SimCity for Mac arrives June 11, players get OS X and Windows copies with 1 purchase
EA announced on Wednesday that the latest version of its hit SimCity franchise would land on Apple's Mac platform on June 11. As an added bonus, those who already bought the game for Windows will get a Mac copy for free.
The new SimCity will be available exclusively as a digital release on EA's Origin service, as well as other online retailers. SimCity who have already purchased the game on PC will be entitled to a free digital copy for Mac as well.
The Mac version's entire software renderer was rewritten for OpenGL in order to ensure that it will function well on Apple's platform. Using EA's Origin, the game's multiplayer elements are also cross-platform, allowing Mac and PC players to compete against and collaborate with each other.
The new SimCity has already sold in excess of three million units since its launch on the PC. That launch, though, was marred by complications with the game's Digital Rights Management component, which requires a persistent Internet connection in order for the game to function, even in single-player mode.
EA, at the time of the game's launch, did not have the server capacity to handle the number of players logging on, resulting in many customers being unable to access the game shortly after its release. EA has since upgraded its server infrastructure.
The new SimCity will be available exclusively as a digital release on EA's Origin service, as well as other online retailers. SimCity who have already purchased the game on PC will be entitled to a free digital copy for Mac as well.
The Mac version's entire software renderer was rewritten for OpenGL in order to ensure that it will function well on Apple's platform. Using EA's Origin, the game's multiplayer elements are also cross-platform, allowing Mac and PC players to compete against and collaborate with each other.
The new SimCity has already sold in excess of three million units since its launch on the PC. That launch, though, was marred by complications with the game's Digital Rights Management component, which requires a persistent Internet connection in order for the game to function, even in single-player mode.
EA, at the time of the game's launch, did not have the server capacity to handle the number of players logging on, resulting in many customers being unable to access the game shortly after its release. EA has since upgraded its server infrastructure.
Comments
EA thinks they're going to sell this still? HAH.
For a game I've been looking forward to for years, I'll buy it when there is an offline mode.
This is very nice though, I bought the Windows version and wasn't fully sure if they would do this and they did, hard to play at smooth FPS when my rMBP still has bootcamp throttling issues.
Ok, 3 million sales, nothing to sneeze at. I don't play games, but that figure tells me it's not a loss to EA.
http://consumerist.com/2013/04/09/ea-makes-worst-company-in-america-history-wins-title-for-second-year-in-a-row/
I don't play and EA games, but this is kind of funny. They beat out BOFA.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rokrad
Quit whining about the offline mode. The always-on is not that big of a deal.
This is very nice though, I bought the Windows version and wasn't fully sure if they would do this and they did, hard to play at smooth FPS when my rMBP still has bootcamp throttling issues.
It's a huge deal to me. I'm not always around internet on my laptop when I want to burn some time. Great for you that you are.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilBoogie
Ok, 3 million sales, nothing to sneeze at. I don't play games, but that figure tells me it's not a loss to EA.
Apparently even those sales didn't meet expectations. EA ran a massive advertising campaign, had to vastly increase its server capacity and gave away free games to buyers. The game was made by a large team over a long period. The break-even point must be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
I don't think the always-online nature of the game was the problem. However, forcing users to be always online brings with it a contract that the host is always going to be online too. EA broke that contract.
The sad thing is that, under the shiny graphics and uproar over the server problems, is a game that simply isn't very interesting. It's simulation of a city is surprisingly broken.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RichL
Apparently even those sales didn't meet expectations. EA ran a massive advertising campaign, had to vastly increase its server capacity and gave away free games to buyers. The game was made by a large team over a long period. The break-even point must be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
I don't think the always-online nature of the game was the problem. However, forcing users to be always online brings with it a contract that the host is always going to be online too. EA broke that contract.
The sad thing is that, under the shiny graphics and uproar over the server problems, is a game that simply isn't very interesting. It's simulation of a city is surprisingly broken.
Game sells, dependent on version, for 60 or 80 bucks. Even if all 2 million sales were at $60 each, that's $120 million minimum already. And the advertising campaign was quite small compared to most big games (think Call of Duty). I wouldn't be surprised if 2 million units sold isn't pretty close to, or even exceeding, the break even point for this game.
Server issues aside, it feels like you can build the worst city imaginable with high taxes and the city will still grow regardless. The game does not seem to have much challenge to it. Additionally, it seems to hold your hand and prevent mistakes as much as possible. Within few hours of playing, I had a completely filled city.
There are a lot of side-effects of 'always-on' that suck... For ex: SimCity requires you to have the most up-to-date version of the game because it has to sync with the servers. They've been patching the buggy mess they released sometimes multiple times per week... so you go to play, and you are forced to wait through a 20 - 30 minute update process before you can do anything. Boom, there goes half of the hour I had to check in and tinker with my city right now.
As for 3 million copies sold, they are probably counting the copies of the game that were returned to Amazon (which had such a high return rate that they stopped selling the game for a while) and the copies Maxis is giving away to schools. EA is more than $100 million off their estimated earnings for the quarter, and that $100 million is most likely straight from SimCity. Amazon is currently selling the PC dvd of the game for $42, and has been for several weeks. How many new games knock $20 off in the first month of release?
I doubt if that average price is even close to reality. The baseline cost is $60 and the deluxe is $80. Most people typically buy the base version of games like this.
