Update: Turns out one simple line of code is all it takes to turn your SimCity into an offline game.

FORBES: EA Admits SimCity Could Have Run Offline

By modifying the game's code, the hacker has made it possible to play the game offline almost indefinitely.

BBC: Gamer hacks SimCity to run offline

Freedom-loving internet pirates soon cracked the code, and many players who would have bought the game, or even owned it already, decided to steal it to avoid such measures to be able to play the game offline, uninterrupted.

FORBES: Ubisoft Quietly Kills Always-On DRM