EA has improved the server capacity for SimCity 5, and is also attempting to clear the air with an apology – with a free game.
EA has now said that SimCity 5 ‘s servers have now improved significantly, with their capacity being increased by 120%. They have also said that people are experiencing 80% less disconnecting and stability issues than they were having at launch. This news video contains all the latest info and updates on the SimCity 5’s launch, EAs response and apology (in the form of a free EA game), as well as how they could have prevented these issues. Amata also touches on the issue of always online DRM, and how EA has caused a lot of damage to consumer goodwill with this particular game.
Maxis, who developed the game, made this statement concerning what went wrong,
“The server issues which began at launch have improved significantly as we added more capacity. But some people are still experiencing response and stability problems that we’re working fast to address.
So what went wrong? The short answer is: a lot more people logged on than we expected. More people played and played in ways we never saw in the beta.
OK, we agree, that was dumb, but we are committed to fixing it. In the last 48 hours we increased server capacity by 120 percent. It’s working – the number of people who have gotten in and built cities has improved dramatically. The number of disrupted experiences has dropped by roughly 80 percent.”
Concerning the offer of a free game, they had this to say,
“To get us back in your good graces, we’re going to offer you a free PC download game from the EA portfolio. On March 18, SimCity players who have activated their game will receive an email telling them how to redeem their free game.”
Ever since the game was released, server issues and connection problems have plagued the game, due to it’s aggressive always on DRM. This DRM made it so several people have been unable to access SimCity due to EA’s servers not being able to handle the load of the launch. Gamers are also reporting a problem where you will make progress in building your city, only to be disconnected and lose all of your progress. I will most likely do a full video, and article concerning the topic of always online DRM and my opinions on it, and possibly even offer up some alternative anti piracy measures.
Regardless of all that, I’m glad to see that things are improving, I just hope EA (and all other developers) have learned a lesson from the disastrous launch of SimCity 5.
