EA Suspending SimCity Marketing

[MaXimus421]

There's too much negative exposure on this game. Further marketing would increase this.

It's like setting fuel to the fire. Cutting the marketing will also save money. This is a business strategy and EA trying to slide this under the rug quickly as possible and move on to the next attack.. err... project.. in the game industry. Like someone else said regarding damage-control.

I wonder how long ppl will complain about the Always-Online DRM when there's no more server issues what so ever. Will they all just accept it in the end and continue playing, if they actually enjoy it? Hmm.

EDIT: okay, 'attack' might not be the appropriate word.

 

[coolestcarl]

Its actually a clever conspiracy by the developer ...

EA: Make the new Simcity but you must incorporate our awesome always online DRM
Maxis Developer: Yes boss, but I dont think its a good idea for a resource intensive sandbox simulation game ...
EA: Nonsense! We have the latest Dell uber doober servers. The sales rep from Dell said they can handle anything. Even Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae use them! And they made oodles of money.
Maxis Developer: But past experience has shown us that players tend to run Simcity for hours even when they are not in front of their computer and that wou...
EA: If they can send man to the moon using a calculator, I am sure you can figure out a way to make a game that works like WOW. Just remember who pays your mortgage.
Maxis Developer: Ok boss you got it (I gotta remember to stop whoring myself to the highest bidder. Hey that gives me an idea...)

 

[invlem]

Bite the bullet EA, put your games back on steam... At least valve has experience handling server loads.

 

[invlem]

Bite the bullet EA, dump origin and go back to steam... At least valve knows what they're doing when it comes to digital distribution and DRM that doesn't completely wreck the game experience.

 

[kcorp2003]

EA is too big to fail likewise with steam. a lot of studios with employees will go unemployed. and servers are something that usually plague all popular games at launch. were just impatient that's all. whatever EA is offering to make up for (free game) that won't do for some people. whatever EA does, even if its good or bad. they already create a negative image for years to come.

 

[bigdragon]

[citation][nom]anxiousinfusion[/nom]It's the fault of the big wig investors who are probably 60+ years old and couldn't possibly understand the very product they're funding.[/citation]
Same goes for the fat cat executives at EA and Maxis. They are so out of touch that they have no clue what games like Sim City, Hot Pursuit, Spore, Most Wanted, Command and Conquer, Theme Park, and others are all about. They're too busy trying to merchandize the heck out these products and their names while they still can all in the name of short term profit. It's sad to see that bunch of clowns screwing up the franchises successful and visionary people built.

 

[greenrider02]

This is actually, really funny.

 

[Cons29]

drop the always-online requirement and we will all be happy. let the multiplayer be the always-online. leave the single player alone, problem solved

 

[tiret]

Sounds like i am one of the very few people who are actually enjoying the game. i feel sorry for these guys who have to estimate opening sales. If they under-estimate they are assholes and ****ers etc.
if they over-estimate they will be fired for setting up redundant servers and the waste of money associated with that. that's a tough job. general rule as a gamer is not to psyche yourself up so much for launch day. pre-order the game, get it at reduced price and wait a week at least before you play it. Similar reason why i never watch a movie on launch day - nothing worse than watching a movie in a full cinema. as for the game - it is very good. don't let the launch issues discourage you from getting into the best simcity yet.

cheers

 

[Steve911924]

Who here misses:

1) Installing a game onto a PC
2) Running the game (inserting disc if necessary)
3) Playing the game

I am Inspired to play SC3K and SC4 (again) simply because my Internet connection is not one which sustains itself over a long period of time - seems EA's isn't either.

I would very gladly pay $60 for a physical copy or even a digital download akin to Steam games where "always online" is not necessarily a requirement. Failing that wait until a crack comes out, and donate $60+ to charity.

 

[bgunner]

[citation][nom]janetonly42[/nom]Die EA Die and take Activision with you and all the rest that employ Draconian DRM.[/citation]

i want ea to stick around, i want it to live, i want it to make games, not because i like them, but the ceos are part of a big company.

have you ever heard of the term "failing up"

its a unique thing that happens when you are the ceo or a high ranking position in a company that is also high up there. if you screw up, and tank a company, you can easily get re highered in the same industry even if you are the sole reason for the tanking.

im afraid if ea dies, their leadership will infect other companys i like.

I lol'ed for real. idiocy spreads, it's a fact.

