http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/03/05/gamers-line-up-to-play-simcity/

I originally passed on this because of the "Requires persistant internet connection" requirement.

I think I've had enough and I'm now actually not buying games - no matter how good they look - because of restrictive DRM.

The product requirements (requires persistant internet connection, need an Origin Account etc.) have been taken off the blurb for the game on a popular site. They were on the page a few days ago. Now, poof. Odd...

I really wanted this, but am now glad i cannot afford it at the moment. Hopefully by the time i can it may be worthwhile.

I've seen some of the reviews already, if they can't remove some of the restrictions or implement an offline save/load feature, this will be a no-buy for me unless it comes down heavily in price.

I understand where they're going with it, I won't fault them for that, but after the past few years of the outlash on DRM, you'd think they would have paid attention a bit more.

I no longer buy from those guys.  Even if I want it...it is too much trouble.

I have ample funds and ample games and ample numbers of neices, nephews

and kids who need birthday, xmas, etc gifts.  This will cost them a few bux just from me.

They do not care and neither do I.  This company can die in a fire.

Yup. I said it many times. It's entertainment. And with entertainment it should be no more of a hassle than flopping in a movie or a music cd. If it is your chasing people away and not selling copies anywhere near what you could be.

Besides, people hate lines. even ones online. But the 'save' being tied to certain servers make it even more of a special Kind of Stupid.

I am very disappointed.

I am also very glad I didn't pre-order or even consider getting this. I still have my CD copy of Sim City 2000 and that has much more area to work in than this one.

In fact Ars Technica had the best article title, "We waited Ten Years for This?"

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/03/simcity-impressions-we-waited-ten-years-for-this/

I don't get it why EA had to stick with their DRM always-on scheme when there is a backlash against that. It's that reason alone that is making my decision not to buy, easier. But rest assured there will be that sucker who buys into it. I'd like to know why they never listened after the screw up that was the Beta test (remember the ban threat?) and the constant Origin fiascos regarding banned players from Battlefield 3. When I read on Ars about the city size was limited and you didn't have a larger size than even 2000? that blew it for me.

Also, you can get this instead..much less, no DRM!

http://www.gog.com/gamecard/simcity_2000_special_edition

It's funny I have this vision of gamers buying from developers who are developing games out of garages again. Those who will be doing it for the love of creation again instead of the almighty dollar. They will come in zip-lock baggies and have paper manuals again. Though probably only 4 pages long. Seriously look at these independent games on Steam they look like 8bit and 16 bit pixels again. Platformers and beat-em-ups. Sideways adventure games, shoot & scoots. It seems history is already repeating itself again.

Interesting take Wolverine. except the big difference is in the early days those guys putting games in ziplock bags were true geeks with programing skills and a solid boardgame history behind them.

Nowadays one can go out and buy engine packages that come with default FPS, side scrolling or racing setups that just about anybody can learn to put together without having any knowledge of programing at all, or for that matter any background in gaming at all. Thus the myraid of side scrollers or whatnot you see on Greenlight or elsewhere really is a result of most of those guys aren't programers and are using default engine packages---some even default asset packages to put those games together. 

Nothing wrong with that except it creates a mountain of ho-hum to weed through to find those gems that the small unknown genius has done with such packages---it's sort of like the door a modder goes through--learning as they go. Eventually the good ones graduate to the next level- learn to program and buy more serious packages--which will evidually lead to some great INDY games....which will be bought out by some corporate big wig and turned into mud later...creating the circle once again.

Originally Posted By ghostryder (5 MAR 2013 2:22pm)

Yup. I said it many times. It's entertainment. And with entertainment it should be no more of a hassle than flopping in a movie or a music cd. If it is your chasing people away and not selling copies anywhere near what you could be.

 

Besides, people hate lines. even ones online. But the 'save' being tied to certain servers make it even more of a special Kind of Stupid.

Very well put.

I particularly liked one piece of blurb I saw online about the DRM:

'The game connects to the server periodically to check that the game is not pirated'.

Originally Posted By IanC (5 MAR 2013 11:23pm)

 

I particularly liked one piece of blurb I saw online about the DRM:

 

'The game connects to the server periodically to check that the game is not pirated'.

Problem with that is that theres probably already a torrent for it that bypasses that check.

So far I have only had a few minor glitches with Sim City's 'always on' component.  I still don't like the 'always on' in principal.

