personality in the game.
Good news: The music is nice, graphics are ok.

Bad news: The zoning sucks. Because of the way things get plopped and the extremely small zones, you're pretty well forced to plop stuff down in the tightest grid you can make. So cities end up looking generic, bland and downright ugly as compared to something like Cities XL 2012.
Bad news: The zones are really that tiny.
Bad news: There doesn't seem to be that much depth to the game. A lot of features were locked, but it's not difficult or even challenging. Buildings seem to be pretty limited as well.

[frnk55]

Well it looks like I'll be sticking with SC4.

[Coffee Warlord]

Pretty much what I was expecting. Sad.

[Buccaneer]

Well it looks like I'll be sticking with SC4.

...where you can build even more formulaic, repetitive, generic, bland and downright ugly cities except without an internet connection.

[frnk55]

...where you can build even more formulaic, repetitive, generic, bland and downright ugly cities except without an internet connection.
Hey I like it. :)

[Coffee Warlord]

From Slashdot:

"EA's latest Simcity game requires users to log on online even for single player. After being unable to log on for three hours, one of its users chimed in with his very polite $0.02 opinion, only to get himself banned by EA admins. Another great victory for DRM."

http://i.imgur.com/l4o5nFH.png
http://i.imgur.com/TPKHcqz.png
http://i.imgur.com/4u2q56q.png

[mckerney]

Given it's EA he should consider himself lucky if he was just banned from the forum and not from all games he has on Origin.

[nilodor]

From Slashdot:

"EA's latest Simcity game requires users to log on online even for single player. After being unable to log on for three hours, one of its users chimed in with his very polite $0.02 opinion, only to get himself banned by EA admins. Another great victory for DRM."

http://i.imgur.com/l4o5nFH.png
http://i.imgur.com/TPKHcqz.png
http://i.imgur.com/4u2q56q.png

His comments echo my feelings almost exactly. If it works and doesn't interfere with the game, fine, I can deal with it. Once it starts slowing things down or not allowing me to play a game that is installed on my hard drive, game over.

That being said I'm actually excited about the 'simplified' version of sim city. It sounds like there is less micromanaging required this time around and if true, I would find that more enjoyable.

[JediKooter]

From reading this, it's almost as if the people that make the decisions to make it only online, don't ever play games that are only online.

[Coffee Warlord]

From reading this, it's almost as if the people that make the decisions to make it only online, don't ever play games that are only online.

I'd argue most of the people who make those kind of decisions don't play games, period.

[JediKooter]

I'd argue most of the people who make those kind of decisions don't play games, period.

You know, I think you may be right. It would explain quite a few things.

[mckerney]

Hmm: EA’s Holding Back A Lot For SimCity Deluxe | Rock, Paper, Shotgun (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/01/30/hmm-eas-holding-back-a-lot-for-simcity-deluxe)

This is probably one of the reasons for the game being always online and having some things handled server side. Can't sell overpriced DLC if the new SimCity has the modding community SimCity 4 has. And I wonder if features from previous games like subways will ever show up as DLC as well.

Plus the mention of additional missions and the Heroes and Villians set (http://www.gameranx.com/updates/id/7190/article/simcity-limited-edition-includes-heroes-and-villains) really makes it seem like it isn't the type of game I'd want from a SimCity game.

[Coffee Warlord]

Oh I guarantee you they're gonna go DLC / Expansion nuts with it. Subways will prolly be one of the first things available.

[Bonegavel]

Hypothetically speaking, the game is very lackluster to me. In fact, it makes me question what I ever saw in the series. And I have played my share of sim city over the years.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

goddammit

[nilodor]

Part of the Limited Edition package announced:
Blog Article (http://www.simcity.com/en_US/blog/article/the-heroes-and-villains-of-simcity)

I feel as excited for this as the slingshot dlc for xcom, which is to say not very. I get trying to open up sim city and make it more "fun", I guess I'm becoming more skeptical if I'll like it when their done.

[Mota]

I got the limited edition and I think the hero thing is kinda cool. Looking forward to playing the game!

[CleBrownsfan]

Anyone getting this tomorrow?? I'm suckered in by the name alone... Amazon still has their $20 promotion up for the "pre-order" of SimCity.

[Blackadar]

Anyone getting this tomorrow?? I'm suckered in by the name alone... Amazon still has their $20 promotion up for the "pre-order" of SimCity.

So far I'm resisting the urge. I'm a huge Simcity fan, but there are 3 things holding me back:

1. The city sizes. I've played the beta and let me tell you that these "cities" are SMALL. This isn't Simcity. This is Simvillage. Or Simdistrict. But you can't build a city in one of these micro-lots. The screenshots and TV ads are at best misleading and occasionally downright fake - these cities aren't that big. EA claims that they're on par with a medium sized city in SC4, but that's an outright falsehood. After playing the beta and years of SC4, these cities are about the size of a small SC4 city. Want an airport? That's the ENTIRE CITY, folks. Move on to another spot in that region, because that city is pretty much done.

2. The always-on DRM combined with EA's reputation for closing servers. I only finally stopped playing SC4 last year. I have no faith that EA will keep the servers active that long - at least without charging some sort of fee to do so. I have heartburn supporting that kind of DRM scheme with a company that has been proven on multiple occasions to be anti-consumer. I'm not an EA hater, but I'm not a fan either. If they decide to come out with SimCity 15 next year and shut down these servers, you're SOL. The chances of that are admittedly small, but EA has pulled the plug quickly before on other games.

3. The monetization of SC and the eventual total cost. I bet bigger cities are going to happen - but they'll cost you $20. Want a subway? $15. Just look at the tile sets of the deluxe version - they value the French, German and English tile sets at $7 each.

No, you won't "need" any of this, but they'll make the game much better/deeper and more fun with these microtransactions. Except in EA's case they won't be microtransactions. My son was playing the Sims 3 the other day and remarked that he wanted a new "world". Ok, how much? 3,900 points. That's FOURTY DOLLARS! I see the same kind of thing happening with SC and my limited beta testing suggests that the game is a bit "bare bones" as-is. It's going to need a Rush Hour-type expansion to flesh out the game, but I'll bet dollars to donuts that to get that kind of content you're going to end up dropping another $50 to $100 on the game. And given my history with Simtropolis and the mods for SC4, I would be sorely tempted to buy that new bridge package for $15.

So for right now, I can't reconcile buying this knowing that it's at some point a temporary investment, my total cost for the game could approach $150-$200 and being stuck to play in such a limited sandbox. There's a chance I could weaken, but at this stage I'm sitting this one out.

[CleBrownsfan]

Damn - when you put it that way...

I never thought the DRM scheme as a deal breaker but I can see once EA is "done" with the game - well, so are you.

[Blackadar]

Damn - when you put it that way...

I never thought the DRM scheme as a deal breaker but I can see once EA is "done" with the game - well, so are you.

Arstechnica impressions: SimCity impressions: We waited ten years for this? | Ars Technica (http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/03/simcity-impressions-we-waited-ten-years-for-this/)

Some comments from that article that echo what I wrote above or experienced in my game-play:

"You know, it's dumb. I have wanted curved roads for so long, but I’m only building grids, because space is so tight."

