RUMOR: SimCity 5 to be announced at GDC [Archive]

Drewcifer

02-29-12, 06:59 PM

http://www.gamespot.com/news/simcity-5-due-in-2013-report-6360586

Its funny I was just about to post this when I seen you already had made a post!

I'm going to look at Mass Effect... and just take a leap of faith and say this is going to be EAmolested.

Probably have day one DLC of Power Plants. Initial release will be Amish Sim City.

Penguin

02-29-12, 07:18 PM

I must admit that I first was excited when I read the news, but I will remain sceptic, my biggest fear being the dumbing down.
A big question will also be the mod support, it's great to see that even after all these years, new maps and buildings for SC4 are still released on a daily basis by the community - very similar to our little community here. :DL

Here is a translated article of the gamestar interview with some first concept art: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=35585202
I can't say anything to its substance, only that other German game websites linked to it.

Here are some first facts, presented by a Gamestar reader who already owns the next issue of the mag:

- developer: Maxis (without Will Wright)
- release date: 2013
- new gfx engine: Glassbox
- modern info graphics instead of boring tables
- buildings are upgradable (for example the police station: After 10 caught criminals you will be able to upgrade)
- bended streets
- detailed city building
- local paper "Sim City Wire" which informs about city events (fires etc.)
- extensive multi player mode including rank list (for budget, raw material production etc.)
- complex depth of game
- catastrophies: boulders, vulcanos, explosions etc. confirmed
(source: http://www.gamestar.de/community/gspinboard/showthread.php?t=411270)

Especially the "upgradable building" thingy raises some alarms, I hope it won't be something like "click on 10 robbers to upgrade the police station" like some dumb facebook games...
I also hope with complexity they mean that it's complex for people over 12...

Oberon

02-29-12, 07:23 PM

YOU CAN'T CUT BACK ON FUNDING! YOU WILL REGRET THIS!!

Task Force

02-29-12, 07:28 PM

Still think sim city should have stayed 2D like back in the day.

Dowly

02-29-12, 07:37 PM

SimCity 3000 http://www.bitvertiser.com/emos/love/emoticon-in-love.gif

Arclight

02-29-12, 08:00 PM

No Will Wright, EA in control and a studio that spend most of it's time the last few years churning out The Sims expansions... I dunno.

mookiemookie

02-29-12, 08:44 PM

No Will Wright, EA in control and a studio that spend most of it's time the last few years churning out The Sims expansions... I dunno.

YOU DON'T CRUSH MY DREAMS OF A DECENT SUCCESSOR TO SIMCITY 3000/SIMCITY 4, YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH RIGHT NOW!

Drewcifer

02-29-12, 08:56 PM

No Will Wright, EA in control and a studio that spend most of it's time the last few years churning out The Sims expansions... I dunno.

+1 Street Cred.

Sorry Mookie.

Spike88

02-29-12, 09:06 PM

We already have Simcity 5, it's just called Simcity Societies.
http://www.ea.com/simcity-societies

:haha:
After that blunder, I have zero hopes for the new Simcity game.

Hell they broke the Sims franchise with the Sims 3. While it did add some innovative stuff, 90% of the new expansions are bug riddled glitchy messes that get churned out every 6 months. Each expansion barely fixes any of the previous bugs(unless they're game breakers) and then adds a plethora of new bugs. If it's the same team, you shouldn't get your hopes up.

Arclight

02-29-12, 09:52 PM

YOU DON'T CRUSH MY DREAMS OF A DECENT SUCCESSOR TO SIMCITY 3000/SIMCITY 4, YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH RIGHT NOW!
Sorry. :O:

I'm hopefull though. Proper city sim would be lovely. I've tried that CitiesXL thing, but... just doesn't scratch the itch.

HunterICX

03-01-12, 04:31 AM

I'm hopefull though.

Hopefull when EA is in control...

There's something wrong there but I can't put my finger on it.

HunterICX

Arclight

03-01-12, 04:49 AM

Expecting much, no. Hopeful, yes. There's a difference. :O:

HunterICX

03-01-12, 04:51 AM

Expecting much, no. Hopeful, yes. There's a difference. :O:

Hasn't EA been destroying hopes since the dawn of time?
so I wouldn't be so hopefull if I where you :O:

HunterICX

Arclight

03-01-12, 06:00 AM

Silence! You won't have my soul just yet. *shakes fist* :stare:

Gonna take at least a few more years of hyperbolic marketing and time-honered franchises being turned into generic FPS games...

