With Maxis working around the clock to ensure that their servers can meet demand, similar to other online game launches such as Guild Wars 2 and Diablo, an internal memo has been sent out by Lucy Bradshaw.
Id like to also add that it’s a shame to see this new SimCity affected by server issues. If you see negative user scores, see if it’s about the game or the servers – the majority is about the servers. Give it a go and I’m sure you’ll love it if you’re a SimCity fan.
“I’ll start by saying that I couldn’t be more proud of SimCity and the Maxis team that made it and are supporting it,” Maxis general manager Lucy Bradshaw wrote in an email sent to staffers at the studio. “The game launched with great reviews from both new critics and the veterans who have loved this franchise for so many years. SimCity is a software achievement that everyone at Maxis is extremely proud of. I am also thankful for all of the hard work put in by our marketing, EA Global Publishing and Origin teams, which drove very strong Day One performance around world.
“Then we launched it.”
While Bradshaw pointed out that more than 700,000 cities were built by players in the first 24 hours, she also noted that many gamers are “experiencing server instability and consequently, the rollout in North America has been challenging. It’s also now evident that players across Europe and Asia are experiencing the same frustration.”
Maxis’ top priority, she said, is to “quickly and dramatically increase the number and stability of our servers and with that, the number of players who can simultaneously access the game.”
Three servers were added to the game yesterday and several more are planned for the weekend, she wrote.
“I’D LIKE TO SAY THAT IT’S NOT FAIR — THAT THE GAME SCORE SHOULDN’T BE PUNISHED FOR A SERVER PROBLEM. BUT IT IS FAIR”Bradshaw also detailed the company’s efforts to address the growing tide of hostility among their fanbase.
“Maxis is working 24/7 to deliver on our promise,” she said.
Bradshaw noted that the server issues are also impacting review scores, saying that the Maxis Communications team is “working one-on-one with media to manage this as closely as possible.”
“I’d like to say that it’s not fair — that the game score shouldn’t be punished for a server problem,” she wrote. “But it is fair.”
“SimCity is an online game and critics and consumers have every right to expect a smooth experience from beginning to end,” she wrote. “I and the Maxis team take full responsibility to deliver on our promise.
“Trust that we’re working as hard as possible to make sure everyone gets to experience the amazing game we built in SimCity.”
Thanks to Black Scorpion Sims
I love Lucy <3
I’m pleased they’ve got the decency (at least internally) to put their hands up and accept the blame, it’s the professional thing to do. They should also make a public statement to this effect.
What they need to do is make the game work offline.
The pirates issued a ‘crack’ that enables the game to work offline including saving and loading cities so it would be easy to do for Maxis.
They need to understand and accept that people want this game offline, and they need to admit they got it wrong and make the changes necessary to make it work offline.
As many of us predicted the inter, technology and users arn’t ready for always online interactive gaming.
Lets us play how we want to! Please!
The likely chance that this game wouldn’t have been greenlit without always online DRM and core features depending on online makes all these issues even more tragic. I feel sorry for everyone at Maxis. I think I will wait a couple of months to see what everyone thinks of SimCity in the long run before I buy.
I will purchase this game either when an offline mode is added or when it comes down to bargain bin prices, not before.
I love the Sim City series; I have purchase every single game in the series. But always online for single player is such a deal breaker for me I’m not willing to purchase any such game at full price.
It doesn’t help that a lot of those who are getting on line are also giving the game itself bad reviews. So common complaints are:
> City tiles too small.
> No density zoning results in massive skyscrapers in inappropriate places.
> Despite Maxis saying every ‘Sim’ is an agent they are not and most are ‘fake’ sims to fill the buildings.
> Too restrictive because of no pipes or power lines, roads HAVE to used to connect everything.
> Massive traffic jams all the time.
> Simply not very realistic.
There are others but those are some of the major ones people are reporting.
@UtterlyUnzipped
-> Cities are going to be made bigger.
-> Roads do the zoning, depends which density road you place and where you place them, so it’s controllable.
-> Yes, annoying that everything has to be connected to roads but power and water does go under the roads.
-> I agree with the traffic jams… but they have definitely improved the way I lay out my cities.