"Also, would it kill them to have subways?" My note: I'm sure they will...for $10-$20.

"Not enough transport options."

"I'm being destroyed by traffic even with street cars and buses, and there's nowhere to go from the streetcar avenue. I want to build a tunneled highway or something, but there are no real transport options."

"And because there's no save games, I can't go back in time to try a different route. There's no freedom to experiment."

"There are parts I like. I love the ability to bolt things on to buildings. I've been wanting that for years. But it feels like they've spent all their time figuring out ways of modelling Sims, when I want to model cities."

That last one drives home my own feelings. I want to build a city, the sims are incidental to that. They spent so much time and bandwidth modeling each sim that the city as a whole suffers. I'm not claiming that SC is a bad game - it's not. But I just can't justify forking over the cash for something that feels small, incomplete and when I know I'm going to get gouged in the future for needed gameplay mechanics.

[Blackadar]

Another relaible source, Penny Arcade, has some mixed impressions:

The PA Report - The city that never sleeps, but always poops, needs water, and more electricity: PAR plays SimCity (http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/the-city-that-never-sleeps-but-always-poops-needs-water-and-more-electricit)

[SackAttack]

3. The monetization of SC and the eventual total cost. I bet bigger cities are going to happen - but they'll cost you $20. Want a subway? $15.

Saw this coming when SC3K dropped a bunch of stuff from SC2K and then stuck it back in for SimCity 3000 Unlimited. I completely expected something similar here, and I am Jack's complete lack of surprise at discovering that subways have been removed, for example.

"And because there's no save games, I can't go back in time to try a different route. There's no freedom to experiment."

And if the above and the always-on DRM hadn't been enough to kill my interest, that did the job nicely.

Kotaku's got an article that touches on another issue: griefers. If you have neighbors and those neighbors bulldoze everything to start over, it can torch an entire region. Yeah, you can get around that, but doing so requires playing the game either with people you already know or managing multiple cities "solo."

[Abe Sargent]

Anyone getting this tomorrow?? I'm suckered in by the name alone... Amazon still has their $20 promotion up for the "pre-order" of SimCity.

After the debacle of SC: Societies and the lackluster Spore, which had the potential to best the best video game of all time, I'm not even tempted anymore.

[Blackadar]

Saw this coming when SC3K dropped a bunch of stuff from SC2K and then stuck it back in for SimCity 3000 Unlimited. I completely expected something similar here, and I am Jack's complete lack of surprise at discovering that subways have been removed, for example.

Yep.

I'd place any amount of money that EA is going to come out with a few different road packs... education building packs... transportation options... shipping... map size... tile sets... and just about anything else you can possibly think of. Knowing EA and how stuff is priced in The Sims, this stuff won't be cheap. But unlike The Sims, these aren't cosmetic changes (except for the tile sets) - these impact the core game play. They're not necessary (the game itself isn't necessary), but once released not playing with these types of packs will make many people feel as if they're playing only half the game.

It'd be like playing SC4 without Rush Hour. But at least that was just a one-time expansion and the mod community is robust. This is going to be long term milking of the customer base. For anyone who is interested in SimCity, I'd recommend they approach this like a subscription MMO. You have the $60 front-end, but you better budget $15/mo for the other stuff you're going to really want to have.

And if the above and the always-on DRM hadn't been enough to kill my interest, that did the job nicely.

Yep, that bums me out. I've done many a demo job that wasn't saved when the results weren't what I projected. Can't do that here.

Kotaku's got an article that touches on another issue: griefers. If you have neighbors and those neighbors bulldoze everything to start over, it can torch an entire region. Yeah, you can get around that, but doing so requires playing the game either with people you already know or managing multiple cities "solo."

This one I'm not as concerned about because you can play a region just by yourself. But if you play with anyone else be prepared for the downward spiral due to changes by your neighbor, even if they aren't griefing. A meteor that blows their power structure apart could send your city into the pits. The problem is that with such limited space on the maps, there's a very real possibility that even with enough money you couldn't fix the problem without destroying wholesale parts of your city because you don't have the space to put the buildings down that could fix the issue!

[Bad-example]

Someone made a lot of very bad decisions throughout the creation of this game. It's a crying shame. They leave me no choice but to pass.

[Blackadar]

Someone made a lot of very bad decisions throughout the creation of this game. It's a crying shame. They leave me no choice but to pass.

I actually think the game will be pretty good and quite a bit of fun. I did enjoy much of my beta test. But given the number of games that I'm currently playing, the entry cost ($60), the projected ongoing costs, the drawbacks of the game itself (including small cities) and the always-on DRM, they've managed to talk me out of what should be a No Questions Asked Day One Purchase for me.

Given that I purchased SimCity, SC2K (Day 1), SC3K (Day 1), SC4 (Day 1), SC Societies, Cities XL 2011 and Cities XL 2012, that's saying something...and it ain't good.

[Sweed]

I actually think the game will be pretty good and quite a bit of fun. I did enjoy much of my beta test. But given the number of games that I'm currently playing, the entry cost ($60), the projected ongoing costs, the drawbacks of the game itself (including small cities) and the always-on DRM, they've managed to talk me out of what should be a No Questions Asked Day One Purchase for me.

Given that I purchased SimCity, SC2K (Day 1), SC3K (Day 1), SC4 (Day 1), SC Societies, Cities XL 2011 and Cities XL 2012, that's saying something...and it ain't good.


Hope its ok to ask here but I would be like to know your opinion of the SC franchise, specifically SC4 Deluxe, to Cities XL? Last Steam sale I almost pulled the trigger on SC4 Deluxe but then saw Cities XL also on sale. Pretty sure I'll go with one of the other next time around. Thanks.

[CleBrownsfan]

To me this sounds intriguing with some friends/FOFCers grouping together in different "regions" rather than thinking of it as your own city...


Ok, I've been playing with a friend and we've been communicating the needs and wants of both of our cities. The city sizes are way too small to be a jack of all trades. Every city MUST specialize to support one another. I built a city that had a mix of industrial, commercial and residential. This city ended up being 70% residential and 30% commercial. I demolished every industrial zone and moved the power plant, waste disposal and water plant to another city just for industrial stuff. These things are way too big and take up a chunk of space that its not easy to build up your residential population. I found the beta was much easier somehow.

Example below

My industrial support city had only about 700 residents but it was really building up as the residents from the other two cities came over. My buddy built a university and my Sims went to school there. From there, they went to work in my Nuclear Power plant and this plant provided power for the 3 cities. I built a waste disposal in the industrial city with a bunch of garbage trucks for the sole purpose of collecting garbage from the other cities. My and my buddy then demolished the garbage dumps in our two cities while delegating the garbage collection to the industrial city.

My city broke 100k+ residents after doing the above. It may be small but when I tried to be a jack of all trades, my city was hovering at 28K with a lot of residents complaining of germs due to the industry air pollution. That was when I decided to move the industrial zone away and rezoned.

There is definitely some strategy here and you will need to make use of the data tables as well. It's a pretty deep simulation and I feel that the small city sizes only detract from the experience as I needed to jump back and forth between the cities.

