Mac's have never been the go to platform choice for gamers, but Apple's library is expanding slowly but surely. As of today, Maxis and EA's acclaimed SimCity is finally available for Apple users.
"SimCity, the ultimate city simulation game, is now available for Mac as a digital release via Origin and other digital retailers. SimCity for Mac and PC allows players to create and destroy the cities of their imaginations, and has been rated PEGI 7 for both PC and Mac," read an official press release.
It may have taken a while, but Apple users should relish that the game's arrival is better late than never, especially now that the game's disastrous launch is but a speck in the rear view mirror. When SimCity first arrived, it came saddled with the now dreaded "always online DRM," meaning that gamers had to play online, or not at all. Here's the problem; SimCity was a Ron Burgundy sort of thing when it came out, i.e., "kind of a big deal." Servers were packed to the gills with would be mayors eager to build their own virtual city, meaning that only a few were able to squeeze in, and thousands more were bottle necked out.
Without servers to play on, combined with the always-online DRM, rendered the game virtually unplayable, and even caused several outlets to drop rating scores for the game in light of the policy. The launch was a PR nightmare for both Maxis and EA, and started the big campaign against "always online," something which Microsoft even felt the sting of, doing an about face on its own policies for the company's next-gen Xbox One. Maxis tried to offer a free game to gamers as an apology, but the damage was already done.
With the game out, and cross-play featured, chances are good that servers could again become crowded. The always-online policy still stands with SimCity, but there could be a bright ray of light at the end of the tunnel. EA recently asked gamers what sort of changes they'd like to see made to the game, one of which was an offline mode. However, it hasn't been confirmed that this change is on the way.