Unable to create your city at this time. Please claim a city again later

New Simcity: $60

New 2GB RAM chip to upgrade to 4GB of RAM: $52

New video card: $100

Time to install these things and set them up: Around 2 hours. 

Sitting down only to find out the game isn't working at all and wishing you had bought Tomb Raider for the Playstation instead: Priceless.

Seriously this is messed up.  The always-on connection was dumb, the small city sizes is dumber and I even have quibbles with some simulation choices but I was willing to roll with it.  After 10 hours at work today and then spending time to upgrade my computer all I wanted to do was play Simcity and I can't do it becuase EA blew it when it came to getting the darn thing to work on release.  Why can't I play the city locally? Why is the game so gimped because of this fear we've been told since the dawn of computers that games have to be made for weaker machines?  If this game was just Sim City 4 Deluxe with a massive graphical and UI change (plus the NAM) I would have gladdly laid down $100 to buy it and $1000 for a new computer to run it.

Instead... I get this. Nothing. Can't play the game at all.  Thanks a lot for causing me to flush $200 down the drain today.  If you're going to release a product MAKE SURE IT WORKS!  Anyone want to start a class-action lawsuit on this BS?!

Wooooooow, I was so stoked to play this.

Definitely calling for a refund in the morning.

I'm also having this problem. Outrageous and Frustrating. Waited all day for this. Downloaded, was excited, and can't play.

They always have problems on release day, so you'd think EA would prepare adequately, but noooo... 😕mileymad:

same problem here...not to mention the US Servers are FULL/Busy.....lol grrrrrr

I tried for about an hour when I finished installing the game; same problem. I left it, came back 5 hours later, tried it again - Still the same problem. 


5 hours is nearly a quarter of a day. Even back when Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter II were in arcades, I never waited this long to play...

Yup can't play either, no information as to why... no more EA "products" for me.

Even when I try to play single player. Even when I log into a euro server. I cant create a city. 

I havent bought an EA game for over $10 in years.  I did this once because it is Sim City. This is your last chance EA. 

Not only do I feel bad for us gamers who have just dropped $60-$80+ on this game and aren't able to play it, but I also feel bad for the developers who have put long hard hours and creativity into a game to only have it flop on release date because of their Marketer/Distributor (Electronic Arts) who, as any business, wants to maximize profits.  The problem is, EA, like another big publisher (think something III), attempts a strategy, that in my opinion, is bad business practice and borderline unethical since EA had to know they couldn't make the game available to all that buy it on release date (why buy additional servers and resources if they don't have to?  Again, maximize profits).  So, they make the game only playable if online and in doing so initially tarnish the reputation of a great series and game. 

It's really the developers and gamers that are the ones that suffer in order for the big corps like EA (Execs and shareholders) to make their huge profits.  Guaranteed most of these corp execs aren't sitting at home right now trying to play the game.  You just hope they realize that this type of strategy is not going to work out in the long run.  Consumers are smart, and won't continuously put up with this garbage.  The biggest vote/power the consumers have is of course the $ and purchase power.  Again, the ones that are hurt are the actual game developers and gamers with this online only approach.

It's already 11:30 PM and I'm still waiting to play the game......will probably have to give up for the night.  Thanks for playing EA, or I mean, not playing...