EA is promising gamers a free game to say sorry for SimCity. A free PC title to download will be made available by EA after disastrous server problems crippled the game when it launched last week.
EA boss Lucy Bradshaw announced the freebie in a blog post, admitting that the gift is "a little contrived –- kind of like buying a present for a friend after you did something crummy. But we feel bad about what happened. We're hoping you won't stay mad and that we'll be friends again when SimCity is running at 100 percent."
Gamers buying the new town-plan-'em-up were left frustrated with a lengthy wait to get on the game, which unlike previous versions you have to be online to play. The problems resulted in the game being pulled from sale in various places.
Bradshaw says the disaster was caused by the fact that "a lot more people logged on than we expected. More people played and played in ways we never saw in the beta."
"This SimCity is made to be played online, and if you can't get a stable connection, you're NOT having a good experience," Bradshaw continues. "So we're not going to rest until we've fixed the remaining server issues."
In the latest update, Bradshaw says, "I had hoped to issue an 'All-Clear' tonight, but there are still some elements coming together... We need a few more days of data before we can assure you that the problem is completely solved."
Details of how to bag the free game will be emailed to you on 18 March, as long as you've activated your copy of SimCity.
Will you be claiming your free game? What can EA do to make things up to you? Would you rather have a refund? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page -- and for more on SimCity and everything game-related, check out our joystick-waggling chums at GameSpot.
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters 
Comments 6
Add your comment
anonymous 11 March, 2013 09:48
You refer to an 'online version' as if there is an offline version available as well; which there isn't, that's the whole issue. EA have rather stupidly made a constant internet connection mandatory to play this game, and were unprepared for the fact that people would need to use the internet to play it.
You article fails to mention any of this, or the fact that EA are refusing to refund digital downloads in spite of the fact that, as it stands, the product is not 'fit for purpose'.
Nick Hide 11 March, 2013 10:31
@anonymous - thanks, we've updated the text to make that clearer.
anonymous 11 March, 2013 14:22
A free EA game? with the same "limitations" as the SimCity? Instead of one dysfunctional game, I'm supposed to be happy about having two of them?
"What can EA do to make things up to you?"
Return and refund.
Josh Walker 11 March, 2013 22:19
Lets Play Simcity sandbox http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIe7BIUuH3U
Spike Hazley 11 March, 2013 23:49
@anonymous Well, for one, at no point did the article mention that there was an online version of SimCity, the article simply stated that "unlike previous versions you have to be online to play", so check your quotations.
And then for two, EU law states that you do have a 'cooling off' period after purchasing digital downloads but only if you haven't used said digital download within the first 15 days of purchase.
And finally, for three - you say the product, as it stands, is not fit for purpose but it is. It really is. The product being sold in this case is a digital download or a DVD copy of SimCity which works 100% as it should do. So it’s fine to sell. However, the fault here lies in EA’s incompetence with their servers. And seeing as you haven’t bought a server, EA nor anyone else needs to refund you. Think of it as an Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, the software you purchase works fine, that doesn’t mean the servers do.
Also, if anyone is interested in my personal view of SimCity, check out my blog post. :3 http://spikehazley.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/simcity-beautiful-pile-o-crap.html
anonymous 17 March, 2013 22:55
What kind of game will we be receiving?