But now EA Maxis is turning the event into a marketing strategy.

FORBES: EA Maxis Pokes Fun at Herman Cain's SimCity 9-9-9 Plan

Electronic Arts is offering patient SimCity mayors who have stuck with EA Maxis through thick and thin (not that retailers allow you to return PC games these days) with a selection of free digital games.

FORBES: EA Maxis Gifting Free Offline SimCity Game After Server Launch Meltdown

For those who have stuck it out with EA Maxis, the publisher is giving you until March 25 to register your SimCity game and until March 30 to download any of these digital games: 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.

FORBES: EA Maxis Gifting Free Offline SimCity Game After Server Launch Meltdown

Frankly, the fact that EA and Maxis (the developer is a subsidiary of EA) have now made statements that are fundamentally opposed to earlier claims that the game relied heavily on their own servers makes anything they say on the matter suspect.

FORBES: EA Admits SimCity Could Have Run Offline

However, said Ms Bradshaw, the way people played the finished game was very different to what EA and Maxis had seen during early, or beta, testing.

BBC: EA apologises over 'dumb' SimCity launch

In a blogpost, Lucy Bradshaw, general manager for SimCity, said the way Electronics Arts (EA) and Maxis, the studio that created the game, had set up the servers had contributed to the problems.

BBC: EA apologises over 'dumb' SimCity launch

Maxis Senior Vice President Lucy Bradshaw made clear where EA is setting its sights with SimCity Social.

FORBES: E3 2012: SimCity Heading to Facebook With SimCity Social