Simcity Burns

[Tyyr]

The condescension and arrogance of that phrase had me thinking this was an obvious Onion article. Boy is my face red.

She actually wrote that as people were still having connection issues, still not being able to log in, and still having their cities randomly wiped off the servers. When that's still a HUGE issue for much of your player base, not being able to play or having all your work wiped out, having the cast iron balls to start with "Hate to interrupt you playing Sim City," is just... wow. That's like pointing at the portion of your player base for whom the ability to even play the game is still fucked and laughing at them. Just wow.

In other news, the game is not only playable off line but it takes exactly two lines of code to do it. It was originally discovered that always on was just bullshit when people figured out the debug menu. They were able to play without ever checking in with the servers for as long as they wanted. Maxis/EA's response? Emergency patch to disable debug mode. Yesterday modders came out with the fix by finding the two lines of code you need to delete to make the game fully playable offline. The only thing you don't get are region updates. HOWEVER, the two guys who originally figured out debug mode data mined the packets going to and from EA's servers. Turns out there is almost nothing going back and forth between the servers. Cities are frozen in time when no one is playing. Nothing changes... at all. All the complex cloud calculations? Bullshit. Not even regional. When you log out of a city nothing ever changes. Not the resources, population, income, available power, nothing. The only thing that is ever downloaded are a few quick variables about the cities in the region and that's it. Those variables would just be part of the save state of each city. The only remaining hurdle for fully offline is figuring out how to handle the local saves which we already know the game does in case you lose your internet connection. Just make that the default and figure out how to load from that and you've got fully offline Simcity. Two lines of code and local saving. That's it.

Watching Lucy try and rewrite history is funny. We've gone from ultra complicated simulation done on EA's servers to MMO to who knows what now.

[Teaos]

I knew someone would crack the code sooner or latter. Good on them. I hope this trend continues.

[Tyyr]

Given that nothing is actually done server side as far as simulation it became inevitable. The problem is that even if they put out a crack for it who wants to play this game with how broken it is? I might download it and try it just to piss in EA's eye or buy a used copy when they're like $10. But who's really chomping at the bit to download and play this game?

[Teaos]

Maybe it will teach them the lesson that what ever they do, someone will break it.

[Nutso]

I might download it and try it just to piss in EA's eye or buy a used copy when they're like $10.

I think the video game industry is moving to make their next generation consoles capable of rejecting second hand bought video games. Or maybe it's the publishers. I know Bioware has something where when you buy a used game, you have to call up Bioware to request a new code to play the game. That was for Mass Effect 2 so I can't blame that on EA.

[Teaos]

Yeah they hate the second hand market. Once a code has been entered once it locks down the CD. But hat screws people who want to install it on 2 computers. Then you hit a windows 7 problem, once you install it X number of times legitimately your crewed.

[Nutso]

http://techland.time.com/2013/02/06/the ... -wont-die/

The Death of Used Games Is a Rumor That Won’t Die
Enjoy your right to buy and sell used video games now, because Microsoft’s next Xbox may not allow it, according to yet another report.

Edge, a well-respected gaming magazine and website, cites “sources with first-hand experience” of Microsoft’s next console, who say game discs will only work for the original purchaser. Microsoft may require users to enter an activation code, the sources say, which would presumably tie the game to a single user or system. The next Xbox may also have a persistent online connection.

Microsoft may not even be the only one planning such a system. Last March, Kotaku reported that Sony’s next PlayStation would have a way to cut off the used game business. People who tried to play a previously-owned game, sources said, would be limited in what they could do with the game. Sony has already applied for a patent on a type of RF tagging that would match a game disc with a single console.

I don't feel like paying $60 to have limited control over my property, and if I can't buy it used on the cheap, I probably won't feel the need to buy it in any case. Am I a lost revenue?

[Teaos]

So maybe they plan that if you buy a second hand game for $10, you also have to pay them another $20 to activate it? Bullshit.

The always online thing, well I was expecting that anyway, I think most people have them always plugged in anyway.

[Tyyr]

The second hand thing. Yeah, Sony came up with the tech not Microsoft so I doubt they're going to give it to them. Sony has said officially that they will do nothing to stop second hand sales on the PS4. Microsoft hasn't said anything about the 720 but I seriously doubt it if Sony isn't going to do it. They're not going to want to give a major talking point to Sony.

The ME2 thing was, in my opinion, just fine. EA set up an online pass system. Buy a copy of the game, any copy, and get an online code. The code gave you access to a lot of free DLC. Zaeed, Firewalker, Cerberus Armor, Arc Projector, Normany Crash Site, etc. If you bought a second hand copy of the game you could play it just fine but not access that content or buy any other DLC until you bought an online pass which was a $10 code. However once you bought the code you got all the free DLC and could buy the new DLC.

