While SimCity got all of the publicity and helped publisher EA win a major award, it’s certainly not the only single-player game out there that requires you to be connected to the publisher’s server all the time. For example, there’s Darkspore, another EA/Maxis title released in 2011 that some gamers still enjoy. Sometimes. [More]
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4 Years After Launch, Sims 3 For Mac Still Sucks And EA Doesn’t Care
By 4.12.13
Our readers are already intimately familiar with the anti-consumer behavior that won EA its second gleaming Golden Poo trophy in a row. One issue that we haven’t heard a lot about, though, is the continued suckiness of the current generation of “The Sims.” You know, that other Maxis title. [More]
EA Disabling User Accounts Because It Thinks Any Contact With Amazon Must Be A Refund Request
By 3.18.13
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 Insists SimCity Must Be Connected To Servers, Gamer Figures Out How To Run It Offline
By 3.15.13
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]
Using The EECB Gets Me A SimCity Refund, But What About Everyone Else?
By 3.12.13 — Updated: 3.13.13
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]
EA: We’ve Solved A Bunch Of Server Issues But SimCity Isn’t Going Offline
By 3.11.13
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 Admits Its Own Stupidity, Will Give Away Free Games To People Who Bought SimCity
By 3.9.13
After days of being the gaming world’s punching bag for its failure to foresee that it was woefully unprepared for the number of users who would want to begin playing the long-awaited latest edition of SimCity, the folks at EA, the reigning Worst Company In America, are apologizing and admitting they made a stupid mistake. [More]
New In The SimCity Saga: Maxis Promises More Servers, Refund Rumors Abound
By 3.8.13 — Updated: 3.9.13
Amazon Pulls SimCity 5 Downloads Amid Furor Over Constant Crashing & Slow Servers
By 3.7.13
Remember that whole outrage over SimCity 5? Yeah, it hasn’t gone away since this morning, when the powers that be at EA and Maxis said they were trying their very best to get more servers up and running. A few things have changed today, but the complaints keep rolling in on Consumerist’s tip line as well as all over social media. Amazon has subsequently suspended the game’s availability for digital download as well. [More]
