Electronic Arts apologizes for bumpy "SimCity" launch

Electronic Arts, publisher of the video game "SimCity," are hoping players don't move on after connectivity issues plagued the game's launch last week.

The updated edition of the 24-year-old metropolis-building franchise released last Tuesday requires players to be online -- even if they're constructing virtual cities in the single-player mode. Several gamers weren't able to log on after "SimCity" launched, prompting some retailers to temporarily stop selling the game.

According to GameSpot, the problem is that the game requiring users to be permanently connected to the Internet, with data constantly transferring from users' computers and the game's servers. The shift to social gaming may also be an issue for the traditionally single-player game.

"One of the biggest causes of friction in our industry at the moment is the rift between established longtime gamers, who grew up predominantly with isolated single-player adventures, and modern publishers looking to transform their long-running franchises into service-led experiences," says GameSpot news editor Martin Gaston.

Lucy Bradshaw, general manager at "SimCity" developer Maxis, said Friday more want-to-be mayors logged on than they anticipated and that the developers have been increasing server capacity since the snafu.

"More people played and played in ways we never saw in the beta," said Bradshaw. "OK, we agree, that was dumb, but we are committed to fixing it. In the last 48 hours, we increased server capacity by 120 percent. It's working -- the number of people who have gotten in and built cities has improved dramatically."

Bradshaw said EA would give players a free PC game to compensate for the hassles. Players who registered copies of "SimCity" will receive details on how to download the free game March 18.

"I know that's a little contrived -- kind of like buying a present for a friend after you did something crummy," she said. "But we feel bad about what happened. We're hoping you won't stay mad and that we'll be friends again when 'SimCity' is running at 100 percent."