10 Big Industry Gaffs Gaming Companies Want You To Forget

7. SimCity's DRM Leaves Users Unable To Play It (EA)

If any one industry gaff deserved the moniker of 'unmitigated disaster', it would be DRM and its controversy in relation to the fifth main instalment of the SimCity franchise. Online-always setups just don't work and they never will, since not every consumer has the option to secure unlimited, uninterrupted broadband. Plus, people should always have the option to choose when they go online, and whilst it's one way of combatting pirates who take away thousands from the industry each year, SimCity's launch day troubles exemplify just why it's so unviable as a defence. Irrespective of the game's core mechanics, the title was marred with controversy when it became apparent that people who had purchased it within its first week couldn't actually play it, as EA's servers were completely overwhelmed and couldn't keep up with the online demand - all this for a game that could've been played with ease without the need for an online connection. EA have since abandoned the tactic altogether now however, so at least it's a case of a publisher learning from their mistakes.