SimCity Beta.

[JaceTwice 115]

For those that haven't gotten a key yet, keep up hope. I just got mine 5 minutes ago by email and the only time I signed up for the beta when it was first announced months ago.

[mapboy 106]

Only 21% through the update process and I've hit my daily data cap.... I may never get to play the beta

(It's annoying since only yesterday we updated to more data on a monthly plan and it hasn't been changed over yet...)

[macvirt 361]

Only 21% through the update process and I've hit my daily data cap.... I may never get to play the beta

(It's annoying since only yesterday we updated to more data on a monthly plan and it hasn't been changed over yet...)

Hush, EA says everybody has unlimited always on internet

[CoolColJ 42]

couldn't get any of the filters to work properly

Screen gets glitched

I have gone tyhrough 2 cities and each developed rather differently

[CoolColJ 42]

I didn't like the default look, and couldn't get any of the filters to work as I said

but the graphics look too washed out, really need more contrast, saturation and punch - maybe some HDR etc

Almost looks like Simcity 3000

[Hoipus 292]

I didn't like the default look, and couldn't get any of the filters to work as I said

but the graphics look too washed out, really need more contrast, saturation and punch - maybe some HDR etc

Almost looks like Simcity 3000

I'd love a 3D version of 3000.

[SirChick 184]

Any one got a spare key i aint had any email yet

[mapboy 106]

An my beta experience got worse...

Internet slowed to a crawl, and the downloads failed, yet the launcher continued as if all was well. Now I have error 1004 and can't do anything

[tomfoolery_79 85]

UPDATE: Finally is working now. Took awhile though.

I got beta invite, but since Origin (aka the Devil) isn't working, I cannot install it!!!

[mapboy 106]

I very much hope that when the game is released that they don't make the installer/the disc be 10% of the data, and 'updates' be the other 90%, because as this beta has shown, my internet will not cope with such large amounts of data. I don't know how people with the minimum 256kbps would survive! (I'm on 1.8mbps...)

Does anyone know if whether I uninstall the beta, will I be able to reinstall it, or will my beta key then be 'used' and I'm left with nothing....?

Edit: I found out on the EA Beta forums that I should be fine.

[OldTurtle 53]

Server has been down for a while now due to high volume. EA say this will help them determine sever capacity for lauch date. Let's hope so otherwise there's going to be alot (more) uproar against DRM.

[Trioxis 32]

I think it's a good move on their part to get the required information now. I remember ANNO 2070 had similar issues when it was launched, the server was repeatedly down for several days. I think launches like this are in general fairly problematic, so I wouldn't be surprised if this happens for the first few days after launch.

[RyanMorgan95 144]

They really aren't selling an online-only game with unavailable servers

Edit: I'm now in some "Beta Waiting Room", counting down from 15 minutes

[peterkl 3]

I have loaded in twice and got freezed in "building region". May be disconnecting at this stage will make it halted...

[RepublicMaster 428]

I have been counted down from 15 minutes twice. The first time there was some error and now it is still "full". If EA wants this game to work they will need to sort out their servers. I have waited over an hour for it to download and to log in.

[rohirrimelf 12]

Been waiting 40 minutes now to get in. Yesterday 30 minutes wasted due to origin problems. This is not a great start.

The game itself has little issues do. Besides not being able to build much. Much is unavailable.

[cirugo 1,889]

that's the joy of server-based games folks. get used to it or don't support companies following this trend.

[~Dee~ 215]

I think it's a good move on their part to get the required information now. I remember ANNO 2070 had similar issues when it was launched, the server was repeatedly down for several days. I think launches like this are in general fairly problematic, so I wouldn't be surprised if this happens for the first few days after launch.

I remember Anno 2070, couldn't get on the server for 7 days.

I promised myself I wouldn't buy any more server based games after that fiasco and I won't.

[chimeran 208]

say's the server is available but the little text box says you can't login, so which is it ? and exactly what counts as a high load ? i mean it's not call of duty so there can't be millions of players skipping work, just saying

[Irganox 10]

That's probably why they have a "beta" stress test to begin with. To get an idea how the workload of the servers. They will probably have some issues during the beta, and also during the first days after release, but I've never experiences an online game that didn't have server issues - but I don't think it's such a big deal. It's a beta, and it's free...

[Hoipus 292]

They wouldn't have to skip work because it's a weekend.

[maddogmark25 58]

Maxis/EA considers this the future of gaming? I downloaded a demo and can't even play it because the servers are all busy? What hit Maxis across the head to make them think this was a good idea? cough*noonelearnedfromdiablo3*cough

[macvirt 361]

Any company worth it's weight would have invested in planning and resources for stress testing prior to releasing a demo and calling it a "beta".

[RRtexasranger 45]

They really aren't selling an online-only game with unavailable servers

Edit: I'm now in some "Beta Waiting Room", counting down from 15 minutes

The Beta isn't a demo, it is a beta. They are doing this so they know what kind of load the servers will get on day 1, as well as iron out any kind of glitches that we find.

But I'm also having trouble with the server, so for the people that are already in. If I encounter the "Error: Can't log in to Sim City due to network error" dialog box, should I retry and hope that I get in? Or is that just wasting my time and I should just come back in an hour? (I'm basically asking is the serving going down for just a few minutes at a time, or for a long time each time it goes down.)

[USA_Pride 49]

Here you have it folks, this is "always online" gaming.

Internet goes out - NO GAME FOR YOU

Servers go down - NO GAME FOR YOU

This is not a beta. It's a demo. They can't even handle the demo traffic.

I'm becoming more satisfied with my decision to cancel my pre-order.

[RRtexasranger 45]

I suppose you'd don't see the giant "CLOSED BETA" sticker on Sim City's picture on Origin?

[maddogmark25 58]

This was the exact same chain of events that happened with the Diablo 3 demo (which wasn't closed, and had much more traffic) and come launch, the game faced heavy criticism for the online-only aspect as servers were constantly crashing, etc. (not to mention the fact that the gameplay was shallow for its time)

I don't see the server issues getting any better come launch and the weeks after. Funny how game companies never learn from other companies' mistakes.

[macvirt 361]

I suppose you'd don't see the giant "CLOSED BETA" sticker on Sim City's picture on Origin?

Marketing. Let's just be honest. This is a demo construct element part of the product marketing. A beta is something completely different. Calling a mosquito an elephant and making a powerpoint presentation about it along with posters and stickers everywhere still does not make it an elephant.

It is not like this is new. This has been a growing development in our industry. Think about it, it makes perfect commercial sense. Less pesky customer interactions in private rounds, cheaper costs for the planning and resources allocation for such demo ventures (not to mention you do not have to release packaged code which people could use to reconstruct missing parts of the full release) and so forth. And as a bonus, everybody talks about it everywhere and hunts for keys and shouts on social media. This is marketing.

Funny how game companies never learn from other companies' mistakes.

There are no mistakes. This is just zero sum planning. Nothing more is needed. The masses of casual and leisure type users will buy it anyway, and then a student loan's worth of DLC

Come on folks, get over it. This is not designed to cater to people with an immersive or realism focus in simulation games. This is business people. It makes much more money than catering to more select or even niche segments of markets.

[GNadezda 1]

The Beta isn't a demo, it is a beta. They are doing this so they know what kind of load the servers will get on day 1, as well as iron out any kind of glitches that we find.

I agree and that's the risk a company takes when they solicit "beta testers" like this. On every SimCity forum and/or chat, most people consider this a demo of the real game, when clearly it is not.

[GNadezda 1]

It's a beta, not a demo.