It seems to me that they blundered when it comes to marketing. If they had just called it SimCity Online and promoted it as an MMO, no one would get upset about the persistent connection requirement and no save/load functionality.
That may do more damage than good. [Franchise] Online titles tend to be met with suspicion and disinterest from gamers who traditionally enjoyed the franchise.
It's already SimCity Online in everything but name, and many gamers who traditionally enjoyed the franchise are exceedingly sceptical about the changes. Might as well call a spade a spade.