Digital Sales Drive Record-Breaking Performance
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) today announced that SimCity™
recorded more than 1.1 million units sold through in the first two
weeks, making this the biggest SimCity launch of all time.
Roughly 54 percent of those sales have been of digital versions of the
game, downloaded directly to players' PCs via Origin™ or other digital
download services.
"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," said Peter Moore, Chief
Operating Officer for EA. "SimCity is one of the storied brands
in gaming, and Maxis delivered a game re-envisioned and engineered for
the online age."
Gamers have logged on to SimCity via Origin in record numbers,
with 44 percent of SimCity sales delivered via EA's direct-to-consumer
digital download service. SimCity gamers have also helped set new
records for peak concurrent users on Origin, now at 1.3 million and
rising.
In just two weeks:
-
SimCity players have logged more than 15 million hours of
online gameplay.
-
More than 5.7 million original cities have been created since launch.
-
More than 780 million buildings have been built.
-
SimCity mayors to date have built enough road and railroad
tracks to circle the globe more than 40,000 times.
The Maxis™ studio also continues to enhance both the core SimCity
game and the online service infrastructure; in the last two weeks, they
have increased server capacity by more than 400%, optimized server
response times by 40 times, and deployed fixes to address players'
direct feedback on game performance.
Everything is intelligently simulated in this new SimCity, from
all of the Sims in a city, to every kilowatt of power pulsing through a
region thanks to the powerful GlassBox Engine. It is the most expansive
city management game yet where multi-city gameplay across regions
delivers a larger playing field. No longer are players relegated to
playing one single city, now they can manage and play up to 16 cities at
once. Each city can have different specializations; they can share
services and trade resources; they can help or even hinder each other;
every decision a player makes in each city has impact in the broader
region. It's up to the player to decide where and how they play.
For the first time in the series multiplayer is added to the gameplay
giving players a new dimension to the game, as decisions impact both the
city and the region, creating new ways to play by collaborating or
competing to earn achievements. Underpinning SimCity is a live
service that simulates real-time updates and pushes them to players in
the form of new challenges and achievements. Players will track their
progression alongside their friends and the world for the most polluted
city, the richest city and more. Whether players play by themselves,
with their friends or with the rest of the world, SimCity will
challenge players to create the city of their dreams and answer the
question — what kind of mayor will you be?
SimCity is available now worldwide on PC via Origin
and retail stores. SimCity is rated E10+ by the ESRB. For more
information regarding SimCity, please visit www.SimCity.com.
SimCity for Mac will be available in spring 2013. Press assets
for SimCity are available at www.info.ea.com.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive
entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services
for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones,
tablets and social networks. EA has more than 275 million registered
players and operates in 75 countries.
In fiscal 2012, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.1 billion.
Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a
portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such
as The Sims™, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed™, Battlefield™ and
Mass Effect™. More information about EA is available at http://info.ea.com.
Maxis, Origin, SimCity, Spore, The Sims and Need for Speed are
trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Mass Effect is a trademark of EA
International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. Battlefield is a trademark of
EA Digital Illusions CE AB. John Madden, NFL and FIFA are the property
of their respective owners and used with permission. Mac is a trademark
of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Erik Reynolds
Sr. Director, PR for Maxis
650-628-7902
ereynolds@ea.com
Source: Electronic Arts Inc.
News Provided by Acquire Media