47 replies to this topic

[+Mephistopheles]

Cloud Computing is Why the New SimCity Needs an Always-On Connection, Studio Says

A couple weeks ago, the SimCity gang at Maxis held an AMA at Reddit. That may not have been such a smart idea. They don't like DRM over there, for any reason, and SimCity's gonna require an always-on Internet connection to play it, in any mode. It's no surprise that this comment, a compendium of anti-DRM remarks, was the most upvoted question of the entire AMA. Or that it went completely unaddressed.

Well, Maxis' Lucy Bradshaw has responded to this DRM food fight, sort of. Earlier comments on the always-on connection attributed it to the fact Maxis is building what it considers to be a multiplayer game. To this, Bradshaw adds the always-on connection is necessary because there's an enormous amount of cloud computing required to power this game, billed as the most advanced in SimCity's history. It's not something your individual PC will be able to handle on its own, not when the cloud servers are handling up to 100,000 Sims inside each city.

Right. Gotcha. That's great. It's still an always-on connection, which exposes the game to a range of apocalyptic scenarios, such as ones faced by an MMO that no longer is profitable, and scheduled for termination. And it still makes Reddit throw a fit.

It may be that this is a city-building MMO—and server downtime notwithstanding, you don't hear people complaining about an always-on connection in that genre, right? Right. ButSimCity isn't really an MMO, because games in that genre can only be played in a world populated by other connected players. Maxis makes a point of saying you may play SimCity solo in a private game, like Diablo III. Which had an always-on connection. Which everyone hated.

Bottom line, we're talking about Electronic Arts, an always-on connection, and a game utterly dependent on servers that the publisher could one day shut down. That's enough to kick up a stink no matter what the game is, even one as loved and anticipated as SimCity.

Source: Kotaku

[Davo]

EA has a horrible track record when it comes to shutting down servers of previous versions. I can totally see why people would bemoan an always-on connection.

[LogicalApex]

They really want me to cancel my pre-order and skip the new Sim City. Why can't publishers stop ruining good game franchises?

[compl3x]

dumb dumb dumb dumb

[Draconian Guppy]

This is idiotic... I live in the boonies, with USBstick modem internet connection on a limited cap... Then they wonder why piracy keeps going up...

[Mordkanin]

Quote

It's not something your individual PC will be able to handle on its own, not when the cloud servers are handling up to 100,000 Sims inside each city.

So EA is devoting server processing time greater than my Core i7 just to run **my** individual game?

Bull.

The game would never be profitable. It'd cost them more than what they're making per copy if I played the game for 100 hours.

This is an explanation designed to appeal to people who don't understand how these things work. They're throwing out "cloud computing" as a magical term to make it sound good.

[+Phouchg]

Indeed - how did this horseshyte even get through?

[+littleneutrino]

while i can understand why they would want to go this route my opinion is that it is not a good solution being that a lot of people that will play this game are children or even people that just simply do not have internet access, as brought up in the article it is the same story that people brought up with Diablo 3. However, as I said back then, if you do not agree, just do not buy the game.

[Draconian Guppy]

littleneutrino, on 26 December 2012 - 19:41, said:

However, as I said back then, if you do not agree, just do not buy the game.

I don't agree, yet I want to play the game Yet I don't have a always up internet connection, so according to your logic, what would be my solution? ( Not trying to sound aggressive, just figure out where i'm going).

[Deranged]

Draconian Guppy, on 26 December 2012 - 20:17, said:

I don't agree, yet I want to play the game Yet I don't have a always up internet connection, so according to your logic, what would be my solution? ( Not trying to sound aggressive, just figure out where i'm going).

To not buy it, obviously.

Until you get a decent net connection there's not a hell of a lot you can do.

I'll be preordering it closer to launch, personally.

[Draconian Guppy]

Deranged, on 26 December 2012 - 20:22, said:

To not buy it, obviously. Until you get a decent net connection there's not a hell of a lot you can do. I'll be preordering it closer to launch, personally.

Ok, let's get "not buying it" out of the equation .

[hjf288]

Yeah I find that excuse quite bull... Lost my sale.. ESP with the horrendous launch Diablo 3 had..

Don't have any faith EA can do it right..

[RandPC]

Vote with your wallet, I would absolutely kill for a new Sim City. I LOVE the previous games. I'm not buying it though.
I flat out will not buy a game with always on DRM.

Complaining and still buying is irrelevant. EA does not care what anyone thinks about the DRM. They care how much money you give them.
The entire world could yell and scream in outrage and neither EA nor any other company would do anything aside from giving half hearted excuses and telling you how wonderful it'll be if only you buy it ASAP.
Don't spend your money and EA will change it, whether in a patch or in a sequel.

[Deranged]

Any unauthorized changes to the software might remove a significant amount of functionality, and then you'll cry about how much the game sucks.

I don't know, since I don't have it.

RandPC, on 26 December 2012 - 20:36, said:

Don't spend your money and EA will change it, whether in a patch or in a sequel.

No, they really won't. They just won't fund another SimCity, if nobody is buying it.

[Mikeffer]

Sounds more like they're trying to convince themselves.