atx

  I hate to disturb you when you’re playing SimCity, but I’d like to offer
  some straight answers on the topic: Always-Connected and why SimCity is not
  an offline experience.

  Always-Connected is a big change from SimCities of the past.  It didn’t
  come down as an order from corporate and it isn’t a clandestine strategy to
  control players.  It’s fundamental to the vision we had for this SimCity.
  From the ground up, we designed this game with multiplayer in mind –
  using new technology to realize a vision of players connected in regions to
  create a SimCity that captured the dynamism of the world we live in; a
  global, ever-changing, social world. 

  We put a ton of effort into making our simulation and graphics engines more
  detailed than ever and to give players lively and responsive cities. We
  also made innovative use of servers to move aspects of the simulation into
  the cloud to support region play and social features. Here.s just a few:

  Cloud-based saves and easy access from any computer are another advantage
  of our connected features. You can pop from work to home, play the game and
  have your cities available to you anywhere.

  Almost all of our players play with connected cities. But some chose to
  play alone . running the cities themselves.   But whether they play solo or
  multiplayer, they are drawn to the connected city experience. And
  Always-Connected provides a platform for future social features that will
  play out over regions and servers.

  The game we launched is only the beginning for us – it’s not final
  and it never will be.  In many ways, we built an MMO.

  So, could we have built a subset offline mode?  Yes.  But we rejected that
  idea because it didn't fit with our vision.  We did not focus on the
  'single city in isolation' that we have delivered in past SimCities.  We
  recognize that there are fans - people who love the original SimCity - who
  want that.  But we.re also hearing from thousands of people who are playing
  across regions, trading, communicating and loving the Always-Connected
  functionality.   The SimCity we delivered captures the magic of its
  heritage but catches up with ever-improving technology.

  So I'll finish with another HUGE thanks to everyone who stuck with us
  through this launch.  Hundreds of thousands are building and sharing cities
  online now.  And what you.re creating just blows us away.  SimCity is a
  special game, with a very special community of players, and we're proud to
  be a part of it.

  With all due respect, to write an article about why the new SimCity has to
  be always online and not to mention DRM or the anti-piracy measure even
  once, is dishonest and down right disrespectful.