EA launched SimCity recently with a requirement that your computer be always on the Internet. Not only is this a ridiculous bit of faux-DRM, it also means that legitimate users cannot play when there is an interruption to internet (or on laptops when away from their connection).
Cut to a few days later and the popularity of the game at launch caused widespread outages, interrupted games, and very, VERY frustrated game buyers.
So, EA has not only (mostly) fixed the server capacity problems, they have offered a genuine (as in having fungible value) apology. So, anyone who 'activates' SimCity before March 18th will get to choose another game from the EA catalog. Since there's no way for them to check who has the game still in the box or who purchases it in the next few days, that leaves open the possibility of purchasing one game and getting a second one free.
[A better reading of the announcement is that EA will offer some game or choice of a game from a list. My description was poorly worded to sound like the choice of game would be unrestricted.]
never buy it directly from EA or Origin, that's the message they're sending.
last time i bought NFS hot pursuit with pre-order from ama70n.... apparently it contained a bug that crashed it when you have a quad-core CPU. WTF, rite? i waited and waited patiently for a patch for 2 weeks and none came, so i put in return request to Ama70n no question asked..... amazing.....
How to encourage EA to change approach to atrocious, consumer-punishing always-online DRM? Throw money at them for that same EA game, then get more EA games. Sounds good.
All due respect to the OP - This is something "good to know" for consumers who bought Sim City and have been having issues with the game since launch; but it's not really a hot deal or "bargain".
And the skeptical gamer inside of me kinda sees this as a spin for EA damage control. By making this announcement public, they hope to attract the buyers of the game sitting on the fence with all the recent bad press. My view would have been seen as paranoid if it wasn't for the fact that they haven't made public what game(s) you can get for free.
Not sure why the red , as op is just trying to "inform" about the situation and not promote the buying of the gaming . Green for the info ( for those that may need it ) !
I've actually gotten them to refund money. Then they never actually took the game away. So I got the game for free, and my money back. Took a long time of bitching, and it was in a chat just like that. But I got more then what I asked for in return.
*****Not on SimCity though, it was for Battlefield. Origin had a deal on the BF3 premium, but never stated it didn't actually include the game. So they sold me an expansion with no game. I bought the game before complaining. I then requested my money back for both. They refunded the money, and I got to keep the game+premium. This was months ago. I still play the game.
Hopefully this will help people to get there money back. I just stated I was never truely able to play the game. So It was unused. Just keep using that, eventually they will give in, and give you money back. Hopefully like me, you'll get to keep the game aswell
EA churns the Madden series. Every year it's the same thing. For $60, you get updated rosters and the same bugs as last year. Dead Space 3 was *yawn*. I rent my games so screw them.
What bugs me is that they're calling this an "apology". Does anyone honestly believe these guys are sorry? If they really are sorry, why not allow refunds?
This is why I love the internet. 5 minutes ago I had no idea EA was such a scummy company. Now I've been educated and will no longer purchase their products.
I am all in with EA. I am hooked on Battlefield 3 and waiting for the game from Respawn entertainment. I am a PC gamer, EA and Activivision may be evil for trying to make money off us, but they can, they got THE games!
bargainron said: I am all in with EA. I am hooked on Battlefield 3 and waiting for the game from Respawn entertainment. I am a PC gamer, EA and Activivision may be evil for trying to make money off us, but they can, they got THE games!This is the exact reason why companies like this get away with this crap.
If you're really thinking about this deal, recommend you reconsider. Here's proof of what EA has launched in the past, then shutting it down at some point. This is a list of games that may or may not have been affected by the requirement that the game must connect to an active server. Look at all the games that have been shut down. Stay away from EA:
bargainron said: I am all in with EA. I am hooked on Battlefield 3 and waiting for the game from Respawn entertainment. I am a PC gamer, EA and Activivision may be evil for trying to make money off us, but they can, they got THE games!
Maybe they have "THE" games if all you play are CoD et al, but there are a wide variety of games available on the PC. You might actually have some fun, and not support a company who actively wants to shaft you.
bargainron said: I am all in with EA. I am hooked on Battlefield 3 and waiting for the game from Respawn entertainment. I am a PC gamer, EA and Activivision may be evil for trying to make money off us, but they can, they got THE games!no, they really don't.
bargainron said: I am all in with EA. I am hooked on Battlefield 3 and waiting for the game from Respawn entertainment. I am a PC gamer, EA and Activivision may be evil for trying to make money off us, but they can, they got THE games!
How is a company evil for trying to make money? They're not a charity.
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