SimCity is a real-time strategy/simulation city-building computer game (or "software toy"). It is game developer Maxis' flagship product. There are four versions:
- The original SimCity (1989, later renamed SimCity Classic)
- SimCity 2000 (1993)
- SimCity 3000 (1999)
- SimCity 4 (2003)
| SimCity | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Maxis |
| Publisher(s) | Brøderbund, Maxis, Electronic Arts |
| Designer(s) | Will Wright (SimCity series) |
| Platform(s) | DOS, Amiga, Sega Saturn, SNES, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, Mac OS, Acorn Archimedes |
| Release | 1989 |
| Genre(s) | Simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Description
SimCity was originally developed by game designer Will Wright. The inspiration for SimCity came from a feature of the game Raid on Bungeling Bay that allowed players to create their own maps. Wright soon found he enjoyed creating maps more than playing the actual game, and SimCity was born.
The game sparked a new paradigm in computer gaming by creating a game that could neither be won nor lost. This was not immediately recognized by the game publishers, who did not foresee the possibility of successfully marketing and selling such a game. Brøderbund declined to publish the title when Wright proposed it, and he pitched it to a range of major game publishers without success. Finally, founder Jeff Braun of then-tiny Maxis agreed to publish SimCity as one of two initial games for the company.
Wright and Braun returned to Brøderbund to formally clear the rights to the game in 1988, when SimCity was near completion. Broderbund executives Gary Carlston and Don Daglow saw that the title was infectious and fun, and signed Maxis to a distribution deal for both of its initial games.
The subsequent success of SimCity speaks for itself: "Sim" games of all types were developed — with Will Wright and Maxis developing a myriad of titles including SimEarth, SimFarm, SimTown, Streets of SimCity, SimCopter, SimAnt, SimLife, SimIsle, SimPark, SimSafari, SimThemePark, The Sims and SimMars, which was never released. They also obtained licenses for some titles developed in Japan, such as SimTower and Let's Take The A-Train (just called A-Train outside of Japan). The most recent development is The Sims, and its sequel, The Sims 2.
SimCity is predominantly a single-player game (the exception being a "Network Edition" of SimCity 2000, and an obscure Unix port of the original SimCity). SimCity 4 also makes an attempt at multiplayer gaming with the ability to share regional maps and cities with other players, allowing players to collaborate, but not play in real time.
In 1990, SimCity won the Origins Award for "Best Military or Strategy Computer Game" of 1989.
Objective
The objective of SimCity, as the name of the game suggests, is to build and design a city, without specific goals to achieve (except in the scenarios, which typically require the player to achieve a certain population or bank balance in a given period of time).
The player can mark land as being zoned as commercial, industrial, or residential, add buildings, change the tax rate, build a power grid, build transportation systems and many other actions, in order to enhance the city.
Also, the player may face disasters: flooding, tornadoes, fires, riots, earthquakes, etc. Later disasters included lightning strikes, volcanoes, meteors and attack by extra-terrestrial craft.
In the Nintendo and later versions one can also build rewards when they are given to them, such as a mayor's mansion and a casino for gambling Sims.
Ports and versions
All of the games were originally released for the personal computer. They have since been re-released with various add-ons including extra scenarios, and some versions have been ported to other platforms.
- SimCity Classic is available for Palm OS and on the SimCity.com website as Classic Live.
- SimCity 2000 is available for handheld organizers running Microsoft's Pocket PC, as well as the Game Boy Advance, PlayStation and Sega Saturn.
- SimCity and SimCity 2000 were also released for the SNES.
- There was also a SimCity 2000 3D hybrid called SimCity 64 (2000) which was produced by HAL Laboratory, Inc. and released only in Japan for Nintendo 64's add-on flop, the 64DD.
- Versions of SimCity for the BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, and Acorn Archimedes computers were published by Superior Software.
For other Sim games, see the list of Sim games.
Parodies
Sim Brick was an extremely simple parody of SimCity. Developed by Sensible Software, it was only ever distributed on a cover disk with an issue of Amiga Power. The game play consists of an ant wandering around the screen, until players press the mouse button, at which point a brick falls down and squashes the ant.
The writers of The Simpsons also lampooned Maxis around the time when they were releasing a plethora of "Sim" titles. Virtual Doctor, a program used in an episode, was cited as "from the creators of SimSandwich…"
In the computer game Space Quest IV, the main character, Roger, has the opportunity to look through the bargain bin of a software store. Among the titles is SimSim, a simulator where players get to design simulators.
Legacy
SimCity inspired a new genre of video games. "Software toys" that were open-ended with no set objective were developed trying to duplicate SimCity's success. The most successful, however, was most definitely Wright's own The Sims, which went on to be the best selling computer game of all time.
The ideas pioneered in SimCity have been incorporated into real-world applications as well. For example, VisitorVille simulates a city based on website statistics.
Criticism
The SimCity series has been criticized by some capitalists for promoting statism by ignoring the alleged problems of interventionism in its simulation, and also by not expecting Sims to compete with government services.
See also
- Government simulation
- Municipal government, the basis for SimCity
- Lincity
- Peter Ludlow editor of Alphaville Herald and Second Life Herald
External links
- Official SimCity website
- SimCity Classic Live (requires registration)
- SimCity at MobyGames
- SimCity.com Fansite Directory: Maxis' official and comprehensive SimCity fansite directory.
- Simulating Statism by Timothy D. Terrell (March 2000, The Free Market), a critique of SimCity 3000 and the SimCity series.