Given that unlike things like tires, books, furniture, and sheets, digital media more or less does not degrade at all I can see there being an issue with used games. Personally I think that the ME2 system was ok. You could play the base game for free but had to pay to get access for more stuff. I'm fine with that. Especially when you've got people like Gamestop actively pushing used copies of games instead of new and given just how much they hose you for selling a game back to them.

Bringing it back to SC5. If I got it on the cheap I could care less about the online bullshit, I'll be installing the offline crack the moment I get it.

[Teaos]

Doesnt sound to bad so long as you are getting content with it. If they are just locking you down to be greedy dicks...

I can see Microsoft doing it and not Sony, Microsoft has always played to its own rules.

[Teaos]

Link

Internal Memo to EA employees:

To Everyone at EA –

I am writing with some tough news. I have resigned my position as EA's CEO. I will be around for a couple of weeks, and I hope to have the chance to say goodbye to many of you. Larry Probst will be stepping in as Executive Chairman to help smooth the transition. Larry first hired me at EA in 1997 and he was an incredible leader for the company during the 16 years he served as CEO. While he will continue to be the Chairman of the US Olympic Committee, he will also provide leadership for EA until a permanent CEO is appointed.

My decision to leave EA is really all about my accountability for the shortcomings in our financial results this year. It currently looks like we will come in at the low end of, or slightly below, the financial guidance we issued to the Street, and we have fallen short of the internal operating plan we set one year ago. And for that, I am 100 percent accountable.

Personally, I think we've never been in a better position as a company. You have made enormous progress in improving product quality. You are now generating more revenue on fewer titles by making EA's games better and bigger. You've navigated a rapidly transforming industry to create a digital business that is now approximately $1.5 billion and growing fast. The big investments you've made in creating EA's own platform are now showing solid returns. I believe EA is alone in mastering the challenges of building a platform for our games and services – a platform that will provide a more direct relationship with our consumers. You are number one in the fastest growing segment, mobile, with incredible games like The Simpsons: Tapped Out, Real Racing 3, Bejeweled, SCRABBLE and Plants v. Zombies. You have worked to put EA in a position to capture industry leadership on the next generation of consoles; and I believe two of our titles – Battlefield and FIFA – will be among the top few franchises in the entire industry. And the industry's most talented management team – Frank, Rajat, Peter, Gaby, Andrew, Patrick, Blake, Joel and Jeff - are certain to lead the company to a successful future.

I remain an incredible fan of EA and everyone who works in our world – from Stockholm to Seoul, Orlando to Edmonton, Guildford, Geneva, Cologne, Lyon, Bucharest, Montreal, Austin, Salt Lake, LA and, of course, EARS. My hope is that my travels and yours allow us the opportunity to talk more in the months and years to come.

In a few weeks, I will be leaving EA physically. But I will never leave emotionally. I am so incredibly proud of all the great things you have done, and it has been my honor to lead this team these past six years. After March, I will be cheering wildly for EA from the sidelines.

EA CEO resigns.

[stitch626]

Woah...

[Tyyr]

This isn't over SC5. It probably didn't help but he was already on his way out when SC5 landed in his lap.

Doesnt sound to bad so long as you are getting content with it. If they are just locking you down to be greedy dicks...

There was a good smattering of content that you got when you bought an online pass. Zaeed and his mission along with the Normandy crash site were probably worth the $10 the pass would cost you. You got some armors and weapons on top of that. And Firewalker but Firewalker sucked. So it wasn't just a naked, "Give us $10 for your used game," grab. They did offer something of value for the $10 the pass cost you. I remain firmly convinced that Mass Effect 2 shows you DLC done right.

[Teaos]

Well the reason given was financial loss, and that can be attributed to the dick moves involving their gaming line over the last years.

[Tyyr]

Sure, it could certainly be their attitude of the last few years catching up with them. I think it is.

The "Premium" bullshit killed Battlefield 3 for me.
They torched Mass Effect 3 so I bought no DLC
Knowing that SC5 was always on DRM, online only I didn't buy it, and still won't.

I know I'm just one guy but I liked BF3 enough that I'd have bought their DLC if they weren't threatening to punish me if I didn't buy it sight unseen. I love Mass Effect and bought every piece of ME2 DLC aside from a costume pack and a weapons pack. I have bought NOTHING beyond my initial purchase of ME3. I am a Sim City fanatic who has bought every SC game (I'm on my third copy of SC4 and seriously thinking of buying a digital copy to stop losing/wearing out discs) but I didn't buy this one and won't. I like Real Racing 3, but I don't like their "We're going to break your game and hold you hostage until you do a few micro transactions to fix it" micro transaction bullshit.

So their business practices over the last two years have cost them... about $210 from me alone. Factor in future SC5 DLC that I won't buy and the fact that I don't plan on buying ME4 in an EA supporting way (likely buy it used) and that's going to hit $300 in lost revenue real fast. I can't help but HOPE that there are other people like me who are looking at this clusterfuck and deciding they won't support this bullshit with their money.

They've stopped treating customers like customers and started to see them as money pinatas to be smacked around as much as possible.