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Electronic Arts and Maxis have created an official SimCity server status page.

The status page comes a week after the game's disastrous launch, which saw servers overwhelmed and players unable to access the game with any regularity up into the weekend, when developer Maxis added more servers.

Maxis General Manager Lucy Bradshaw noted on Sunday that the core problems plaguing the game were "almost behind" them.

#simcity With SimCity slowly stabilizing, more and more user-created content surfaces—which means we finally get to have some peace. YouTube user Calvin Chan put up this melancholic, noir-themed (the music from L.A. Noire fits right in) montage of his city at night. More »

EA reports that SimCity is slowly getting into a state where it’s playable. Many of the launch issues are getting sorted, and soon it may well be in such a place that it becomes functional. So we should forgive and forget, right? Wrong.

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SimCity developer Maxis says it has reduced game crashes by 92 percent since day one and players have connected and clocked more than 8 million hours in-game.

"I'm happy to report that the core problem with getting in and having a great SimCity experience is almost behind us," Maxis General Manager Lucy Bradshaw writes. Bradshaw says the improvements stem from adding new servers, tinkering with their network and issuing client updates, such as Thursday's removal of "non-critical" gameplay features.

"I had hoped to issue an 'All-Clear' tonight, but there are still some elements coming together," Bradshaw says. "Tonight and tomorrow we'll be monitoring each server and gameplay metrics to ensure that the service remains strong and game is playing great. We need a few more days of data before we can assure you that the problem is completely solved and the game is running at 100 percent."

Bradshaw reports "tens of thousands of new players" join SimCity every day. We hope to be one of these players some day soon.

@azbiker72 The game was designed for MP, we sim the entire region on the server so this is just not possible - SimCity (@simcity) March 9, 2013
The issues barraging SimCity stem from its requirement that players are always online and connected to EA's servers, even if a player wants to experience the game alone. Making the game available offline could solve many players' issues, but that's "just not possible," developer Maxis General Manager Lucy Bradshaw said during a Twitter Q&A session.

"The game was designed for MP, we sim the entire region on the server so this is just not possible," Bradshaw said, in response to a question about offline modes. Previously Bradshaw responded to another question about an offline patch: "We have no intention of offlining SimCity any time soon but we'll look into that as part of our earning back your trust efforts."

Making SimCity offline would be a significant undertaking, if it were in the cards at all. Bradshaw further reiterated the sentiment of a leaked internal memo, noting that EA wasn't responsible for SimCity's issues; Maxis was.

"Hey, this is on Maxis," she wrote. "EA does not force design upon us. We own it, we are working 24/7 to fix it, and we are making progress."

Recent progress included increasing SimCity's server capacity by 120 percent, disabling "non-critical" game features, and a report that EA asked SimCity affiliates to stop actively promoting the game.

SimCity developer Maxis' senior vice president and general manager Lucy Bradshaw gave a brief update last night of the game's unstable condition, noting the company is "committed to fixing" the game. Would have been better if the game had been working in the five days since its North American launch, but what can you do at this point?

How about a free game? Sure. As recompense, on March 18, SimCity players who have activated their game will receive an email (likely the one tied to their Origin account) explaining how to redeem the free game.

"In the last 48 hours we increased server capacity by 120 percent," wrote Bradshaw. "It's working - the number of people who have gotten in and built cities has improved dramatically. The number of disrupted experiences has dropped by roughly 80 percent."

She went on to say, "So we're close to fixed, but not quite there. I'm hoping to post another update this weekend to let everyone know that the launch issues are behind us."

As of this writing (8:46AM Eastern), we are still unable to access SimCity. We are told by the servers that it is either unable to load a city or we receive an endless loading screen - which is exactly what we stared at while writing up this post.

I hadn’t played SimCity until the UK version unlocked at midnight and I’ve barely slept since then. Intravenous coffee, fresh from the bean, and a sumo wrestler’s weight of dry roasted peanuts have seen me through the night and now I shall convert the experiences of the last twelve hours into words. This is not ‘Wot I Think’, it’s just a step toward a closer study of the slickness of the systems as well as their shortcomings, and it’s also a minor chronicle of the European launch.

