simsh**ty

Fixing what's broken. Well, most of it.

EA Releasing First Patch For SimCity Today: Mansions For Mayors, Still No Offline Mode

If you’ve been holding your breath for Electronic Arts (our Worst Company In America 2013, everybody!) to update SimCity with an offline mode, well, keep holding it. The company is releasing a patch today at 4:00 p.m. ET with a few new things and a variety of fixes, but that offline mode players have been wishing and hoping for is nowhere in sight. [More]

Let the games begin, again.

EA Will Have Another Chance To Botch A Game Release With SimCity For Macs Coming In June

Fresh off the heels of its two-peat as Consumerist’s Worst Company In America with the 2013 win (nominated and voted on by you, our dear readers), Electronic Arts is giving itself the chance to botch yet another game release with the impending launch of SimCity for Mac users on June 11. [More]

Free DLC comes with a price.

Probably No One Is Shocked That The First Free Downloadable Content For SimCity Is An Ad

Money makes the world go ’round, even if that world happens to be a virtual one like EA’s much talked about new SimCity. And nothing brings the dollar dollar bills rolling in like advertising, which is why we’re completely unsurprised that the first bit of free downloadable content (known as DLC) offered up for SimCity boils down to an ad. [More]

Getting out of the city.

EA Didn’t Give Me A SimCity Refund, But Agreed To Switch It For A Game I Can Actually Play

Yesterday Electronic Arts offered up a list of freebie games for disgruntled SimCity customers (and oh yeah, its CEO announced his resignation), but from what Consumerist readers are saying, the options are at best “meh” and at worst, laughable. Reader L. hadn’t had much success playing SimCity but realized his chances of getting a refund were more than slim. [More]

Time for olive branches.

EA Unveils List Of 8 Free Games It’s Offering To Disgruntled SimCity Customers

UPDATE: Electronic Arts has announced that CEO John Riccitiello is stepping down. His last day on the job will be March 30. Maybe he didn’t want to have to accept another Golden Poo? [More]

This city should've been built on rock 'n roll.

EA Disabling User Accounts Because It Thinks Any Contact With Amazon Must Be A Refund Request

UPDATE: Electronic Arts has announced that CEO John Riccitiello is stepping down. His last day on the job will be March 30. Interesting timing, eh? [More]

EA says you just don't yet see the beauty of always-connected games.

EA Says It Rejected Offline Play For SimCity Because “It Didn’t Fit With Our Vision”

The brouhaha over Electronic Arts’ decision to require an Internet connection in order to play its highly anticipated SimCity 5 game continues, and the latest words from the company executive at the center of this mess probably won’t do much to calm matters. [More]

EA says you just don't yet see the beauty of always-connected games.

EA Insists SimCity Must Be Connected To Servers, Gamer Figures Out How To Run It Offline

For the swarms of angry EA customers ticked off at the company for forcing players to play the new SimCity in an always online mode, the slow, problem-riddled servers have been a huge annoyance. Calls for EA (our Worst Company In America 2012) and Maxis to allow gamers to play in offline mode have been dismissed by the company as not possible, but lo and behold, one game modder is claiming it is quite possible. [More]

Searching for a SimCity happy ending ain't easy.

Using The EECB Gets Me A SimCity Refund, But What About Everyone Else?

Consumerist reader Kevin was one of many SimCity gamers ticked off last week (likely plenty are still fuming this week), but unlike many of his fellow players, he was able to procure a refund for the deluxe digital edition. What in the what? “But EA doesn’t seem to be giving out refunds!” you might’ve just yelled at the screen. Kevin attributes his success to the executive email carpet bomb, or the EECB. [More]

Does this city allow sugary drinks?

EA: We’ve Solved A Bunch Of Server Issues But SimCity Isn’t Going Offline

Last week EA and its subsidiary Maxis were up to their eyeballs in complaints from gamers who purchased SimCity and then were unable to play it due to widespread server problems. Amid the furor were cries from customers who wanted to do away with the “always-on” DRM feature. While EA has been busy apologizing and offering free games, it sounds like that offline mode is going to remain but a dream. [More]

EA is really working to avoid a repeat Worst Company In America win.

New In The SimCity Saga: Maxis Promises More Servers, Refund Rumors Abound

UPDATE: EA is now saying it will be giving away free games to SimCity users in order to atone for its sins. [More]