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Can someone explain what exactly happened with SimCity? From the article I gather that it had something to do with DRM but the author never explained what exact

by error54 14y ago

Can someone explain what exactly happened with SimCity? From the article I gather that it had something to do with DRM but the author never explained what exactly made it unplayable.

criley 14y ago
Trouble downloading and installing the game, massive login queues (that recheck the queue once every 30 minutes), trouble creating cities, troubles loading creating cities, disconnections, features have been removed to help handle stress, etc. Basically, it's hard to get it downloaded and installed. If you do that, it's very difficult to login to play. If you manage that, it's very difficult to do the tutorial or claim a city or load your city. If you manage that, it's very difficult to play the game without experiencing disconnects or server-related dysfunction that directly affects gameplay. Basically, it's nothing like the experience they wanted to deliver.
- sageikosa 14y ago
  They should probably have an "achievement" for passing each of those hurdles; turn the task of running a game into a game itself...
  - nwh 14y ago
    Achievements are disabled at the moment, so that wouldn't work either.
ryusage 14y ago
You have to be connected to their servers to play it, just like you would with an MMO style game. Unfortunately, just like an MMO style game at launch, their servers are totally overloaded right now and many people are just completely unable to play the game. The uproar is because the online requirement isn't inherently necessary to the gameplay (although EA has done their best to add some multiplayer aspects). It's primarily a business decision intending to make it more difficult to pirate or buy the game used.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
kwanbis 14y ago
They implemented a DRM scheme where you have to be always connected to the internet, and their servers. Servers fail. Game does not game.
InclinedPlane 14y ago
The latest, just released, version of SimCity includes a form of DRM which basically involves hosting a part of the game's functions on a server, so that the only way to play the game is to be connected to the server. Due to whatever reason, likely poor capacity planning, a huge number of people who have bought the game have not been able to play it at all due to the servers being overloaded or inaccessible.
error54 14y ago
Thanks everyone for clearing that up for me!

by error54 14y ago

Can someone explain what exactly happened with SimCity? From the article I gather that it had something to do with DRM but the author never explained what exactly made it unplayable.

criley 14y ago

Trouble downloading and installing the game, massive login queues (that recheck the queue once every 30 minutes), trouble creating cities, troubles loading creating cities, disconnections, features have been removed to help handle stress, etc. Basically, it's hard to get it downloaded and installed. If you do that, it's very difficult to login to play. If you manage that, it's very difficult to do the tutorial or claim a city or load your city. If you manage that, it's very difficult to play the game without experiencing disconnects or server-related dysfunction that directly affects gameplay. Basically, it's nothing like the experience they wanted to deliver.

sageikosa 14y ago
They should probably have an "achievement" for passing each of those hurdles; turn the task of running a game into a game itself...
- nwh 14y ago
  Achievements are disabled at the moment, so that wouldn't work either.

ryusage 14y ago

You have to be connected to their servers to play it, just like you would with an MMO style game. Unfortunately, just like an MMO style game at launch, their servers are totally overloaded right now and many people are just completely unable to play the game. The uproar is because the online requirement isn't inherently necessary to the gameplay (although EA has done their best to add some multiplayer aspects). It's primarily a business decision intending to make it more difficult to pirate or buy the game used.

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

kwanbis 14y ago

They implemented a DRM scheme where you have to be always connected to the internet, and their servers. Servers fail. Game does not game.

InclinedPlane 14y ago

The latest, just released, version of SimCity includes a form of DRM which basically involves hosting a part of the game's functions on a server, so that the only way to play the game is to be connected to the server. Due to whatever reason, likely poor capacity planning, a huge number of people who have bought the game have not been able to play it at all due to the servers being overloaded or inaccessible.

error54 14y ago

Thanks everyone for clearing that up for me!