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Here’s an unpopular opinion: I think EA’s done a decent job with SimCity’s launch.

Aha! It’s also a misleading opinion, because I’m definitely not referring to the part where servers gasped and puked and died under the immense strain of North America’s unquenchable entertainment lust, recently leading to halting of sales on Amazon, among other things. It’s what happened afterward that sort of impressed me. EA responded fairly quickly (especially by its usual standards), communicated clearly what was happening, apologized profusely, went through the five stages of grief, and offered refunds to some people (not all, perplexingly) who felt like the early meteor bombardment of issues wasn’t worth waiting out. As far as disaster control goes, I’m more than willing to concede that EA’s mostly Doing It Right. But that does not – even in the slightest – change the fact that there shouldn’t have ever been a disaster in the first place.

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#simcity Hey, remember when video games came out and then you could actually play them? More »

Electronic Arts is sending out a hotfix to help improve the experience for beleaguered SimCity players. The fix includes some unspecified improvements and also disables a few "non-critical gameplay features," according to a community manager on the EA forums. These features include leaderboards, achievements and region filters, with EA promising their removal will "in no way affect your core gameplay experience."

SimCity has suffered from server issues since it launched earlier this week, with many players (including our own Alexander Sliwinski) unable to connect to the "always-on" required game and, thus, unable to play. EA will be adding new servers over the next two days. The publisher recently expressed confidence that the international launch would not suffer the same problems.

If there's any worry at Visceral Games over criticisms that Dead Space 3 strays too far from its horror roots, no one is talking about it. On the contrary, producer Shereif Fattouh seemed completely optimistic about the game's reception and its place within the Dead Space universe during a recent preview of the upcoming 'Awakened' add-on content.

"Whenever you release a title, you're gonna get the positives and negatives. We as a dev team are really proud of the game we made. We feel it was very true to the franchise and we're excited to put it out," Fattouh told Joystiq. "There are people that have criticisms, and that's everybody's right. For us, we put a lot of our heart and soul into the game and we feel it's enjoyable."

Fattouh's description of Awakened paints the picture of a campaign add-on that hews closer to the spirit of previous entries in the series. The 'creep factor' was indeed high in our hands-on demo, which sends Isaac back to the CMS Terra Nova's Conning Tower, after it's been overrun by a Necromorph-worshipping cult of scarification practitioners. Strange symbols and unsettling altars that mash together human corpses with Necro parts line the walls.

"We had a vision for what we wanted to make with our DLC," Fattouh explained. "The nice thing about it is it kind of married into what some of the more hardcore community guys were asking for. They didn't feel that there was as much horror as they would have liked [in Dead Space 3]."

#simcity See that image? If you try to play SimCity on the U.S. servers right now, you probably will. It's a little different from the image we saw last night, and the server issues we saw all throughout yesterday, but the problem remains the same: people who bought SimCity can't play it. More »

In the words of RPS’ totally unneeded, never sighted on a semi-regular basis error screen, SimCity’s having a bit of a wobbly. Some people, however, haven’t even been lucky enough to get into its now-infamous queues – let alone experience the majesty of realizing they might eventually get to play the videogame they purchased. So then, is this a preview of the hoops Europe gets to squeeze its oh-so-sensual landmasses through on Thursday? EA’s claiming it’s mobilized its force of spline reticulating drones to make sure everything’s shipshape, but obviously, there’s still plenty of reason for skepticism.

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#simcity Maybe you bought SimCity today. More »

Electronic Arts stated late this afternoon that the high demand for SimCity has impacted a small percentage of users accessing the always-online game's servers. (We're currently locked out.)

The Twitter account for the publisher's digital distribution network, Origin, went on to note, "We're making changes to prevent further issues, and are confident that Origin will be stable for international launches later this week."

