Blast from the past: SimCity returns to PC next year

March 7th, 2012

Electronic Arts and developer Maxis today announced a "rebirth" of the venerable SimCity for PC. Planned for release sometime next year, the above trailer has me giddy. Some things to note:

1. Images not representative of actual gameplay. As good as that trailer is, it's all CGI. So curb your enthusiasm accordingly. Now on to the deets. 
2. "Everything you see in the world we sim." At least that's what EA says. "Sims in each city will have jobs or can lose them, buy homes, be prosperous or be an economic drain on the city. SimCity is the city builder in which every choice powers real change that affects the character of your city, the state of your region and fellow players within the entire SimCity world. Original fans and newcomers alike will relish the opportunity to build visually and functionally unique cities that take on the character of their choices."
3. We're all in this together. In other words, the choices you make in your city affect the choices made by other players on the network. Global challenges such as climate change, the search for renewable resources and natural disasters all play a part, and you'll be forced to choose "whether to compete or collaborate" with fellow metropolises.
4. Will Wright is not involved. The creator of the series, the genre, and the best-selling PC game of all time (The Sims), will not be involved in the development process, although the studio he heads (Maxis) certainly is. 

Obviously, given my fond memories for the series, I'm excited by the prospects. And I think the above trailer, despite its fine print, does a wonderful job teasing a modern SimCity. 

What do you think?

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