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The Weekly Roundup for 03.04.2013
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 7 days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
The Daily Grind: What advice would you give to SimCity fans?
Everyone in the games industry and community has been watching in fascination as EA has bungled SimCity's release almost every way possible over this past week. From servers losing city information to always-on DRM practices requiring internet connections to massive user review backlash to lengthy server log-in times to Amazon even pulling the title from its digital sales department, EA is facing what we've often seen in the online world: a disastrous launch. While SimCity isn't an MMO, the multiplayer component, online servers, and horrible queue times certainly have a lot in common with our industry. Frustration amongst SimCity fans was high-pitched this week, especially at the slow and incomplete response on behalf of the mega-game publisher. As players who have undoubtedly seen a bad MMO launch or two over the years, what advice would you give to SimCity fans? Should these fans attempt a refund, wait patiently, voice their concerns, or consider a different course of action? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
EA Maxis cops to 'dumb' SimCity launch, offers early adopters a free game
The botched launch of the new SimCity game has upset many this week, however there is a little good news. EA Maxis exec Lucy Bradshaw posted that the company is working on its server issues, with capacity reportedly up 120 percent in the last 48 hours and "disrupted experiences" down 80 percent. As a way of making up for a launch that was "dumb" for not anticipating far more players and activity than seen in its beta, EA will offer all those who've activated a copy by March 18th a free PC game download. There's no word on which game(s) from the EA portfolio will be available but users will be notified by email. The one thing they won't be getting however is what many are asking for: an offline option that avoids all the server mess and entanglements of always-on DRM.
The Daily Roundup for 03.08.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Reticulating splines for reticulating times: the SimCity debacle
SimCity is in shambles. Not the virtual cities built within its digital confines, mind you, but the game itself. The reboot of EA Maxis' classic SimCity this week has been a roller coaster of emotions, with positive reviews and fanfare pushing hype levels past 11... all of which fell apart just after midnight on Tuesday morning when the game launched to a crushing response from fans. Unlike many games, including previous SimCity entries, the new SimCity requires a constant connection to EA's servers. It requires a connection regardless of whether or not you choose to play with others, even -- a bold move, and one that was met with much wariness among gamers when announced last year. Given the mass popularity of the SimCity series and the glowing praise the game received ahead of release from press, it was no surprise that the sheer number of customers trying to snag the game -- and subsequently, play it -- overwhelmed EA's servers. The result? Days of choppy play, or, more often, an inability to access the game at all. Worse yet, EA's started shutting off parts of the game in hopes of lowering server loads across the board, which (understandably) angered many players. So, how did we get here?
PSA: SimCity now available, go realize your city-building dreams
Who wants to build a beta city? The final version of EA's long-awaited followup to its city-building classic, SimCity, goes live today in North America for all of you aspiring mayors out there -- well, those of you with a PC at least (the Mac version is still forthcoming at some point this spring). You can download or pick up a physical copy through EA's Origin site right now, to finally get your Robert Moses on (though maybe watch where you stick those highways).
SimCity's second beta assembles Feb. 16
If you missed out on the first SimCity beta, you'll be pleased to know EA has laid the foundations for a second closed beta, starting February 16. The publisher tells us the second edition features an "enhanced" version of the one hour's worth of city planning featured in the first one.The beta begins at 9AM ET (6AM PT, 2PM British) on February 16, and runs through 24 hours until February 17. The deadline for sign-ups is 9AM ET on Monday February 11. The game proper launches in North America on March 5, which is when you can get your hands on its Limited Edition, as zanily promoted in the new trailer above.
The Daily Roundup for 01.18.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
SimCity beta kicks off January 25th, feeds our city-building ambitions
While we can't speak for everyone, SimCity's urban construction triggers fond memories for more than one of us -- mostly the small thrills of building our first arcologies or getting statues in our honor. A chance to feed our nostalgia (and megalomania) is coming quickly with the advent of EA's beta for the SimCity reboot. Windows users who register before January 20th will get one hour's worth of game time to use between January 25th and 28th, along with an opportunity to provide feedback on bugs and play balancing. It's an almost cruel tease when we know we'll have to wait until the final version's March 5th launch to play more, or to play on a Mac, but we'll take the beta offer when many of us haven't seen a 'pure' SimCity game for a decade. [Thanks, David]
SimCity intro video receives permit for public viewing
If you like flyovers of modeled cityscapes, you are in for a treat with this SimCity intro trailer. Urban and industrial vistas are on display as the camera flies by buildings and uses convenient skyscrapers as edits. Enjoy!
GOG weekend sale: Alpha Centauri, Syndicate and other EA classics 60% off
Several of EA's classic PC games have had their prices slashed to ridiculous levels on GOG for this weekend – games like Alpha Centauri, Syndicate, Populous and more can be had for under $3 each.Other EA games taking part in the sale include a whole bunch of Ultimas, the Wing Commander series and SimCity 2000. All of the games listed on GOG's weekend promo page will set you back $2.39 a pop. If you want to purchase all 26 eligible games, it'll cost $62.14.
EA @ Gamescom: Crysis 3, SimCity, Army of Two and more
If you're lucky enough to find yourself at Gamescom next week in Germany, playable demos of Crysis 3 and SimCity will be headlining EA's lineup. Aside from those two, there will also be demo stations at EA's booth for Need for Speed: Most Wanted, FIFA 13, FIFA Manager 13, Medal of Honor: Warfighter and Star Wars: The Old Republic.EA will also be conducting behind-closed-doors presentations. Notable titles for private showcase include the newly-announced Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel from Visceral Games, the Armored Kill expansion for Battlefield 3, Crysis 3, Dead Space 3, NHL 2013, Sims 3, SimCity and a bunch of mobile games from EA and Chillingo. We'll have previews of those games next week.