[Alan T]

To me this sounds intriguing with some friends/FOFCers grouping together in different "regions" rather than thinking of it as your own city...


I enjoyed the beta the one time I got to play in it. I ended up buying this pre-order from amazon.. with my travel schedule though, not sure how much I'll be around to play it though for a while. (Travel next two weeks and at least one week in April if not two). I'd be up for joining a FOFC region though if someone put one together.

[stevew]

I don't really get into these kind of games normally, but I might get it if the consensus is that the game is good and you can build a group region of non-griefers. I'll be following and interested in impressions.

[sabotai]

So let me get this straight. They are making a modern city building game, and it doesn't include subways?

*groan*

[saldana]

yeah...those reviews basically convinced me not to buy it...i was seriously on the way to the store tomorrow but seems like at least a "wait til they patch it" kind of thing at this point.

[Mota]

It's funny that a full day before the game comes out, 2 web sites release reviews that are 90% and 95% and no one else does. I bet that tomorrow the average rating is going to drop substantially and that this was a deliberate attempt to skew things.

I did buy the game already so I'm locked in. I'm half excited and half scared.

[Atocep]

It's funny that a full day before the game comes out, 2 web sites release reviews that are 90% and 95% and no one else does. I bet that tomorrow the average rating is going to drop substantially and that this was a deliberate attempt to skew things.

I did buy the game already so I'm locked in. I'm half excited and half scared.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun has been very positive about it thus far (even though he admitted that he wanted to dislike it). I played the beta and enjoyed it; although I haven't played a sim city game since 2000.

I had some issues with it, but not enough to detract from my overall enjoyment of the game. I'm looking forward to playing it tonight.

[Sporkimata]

I am really hemming and hawing on buying this. Part of me really wants a new game to play around with. See if I can stay strong and see how launch goes tonight.

[Blackadar]

Hope its ok to ask here but I would be like to know your opinion of the SC franchise, specifically SC4 Deluxe, to Cities XL? Last Steam sale I almost pulled the trigger on SC4 Deluxe but then saw Cities XL also on sale. Pretty sure I'll go with one of the other next time around. Thanks.

Pros and cons to each game, but give the nod to SC4.

SimCity 4 is a very deep simulator of city life. There's a ton going on behind the scenes and you can watch your city grow organically. There's a huge ton of mods out there for it (Simtropolis), some of which are pretty much necessary (NAM mod) for the game to function properly. It's also 8 years old and can look it, doesn't perform all that well and you're limited to grid road systems.

Cities XL is more of a pure city building sandbox in that you set up the city the way you want and watch what happens. It doesn't grow organically in the way SC4 does. If you set up a low density residential section, that's all it will ever be. You "unlock" higher zone densities and buildings with population growth. It's a bit....soulless. Kind of like "put this here, put that there, done" and move on. It also has a nasty memory leak that requires the reloading of any substantial city size after about an hour of gameplay. It's not a *bad* game and I have more than a few hours into it, but it never grabbed me the way SC4 did. It's far prettier than SC4, though.

If you want something deep, then SC4 is your game (there's a reason why it has a 350 page guide with it). If you want something to make pretty cities with less effort, than Cities XL is the way to go.

[Blackadar]

Rock, Paper, Shotgun has been very positive about it thus far (even though he admitted that he wanted to dislike it). I played the beta and enjoyed it; although I haven't played a sim city game since 2000.

I had some issues with it, but not enough to detract from my overall enjoyment of the game. I'm looking forward to playing it tonight.

I love RPS, but let's face it...he's positive about most games. I'm not saying he's wrong here - I've said SC is a pretty decent game - but there are too many warts.

Seriously, what kind of city simulator launches without something as basic as a subway system? EA is going to milk the shit out of this game.

[Buccaneer]

I was right on the border of thinking I will likely not even bother with this when I read all of the references to The Sims (and their role in SC) and became will definitely not buy this at all. That and believing single-players games should have nothing to do with having an internet connection (except for initial downloads).

[Blackadar]

Oh, and if anyone wonders how small the cities are? This is it folks, this is the entire city. About 6x8 blocks.

http://i.imgur.com/qzQWEDm.jpg

[Swaggs]

Doesn't look like there are many single family homes in that screen shot, but 188K seems like a pretty good sized population to fit into a city.

I'd think it will become more of a problem if pollution has as much of a negative effect as in past versions.

[Abe Sargent]

That IS a small city

[Thomkal]

TotalBiscuit takes a very long look at the game (nearly an hour and a half) on YouTube.

► WTF Is... - SimCity ? (feat. Genna Bain) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-KeHtlUf2M)

[Buccaneer]

So they believe all urban planning must fit in a rigid grid system? How pathetic and lame.

[Mota]

I think we're trying to fit the new game into the old box.

You're not supposed to create Toronto with the new game. You're probably supposed to create North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, etc as different cities and tie them all together. That seems to be the vision from what I've read at least. Once we overcome that mental hurdle, it may be easier for us to embrace the new game.

[Neon_Chaos]

At the game store right now. They already have 3 dlc packs out for sale. British, German, and French city packs for roughly $8 each. Not surprised at all.

[SackAttack]

I think we're trying to fit the new game into the old box.

You're not supposed to create Toronto with the new game. You're probably supposed to create North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, etc as different cities and tie them all together. That seems to be the vision from what I've read at least. Once we overcome that mental hurdle, it may be easier for us to embrace the new game.

watching TB's vid for a bit, the region size seems to be equivalent to that of the old city map. SimBorough.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

great posts by Blackadar


one of my favorite quotes is, 'every manufacturer secretly wants to be a service provider' you see it everywhere but particularly in gaming. there are no final sales anymore

[HarryLime]

wow.. this looks more like an engine to drive DLC and micro transactions than any kind of enjoyable game.

EA. Its not in the game......

[Neon_Chaos]

Me, having first-hand experience in the D3 debacle... you'd think they would have learned from other's mistakes...

As expected...

North American SimCity Launch Disaster | Gamer Horizon (http://gamerhorizon.com/north-american-simcity-launch-disaster/)

[Draft Dodger]

I think we're trying to fit the new game into the old box.

You're not supposed to create Toronto with the new game. You're probably supposed to create North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, etc as different cities and tie them all together. That seems to be the vision from what I've read at least. Once we overcome that mental hurdle, it may be easier for us to embrace the new game.

but I want to create Toronto

[Critch]

If you're itching for a city building game and SimCity 5 isn't cutting it, Cities XL Platinum isn't bad. It's still a bit clunky in places, and the trading model can be annoying and feels unbalanced, but its still worth looking at if you can get it cheap.

Over the last 10 days I've wasted a serious amount of time building up my little chunk of the map. im up to 13 towns and cities, ranging from 30k farming towns up to my 1.1 million population capital city. When you get to a certain point, the cash starts flowing in so any challenge disappears, but still fun.

[CleBrownsfan]

I have SImCity d/ling as I type this on my laptop. Don't know if I'll be able to get in once the game updates - I guess time will tell.

It looks like you'll have to invite friends to a region using their Origin name. I can start sending out invites today if you want to give me your Origin name. Mine is Broth32....

