SimCity V: Coming March 5!

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Joey D

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So this came up today on the Internet...

GameStar
Almost a quarter century after SimCity Will Wright, Maxis is developing a new simulator cities.

Genre: Construction of cities.
Publisher: Electronic Arts.
Developer: Maxis (Darkspore, GS06/11: 60 points).
Date: 2013.
State: 30% of development.

PROS
New graphics engine and road round.
Multiplayer mode.
Buildings updatable.
The various cities.
Send infographics.
The positioning of the camera …

CONS
Do … can cost scenarios.
The Sims are sometimes shown without a head.

Mayor ¿? How boring! All day at the office, holding the complaints of citizens and controlling the deficit: Who can see this as funny? For a lot of people thanks to SimCity, and for over two decades. Surprisingly, the urban series consists of five parts, from classic SimCity (1989) to the most recent SimCity Societies (2007). In addition, all games except Societies were developed by Maxis and designer Will Wright, co-founder of the study, we also have The Sims and Spore. Will Wright, is now designing TV shows and toys, but Maxis still there are plenty of experienced people for the next installment, simply called SimCity. Kip Katsarelis Producer leader, says there are enough teachers in Maxis for all stages of development. We went with him and his team.

Pride leads us up to the news Katsarelis SimCity. Most surprising: the new graphics engine Glassbox. Unlike before, we write without viewing angle, but allows any idea of ​​our creation – either float on the city or read the signs of each store. But not enough: “We, the players, no tables saddest cut around the ears,” says Katsarelis. “Instead, have been inspired by modern computer graphics representing complex relationships attractive.”

SimCity always looks attractive and bustling city and is full of life anywhere. If you look at a shopping center, police station or a factory, the Sims leave home and go to work, meet for lunch or protest against the council if there are too few jobs. There are a few buildings that change their appearance and therefore its functions: “As you go through the game, you can customize your town and individual buildings,” promises Katsarelis. About every ten criminals caught, the police station, or a new fire station will help firefighters to reach fires faster.

Some 20 years after the first SimCity, now winding roads are a reality. Gone are the days when all cities were like any U.S. city with orthogonal road networks. What remains is the classification for residential, commercial and industrial, which has added the graphic detail with much love. As soon as you place a new residential area, the construction workers built the homes of bottom-up, followed by the arrival of the cars of the new owners moving so diligently to begin to save their belongings in their new home. All this is accompanied by live, work, and car noises. -Smooth interface, and a new soft melody, If you decrease the zoom of the camera and build a coal power plant on the outskirts of the city. After the workers complete their work, you’ll see that the delivered coal on a conveyor belt travels in the building. So we can see at a glance whether a power plant and all other buildings are fine.

Too good to be true: In these pages you will find images, but are concepts of art. Why Maxis prevents Glassbox show the new engine? The reason: The current video quality does not meet the requirements of internal – and there is open play as full a level of development. The graphics are polished only towards the end of a high quality development.

Reveals another click of the red color compensation, the current flowing through the generators. At dusk, the lights of the houses, and flashing neon lights of the shops. With the house, electricity and water, for now our Sims are satisfied, while we take care of creating jobs for the next morning. But not all Sims are equal, a trucker from listening to loud heavy metal music. “Because it has not yet been called the police, the city also prevents arsonists,” said Katsarelis. A little later a house on fire and Sims escape over the rooftops, some with their clothes on fire. These events we have reported the local newspaper “SimCity Wire” in the single player and multiplayer.

By the way, including SimCity 2000 Network Edition in 1996 offered a multiplayer mode to connect to the network and share materials with other mayors and cooperate in the development of cities or compete against each other. The new SimCity is based on this idea. We manage a region along with our friends, visit and share resources on land, sea or air. As in the solo mode, you can create a specialized city according to our wishes. We dream of an elegant residential, leisure and you need to find jobs and electricity? No problem, our friend might like to be the largest coal producer in the world.

The addition of “the world” is to be understood literally: “There’s global leaderboards, where everything relates to economic production or raw material players can compete with other players,” says Katsarelis. Anyone can climb in the rankings, unlock achievements. For example, visit the lobby of City Hall to the building campaign of mine. If we agree, the new industry provides more jobs. But decisions are always a downside: increased pollution produces coal mines, casinos attract crime. Interestingly, even in solo mode, the prices of commodities are determined online gaming – good idea?

Speaking of raw materials: When creating games in the Middle Ages or in the distant future, cares not always the reality of raw materials and technology trees. But SimCity is set at present, there are serious discrepancies in weight. Here is the Lead Designer Stone Librande. The development of complex issues more accessible and at the same time makes anyone before, but he has invented for his children in the last 15 years 15 table games. His philosophy, explains: “I have no idea what will SimCiy player, but I can give you pieces that get a lot of fun.”