Drewcifer

03-01-12, 01:53 PM

Bioware's new hit Dragon Age of Duty isn't going to be enough for you Arc? lol.

Also a Maxis without Will Wright, I don't have much confidence in that.

Add in EA and it just spells disaster. I swear the executives at EA are just like, "That sounds like a great idea for a game, get a team on get something rolling and on the shelves by next spring. Now for the important part.. lets plan the DLC."

Skybird

03-01-12, 03:29 PM

I must assume that EA will delete the title off the wishlist of many people by infesting it with Origin or some crap like that.

But Sim City in general - oh my, where has all the time gone? Is it really over 20 years? I was so addicted to the first, and two later versions as well.

I still run a CD occassionally, with the soundtrack of the latest two incarnations. Some tunes were extremely charming.

Spike88

03-03-12, 12:36 PM

Details:
http://pc.ign.com/articles/121/1219911p1.html

Simply called SimCity (http://pc.ign.com/objects/128/128952.html), a host of changes are coming to the series. For starters roads can now be curved, making for more organic city layouts than the grid framework the series was known for. The fixed viewpoint is also gone, allowing players to zoom in on specific buildings or move the camera around. Zooming in close to the ground also changes the audio, with close ups providing the cacophony of the city, and zoomed out views providing a much quieter atmosphere.

Buildings also change over time in SimCity. Buildings progress overtime, unlocking new abilities, such as the power to put out fires faster for an upgraded firestation.

And you don't have to worry about trying to decipher the progress of your city via a number of graphs and charts, as these are being replaced with modernized infographics.

What's currently unclear is how the price of raw materials are determined. The article in GameStar alludes that prices in single-player are affected by what goes on in the online world. However, they don't get too specific about whether it's affected by a player-based economy or by actual, real-world events.

Spike88

03-07-12, 01:40 AM

Some text on the matter and a trailer:
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/03/07/ea-breaks-ground-on-new-simcity/#more-97828

Skybird

03-07-12, 05:42 AM

The control logic for traffic and passenger transportation is an issue to be looked out for, thing slike what routes people, take, and where they chnage from bus to subway - or not, and why.

In the past, these were anything but near to "optimal".

Arclight

03-08-12, 09:09 AM

Back From Simulation City: Inside Maxis’ Glass Box (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/03/08/back-from-simulation-city-inside-maxis-glass-box/)

At this point my vibrating excitement got a little less cautious.

Quite. :yep:

Arclight

03-20-12, 09:09 AM

Simulation Stimulation: A Peek Into Sim City’s Glassbox (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/03/20/simulation-stimulation-a-peek-into-sim-citys-glassbox/)

mookiemookie

03-20-12, 10:01 AM

Hmm....it seems to be on the right track...it *is* EA though. My optimism remains cautiously guarded.

Dowly

03-20-12, 10:07 AM

It does look kinda nice. :hmmm:

Spike88

03-20-12, 03:48 PM

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/glassbox-game-simcity/728271
Thingy on Glass Box.

Dowly

03-20-12, 03:55 PM

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/glassbox-game-simcity/728271
Thingy on Glass Box.

Post #23

Spike88

03-20-12, 04:07 PM

Post #23

Mine is direct-er. :O: That's part of the reason I hadn't seen it.

Spike88

03-23-12, 03:02 PM

You know what I would like to see? A Simcity game that started in the 50's or 70's and let you play until the 2020's or the like. A bit like Tropico, but in SimCity. I've always been fascinated with simulations that take you threw time(RailTycoon etc.).

It would be nice to start a city in typical 50's design, and watch as the buildings,cars, and utilities get updated as you progress.

Arclight

03-28-12, 10:01 AM

We Take A First Look At: SimCity (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/03/28/first-look-simcity/)

SimCity To Be Crippled By Always-On: Let***8217;s Change This (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/03/28/simcity-to-be-crippled-by-always-on-lets-change-this/)

Wonder what the second implies; simply launching it through Origin like it goes with Steam, or actually requiring an active connection.

If it's the second, I ain't touching it. I've been through that with Ubi, with SH5 and SC: Conviction. Usually it wasn't my connection that kept me from launching the game, but their services being down. I'm not paying them only to be locked out because of their screw-ups, or the misguided actions of internet "vigilantes".