You hear that, Europe? Confident! Let's see how it goes.

#rumor A report earlier this morning, citing unidentified sources, suggested that Electronic Arts had terminated its Dead Space franchise—including work on an unannounced Dead Space 4—in light of poor sales of Dead Space 3. The game's studio says the rumors are false, and EA itself disputes the portrayal of Dead Space as a troubled brand. More »

Hey, want to play the freshly US-released SimCity? Well, stand in line. As Total Biscuit reveals (video below), there are already 30 minute queues. And this is just for those who’ve stayed up past midnight to be able to play. In just one country.

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With "End Game" the announced conclusion of Battlefield 3's downloadable content schedule, we will hopefully never have to post another one of its cockamamie release schedules again. Here's some new screenshots from the DLC and its release schedule again for clarity.

Well, OK, maybe fear a little. The news that SimCity‘s massive metropolises have gone down a couple belt sizes didn’t exactly sit well with longtime fans, but Maxis does have plans to do something about it. Eventually. At this point, it’s all in the cold, soon-to-be-cybernetic hands of technology, because ultimately, SimCity’s casting its net wide. You and I might have the hardware to handle a sprawling, nicely detailed building forest, but others aren’t so fortunate.

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DICE has revealed its plan of attack, announcing on its Battlefield blog the release schedule for End Game, the final piece of downloadable content for Battlefield 3.

PlayStation 3 players with 'Battlefield Premium' accounts will see the content on Tuesday, March 5, as part of the subscription. For premium users on Xbox 360 and PC, End Game will arrive on Tuesday, March 12. PlayStation 3 users without Battlefield Premium accounts can purchase the content on March 19, while Xbox 360 and PC users will have to wait until March 26 to gain access to the DLC.

Pricing for non-Premium users has not yet been revealed, though previous Battlefield 3 content releases launched for $14.99 (1200 Microsoft Points).

SimCity has all its permits and union payoffs in order to start building next week. Here's an example of a casino city, and another that won't be a city much longer. Fallout: SimCity, anyone?

Scene: A graveyard. Tombstones crisscross its every inch in eerily pristine rows. SimCity approaches one, visibly impatient, nearly stamping on a single daisy atop fresh loam. It’s followed by a more somber-looking Mass Effect 3. 

SimCity: “Come on, let’s just get this over with.”

Mass Effect: “Hey now, settle down. We’re here to pay our respects.”

SimCity: “Oh boo-hoo. Some Warhammer MOBA wannabe couldn’t hack it, and now it’s six-feet-under. Why waste time on the dead? I’ve got living to do.”

Mass Effect: “Yeesh, quiet down! Didn’t you see Warhammer Online sobbing on The Old Republic’s shoulder when we walked in? And anyway, you could be next. Well, not next, but don’t think you’re immune to this.”

SimCity: “Yeah? How do you figure?”

Mass Effect: “I’m just saying, there’s something of a trend here. I’m not exactly feeling safe either. I mean, shit, I just got my last batch of DLC. Who knows where my multiplayer servers will end up in a year? It might take a little longer, but ultimately, you’re no different.”

SimCity: “Look, whatever, OK? Let’s just get out of here.”

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#ea While Electronic Arts certainly doesn't have the best reputation among hardcore gamers, they do have a good track record for supporting gay rights. And next week, the giant video game publisher is holding a conference to talk about all sorts of LGBT issues. More »

EA has completed development of a service that will allow users to have a single identity across game platforms - including Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, iPhone, Facebook, and Origin - and to play with friends across these platforms.

Said service will let players begin a game on one platform and continue playing on another, according to Games Beat, and will allow players on different platforms to communicate with each other as well as play games with them. Establishing the service took more than 18 months and involved 1,500 engineers, and there's no word yet on when it will be integrated into EA's games.

EA will be able to use data collected across these platforms to enhance its game recommendation and promotion systems, taking a few hours to suggest a new game to individual players rather than the current layover of a few days.

