Is making Simcity playable offline a good move by EA?
After the countless iterations, Simcity is finally playable offline. It's good news, right? Nope, it's not. Read on to find out why this new update brings more trouble than peace for EA.
Introduction
Simcity is impossible to be played offline. It's designed in a way that it needs to be connected to internet all the time to be played. If you want it, you better have a good enough internet connection. That's what EA, the developers of Simcity said when they first showcased the game to us. While the game turned out to be a masterpiece, its always-online requirement was a real pain for many. Why should we be connected to internet when we could easily play it offline as well? Was it really that necessary to integrate and mash up every mode into a SQN multiplayer mode? They never answered these questions despite all the lingering issues with the launch and later on with the servers. It would have been nice to see them dealing with the raged crowd face to face though.The always-online pain
They had to pull the plug for days sometimes to keep things in check and ensure that the game is good enough to run. But EA was adamant on the fact that they are going to keep the servers in check and not going to give us access to offline game at all. So, how did things work out? It didn't really work out as well as we had hoped it would. We were promised that always-online connection will accommodate this game as there will be a feature co-op and multilayer option integrated to this game seamlessly. We wouldn't have to reboot the game if we want to sift through the modes. For example, if you are playing in the solo mode and a friend of yours wants to join, all you need to do is to invite him or her and you are good to go. Yes, it's that simple really. Same stands true for other modes like co-op as well. Everything is simplified or so they promised.Promises EA didn't keep
But did they fulfill their promise? Well, they didn't? Instead, they sabotaged everything and made things more subtle and intricate for us to decipher. You see, taking a game online isn't the best of ideas, even if you are a behemoth publisher like EA. You just can't afford the cost and time associated with keeping the servers running and in healthy state. That's what happened with this game as well. They promised that the servers will never be offline, and even if it will, it will be temporary for updates and bug fixes. I think we all know what happened later on. They keep pulling the server's plug as we keep running into more issues. The more they tried to resolve them, the more intricate things got for them. Still, they insisted that they can't give us access to the offline game.
Fast forward 2 years and those issues are still there and they are still scrambling to find a good balance and pace. If they go to the tarnishing side, all the action sequence start to render really slowly like we are playing some kind of slow-motion movie. On the flip side, trying to balance the combat is more disastrous. The latency issues are still prevalent in the game. But keeping the game online is a necessity after all, right? They just can't allow us to have access to this game offline.
It turns out it was a lie. They were never telling us the truth when they emphasized that the game cannot be taken offline. They could easily do it. Why am I so sure about this? Well, because they have stated it themselves that it could have been done. There you go. The good thing is, they are going to update the game and finally give us access to offline gaming. Yes, finally we are going to be able to play this game without needing any kind of internet connection, but is it a good thing? No, they are screwed either way. Read on to find out why.The fans backfire
This is what happens when you keep too the fans in the dark for too long and continuously lie about the state of the game. This is why the game has failed to left its mark like previous installments in the Simcity franchise. Put simply, they have failed the franchise and the future looks grim and dour. Their strategy has certainly backfired on them and even when they are taking a step back now and admitting their mistakes, I am afraid it's too late now. It will be really difficult for them to gain the trust of gamers and backers back in this franchise. And considering the history of EA, they aren't going to give up on their dubious strategies that easily either. So we can bet that they are going to continue doing what they do best even when they agree trying to disguise themselves. We know who they are.
Despite all their efforts to right every wrong they have done, we know that they can't quite pull everything back now. At least we know for sure that Trinity mode is not coming back anytime soon. Furthermore, the much-awaited expansion is still in limbo. They have come out time and again and reassured us that the expansion is still in development and will come out sometime later this year, the lack of a tangible proof of its existence leads us to believe that they are again doing what they do best – lying to us. Until we can see what is going on behind the closed doors. If Trinity is ever going to make a comeback, it better be soon.Are future games going to be like Simcity
No, they are not going to repeat the same mistake again as they have clearly learnt their lesson from Simcity. If anything, their turbulent launch has showcased the fact that an online game with such a huge fanbase is almost too much too handle even for the likes of EA. I am pretty sure they are not going to repeat the same thing again as they did with Simcity.
The good news is, Sims 4, the very next game from EA, is going to be an unequivocal offline experience. Good days are coming people! No more horrible launches and server issues anymore, unless they decide to change their plans in the middle.
Read List of PC games releasing in May & June (2014)