[kcchief19]

Just amazing. It's been at least a decade since I've seen a game design so completely out of touch with its customer base, much less a beloved franchise.

I'm sure it will sell like hotcakes the first few months because of the brand name, the fact many people don't frequent review sites and message boards, and people will assume it can't be that bad. But this sounds like a game bound to be dead in a year.

[spleen1015]

We've seen how successful the Sims has been following this sort of model. There are a lot of mindless drones out there. It will probably be a huge game.

The only thing keeping me away is the idea that I have to have an internet connection. With that BS, there will be maintenance and downtime.

I guess it is the wave of the future.

[Blackadar]

From what I'm hearing, there are queues and many people who should be able to play are now being told their software won't activate until the 7th. The first "alpha" for SimCity (less than 2 months ago) was an absolute horror and I've neve seen any company fix those kind of online issues in time for the real launch, so I'm not surprised to hear that things aren't going well.

Total Biscuit tears it up on the launch problems:

PSA: SimCitys launch - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUl_Cj2_KWU&feature=player_embedded)

For those who don't want to watch the video, he's stuck in a queue and can't play and none too happy about it. He comments about some people who are locked out, cancel their orders, repurchase and are instantly unlocked. Another potential issue - if your server is full and you want to play another, your cities don't transfer.

His advice "hold off very much on buying this game"

I have mixed feelings about this. I predicted these issues on other message boards and was dismissed by the fanboys. I like being right. At the same time, I really want this game to be good. I want to be wrong. This is probably my favorite genre of gaming because it appeals to my creative side. But damn it was easy to see this coming.

[Coffee Warlord]

Another potential issue - if your server is full and you want to play another, your cities don't transfer.


The fact that this is even a statement for a Sim City game is reason enough to stay the fuck away.

[Sporkimata]

I am really saddened by all this. By all rights this is a game I should want to throw my money at. Instead I will wait and throw my money at Fast Break Pro Basketball me thinks.

[DaddyTorgo]

The fact that this is even a statement for a Sim City game is reason enough to stay the fuck away.

Seriously - whoever thought this was a good model for a Sim City game ought to be shot.

This smells to me like "Sim City for Sims 3 fans" - like a dumbed-down relaunch for tweenagers.

[CleBrownsfan]

I'm d/l, updated and in the game. I set up a private region with 16 cities. The region name is simply called FOFC. I was just able to set my city name - I named it CleBrownsFan to make it simple ;)

Again, if any of you want an invite to the region friend me and I'll invite.

[Blackadar]

I'm d/l, updated and in the game. I set up a private region with 16 cities. The region name is simply called FOFC. I was just able to set my city name - I named it CleBrownsFan to make it simple ;)

Again, if any of you want an invite to the region friend me and I'll invite.

Let us know what you think, CleBrownie!

Someone I know had their entire region reset last night after two hours - two cities entirely wiped clean and reset to blank zones. Ouch. :eek:

[Neon_Chaos]

CleBrownie, shoot me an invite.

Origin id: neonchaos123

[SirFozzie]

Thank you Amazon, for "inadvertently" cancelling my order. I was dreading installing it today, and then saw that it had been cancelled. With the money I saved for this, I'm going to instead buy Franchise Hockey Manager and wait to see if SimCity improves

[RendeR]

Reading this thread about the game that was my first computer game addiction just makes me want to cry.

Does the original simcity work on todays PC's?

[Blackadar]

Reading this thread about the game that was my first computer game addiction just makes me want to cry.

Does the original simcity work on todays PC's?

I dunno, but GOG has SimCity 2000 for $6.

[mckerney]

I dunno, but GOG has SimCity 2000 for $6.

If there's a dos version you'll be able to get it running through dosbox, though 2000 is probably the better option for a classic sim city.

[Alan T]

I'm d/l, updated and in the game. I set up a private region with 16 cities. The region name is simply called FOFC. I was just able to set my city name - I named it CleBrownsFan to make it simple ;)

Again, if any of you want an invite to the region friend me and I'll invite.


Which server? I assume East?

[mckerney]

From what I'm hearing, there are queues and many people who should be able to play are now being told their software won't activate until the 7th. The first "alpha" for SimCity (less than 2 months ago) was an absolute horror and I've neve seen any company fix those kind of online issues in time for the real launch, so I'm not surprised to hear that things aren't going well.

Total Biscuit tears it up on the launch problems:

PSA: SimCitys launch - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUl_Cj2_KWU&feature=player_embedded)

For those who don't want to watch the video, he's stuck in a queue and can't play and none too happy about it. He comments about some people who are locked out, cancel their orders, repurchase and are instantly unlocked. Another potential issue - if your server is full and you want to play another, your cities don't transfer.

His advice "hold off very much on buying this game"

I have mixed feelings about this. I predicted these issues on other message boards and was dismissed by the fanboys. I like being right. At the same time, I really want this game to be good. I want to be wrong. This is probably my favorite genre of gaming because it appeals to my creative side. But damn it was easy to see this coming.

For the people who can't play until the 7th I'm guessing that is probably people in Europe. Pretty shitty, but that is on retailers rather than EA in this case. Happens with pretty much every release and will continue to until there are more people purchasing digital copies.

[Blackadar]

For the people who can't play until the 7th I'm guessing that is probably people in Europe. Pretty shitty, but that is on retailers rather than EA in this case. Happens with pretty much every release and will continue to until there are more people purchasing digital copies.

You'd think, but that's not correct. Those reports are all over the SimCity forums from places like Chicago, Denver, etc.

[CleBrownsfan]

Let us know what you think, CleBrownie!

Someone I know had their entire region reset last night after two hours - two cities entirely wiped clean and reset to blank zones. Ouch. :eek:

Will do - I messed with it a little @ lunch. Went back on to make sure it synced (saved) and it did.

I have a couple of you as friends in Origin launcher but it's not showing up in game. Not sure if it's a bug or it may take some time to convert friends in game. Hopefully this will get fixed soon so I can start adding you guys in the region I set up..

[mckerney]

You'd think, but that's not correct. Those reports are all over the SimCity forums from places like Chicago, Denver, etc.

Hmm, odd. Wonder if they ordered keys from a third party site and wound up getting keys intended for Europe.

[Draft Dodger]

We've seen how successful the Sims has been following this sort of model. There are a lot of mindless drones out there. It will probably be a huge game.

The only thing keeping me away is the idea that I have to have an internet connection. With that BS, there will be maintenance and downtime.

I guess it is the wave of the future.

I don't have a problem with the Sims model at all. The base game is plenty playable and the expansions generally actually add lots of stuff for the buck.

this sounds more like they are stripping out key features to sell you later, or overcharging you for stupid shit.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

This thread makes me want to reload Sim City 4 and forget this new release ever happened.

[Abe Sargent]

This thread makes me want to reload Sim City 4 and forget this new release ever happened.

Yup!

