‘SimCity’ Sales Top 1.1 Million Copies In Two Weeks

EA’s troubled simulation SimCity has reportedly sold 1.1 million copies since it debuted two weeks ago.

Although the company was quick to sing the praises of its long-awaited strategy game in a recent press release, Electronic Arts didn’t touch on the fact that many people who purchased the game were barely able to play it.

The press release revealed that sales made SimCity the most successful launch in franchise history. Nearly 54 percent of those who purchased the game opted for the digital version.

“SimCity had a great weekend with sales strong across both North America and Europe, adding to overwhelming demand at launch that has us tracking well beyond expectations for the game,” EA CEO Peter Moore stated.

He added, “SimCity is one of the storied brands in gaming, and Maxis delivered a game re-envisioned and engineered for the online age.”

The press release boasts that players have logged more than 15 million hours of gameplay. Those who took a chance on SimCity have also helped created nearly 5.7 million cities since its debut.

While EA has sold quite a few copies of its city-building simulation, the launch wasn’t exactly a success. The amount of people who attempted to play the game caused the servers to overload. Many folks went several days before they were able to try things out for the first time.

In an effort to calm the waters, EA is offering a free game to those who experienced problems with SimCity. Unhappy gamers will be able to choose between a handful of games including Plants vs. Zombies, Dead Space 3, and SimCity 4.

“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,” Maxis General Manager Lucy Bradshaw said in a statement.

Did you purchase a copy of SimCity over the past two weeks? Have you had any difficulty playing the game?