Originally Posted By BlondKnight (6 MAR 2013 4:17am)

Originally Posted By IanC (5 MAR 2013 11:23pm)

 

I particularly liked one piece of blurb I saw online about the DRM:

 

'The game connects to the server periodically to check that the game is not pirated'.

 

Problem with that is that theres probably already a torrent for it that bypasses that check.

Or that a pirated game doesn't actually connect to a server.

After my brother showed interest in it, I explained the online DRM to him.  He ended up getting Cities XL and seems to be enjoying it.   http://www2.citiesxl.com/

Have had no problem until now.  Played for about 5 hours and then the servers went down.  Good game if I could stay connected.  This is becoming a problem for me...always on Internet to play.  Making me change my mind on how I buy games.

Imo it is time people wise up and stop supporting EA, Ubisoft and other devs that are just into buttraping their customers instead of actually trying to provide value for money invested.

We can only hope that sometime down the line they'll realize how crippling their method of DRM can be to a game has been primarily a single-player type. 

Well after a relatively painless day 1 I experienced much more trouble today. I couldn't connect, or when I did it would eventually lose the connection. After getting in a good 10 hours of playtime I'm pretty bored with it anyway. To be fair, none of the Simcities ever grabbed me longterm. I definitely regret buying this game, but at least I got a $20 promotional discount from Amazon so I paid $40.

The other kick in the crotch is that the manual is a keyboard command cheat sheet. There is absolutely no real documentation, yet they have a guide they are happy to sell you. EA is a piece of garbage.

Originally Posted By Sigma One (6 MAR 2013 9:05pm)

We can only hope that sometime down the line they'll realize how crippling their method of DRM can be to a game has been primarily a single-player type. 

They already have all the monies

Originally Posted By robc04 (6 MAR 2013 10:11pm)

I couldn't connect, or when I did it would eventually lose the connection.

http://i.imgur.com/wA03tRY.jpg

Originally Posted By Fetrik (6 MAR 2013 4:53pm)

Imo it is time people wise up and stop supporting EA, Ubisoft and other devs that are just into buttraping their customers instead of actually trying to provide value for money invested.

The thing is Lemmings never get wiser they just keep following the same path to destruction (if you've ever played the game of Lemmings you'll know what I'm talking about). No matter how many times you save them they are just content to throw their lives away.

That's too bad. I was wanting a new Simcity. Now I have to wait until it drops $5 to $10 bucks and even then have to think about it. This DRM is BS.

Originally Posted By Wolverine101 (7 MAR 2013 4:35am)

 

The thing is Lemmings never get wiser they just keep following the same path to destruction

 

 

IE not matter how invasive and annoying the DRM becomes theres always someone who says: "duh! Ive never had a problem with Steam/Origin/Stormpowered/Battlefront and will eagerly lap up whatever garbage they throw at me to buy. Its a privilege for me to be allowed to buy their games. And Im supporting the hobby"

Apparently the game has been pulled from Amazon's store, this is a bit of messup ain't it?

Originally Posted By BlondKnight (7 MAR 2013 6:00am)

Originally Posted By Wolverine101 (7 MAR 2013 4:35am)

 

The thing is Lemmings never get wiser they just keep following the same path to destruction

 

 

 

IE not matter how invasive and annoying the DRM becomes theres always someone who says: "duh! Ive never had a problem with Steam/Origin/Stormpowered/Battlefront and will eagerly lap up whatever garbage they throw at me to buy. Its a privilege for me to be allowed to buy their games. And Im supporting the hobby"

I'm surprised we haven't seen one of those people here, yet.  There's usually at least one who attempts to defend a publisher's draconic DRM in forum threads. 

EA must have really burned their bridges lately. 

4 years ago I posted the Unity 3d Unite keynote that featured Richard Hilleman of EA. Anyone who bothered to watch it saw this coming. EA's direction, it's view on the industry and it's customer base- it's plans-all laid out pretty much blow by blow. I haven't been able to find the original vid-not even on utube- but there's still some news articles on it--

http://www.gamecareerguide.com/news/25852/news/116796/unite_09_eas_hilleman_on_.php

It's all about portability, webplay, the cloud. It started with tiger woods 2010--- and I soon think madden, as he did speak about how they were trying to redo the GUI to get that title up as well. DRM isn't the focus of course but logically if your games are in the cloud-ready for instant play across all platforms-your no longer have an install , or even a save. In fact he was insistant the new customer would not want to even load a save game.

It all smelled of Big corporation with focus groups, industry studies etc etc.