[Blackadar]

I promised I really want this game to be good. All I've been doing is shoveling dirt on it the past two days. Still, stuff like this just makes me shake my head:

Here's another awesome problem with Multi-Player. My city is in a region that has three city parcels. This was a public region I joined, and I don't know the other two mayors. After about an hour of me building up my town, the guy who I assume created the region went and abandoned his city (I only assume he created the region because he had the most infrastructure when I arrived). Thirty minutes after that I notice the other guy has abandoned his too. So, I decide to claim one of them because it looks relatively unworked, and I don't really want to go through the efforts of trying to fix other people's problems in a partially constructed city.

Unfortunately for me, although players have the ability to claim abandoned cities in their region, you can't claim cities you don't own the DLC for... So if someone else owns the French tile set, and you don't, if they abandon a city in your region there seems to be absolutely nothing whatsoever you can do about that except buy the DLC. Otherwise your city will be sitting in a region that may never reach its full potential, unless you get lucky and someone who owns the DLC shows up to claim a half-worked piece of land. And depending on the state the prior mayor left that land in, it could be bankrupt (or well on its way), heavily polluted, or be suffering any number of problems.

That city is fucked, and even if it ends up that my recent Sync error hasn't affected my save, I'm not sure I see a reason to continue bothering with it, because I'll probably never be able to fully utilize the region, or its collaborative great project (whatever it's called).

tldr version: If someone abandons their city in your region and used DLC that you don't own, your cities and region are pretty fucked becuase you can't take control over the abandoned city.

[DaddyTorgo]

This game is an absolute clusterfuck. Best of luck to everyone who paid for it.

[Sweed]

This game is an absolute clusterfuck. Best of luck to everyone who paid for it.

I just got the email from EA offering this "great" game to me to purchase. What should I do? :)

[DaddyTorgo]

I just got the email from EA offering this "great" game to me to purchase. What should I do? :)

LOL

[Zinto]

Well I am about to fire it up since I purposely avoided the mess that was launch last night. Other then the always online and all of the microtransactions I am hoping it is a ton of fun.

[CleBrownsfan]

Don't even bother - servers are full and I haven't been able to log on in four hours... fun fun

[Atocep]

Don't even bother - servers are full and I haven't been able to log on in four hours... fun fun

I've been playing on the Oceanic servers with no issues.

[Neon_Chaos]

Don't even bother - servers are full and I haven't been able to log on in four hours... fun fun

What server is the FOFC region in?

[Zinto]

Yeah I can play in the Europe or Oceanic servers but I have not yet

[Zinto]

And I want to join the FOFC server whenever you are able to get on Cle, my origins name is Zinto17 and I added you on origin.

[CleBrownsfan]

Yeah - I'm in the European East 2 server and everything is going smooth. Should we wait for the American East 1 server to open up before I send invites or do you all want to join this Euro server I'm on now?

[Neon_Chaos]

Anything works for me. :)

[stevew]

The three stages of any FOFC game thread

1.(10-12 months out) Omg, this game looks amazing and I hope this game fixes legitimate problems A, B and C (these are all legitimate complaints usually)

2. (3-4 weeks out)Issue A was fixed, but B and C are exacerbated and there's too much DRM and/or DLC. But I still have hope.

3.(game released) MOTHERFUCK THIS GAME

[spleen1015]

The three stages of any FOFC game thread

1.(10-12 months out) Omg, this game looks amazing and I hope this game fixes legitimate problems A, B and C (these are all legitimate complaints usually)

2. (3-4 weeks out)Issue A was fixed, but B and C are exacerbated and there's too much DRM and/or DLC. But I still have hope.

3.(game released) MOTHERFUCK THIS GAME

I don't thin this game ever got to stages 1 or 2 and just went to 3. The always online has been a huge issue since we found out about it.

[CleBrownsfan]

I worked on a city for 4 hours last night (in the Euro East 2 region) and log on this morning to NO CITY! It must have not of saved correctly on the damn cloud. SMH

[Blackadar]

The three stages of any FOFC game thread

1.(10-12 months out) Omg, this game looks amazing and I hope this game fixes legitimate problems A, B and C (these are all legitimate complaints usually)

2. (3-4 weeks out)Issue A was fixed, but B and C are exacerbated and there's too much DRM and/or DLC. But I still have hope.

3.(game released) MOTHERFUCK THIS GAME

Unless it's Guild Wars, then the stages were:

1. Awesome.
2. Awesome.
3. Awesome.

[Blackadar]

I worked on a city for 4 hours last night (in the Euro East 2 region) and log on this morning to NO CITY! It must have not of saved correctly on the damn cloud. SMH

Looks like that is kind of a widespread problem. What a clusterfuck. :mad:

[Alan T]

So I got the game today and I have roughly 2-3 days to play it before I have to travel some more. I played around a bunch in a region on the NA West 2 server and enjoyed it as much or more than the beta. So far it has been pretty fun. I think while the scale of the city feels smaller, it feels like you have much more of a simulation than I expected as far as the city workings go.

The only two FOFC I have on my friend list are Clebrownsfan and Neon. Is there anyone else that I should add? Also what server did the FOFC region get created on? I hopped on a few of them but didn't seem to find it (maybe I am not entirely sure on what I am looking for)

[CleBrownsfan]

Alan - I created a private region for us (named FOFC in the American East 1 region) but the problem is it's not showing anyone of my friends in game - so I'm unable to invite. Looks like it's a known bug so hope it gets fixed soon.

[Sporkimata]

So what do those who have gotten it think so far? I really want to like it. I see so much negative comments but I have a feeling it is from a lot of sim city 4 vets who won't like it no matter what.

[Alan T]

So what do those who have gotten it think so far? I really want to like it. I see so much negative comments but I have a feeling it is from a lot of sim city 4 vets who won't like it no matter what.


I don't know. I haven't honestly played it nearly enough to get that type of feel for it.

I really liked SC4 alot. I liked how much detail you could make in your city and I loved how you could make a huge sprawling city. I think those that are bashing some parts of this forget exactly how bad SC4 was when it came out. Honestly if not for some of the user add-ons, SC4 would not have nearly been as functional or as good of a game for quite a very long time.

I think if you are trying to compare this to SC4, it is just not the same game. It is in some ways like comparing OOTP to Front office football. Sure, they are both sports sims, but they do things vastly differently.

Speaking as someone that has owned every Sim City game that ever came out, and did not really like CitiesXL at all.. so far I am not turning away from it. There are obviously bugs and server issues and such, for the game play so far it has honestly been fun for me.

I think the biggest negative comment that many have made that probably will end up being true is the DRM and DLP aspect of this game.. but unfortunately, that is now how most games make their money. I don't like that either and am not entirely sure how I feel about it in this game other than I wish it wasn't.

[Abe Sargent]

Unless it's Guild Wars, then the stages were:

1. Awesome.
2. Awesome.
3. Awesome.



Or Wasteland 2 thus far. :p

[Sporkimata]

I broke down and bought it. Have to see what I think. I pray the server gods take mercy on me.

[Lonnie]

I fired up SC4 last night and got my city building twitches out so I wouldn't buy this. I think I can wait at least a week or two to see if they can clean up these launch issues.

