EA limits ‘SimCity’ free game apology offer, but includes major titles

Electronic Arts has announced the titles that it will offer SimCity owners for free as an apology for the server issues that plagued the game’s launch and left it often unplayable. The company is offering a choice between eight titles: 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 list is certainly whittled down from the original stipulation-free offer of a “game from the EA portfolio,” but many of the titles, such as Dead Space 3, are worth nearly as much as SimCity itself. Titles like Bejeweled 3 and Plants vs. Zombies are a significantly smaller giveaway from the company, but given SimCity’s broad appeal EA may have felt the need to include more casual offerings as well.

The free game will be available for download beginning this Wednesday night for those in North America, and will be available worldwide by Friday evening. The offer is available to those who purchase and activate the game before March 26th, but the download can be redeemed no later than March 30th. EA has been working to upgrade the servers running SimCity, and last Thursday said that maintenance had been completed. It will continue to optimize servers and the game’s online features, hopefully allowing interested gamers to actually play the new title.