SimCity refund requests shot down by EA

We reported on Tuesday that the SimCity server situation was so bad, Electronic Arts invited players to request refunds. Rampant issues which prevented the always-online game from working since its North American launch earlier this week could be grounds for compensation. Not really.

The community manager's support forum post that extended the offer has since been edited, and Develop reports that EA's server issues--which left players either unable to access the city builder, or repeatedly erased their progress--are not considered "exceptional circumstances" as defined by the publisher's customer support policy.

The circumstances must seem exceptional to Amazon: GiantBomb reports the online retailer has ceased digital sales of SimCity, though physical sales continue. Amazon has appended this message to the game's listing:

"Many customers are having issues connecting to the 'SimCity' servers. EA is actively working to resolve these issues, but at this time we do not know when the issue will be fixed. Please visit https://help.ea.com/en/simcity/simcity for more information."

SimCity senior producer Kip Katsarelis addressed the issues in an official forum post last night, saying more servers are being brought online to alleviate the problems.

"This team has put everything into this game and won’t stop until things are smooth," Katsarelis wrote. "We ask our fans to be patient as our team works diligently to fix the issues. We share your passion for SimCity and thank you for your support and understanding."