[Blackadar]

Hehe...

http://i.imgur.com/7zOh1GG.png

[Crapshoot]

Why this isn’t a one-star SimCity review | Quarter to Three (http://www.quartertothree.com/fp/2013/03/05/why-this-is-not-a-one-star-review-of-simcity/)

Tom Chick's review is similar to many of the experiences here. What a joke. I understand the money is in social, but there are plently of people who still enjoy a great single-player game, and were the core of the "Sim" audience. What a shame.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

The three stages of any FOFC game thread

1.(10-12 months out) Omg, this game looks amazing and I hope this game fixes legitimate problems A, B and C (these are all legitimate complaints usually)

2. (3-4 weeks out)Issue A was fixed, but B and C are exacerbated and there's too much DRM and/or DLC. But I still have hope.

3.(game released) MOTHERFUCK THIS GAME
so true

[SackAttack]

Saw a comment elsewhere to the effect that a 'boycott' of SimCity 5 wouldn't accomplish much, since instead of viewing it as 'people rebelling against DLC and always-on DRM' it would be viewed as 'people don't want SimCity.'

I wonder what a movement that simultaneously declined to purchase SimCity 5 and purchased SimCity 4 in droves (even if they already own it) might accomplish in the way of message-sending.

[Shkspr]

I had this pre-ordered (the last pre-order I believe I will ever make), but had few problems myself playing yesterday. The experience was weird rather than poor. Today I arrive home, and upon firing up the launcher, I am greeted with the message that there's an update found. This seems reasonable to me.

The update, of course, broke the launcher. Uninstalling and reinstalling, the very next time I tried to load the launcher, it promptly downloaded the update that broke the launcher again before I was given any option to intervene. Wow, that's bad design.

[Young Drachma]

As much as I want to play this, will be waiting a while...

[bhlloy]

yeah, there's no chance in hell I'm paying $60 for this. If it goes on sale in a year with discounted DLC I'll pick it up, otherwise there's plenty of other games

[jeff061]

Yeah, even if this didn't have the stigma it did, I've been burnt by so many early $60 purchases. I very very rarely buy without waiting for a sale.

I'll probably buy this a year or two down the road.

[Fidatelo]

Yeah, even if this didn't have the stigma it did, I've been burnt by so many early $60 purchases. I very very rarely buy without waiting for a sale.

I'll probably buy this a year or two down the road.

+1

[SackAttack]

yeah, there's no chance in hell I'm paying $60 for this. If it goes on sale in a year with discounted DLC I'll pick it up, otherwise there's plenty of other games

Until there's some kind of resolution on the always-on requirement, I have no plans to pick it up. I'm not going to buy a SimCity game that I can't play if the servers get shut down.

I'm marginally willing to deal with the small size/social gameplay hassles. Like, just barely to the right of the 'meh' cutoff.

But the persistent connection requirement is a non-starter.

[Draft Dodger]

Until there's some kind of resolution on the always-on requirement, I have no plans to pick it up. I'm not going to buy a SimCity game that I can't play if the servers get shut down.

I'm marginally willing to deal with the small size/social gameplay hassles. Like, just barely to the right of the 'meh' cutoff.

But the persistent connection requirement is a non-starter.

I say ditto to all of this, while adding "I won't buy it unless it's on Steam"

[Neon_Chaos]

Aside from the DRM and always online requirement, I think the game is solid.

It isn't Sim City 4. It's a completely different beast.

I pointed out to CleBrownsFan that you do lose yourself in the game. Four hours of gameplay feels like just 30 minutes... definitely has that "must keep on playing" feel. But I'm not sure how long that will last once you hit the size limit of your city.

Region-play is nice, but flawed. Definitely play on a private server with friends.

Worth $60? Hell no. :)

Fortunately, games are cheap over here and I got my version for PHP 1800, which is roughly equal to $45.

[Neon_Chaos]

dola,

The Origin stuff isn't bad. It's just "there". Seems like they're going to try and take it towards something Steam-like.

[Qrusher14242]

I'm just dissapointed there's no terraforming and no random maps. I loved just making the terrain for the cities in sc4, you could do anything. Now its so confined and restricted, its just not what i want in a city sim.

[nilodor]

Reading about this with the always on and the social dependency makes me feel like either this is an easier way to make games and money or that I'm no longer the target market for games.

[RendeR]

Reading about this with the always on and the social dependency makes me feel like either this is an easier way to make games and money or that I'm no longer the target market for games.


This ^^


Does steam have a simcity4 package with all updates add-ons etc etc?

[SackAttack]

SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition on Steam (http://store.steampowered.com/app/24780/?snr=1_7_7_151_150_1)

[CleBrownsfan]

Still can't log in and play - even at 7:30 AM. Why didn't EA do some sort of stress test??!! :banghead:

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

the corporatization of gaming, stockholders, new streams of revenue yada yada

4599

[Blackadar]

Still can't log in and play - even at 7:30 AM. Why didn't EA do some sort of stress test??!! :banghead:

They did. And it failed. And people like myself complained. And we were shouted down by rabid fanboys. (that's not directed at anyone here) :(

[Blackadar]

One Minute Review - SimCity - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FsrzqJNQF8&feature=player_embedded)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

One Minute Review - SimCity - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FsrzqJNQF8&feature=player_embedded)

LOL. Awesome.

[Blackadar]

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/28922393/Untitled.png

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/c0.0.400.400/p403x403/601067_4720185758723_1065121981_n.jpg

Whole facebook page for Simcity memes: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sim-City-Memes/517402498311558

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

i'm convinced the next great social movement will be after an EA game launch

[Blackadar]

The good news keeps pouring in. This is like watching a train wreck.

According to EA, if you don't like it you can get a refund.
SimCity launch hobbled by server strain; EA offering refunds | PCGamesN (http://www.pcgamesn.com/simcity/simcity-launch-hobbled-server-strain-ea-offering-refunds)

Except good luck getting it <a href="http://i.imgur.com/K3KFAI3.jpg">since customer service won't comply</a>

Someone else couldn't even get that far:

Just for information's sake, I went to see how to go about getting this refund. You can try and chat with a live person or just send an email. I went with the chat and are immediately put in a hold time (surprise!). It started at 120 minutes so I left it on while I did other things. It got down to 35 minutes and then jumped right back up to 180 minutes. Still left it on, got down to around 40 minutes or so, jumped right back to 180 minutes. I think they have no intention of actually giving refunds, they just make it so painful to wait that you eventually just give up.

[spleen1015]

It sounds like the best thing to do with it is to wait for a sale. That way you get it on the cheap and you start playing when the initial rush is over. No dealing with server strain and all of the kinks are worked out.

[Blackadar]

It sounds like the best thing to do with it is to wait for a sale. That way you get it on the cheap and you start playing when the initial rush is over. No dealing with server strain and all of the kinks are worked out.

Probably...except you cut down on the total amount of time you'll have to play the game since EA won't leave the servers up forever. So yeah, I'm still following the game since I love city-builders. But if it goes on sale for $35 with some DLC a year from now I'll be very tempted, but then I have to ask myself if they'll keep the servers open for another year. The answer is most likely, but EA has been known to shut down servers <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings:_Conquest">very quickly</a>.

[Sweed]

This ^^


Does steam have a simcity4 package with all updates add-ons etc etc?

Yeah, and if your patient it is usually onsale during their big specials for $4.99.
Pretty sure I'm going to pick it up during the spring sale.

