SimCity requires always-on internet connection

Buyers of EA’s upcoming SimCity PC game will need a constant internet connection to play it.

Developer Maxis also said that players would be able to purchase the SimCity reboot from digital retail stores other than EA Origin. However, those users will still need an Origin account and internet connection to play the game.

The game’s lead designer Stone Librande told Joystiq that SimCity would be an internet-dependent experience”.

Maxis also said that an always-on connection is necessary for SimCity because of its regional-focused multiplayer and ‘global economy’.

SimCity is due to be released next year for PC. It’s the latest in EA’s long-running simulation franchise.

A range of titles have used always-on Digital Rights Management (DRM) in the past such as Splinter Cell Conviction.

Publishers like Ubisoft have said that DRM reduces piracy while others like GoG.com believe DRM harms sales.