If you were one of the SimCity gamers who had to rough it up, give up, and try and try again to get on the game to no avail, EA is now offering you one of eight free games as compensation.

According to GameInformer, gamers who have activated SimCity should have received an email from EA with instructions on how to claim one of the eight free games now up for grabs, which you can only do before the end of March 25.

The list of free games includes Battlefield 3 (Standard Edition), Dead Space 3 (Standard Edition, Mass Effect 3 (Standard Edition), Medal of Honor (Standard Edtion, Need for Speed: Most Wanted (Standard Edition), Bejeweled 3, Plants vs. Zombies, and SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition.

"At Maxis, our studio values dictate that we innovate and create something that is quirky, complex, and challenging. 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," said the developer to EuroGamer.

It's out and it's final: SimCity could have had an offline mode

After all the ruckus about always-on DRM gameplay, the attempts to hack and showcase an offline mode, and the statement made by Maxis vehemently stating that offline play is "not possible," Maxis chief Lucy Bradshaw admits that SimCity could have an offline mode.

Why doesn't it have one? Because it conflicts with the vision of SimCity.

"We did not focus on the 'single city in isolation' that we have delivered in past SimCities. We recognize that there are fans--people who love the original SimCity--who want that," Bradshaw said to Forbes.

While a vision for SimCity as having an always connected player, it may help to have backup plans, such as the possible offline mode. EA may be pushing through with their vision, but it might help to have some perspective on the gamers' side of the story.

Inside EA: CEO John Riccitiello resigns

Within the developer's executive table, news has broken out that its CEO John Riccitiello has stepped down, with COO Peter Moore now slated to become his replacement.

The Guardian reports that Riccitiello has claimed that he was accountable for any shortcomings or unmet expectations of the company, hence the step down after his six-year term as CEO.

"The progress EA has made on transitioning to digital games and services is something I'm extremely proud of," said Riccitiello on the resignation as reported by The Guardian. "However, it currently looks like we will come in at the low end of it, or slightly below... EA's shareholders and employees expect better and I am accountable for the miss."