[SirBlurton]

For those that are willing to take a chance on Kickstarter games, there's one called Civitas that appears to be setting itself up as the protest game of choice for people mad at SC5's DRM and social gaming hand-cuffing.

Looks like a smaller studio, so buyer beware as always.

[Blackadar]

For those that are willing to take a chance on Kickstarter games, there's one called Civitas that appears to be setting itself up as the protest game of choice for people mad at SC5's DRM and social gaming hand-cuffing.

Looks like a smaller studio, so buyer beware as always.

Yep, I posted that in the kickstarter thread yesterday. But without even so much as a video, this project can't be considered anything but vaporware. Once they get a vid or two up, then we can evaluate their progress. As much as I'd like this to be real, the timing of it and the lack of any concrete evidence that it exists makes my BS detector start blinking red.

[Blackadar]

http://i.imgur.com/rUvSn7L.jpg

It isn't true

[nilodor]

Probably...except you cut down on the total amount of time you'll have to play the game since EA won't leave the servers up forever. So yeah, I'm still following the game since I love city-builders. But if it goes on sale for $35 with some DLC a year from now I'll be very tempted, but then I have to ask myself if they'll keep the servers open for another year. The answer is most likely, but EA has been known to shut down servers <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings:_Conquest">very quickly</a>.

This is the killer to me. I'd love to say, well I'll wait 6-12 months until they get all the early problem sorted the game works as envisioned. But I'm super worried that they'll be like alright we're shutting in down in another 6 months. There are plenty of the building games that I still pick up and play several years after their release date. Which I think is the point of these empire building strategy games, if they're done well, they'll last for a few years until the interface becomes so dated that it's unusable.

[Blackadar]

This is the killer to me. I'd love to say, well I'll wait 6-12 months until they get all the early problem sorted the game works as envisioned. But I'm super worried that they'll be like alright we're shutting in down in another 6 months. There are plenty of the building games that I still pick up and play several years after their release date. Which I think is the point of these empire building strategy games, if they're done well, they'll last for a few years until the interface becomes so dated that it's unusable.

In the interest of complete honesty I don't think this will happen unless SC flops (which it won't). I think the servers will be up for at least 5 years unless you hear of plans for EA to release SC 2014 and turn it into a yearly release cycle. I think what's far more likely is for them to milk the hell out of the customer base with overpriced DLC transactions that fix major, glaring flaws in the game. I think Simcity may become a major cash cow for EA because people are are already clamboring for subways, bigger city tiles, ways to control abandoned cities, different road options to control traffic, more compact airports, different options for police and crime control, etc.

Of course, that's not much better because EA doesn't put DLC on sale all that much or bundle it in the base game. They do that with expansions, but not DLC. So I have a feeling that while the base game may go down in price 6 months from now, the cost of entry will still be very high because of the "must have" DLC content.

Of course, there is an upside if it does become a major cash cow - we will see more competition in that marketplace. If EA starts raking in the cash with their city-builder game, that's going to encourage others to get a bite of that apple with their own product. Or at least one can always hope.

[Logan]

I just wouldn't buy it out of spite at this point. I understand that you guys are really into these games and you probably feel like you'd be pointlessly denying yourself of whatever enjoyment you would still get out of it, but sometimes you just gotta put your foot down and say that you're not going to reward this shit.

[DaddyTorgo]

I just wouldn't buy it out of spite at this point. I understand that you guys are really into these games and you probably feel like you'd be pointlessly denying yourself of whatever enjoyment you would still get out of it, but sometimes you just gotta put your foot down and say that you're not going to reward this shit.

Ding ding!

[Young Drachma]

I just wouldn't buy it out of spite at this point. I understand that you guys are really into these games and you probably feel like you'd be pointlessly denying yourself of whatever enjoyment you would still get out of it, but sometimes you just gotta put your foot down and say that you're not going to reward this shit.

Here's where I'm at.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I just wouldn't buy it out of spite at this point. I understand that you guys are really into these games and you probably feel like you'd be pointlessly denying yourself of whatever enjoyment you would still get out of it, but sometimes you just gotta put your foot down and say that you're not going to reward this shit.

Welcome to the Madden franchise five years ago.

[Thomkal]

SimCity getting additional server capacity and maintenance as players struggle to connect | News | PC Gamer (http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/03/07/simcity-getting-additional-server-capacity-and-maintenance-as-players-struggle-to-connect/)

[Abe Sargent]

In the interest of complete honesty I don't think this will happen unless SC flops (which it won't). I think the servers will be up for at least 5 years unless you hear of plans for EA to release SC 2014 and turn it into a yearly release cycle.


I don't like EA's crap either, and I'm not touching SC right now, but to be fair, they have still kept Ultima Online up and running, and they had excuses to shut that thing down for years. I think as long as EA is making money, even just a little, they won;t take it down.

[Coffee Warlord]

The SimCity Disaster Continues: EA Disables Features To Try To Get The Servers Working (http://kotaku.com/5989207/the-simcity-disaster-continues-ea-disables-features-to-try-to-get-the-servers-working)

But online only play is good for the players!

[CleBrownsfan]

I was able to jump on the American East 1 server for a little while. I don't have any hope I'll be able to tonight though. Anyhow- I'm not sure why I can't see NeonChaos or Zinto as friends in game but I am able to see AlanT (dainir). I sent dainir an invite but obviously not to Neon or Zinto...

[Blackadar]

New patch notes:

EA Forums (http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9341807.page)

Disabled Cheetah speed. Cheetah speed is is now the same as llama speed.

Damn. Apparently because running the game at this speed makes more calls to the server.

[Alan T]

I was able to jump on the American East 1 server for a little while. I don't have any hope I'll be able to tonight though. Anyhow- I'm not sure why I can't see NeonChaos or Zinto as friends in game but I am able to see AlanT (dainir). I sent dainir an invite but obviously not to Neon or Zinto...


Maybe to see someone, they have to have logged on to that server and complete or close out of the tutorial or something?

[mckerney]

Part of EA's play for reducing serverload, disabling cheetah speed. Brilliant.

[Blackadar]

It gets worse. Amazon stopped selling the game.

Amazon.com: SimCity - Standard Edition [Download]: Video Games (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VTVRFA?tag=gamwitjob-20)

(Assuming this gets changed in the future, the product is "currently unavailable"). There this note on the Amazon product page:

Important Note on "SimCity".
Many customers are having issues connecting to the "SimCity" servers. EA is actively working to resolve these issues, but at this time we do not know when the issue will be fixed. Please visit SimCity Help Center (https://help.ea.com/en/simcity/simcity) for more information.

[nilodor]

This is the first game in a while (I actually can't remember any) not to have reviews up the day of release. I wonder how hard they will be hammered by the review sites?

[Apathetic Lurker]

This is the first game in a while (I actually can't remember any) not to have reviews up the day of release. I wonder how hard they will be hammered by the review sites?

Depends how much EA pays them

[mckerney]

This is the first game in a while (I actually can't remember any) not to have reviews up the day of release. I wonder how hard they will be hammered by the review sites?