However, that does not include the hefty discount that retailers get. Typically, B&M retailers get around 50% discounts for most products, so Maxis only gets $30 per game.
Then, subtract any heavily discounted sales (group sales, etc).
And even that doesn't allow for returns or inflation in their user base.
Sim City 4 remains superior in every conceivable way to this utter catastrophe of a "game".
Originally Posted by Rokrad
Quit whining about the offline mode. The always-on is not that big of a deal.
This is an absolutely ludicrous standpoint that no intelligent person would take. Take note that the game itself does not require Internet access to work. The DRM is the only aspect of the game that requires the Internet.
You're fine with not being able to play a video game unless the creator tells you where and how to play it?
Wrong, DRM is only part of it. Yeah, people wish to be loners and play the game by themselves, completely understandable with the last SimCity games, but this one is designed around a multi city experience best played with other players. Trust me I actually play the game unlike many who voice so much about the game without ever playing it. Either way the multiplayer obviously needs an internet connection to sync the cities in the region all together. Also I knew what I would get into when I buy always online games, I need to be online and if their servers are down... well oh well it really isn't the end of the world for me as I can easily do anything else, and check back later. Seriously always online is not that big of a deal now a days people just have to learn to change.
I am really looking forward for this game. Always Online is not an issue.. I am always online anyways! It is also nice that the purchase is cross platform.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta
I doubt if that average price is even close to reality. The baseline cost is $60 and the deluxe is $80. Most people typically buy the base version of games like this.
However, that does not include the hefty discount that retailers get. Typically, B&M retailers get around 50% discounts for most products, so Maxis only gets $30 per game.
Then, subtract any heavily discounted sales (group sales, etc).
And even that doesn't allow for returns or inflation in their user base.
Retailer margin for games is around $15 for $60 game. But yeah, you are looking at ~$27 actual income per game but that's for console games, PC games could be higher. However, it seems that the digital download is doing well for this game.
Originally Posted by Rokrad
Wrong, DRM is only part of it.
No, it's all of it. The game runs perfectly without an Internet connection. There is no excuse for a single-player aspect being forced-online.
Yeah, people wish to be loners…
Insulting people for the desire to play a single-player game; spectacular. Oh, by the way, since you don't actually get to play WITH anyone in the game, you're insulting everyone who plays the game right now.
…this one is designed around a multi city experience…
Multi-neighborhood, by the look of it. It's designed to force you to require other "cities" around your "city" to be able to fill even the simplest needs that a single city could do in any of the previous games.
…best played with other players.
Once again, you don't actually play with anyone. Their stuff is just sitting there, unchangeable and untouchable by you (well, for now. They've hacked a way to make edits to others' "cities" and are close to finding a commit), and yours for them.
A single "update" done at game launch would give you all the neighboring data you need.
Either way the multiplayer obviously needs an internet connection to sync the cities in the region all together.
The game connects once every ten minutes and cloud-saves your changes, if any.
…well oh well it really isn't the end of the world for me as I can easily do anything else…
"We can't let you play the game you bought from us. So just don't play our game. Go do something else." Well, it's a unique advertising campaign, at least.
Nice going, EA. Way to send your damage controllers out to every website.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Nice going, EA. Way to send your damage controllers out to every website.
I'm sorry have I offended you with my opinion? I really want to know if you have this game or even played it. You are wrong on the multiplayer level as when you have your friends playing in the neighboring cities, or as you called neighborhoods to which I agree the city space is small, at the same time you are you are easily playing with them and changes happening at that time. My friend asks for help with fires so my firetrucks are volunteered by me to go put them out. It happens then and there not one day later or anything like that.
Also the fact that you have multiple cities in a region each specializing in different traits makes a much more challenging way to grow your city and work with the others in the region.
"Insulting people for the desire to play a single-player game; spectacular."
Oh and you insulted first calling those who don't have a problem with alway-online "unintelligent". If you've played the game and own it and legitimately dislike the game I understand, but there are so many people in the world today that don't give things a chance and make informed hands-on judgements, instead they spit out all this about what they've seen and heard, not their own experience. I own the game. My friends own the game. Were we skeptical about always-online? Yes. But after playing it we enjoy it very much.
Sim City is now akin to Second Life I guess. There are some advantages to the online mode.
I like the idea that I can be sitting in a bus playing Simcity. If I have to be online it is a BIG TURN OFF for me. I am sad that I will have to keep playing older versions of this game. Will definitely not buy it. Good luck to the 3 or 2 million that did. Stupid idea if you ask me.
Originally Posted by Rokrad
I'm sorry have I offended you with my opinion?
You've offended me with your placement, is all. And thanks for highlighting just that, by the way.
Also the fact that you have multiple cities in a region each specializing in different traits makes a much more challenging way to grow your city and work with the others in the region.
Aside from Las Vegas, where the FRICK does this happen in reality?! Oh, and don't even bother trying to come up for an excuse about why "cities" aren't allowed to be contiguous anymore. You cannot possibly defend the new SimCity vs. SimCity 4 in that regard.
Oh and you insulted first calling those who don't have a problem with alway-online "unintelligent".
Those who would willingly allow their freedoms to be replaced with arbitrary rigidity deserve no recourse.
But after playing it we enjoy it very much.
The few minutes a day that it's actually playable.