Maxis internal SimCity memo leaks

Polygon has obtained an internal memo from Maxis general manager Lucy Bradshaw. It comments to developers on SimCity's rocky launch in North America and outlines the developer's plans to address the game's ongoing server woes.

"I'll start by saying that I couldn't be more proud of SimCity and the Maxis team that made it and are supporting it," Bradshaw wrote. "The game launched with great reviews from both new critics and the veterans who have loved this franchise for so many years. SimCity is a software achievement that everyone at Maxis is extremely proud of. I am also thankful for all of the hard work put in by our marketing, EA Global Publishing and Origin teams, which drove very strong Day One performance around world." [Bradshaw's emphasis.]

"Then we launched it," she added.

Bradshaw said more than 700,000 cities were created by players in the game's first 24 hours, but also acknowledged that a portion of gamers are "experiencing server instability and consequently, the rollout in North America has been challenging. It's also now evident that players across Europe and Asia are experiencing the same frustration."

Maxis' top goal, Bradshaw said, is to "quickly and dramatically increase the number and stability of our servers and with that, the number of players who can simultaneously access the game." A trio of new servers were added yesterday and more will be introduced this weekend, she said.

Bradshaw said Maxis is working "24/7" to fix the SimCity server issues and also commented on review scores for the game.

"I'd like to say that it's not fair--that the game score shouldn't be punished for a server problem," she said. "But it is fair. SimCity is an online game and critics and consumers have every right to expect a smooth experience from beginning to end. I and the Maxis team take full responsibility to deliver on our promise." [Bradshaw's emphasis.]

For more on SimCity, check out GameSpot's review.