The latest version of SimCity, the well-known building simulation game, has now sold over 1.1 million copies, according to Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA), the game’s publisher.
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) offered the game but was forced to put a hold on it as the game’s first players reported numerous problems. Electronic Arts said over half of the copies sold were digital downloads, so the company didn’t even have to ship discs for them.
The game was launched about two weeks ago and has been plagued by technical issues. Many users couldn’t even log in to start playing the game. Unlike previous versions of the SimCity line, this one requires users to stay online at all times while playing the game, even when they are using the single-player modes.
Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) said it has increased the capacity of its servers by 400 percent, and so far players have logged over 15 million hours of playing time. The company is offering one of eight other games free to all players who register their game before March 25 as an apology for the major problems experienced earlier.
The eight games being offered are Battlefield 3, Bejeweled 3, Dead Space 3, Mass Effect 3, Medal of Honor Warfighter, Need for Speed Most Wanted, Plants vs. Zombies and SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition.
The game maker said it rejected the thought of allowing users to play offline because it “didn’t fit” with their vision for the game.
Shares of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) were trading mostly flat on Monday.