Librande Stone is based on SimCity game systems that fit in spite of its complexity and statistical tables. Thus we see graphs that describe the relationship between population density and land value, other tables show the flows of population, industry and commerce, and other graphic illustrating two final scenarios: a city ecologically exemplary, but one step away from bankruptcy and a metropolis corroded by factories, as the population becomes extinct due to disease. Librande Stone talks about the importance of decisions: “What should be without a mayor? In his private helicopter, or some schools? Ignore the welfare of the people, to rich tourists go on holiday the night “?

Too, you should not ignore the needs of voters. “The Sims unemployed may become beggars in public parks, while new empty homes attract criminals, which increases the risk of fire and reduces the value of land in the district.” Only with Librandes designs, we could fill 10 full pages, which is why at this point say, SimCity has nothing to hide in terms of depth of play. Instead of deep theoretical lessons in the next visit we would like to grab the mouse and keyboard, because in the end what counts at the end of the day is practice. Even in urban planning.

Interview with Lucy Bradshaw

GameStar: It’s been a while since the fourth installment of SimCity …

Lucy Bradshaw: Because we were busy with The Sims and Spore, and SimCity wanted to make sure count on an excellent artificial intelligence, a decent multiplayer mode, and finally get road curves and 3D graphics with ease. So you can change the camera angle and the houses disappear automatically by reducing the zoom view.
—-
GameStar: Import your own houses in The Sims, would be a stroke of genius for players of SimCity.

Lucy Bradshaw: At present we have not expected, because the game is technically very different. However, customization is: you design a house in The Sims very detailed, and SimCity are improved buildings with new modules, has its own intelligence and gameplay.
—-
GameStar: With all the meetings, do you have time to play Lucy Bradshaw?

Play our own songs and sending feedback to the team. In travel, play with the iPhone and the iPad, and I usually spend my Christmas vacation in strategy games in real time.

Closing Comments by GameStar editor Roland Austinat

According to Maxis, still take approximately one year to SimCity is ready. But I like what I’ve seen so far: the online modes, new graphics, smarter Sims, upgradable buildings, with individual strengths and compelling cities, world rankings, send info-graphs and dynamic music. You can feel how much heart and blood have designers to develop the first delivery in the modern era. The fact that the creator of SimCity Will Wright does not work in this part, I do not worry: The fourth installment has already been created without their help. Just a shame that our practice was very short: I like to have seen ships and aircraft, or the disasters that have announced, explosions, snow storms, meteor impacts and other disasters do simulated physically correct to turn a city into a lot of Casino debris.

Screenshots/Concept Artwork

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Apparently these details are from a German magazine call GameStar and he's a source that's been floating around, but it's in Spanish:
http://rinconsimmer.jimdo.com/2012/02/27/simcity-2013-reportaje-de-gamestar-7-imágenes/

======================

I've wait a long time for this game to surface and I'm extremely happy it did, now I just hope EA doesn't screw with it too bad.
 
I've heard this is that game...

http://www.facebook.com/#!/apps/application.php?id=225496380820004

I really hope not, I've missed Sim City...for it to be a facebook game would be a total letdown. What even scares me more is this quote:

The new SimCity is based on this idea. We manage a region along with our friends, visit and share resources on land, sea or air.

But, on the bright side, it probably isn't because of how they're talking about 3D graphics and roads in that preview.

Also, some of those screens remind me of a canceled game called SimsVille.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SimsVille
 
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I don't think that sounds like a Facebook game when they talk about online multiplayer modes and single player mode. That sounds awfully complex for a Facebook game. I really hope it's a great game as we could use a good city builder again.
 
Great news! I've wanted a new real Simcity for years now, I just hope it isn't a Facebook game.
 
Some apparent leaked cuts from GDC Sim city 5 trailer.

[youtubehd]BoKT25S2yJU[/youtubehd]
 
Looks beautiful, as long as you can get down real close as it shows in those leaked shots it should be really cool. I own 2000 and 3000 but I love Sim Tower so much more.... please remake that Maxis!
 
Sim City 3000 was always my favorite, I bought and played Sim City 4 but I always went back to 3000.
 
I hope its not PC only, most RTS's haven't been that well implemented on consoles but I hope its a given that this is coming to 360/PS3.
 
theotherspongey
More info to be revealed on March 5th at EA's Game Confrence.

I'm pretty sure their conference is 6 pm PST on March 6th isn't it? I think I saw somewhere they are doing a live stream of it then.
 
If they require Origin to play the game I will not be happy. I refuse to buy any game that requires me to use it because I think it's awful.
 