 

[ojas]

This:
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/03/11/simcity-is-inherently-broken-lets-not-let-this-go/

 

[kettu]

[citation][nom]kcorp2003[/nom]EA is too big to fail likewise with steam. a lot of studios with employees will go unemployed. and servers are something that usually plague all popular games at launch. were just impatient that's all. whatever EA is offering to make up for (free game) that won't do for some people. whatever EA does, even if its good or bad. they already create a negative image for years to come.[/citation]

That's what they want everyone to think, that the business can't be run without them. But they're wrong. If server overloading is something that usually plagues popular games it should have been expected but it wasn't. There's no way I can see that EA wasn't aware of the problems beforehand. They just ignored them. People are impatient, as they damn well should be when they're paying up to $60 for a game they can't play. EA is the bad guy here, not the "impatient" consumer.

 

[kettu]

[citation][nom]tiret[/nom]Sounds like i am one of the very few people who are actually enjoying the game. i feel sorry for these guys who have to estimate opening sales. If they under-estimate they are assholes and ****ers etc.
if they over-estimate they will be fired for setting up redundant servers and the waste of money associated with that. that's a tough job. general rule as a gamer is not to psyche yourself up so much for launch day. pre-order the game, get it at reduced price and wait a week at least before you play it. Similar reason why i never watch a movie on launch day - nothing worse than watching a movie in a full cinema. as for the game - it is very good. don't let the launch issues discourage you from getting into the best simcity yet.

cheers[/citation]

Better yet, don't pre-order. Wait a few weeks after the launch to see the reviewer/user reaction on the internet and then make up your mind. If you do pre-order anyway atleast you should be expecting a working game service from day one anything less and you're just affirming the publishers dominance over your money and you're not punishing them for their horrible DRM and incompetence. Also I've never seen any sort of meaningfull pre-order discounts. Not anything that would offset the risk of being served a lemon.

EA did have pre-order sales numbers didn't they? That should have given them a clue as to how much capacity they are likely going to need. As for the thankles job of setting up the servers: Not our problem and we shouldn't be making excuses for them. We should be expecting a return for our investment i.e. a working game.

 

[kettu]

[citation][nom]ojas[/nom]This:http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/20 [...] t-this-go/[/citation]

Thanks for the link.

[citation][nom]Steve911924[/nom] I am Inspired to play SC3K and SC4 (again) simply because my Internet connection is not one which sustains itself over a long period of time - seems EA's isn't either. [/citation]

The real problem I see is not that people don't have reliable internet but that they are reliant on EA to maintain the server infrastructure. Especially since some of the city simulations are done on the server side. Are they going to keep running the servers indefinetaly? Will they release an offline patch when they take their servers offline? What will happen when a sequel comes and they want people to buy that?

 

[corvak]

Blizzard made a similar move when WoW overloaded its servers in 2003. It went on to become the biggest MMO in history.

Launch glitches don't always spell doom for a game or franchise, though I think Simcity has a harder time than WoW, since MMOs don't always count on high initial sales.

 

[ddpruitt]

It's clear that most of the people who comment haven't played the game. I've been playing the last few days and haven't seen any connection issues, even with my super-wonderful internet.

It's starting to sound more and more like EA is wanting to kill the game deliberately, and maybe dump Maxis in the process.

 

[fimbulvinter]

[citation][nom]ddpruitt[/nom]It's clear that most of the people who comment haven't played the game. I've been playing the last few days and haven't seen any connection issues, even with my super-wonderful internet. It's starting to sound more and more like EA is wanting to kill the game deliberately, and maybe dump Maxis in the process.[/citation]

I have been "playing" the game since release. In quotes because since release I have only been able to get in like 4 times since I can't connect more than half the time and usually give up after 15 minutes of trying. It is fun when I can play, but you have to be bullshitting or extremely lucky.

 

[Lance Eichman]

Well...there's another EA game that I will not be buying.

 

[crateria]

Wow, a company actually wanting you to buy less of their product... despicable.

EA: the utility company of the video game industry.

 

[downhill911]

Every time I fell bad because of EA, I look at their share price and my mood goes up.

 

[ibjeepr]

[citation][nom]fimbulvinter[/nom]I have been "playing" the game since release. In quotes because since release I have only been able to get in like 4 times since I can't connect more than half the time and usually give up after 15 minutes of trying. It is fun when I can play, but you have to be bullshitting or extremely lucky.
.[/citation]

I've been on every night since release so I doubt he is bullshitting about it. One night I logged off and when I went to log back in it wouldn't let me for the rest of the night but I have been on and played with out issue every night since release.

As you said, once in the game is great. Some bugs but not major and it sounds like they are working on them.

 

[tiret]

[citation][nom]kettu[/nom] Also I've never seen any sort of meaningfull pre-order discounts. Not anything that would offset the risk of being served a lemon.[/citation]
I usually get around 10 percent off for a pre-order. and the Beta gameplay was excellent. so no chance of being served a melon. I've been playing hassle free since Saturday.