'The Sims 4' Release Date Arrives: EA Punishing Game Piracy With Glitch

Thinking of pirating the latest installment of life simulation game “The Sims 4"? Think again. EA Maxis, the title’s developer, added a deliberate error to the game when users attempt to obtain “The Sims 4” illegally.

Players who choose to pirate the game will encounter a bug that will eventually blur out the whole game. In the game, characters are blurred out when engaging in intimate acts, like showering. When players steal the game, the glitch begins as a small, pixelated area that eventually covers the entire screen.

When players of the stolen copy initially encountered the error, they complained on various EA forums, reaping ridicule from players who actually paid for the game.

“The Sims 4” launched Tuesday for the PC, and players and critics alike largely panned the life simulation game, which was developed by EA Maxis (NASDAQ:EA) and the Sims Studio. Though critics were not allowed to review the game before its release, gamers’ responses have largely been thumbs-down since its North American launch.

The single-player game lacks features that were part of earlier titles in the series, such as swimming pools, swimwear and the “toddler” life stage. “The Sims 4” also lacks the open-world feel of “The Sims 3,” and neighborhood gameplay is separated by loading screens.

“The problem with ‘The Sims 4’ is that after nearly 15 years, ‘Sims’ fans are keenly aware of EA's business model of later releasing a dozen expansion packs,” Associated Press entertainment writer Derrik Lang said. “It's been a successful formula for the quirky life simulator series, one that now feels cruelly antiquated in the era of downloadable instant gratification.”

“The Sims 4” was revealed during Gamescom in Germany in August 2013. Additional footage of the title was displayed during the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June of this year.