Joey D
If they require Origin to play the game I will not be happy. I refuse to buy any game that requires me to use it because I think it's awful.

Steam does the same thing just not as blunt about it.
 
Steam does the same thing just not as blunt about it.
Except Steam's interaction within' the games is actually pretty good. I haven't heard too many positive reviews on Origin.

On topic, this game is looooooonnnnnngggg over due. Needless to say any more, I am excited.
 
Steam also isn't digital distribution/DRM AIDS like Origin is.

I love SC4 so I'm mega keen for this, can't wait to see what sort of new features EAxis might add to keep the game fresh and relevant :) I guess it's just called SimCity and doesn't have a V designation?
 
Very happy to hear and see. 👍

But certainly wont be pre-ordering yet until release date approaches (2013)


EDIT

Looking further into it I have a couple concerns. Word going around is it is online only, due to this:

"More Details
Multi Player 1-16
Online Only
Genre: Simulation
Release Date: 2013
Developers: Maxis Emeryville
Publisher: Electronic Arts"

I am not sure if this is a forced social type experience like CitiesXL or must be connected to Origin at all times, either way it isn't good but I will deal with origin if I must but I don't want it to turn in to a CitiesXL type thing.

Secondly by the trailer it looks like you plonk buildings down of your choice everywhere like Sim City Societies, rather than making R/C/I zones like in Sim City 1-4. I MUCH rather to place zones within the infrastructure I (the city) provided and let the people do their thing.
 
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Encyclopedia
I really hope its not online only.
I hope not either. But I think they saw what happened when Cities XL came out & it became more online-based than the single player game it was originally marketed as.
 
Joey D
I hope it doesn't come out for a console, when that happens the developer dumbs down the PC version way to much.

That's true. Console versions of these games just doesn't work well. A controller just isn't the same as mouse and keyboard. Plus you can't add mods to a console game. I really hope they give this game proper mod support, or if EA and Steam decide to be friends again then make it a part of the Steamworks program.
 
I hope it doesn't come out for a console, when that happens the developer dumbs down the PC version way to much.

Back when Maxis were big PC gaming was bigger than console gaming, now its the other way round. Even the Sims 3 had to end up on consoles. Literally only MMO's and niche games can survive exclusive to PC, if you want your game to sell well it needs to come out on every platform known to man. That's part of the reason why Spore flopped.

That's true. Console versions of these games just doesn't work well. A controller just isn't the same as mouse and keyboard. Plus you can't add mods to a console game. I really hope they give this game proper mod support, or if EA and Steam decide to be friends again then make it a part of the Steamworks program.

Developers seem to forget that the PS3 has full support for a USB mouse and keyboard in-game, its just that literally no one has ever implemented it (apart from UT3). UT3 also had full PC mod support so it can all be done if dev's put the effort in. This way it does not need to be dumbed down.

Robin.
 
Back when Maxis were big PC gaming was bigger than console gaming, now its the other way round. Even the Sims 3 had to end up on consoles. Literally only MMO's and niche games can survive exclusive to PC, if you want your game to sell well it needs to come out on every platform known to man. That's part of the reason why Spore flopped.

I'll never understand why people seem to think PC gaming is dead, it isn't. Just look at the number of Steam users, that's a pretty good indication that people still play PC games. And way more games survive on PC than just MMO's and niche games. RTS, turn-based strategy, RPG's both action and turn based, simulators and FPS's, just to name a few.

The reason the Sims ended up on consoles was because EA wanted to milk that cow for all it was worth. They are still doing it, the latest expansion pack is $40 or $50 if you want a bit of Katy Perry in it, that's insane. If I were to buy all the DLC on Steam today while it's one sale it would cost me $200 plus the cost of the game itself. Having played the Sims on both console and PC, I can't see why anyone would bother with the console version. The controls suck majorly on the console version, and that's true for many games.

The reason Spore flopped had nothing to do with the console, it was just an awful game. I, like many other Maxis fans, were beyond excited for the game since it promised so much. What we got was a kid's game with some adult humor in it and the ability to make creatures, building and spaceships look like penises. The game was so simple it was mind-numbingly boring. The only phase that any work was put into at all was the space exploration phase, and even then it was pretty poorly done. Spore also shipped with a horrible DRM system which put off a lot of gamers, they either didn't buy it or downloaded it because EA said they had made an unpiratable game and they accepted the challenge.

Maxis's roots are PC gaming and it what they do best. While SimCity 2000 ended up with a console version, they next installments didn't because there is no really good way to make a city building game console friendly without making it dumb. The consolification of games made for both PC and console end up making one platform horrid to use. I'd rather companies stuck to either consoles or PC's for games like this. FPS's, most RPG's and some strategy games work find on consoles and PC alike, but city building games, ya not so much.
 
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