"This will have a material effect on our costs for our digital revenues and a positive effect on our revenues," EA Chief Technology Officer Rajat Taneja tells Games Beat. "We think this will be a great differentiator for our company."

(I know we call ‘em microtransactions not in-app purchases on PC, but John will almost definitely shout at me if I let the headline run onto two lines).

This doesn’t come as much suprise in light of what EA did to Dead Space 3, but there’s still a certain amount of gastric churn to be felt in response to an EA bossman’s public declaration that microtransactions will be a fixed feature of “all our games” from now on.(more…)

There’s a game you probably didn’t play. It came out last year, it’s a genuine epic, a vast, elaborate RPG with a sprawling story and vast numbers of sidequests. It features superbly in-depth combat, has huge variety in character design and levelling, and lets you instantly wander from the main plot and explore its enormous world to your own entertainment. It’s Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning.

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The term "free-to-play" carries with it a certain stigma in the video game industry. It invariably causes gamers to flinch, calling to mind social games like FarmVille. However, as more recognizable experiences enter the realm of free-to-play software, the knee-jerk reaction has begun to subside. With the Command & Conquer series launching under the freemium banner later this year, it would appear that EA is banking on tamer attitudes toward free, microtransaction-based titles.

Despite the simplified, non-sequel sounding name, EA's free-to-play Command & Conquer is a continuation of the strategy series. First announced as Command & Conquer: Generals 2 in 2011, developer BioWare Victory plans to launch the game this year with a campaign that continues the Generals lineage, and later refresh the free-to-play game with content set in the Tiberium and Red Alert universes.

There lies a very ambitious development plan in place for this series, with gamers playing a key part of the process. Immediately after launch, Victory says it will begin crunching numbers and plugging into the fan community to see what needs to be fixed, changed, or tweaked. Victory promises changes based on this feedback will be implemented every week. Calling it a "Live Service," Victory anticipates the instant feedback will allow Command & Conquer's new free-to-play focus to improve and expand quickly.

The downsides of shifting to a free-to-play focus are immediate for franchise fans. Though there will be single-player content, Command & Conquer will not include a single-player campaign and Victory has no plans to include cutscenes or cinematics, which is a massive blow to series supporters. Additionally, Command & Conquer is another in EA's growing list of games that require a constant internet connection.

BioWare and EA have announced two more bundles of DLC for Mass Effect 3, with one focused on multiplayer and the other serving as "one final, sentimental journey with Commander Shepard and their squad," according to the press release.

The first batch of content, "Reckoning," is a free bundle of multiplayer DLC that'll be available for free when it lands this Tuesday, February 26. The pack adds new characters, weapons and item upgrades for use in multiplayer, though what any of those things are specifically remains to be seen.

"Citadel," meanwhile, is Mass Effect 3's last chunk of single-player DLC, arriving on March 5 for $14.99/1200 MS Points. The pack returns Shepard and crew to (where else) the Citadel, on a mission that will give players the "opportunity to reconnect with some of their favorite characters from all three of the Mass Effect games." Well, provided you didn't get them horribly murdered, we figure. You know what you did.

#visceral Electronic Arts has laid off a number of development staff in both Los Angeles and Montreal, the publisher confirmed today. More »

BioWare and EA have announced two more bundles of DLC for Mass Effect 3, with one focused on multiplayer and the other serving as "one final, sentimental journey with Commander Shepard and their squad," according to the press release.

The first batch of content, "Reckoning," is a free bundle of multiplayer DLC that'll be available for free when it lands this Tuesday, February 26. The pack adds new characters, weapons and item upgrades for use in multiplayer, though what any of those things are specifically remains to be seen.

"Citadel," meanwhile, is Mass Effect 3's last chunk of single-player DLC, arriving on March 5 for $14.99/1200 MS Points. The pack returns Shepard and crew to (where else) the Citadel, on a mission that will give players the "opportunity to reconnect with some of their favorite characters from all three of the Mass Effect games." Well, provided you didn't get them horribly murdered, we figure. You know what you did.