Sales slow as SimCity pushes 1.6 million copies

March's SimCity release sold 1.1 million copies in its first two weeks, but the pace has slowed. The game has now pushed 1.6 million, according to a year-end earnings report from publisher Electronic Arts. Half of the sales came from digital distribution.

The troubled launch — caused by widespread server issues and strictly always-on gameplay, among other problems — and harsh critic and user reviews have no doubt kept many prospective players at bay.

Overall, EA noted lower full-year sales and quarterly revenues and profits, according to GI.biz. Net income rose 29 percent from the previous year, totalling $98 million.

SimCity developer Maxis is preparing a patch for release later this week. It will address many of the game's traffic issues and tune RCI, which displays the balance between the commerce, residential, and industry zones.

Today original creator and Maxis company founder Will Wright criticized the game's launch, calling it "inexcusable." He had no hand in development.

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