SimCity Social has over 10 million monthly active users
If you're sick of Facebook notifications from your friends asking you to play SimCity Social, you're far from the only one. During today's financial earnings report, EA revealed that SimCity Social is quite the hit, with over 10 million monthly active users. SimCity Social launched on Facebook at the end of June.
EA opens SimCity Social on Facebook, really, really hopes you'll 'like' it
Sure, it may not have been the most, you know, explosive launch at this year's E3 -- but if Facebook "likes" are any sort of metric (which, granted, is debatable), EA's newly reborn and heavily-socialized SimCity has a bright future ahead of it. SimCity Social opened up shop on the Zuckerbergian social network this week, letting players plan and build cities, harnessing the site's massive user base to build friendly relationships or form rivalries between towns. The 800k or so likes the game has currently racked up clearly aren't enough, so EA is offering up exclusive content for those who click the friendly thumb. And seeing as how sitting in front of your computer wouldn't be complete without some fried breakfast pastries, Dunkin' Donuts is getting in the act, allowing players to gift coffee and doughnut "Boosts" in-game.
SimCity building into your personal life February 2013
A press release (available after the break) detailing Electronic Arts' full E3 line-up has revealed a launch window for Maxis' forthcoming reboot of SimCity: February, 2013. Previously, we were left to ponder over a woefully vague "2013" release window for the reboot.Knowing that SimCity's launch won't happen until next year is actually super helpful, as it gives us plenty of time to collaborate with city planners, come up with street names, figure out efficient public transportation solutions and then construct a golden throne from which to watch it all burn.
Rumor: EA planning SimCity Social for Facebook [update]
Domain registrations suggest that EA is planning to follow up its hit Facebook game The Sims Social with a Facebook-based SimCity. Last September, the publisher registered (or re-registered) "SimCitySocial.com," "SimCity-Social.com," and "SimCityFacebook.com," which, put together, provide evidence of a Facebook game called "SimCity Social."Additionally, as SimsVIP reports, you can spot a Playfish SimCity Social URL ... if you load up http://apps.facebook.com/simcitysocial/ in Google Cache, stop the page before it redirects to Facebook, and view source. It's a lot of crazy steps to take in order to see some shaky, uncertain evidence, but it works.Even if this game turns out to be real, there's no telling when EA will launch it. Outernauts will likely be EA's big Facebook launch this summer, and the publisher has been sitting on these URLs for months. Perhaps it'll be released next year alongside the other new SimCity.[Thanks, Victor!]Update: We came across this URL for a currently inactive "SimCity" app. The source, including the broken image on the front page, links back to Playfish. EA officially declined to comment to Joystiq.
SimCity will not support mods at launch
The last game EA Maxis launched in the SimCity series was SimCity 4, almost ten years ago. It's still being played today, thanks in part to a Steam launch in 2010, but mostly thanks to the modding scene. However, EA Maxis will not launch the new SimCity in 2013 with mod support.It's not entirely off the table, though. EA Maxis creative director Ocean Quigley said the ability to support mods is already built into GlassBox, the new engine powering SimCity, so there's potential for mod support down the road -- just not at launch."Right now we've got our work cut out for us to build the product up to the quality level it deserves as a SimCity," Quigley said. "Then after we ship, we'll make decisions about how we can and when exactly we'll support mods. But it's worth pointing out that the reason people are still playing SimCity 4 almost ten years later is because the modding community essentially re-created it and filled it with new content and fixed bugs and made it as much of a hobby as it is a game."We're very cognizant of that -- we're not idiots."
'The buck stops at the simulation' with new SimCity
"We're building a simulation that really captures the world we live in today, where your decisions go beyond the boundaries of the city." Speaking at an EA press conference in San Francisco tonight, Maxis Senior Vice President Lucy Bradshaw shared some of the high-level goals for the new SimCity game, coming to PC in 2013.Bradshaw recalled shipping the first city builder in 1989, and described the return of Maxis to the franchise proper with great enthusiasm. "It's been about ten years since we shipped the last, true SimCity by Maxis," she said. Despite that passage of time, the developer still seeks to impart inspiration in simulation. "The buck stops at the simulation," Bradshaw said.%Gallery-150003%
SimCity Deluxe for iPad, Risk for iPad out today from EA
First mentioned back in October, Electronic Arts has finally released SimCity Deluxe for iPad, and oh my, how far we have come from the original SimCity game, which came out in 1989. Available for the first time on the iPad, SimCity Deluxe allows players to act as Mayor and City Planner to build and control their very own cityscape. Using multi-touch controls optimized for the iPad, players can build, destroy, rebuild and manage cities inspired by famous locations around the globe. Having played SimCity Deluxe for iPhone, I can imagine that the iPad version would be a more immersive experience with the much bigger screen. Available on the App Store now for US$6.99, SimCity Deluxe for iPad certainly makes me wish I had an iPad to take with me on my long trip coming up later this week. Also out today from EA, and available on the App Store, is RISK for iPad ($6.99), the popular game of strategic conquest and world domination. With the ability for up to six players to play simultaneously and head-to-head against others via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, RISK fans with an iPad may want to check it out. You've probably already got plenty to play this holiday season, but in case you don't, there are two more good titles to try.
