Microtransfusion | GGS Scribbles [3/10/13]

Hey, so…um…how about that SimCity launch? I mean, hot on the heels of the whole “microtransactions for a $60 game” debate comes the completely borked rebirth of a legendary game franchise.

Lara Croft gets impaled through the neck in the new Tomb Raider, and even she had a better week than EA.

And though the juggernaut game company has been working hard to fix the issues so players can finally dig into SimCity (and even offered a free game to the unlucky affected), the fact remains that a lot of people who paid a good chunk of change for a highly-anticipated, AAA title spent most of the week bitching about EA and “always on” games…when they might otherwise have been happily playing away.

Says EA:

SimCity is made to be played online, and if you can’t get a stable connection, you’re NOT having a good experience. So we’re not going to rest until we’ve fixed the remaining server issues.

And to get us back in your good graces, we’re going to offer you a free PC
download game from the EA portfolio. On March 18, SimCity players who have activated their game will receive an email telling them how to redeem their free game.

I know that’s a little contrived – kind of like buying a present for a
friend after you did something crummy. But we feel bad about what happened. We’re hoping you won’t stay mad and that we’ll be friends again when SimCity is running at 100 percent.

And it COULD BE, if the price iiiiiiiiis right! Bitch no longer! Step right up, folks! Have we got a deal for you. It turns out, EA has just the thing to cure what ails you. Yes, friend, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. And sure, you could wait it out and hope you get to play in the near future…or, you can click that button and get your microtransact ON!

Pay up and lose the wait – right to the front of the line! It’s so enticing.

Nothing wrong with selling something you have that people want…right? IT’S IN THE GAME!

Goofy Game Scribbles is GGS Gamer’s weekly toon take on some happening in the video game industry. This scribble was written and illustrated by Tony Sadowski. No such SimCity QuikPass exists. That is a joke. But wouldn’t selling accelerated access to the game you’ve already paid for but can’t play be the ultimate dick move?

All About Tony Sadowski ...

Tony is a Philadelphia-based writer and producer with a taste for the quirky and comical. A lifelong gamer and pop culture addict, he is also 1/3 of the team behind the You Like the Worst Stuff podcast. Connect with him using the links below, especially on Twitter @TweetsByTheTony. Or send your thoughts to tony@ggsgamer.com!

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