SimCity free game choices include Dead Space 3, SimCity 4

When SimCity's exploded at launch, leaving many unable to play thanks to its always-online requirement, EA promised one free game to every mayor as a peace offering. Today the publisher revealed the list of games, including Dead Space 3, Battlefield 3 and, ah, SimCity 4. Perhaps to spare its servers further stress, ho ho, EA will send the freebies out gradually.

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When SimCity's exploded at launch, leaving many unable to play thanks to its always-online requirement, EA promised one free game to every mayor as a peace offering. Today the publisher revealed the list of games, including Dead Space 3, Battlefield 3 and, ah, SimCity 4. Perhaps to spare its servers further stress, ho ho, EA will send the freebies out gradually.

Here's the list of games SimCity owners will get to choose from:

  • Battlefield 3 (Standard Edition)

  • Bejeweled 3

  • Dead Space 3 (Standard Edition)

  • Mass Effect 3 (Standard Edition)

  • Medal of Honor Warfighter (Standard Edition)

  • Need For Speed Most Wanted (Standard Edition)

  • Plants vs. Zombies

  • SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition

EA explains that you'll need to register SimCity on Origin before 11:59pm PST on Monday, March 25 to receive a freebie. It'll start rolling out gifts in North America at 5pm PST this Wednesday, March 20, not to everyone at once. Everyone should have the offer by 5pm PST on Friday, and will then have until March 30 at 11:59pm PST to redeem it through the Origin desktop client.

After that, you'll have missed your chance, and it'll be gone. Helpfully, it'll send a reminder every day when you load Origin or close SimCity.

As Maxis struggled to recover the technical and public relations fiasco, the developer conceded that it could have built an offline mode, "But we rejected that idea because it didn't fit with our vision." Modders hacking around with SimCity already have the game sort-of working-ish offline, but without saving and inter-city regional play.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    March 18, 2013 9:55 AM

    Alice O'Connor posted a new article, SimCity free game choices include Dead Space 3, SimCity 4.

    When SimCity's exploded at launch, leaving many unable to play thanks to its always-online requirement, EA promised one free game to every mayor as a peace offering. Today the publisher revealed the list of games, including Dead Space 3, Battlefield 3 and, ah, SimCity 4. Perhaps to spare its servers further stress, ho ho, EA will send the freebies out gradually.

    • reply
      March 18, 2013 10:11 AM

      Not terrible choices. Nothing I'm really interested in, but given EA's library, that seems reasonable.

      • reply
        March 18, 2013 10:31 AM

        I'm not sure if I want BF3 or Deadspace 3.

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          March 18, 2013 1:17 PM

          Deadspace 3, you can pick up BF3 for cheap since it almost 2 years old.

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      March 18, 2013 10:15 AM

      Curious if this causes the sales to spike since the deadline is 7 days away and you are paying 60 for two games.

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      March 18, 2013 10:16 AM

      BF3 and Dead Space 3? Not unreasonable at all. I was honestly expecting bargain bin games, these are actually nice.

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        March 18, 2013 10:19 AM

        +1 even though I own everything I would have wanted anyway from that list

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      March 18, 2013 10:32 AM

      Can you guys gift these games or sell the keys for cheap? If so would someone sell Dead Space 3 for cheap?

      • ArB legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
        reply
        March 18, 2013 11:27 PM

        no you can't. the game is added directly to your account.

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      March 18, 2013 10:58 AM

      Shame, the only reason I'd want Simcity these days would be for the Steam edition.

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      March 18, 2013 11:28 AM

      So I can buy Sim City and Dead Space 3 for $60 right now?

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        March 18, 2013 11:49 AM

        Thats what I'm reading yes....

      • reply
        March 18, 2013 12:28 PM

        Yup, Sim City's in the bargain bin right now so EA can get their sales numbers for it up, so they can sell SimCity DLC to more people later, and to impress shareholders. Sad to say, but the free game thing was a great move by EA/Maxis, and will probably work.

        The always-online thing is here to stay with EA. The average gamer apparently doesn't care enough.

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          March 18, 2013 12:31 PM

          And the average stock market investor probably doesn't know any of this even happened... the SimCity launch fiasco doesn't even register: https://www.google.com/finance?q=NASDAQ:EA
          If anything, their stock has generally gone up since they launch SimCity.

          Sigh...

          • reply
            March 18, 2013 1:37 PM

            their stock generally did awfully while the good stuff like mirror's edge / rock band / dead space / burnout paradise was happening, so i'm not surprised

      • reply
        March 18, 2013 1:32 PM

        Yes, as long as you do it in the next few days.

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      March 18, 2013 12:46 PM

      How does SimCity 4 hold up these days?

    • reply
      March 18, 2013 10:55 PM

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