Fed up with SimCity? EA offers classic SimCity 4 (and 7 other PC games) for free as an apology

As promised, EA is offering a free game for SimCity's launch-week problems. The publisher today revealed the offerings and I have to admit, it's much more generous than I originally thought it would be. Those who have purchased and registered SimCity through Origin can choose one free game out of a selection of eight, including blockbuster titles like Dead Space 3, Mass Effect 3, Battlefield 3​ and, yes, SimCity 4 — an oldie, but a goodie. It's certainly more of a selection than I thought we'd get.

"At Maxis, our studio values dictate that we innovate and create something that is quirky, complex and challenging," the Maxis team said. "Sometimes this bites us in the butt, but our servers are green and we’re seeing record numbers of players all online and having a great time."

The free PC download is being offered as a way for EA and Maxis to "get back in your good graces." However, with the admittance that SimCity can actually run offline (actual video proof), I don't see many fans forgiving Maxis or EA any time soon. Even without the server issues, the same problems with SimCity persist: too small of plots and always-online requirement.

The full list of PC titles to choose from is below:

• Battlefield 3 (Standard Edition)
• Bejeweled 3
• Dead Space 3 (Standard Edition)
• Mass Effect 3 (Standard Edition)
• Medal of Honor Warfighter (Standard Edition)
• Need For Speed Most Wanted (Standard Edition)
• Plants vs. Zombies
• SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition

EA will be opening up the redemption portal country-by-country, and will be live worldwide for everyone to select their game by March 22. To take advantage of this offer, you must register your copy of SimCity before March 25, 2013 at 11:59pm PDT and you must claim your free game by March 30, 2013 at 11:59 PDT. For more information, check out the FAQ.

"We’re getting great feedback from our fans and know that many of you are having fun and exploring this whole new expression of SimCity," the post concluded. "We’re humbled by your patience and passion for the game. Thanks for building something very special with us, together."

Are you content with EA's offerings or has your experience with SimCity tarnished their reputation for you?

To bi*ch about how disappointed you are with SimCity join @Matt_GZ on Twitter.