There we're reviews up on release day. Polygon had given them a 9.5 in the 4th but changed it to an 8 following the release date server issues.

[Blackadar]

This is the first game in a while (I actually can't remember any) not to have reviews up the day of release. I wonder how hard they will be hammered by the review sites?

There were a number of reviews up on release. Polygon, XGN and a bunch of others released reveiws day 1. Interestingly enough, Polygon gave SC a 9.5...then today went back and edited it to an 8.0 due to the server problems on release.

But the later reviews? They'll probably get docked pretty hard for this shit - 10-15 points per review. Of course, there's a good chance that Tom Chick will go entirely overboard (as per his custom) and give it a 30 or something.

[path12]

Of course, there's a good chance that Tom Chick will go entirely overboard (as per his custom) and give it a 30 or something.

I like Tom but man is this true. It is fascinating when he goes off the rails.

[Blackadar]

I like Tom but man is this true. It is fascinating when he goes off the rails.

Tom's a hypocritical dick, but even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

[Coffee Warlord]

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iJuS1NsW7F4/UTj28qjk7sI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/mS2kO-jIUQI/s800/funding.png

[spleen1015]

When was the last time there was an online game launch this bad?

[mckerney]

Diablo 3 is the only thing really comes of the top of my head, though i don't think their issues went on quite as long.

[nilodor]

Is there an inkling why this went so wrong? Like online only games like Warcraft and all the FPS games seem to function fine. Is it a case of Origin being a problem, a gross underestimation on the number of players?

[mckerney]

Is there an inkling why this went so wrong? Like online only games like Warcraft and all the FPS games seem to function fine. Is it a case of Origin being a problem, a gross underestimation on the number of players?

Server load for online games is always far higher at release than it is even a week later. They likely planned for typical server load without renting even close to enough extra capacity for the launch. Unless they completely fucked up and were way off their expectations for the server capacity they'd need.

[Blackadar]

Server load for online games is always far higher at release than it is even a week later. They likely planned for typical server load without renting even close to enough extra capacity for the launch. Unless they completely fucked up and were way off their expectations for the server capacity they'd need.

I don't see how they couldn't have known. The beta test a month ago was also an unmitigated disaster with the same issues - huge queue times, getting booted, problems with regions, vanishing cities, etc. There was a 50+ page thread about the people (me included) who couldn't even start the program for 24+ hours after the beta opened. That they knew about these problems and didn't fix them.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

i was going to joke about how always on drm is convenient for EA because you're only one click away from buying something but 'access to the marketplace' is actually one of their justifications

[molson]

Except good luck getting it <a href="http://i.imgur.com/K3KFAI3.jpg">since customer service won't comply</a>



So they put out a press release proclaiming one can "request a refund," but neglected to add that they will decline any such requests. That's tremendous.

[dubb93]

The thing that makes me most happy about this is that I feel like people push exactly how bad EA is under the rug. I've been vocal about this company to the point where I was actually blocked on their boards merely for addressing concerns about Mass Effect being completely bricked if you edit the settings.

What did I do that was offensive? I posted a fix that worked. But in doing so I passed the blame on EA rather than the customers and I apparently got banned for doing so(can't post anymore and my posts disappered, awesome guys!). This company is in a downward spiral. In a day and age when you can play games for $.99 on your phone, EA wants $100 for the complete package of their games.

EA is also a big publisher of PC games. We are in the STEAM age. STEAM has brought back PC gaming. EA pulls their games off STEAM.

This will either be a wake-up call or this company will be out of business in five years. The recent announcement that all EA games will include microtransactions due to popular demand shows just how out of touch this company is.

[spleen1015]

But aren't micro-transactions the new trend? Isn't that how Zynga's games got so big on Facebook? Maybe they aren't for us the serious gamer, but the casuals are eating it up it seems.

[dubb93]

But aren't micro-transactions the new trend? Isn't that how Zynga's games got so big on Facebook? Maybe they aren't for us the serious gamer, but the casuals are eating it up it seems.

Then why not say that? And does Dead Space 3 really need them? How about Dragon Age 3 in the future? Mass Effect 4(or 3 for that matter since they are already in)? Sim City?

EA's stance is that we demanded they be in these games.

[Draft Dodger]

When was the last time there was an online game launch this bad?

Anarchy Online, aka the last game that I ever purchased pre-release

[jeff061]

haha, Anarchy Online was so horrible at launch.

[Atocep]

Diablo 3 is the only thing really comes of the top of my head, though i don't think their issues went on quite as long.

D3 was much worse from my own experiences. I actually haven't had a single issue with Sim City in 9 hours of play.

I think some people were still getting error 37 in diablo several days after release.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

it's just contemptuous. this nasty cycle of entertainment companies acquiring popular franchises and then commodify-ing everything that made it good in the first place

i assume this is what's taught in business schools nowadays because it's so pervasive. if you enjoy something it has value and that value can be extracted and a dollar amount attached

[mckerney]

it's just contemptuous. this nasty cycle of entertainment companies acquiring popular franchises and then commodify-ing everything that made it good in the first place

i assume this is what's taught in business schools nowadays because it's so pervasive. if you enjoy something it has value and that value can be extracted and a dollar amount attached

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ECXOG3RnNGg/T3rtUj4t1ZI/AAAAAAAAAng/NSkBVaD6Vxk/s1600/video-game-memes-papea-kills-off-developers.jpg

[Neon_Chaos]

At least now i know what the "limited" in limited edition meant. :)

[Thomkal]

Anarchy Online, aka the last game that I ever purchased pre-release

Ah yes I still not so fondly remember that launch. And its still around today. My thought on the Simcity release is that EA knew it would be bad, but didn't care because the franchise is big, they would get a lot of money from pre-orders from it, and even when people "rage-quitted" they knew there would still be a hardcore group of players who would stay with the game and/or buy it a few months from now when hopefully the game runs better than it does now.

[Thomkal]

Celebrity SimCity: Day 2 - Enter Notchtopia | Features, Hardware Reviews, News, Screenshots | PC Gamer (http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/03/07/celebrity-simcity-day-2-notchtopia/)

[Shkspr]

I actually haven't had a single issue with Sim City in 9 hours of play.

I can only conclude that you're not pressing the big green triangle on the launcher to actually attempt to load the game. :)

[Neon_Chaos]

Forbes proposes no more reviews for always-online games until at least 2 days after launch.

What 'SimCity' And Always-Online DRM Mean For Video Game Reviews - Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2013/03/07/what-simcity-and-always-online-drm-mean-for-video-game-reviews/)

Polygon drops score from 9.5 to 8.0 to 4.0.

SimCity review: engineering addiction | Polygon (http://www.polygon.com/game/simcity-2013/2630#review_update_3815485)

[RainMaker]

After about 10 years of EA not having servers up to snuff at launch, I thought more people would realize this is standard operating procedure. They always buy less than what is needed because it's cheaper for them than buying too many and having waste. In a couple weeks they'll be up to snuff and would have saved a lot of money.

This isn't a mistake or an error on their part. Unless you believe they make the same mistake for every single title at launch.

[RainMaker]

I also feel bad for the developers who probably put their heart into the project and have it destroyed because some suit wanted to save a few bucks up front.