SimCity has always faced problems. Firstly it was the server problems; then, fans found out the game was nothing but a city-building mirage, with many features and mechanics not working. Despite of all this, EA still qualifies SimCity as a success.
Speaking with the media, EA Games’ Frank Gibeau said, “In retrospect, our biggest takeaway is that we are lucky that SimCity has an enormous number of loyal fans. That first week after launch was really rough — an experience nobody wants to live through again.
Since then, we’ve sold more than 2 million units, and the number of people logging in and playing is holding steady. SimCity is a success. However, underestimating demand in the first month was a major miss. We hope that the game and the service we’ve provided since then meets the fans’ high standards.”
Analysts say, he gauges the sales based on preview coverage and pre-release media, as a success, possibly forgetting the constant hassles users experienced for weeks after the launch or the glaring holes in the game’s core design.