SimCity PC beta next weekend

Can't wait for this game! ... to die horribly.

It is more like a sim neighborhood 5 LOL Maxis expects me to build a city in a  area 2x2km?

According to EA, the game can't run properly without an online connection... hmm. Heads for valid argument, tails for bull$&*T.

always on DRM means I am not interested.

A fair warning to those interested in the beta test should be given - Don't use your actual Origin account (if you have one), but create a new one just for this beta, because if EA thinks you know something they do not (like a bug or "cheat"), your account gets a total ban : http://www.cinemablend.com/games/unreported-simcity-bugs-can-get-you-banned-from-your-origin-account-51617.html

Isn't it nice of EA to invite you into a "beta" which you're allowed to play for 1 hour (yes, just 1 hour, no you didn't misread that, just 1 hour) only to allow them to ban your account for any reason they can make up ?

If that's true, I'll be laughing even harder than I already was, as I'd find it hard to believe that people would actually bend over that far for EA.

I briefly thought about giving it a try on a freshly installed PC with a random test account address only to format the PC again after the test to get rid of this Origin trojan again, but I think I'll just pass on this entirely as it's just not worth the trouble.

My crystal ball already prognosed that their authentication servers aren't going to hold up to the "unexpected influx of beta testers" (all 1000-ish of them) and that there'll be permanent disconnects, performance problems, network lag and other "technical difficulties". (most likely another reason why they limit you to just 1 hour of beta testing time)

What pisses me off is when I'm running Steam and then they make we run another program to verify it on top of that. Ubisoft and EA have annoying background programs CONSTANTLY checking. On the other hand, Kalypso has a login thing and that is it. It doesn't hound you like EA and Ubi.

I love Maxis. I hate online-DRM, but I understand the necessity...and most games I've play that do this have some really neat interconnectivity so I'll live. Can't wait until this comes out.

I remember what happened when Cities XL required an Internet connection to play...  Where is it now?

Why do people hate always online-DRM so much?

If they can handle it on the server side, it isn't that all bad.
I mean, do people plan on playing SimCity on the go?
And it's not like you're kicked out of the game if your bandwidth is a little unstable. They have explained how this would work out on the official blog.

If EA sometime in the future pulls the plug, they would certainly make an offline-patch.  

EA? LOL! I'm not buying anything from that big squad of vampires sucking up all the goodness in gaming...

To bad its EA, or I would get it. Ive had so much memories of Sim City in the past. That was before EA went down hill.

its been ages since i last played it cant wait.

terrible terrible terrible

so again, another instance where the business motivates the consumer to pirate the game for the superior drm-free version experience.

I'm not creating an Origin account for this.

If I remember correctly, last I heard from EA, they said DRM never again after Sims 2. I am waiting for a release of Sims 2 without the DRM. Will it happen? Looks like no. And Sims 3 now has DRM? Is that?

DRM has never really bothered me but what does piss me off is when an amazing single player game like sim city has multiplayer forced on me..... and thats just one of this games problems im so glad i still have sim city4 to fall back onto

I can't watch this train wreck.  It's Jay Wilson all over again, with one of my favorite game franchises.  When people start deliberately start sabotaging their cities to destroy other player's cities, it'll be the end of the SimCity franchise.  And it's coming.  RIP SimCity, I'll miss you.  :(

In all seriousness, every single one of you who purchase EA products are supporting the behavior of EA directly. If you really feel like EA is destroying gaming, a purchase is your vote that they continue.

Have fun in beta!

So how many franchises has EA killed/ruined or made so repetitive i can't even play them any more? C&C, MoH, NFS(i know the games are not really bad but just boring arcade races with no soul), and it seems SimCity is going to be next. Smaller city's no single player at all, no mods, over 9000 DLC's 

Yikes, looks like everyone is complaining about the DRM here, youtube, and the site forums. People are NOT happy and on top of that, they are complaining about the size of the cities, and how 'cartoon-y' it's becoming.

I have a strong feeling that because of this, the hype is slowly dying and consumers like us will have to wait for a Simcity 6. I'm very disappointed... =(

Always-on DRM = Fail!!! 

Steam already tried that, and not only didn't stop piracy, it encouraged cracked versions of Steam. Then they learned their lesson, and added a offline mode.

I have no problem with jumping through hoops to prove I've bought the game legitimately. But the idea that an internet connection is just another system requirement is flawed. I can control the parts that go into my PC, but I can't control when my internet connection might suffer an outage, or likewise for EA's servers. Why should I need to be dependant on EA's servers or my internet connection to play a game that has always been traditionally a single player experience? I don't mind having a multiplayer option, but I don't want to have to suffer trolls and griefers just to enjoy the game on my own. 

What happens in two or three years time when EA pulls the plug on this SimCity? Are we all just out of luck? Do we get any kind of refund?

It's just so insulting that they call their DRM strategy good/necessary for the player experience. What a load of corporate doublespeak crap.

Is there an offline mode?

WOOOOO!

*when i see origin*

nevermind...

How much confidence can I have in the beta software if they can't even get the sign-up web page working properly?  Sheesh.

"Origin"

And there goes my interest,

I don't mind DRM, doesn't bother me, I have interwebs. Thus I will be getting the game.
However, if EA is so ignorant to think that it prevents piracy... well that's just naive. 

"Quote: You can't do shit without the internet."

WELL! I shall not be getting this installment. Didn't really like the bright "unrealistic" art style of this one either.

Ahh.. EA.

Thanks to EA's decision to turn all of their games into always online multi-player (even single player games like sim city), that need to be accessed via Origin, I am going to be saving a lot of money. 

Thanks EA. ;)

Ugh!  I'm so interested but I made a rule about no games with always on DRM.  Have to keep standards. 

"Maxis has repeatedly said its choice to do so is for the benefit of its users as the game intends to feature an interconnected social world. "

They lie.

I'll try the beta if accepted, but I'm doubtful I'll buy a game that requires always on internet...especially a strategy game that I'd play when travelling with no internet access.

@experience_fade Ohoho easy now.

"...will need to sign-in to an Origin account and..."

Hmm? No.

Its funny every one on here is crying about drms..Get over it there here to stay.Farcry 3 has a drm i bet every one of yall bought it..Also Dark souls has a drm i bet every one down below who said screw drms bought that game as well..Tropica has a drm as well..I know many of yall bought that game..So all of you guys are making me laugh..They will all requir some sort of drm in the near future..Its to stop people like some of yall who dont buy there games..Its tough situation for all but its here to stay..Dont buy games get a ipad than..Even some ipad games have drms..