If I pay them for a sevice, I expect a service, not an inconvenience.

Dowly

03-28-12, 10:23 AM

The article tends to say:

...permanent online connection all the time.

and

...always-on is necessary for the game’s “emphasis on multiplayer and regional impact, and the use of a global economy that all players can influence.”

Sounds like connection is required to play.

I believe a certain 'bay' will get plenty of visitors once this is released. Hopefully
they have enough docking space. :hmmm:

Arclight

03-28-12, 11:04 AM

The article is pretty specific, yeah... still trying my darnedest to ignore it and pray for a mistake though. :yep:

Because surely this is a mistake, right? They wouldn't do this to such a long-awaited and anticipated sequel to a highly praised franchise. :-?

*remembers it was EA that made Syndicate into a shooter*

:o

We're screwed. :wah:

NeonSamurai

03-28-12, 03:42 PM

Hmm didn't CitiesXL do that exact same thing, and everyone hated it. I know the last thing I want is to be forced online. I don't like having to play with other people most of the time, and I really HATE being forced to.

mookiemookie

03-28-12, 04:12 PM

Penguin

03-28-12, 04:59 PM

no,no,no,no,no,no :nope:
Did they not learn a lesson from CitiesXL, where the online requirement was booted after some weeks? :damn:

I don't WANT to have a global economy, I don't WANT to impact the region. I don't want to have a neighbor city. Dammit, EA, can't you just let me continue to use video games as a way to indulge my antisocial tendencies?

It was perfectly fine in SC4, where you had your own cities as neighbors. Man, I want to dump my garbage into the neighbor town of "Trashville" while trading with my rural city "Redneckton" - don't want to communicate with some 12-year old kids to build my metropolis! :nope:

Oberon

03-28-12, 08:05 PM

Son of a...

WHEN WILL YOU LEARN EA!!!!

:damn:

Raptor1

03-28-12, 08:19 PM

LEARN

EA!!!!

Mutually exclusive words...

Did I already say something about this that allows me to say "I told you so"? If not, pretend I did...

Spike88

03-29-12, 08:51 AM

I have to agree with everyone else on the whole "Always Online" crap. Unless there is an offline mode(and a way to get it without Origin), I'm skipping this title.

Also, I don't like the fact your Sims will get a new job and a new house everyday.

HunterICX

03-29-12, 10:23 AM

Son of a...

WHEN WILL YOU LEARN EA!!!!

:damn:

No...when do you learn :O:.

And for the ones that still had any shred of hope...
http://cdn.chud.com/4/4f/4fd4a3d0_simpsons_nelson_haha-1.jpeg

So remember EA = Bad M'kay.

HunterICX

Oberon

03-29-12, 10:43 AM

Also, I don't like the fact your Sims will get a new job and a new house everyday.

I don't think that they'll do that everyday, I think that they will go through a routine in that they will look for a new job and new house everyday, and if one is available to them they will take it depending upon their circumstances and that of the city around them.

Irregardless..always on DRM... :damn:

Spike88

03-29-12, 11:44 AM

EA have issued a clarification to Gamespy (http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/sim-city-5/1221798p1.html) that while you will have to have an internet connection to launch SimCity, it will not boot you off if your connection goes down. Which is to say, it’s not as egregious as others’ “always-on” DRM, but we maintain is still an unnecessary and game-crippling mistake, which we really hope they will reverse before release.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/03/29/simcity-always-on-clarified-will-need-internet-for-every-launch/

Arclight

04-04-12, 06:47 AM

SimCity’s “GlassBox Engine” Videos Reveal Sim Systems (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/04/04/simcitys-glassbox-engine-videos-reveal-sim-systems/)

Think the first video is "old", other should be a new thing.

Bit bewildered by how jobs are handled. It's really like indicated before, with people possibly having a different job every day. Basically every building that requires workers sends a request for them each morning when they start up.

It does mean production sources draw workers from the most convenient source though, avoiding commuters from clear across the city. Bit easier to manage traffic like that I wager.

Dowly

04-04-12, 07:03 AM

The job thing sounds kinda like how Pharaoh did it. IIRC, in Pharaoh if you plonk
down a building that requires workers, a dude spawns from said building and
starts to wander around the city recruiting unemployed people from the houses.

Arclight

04-17-12, 09:54 AM

Bit on water supply: Water Works Well: SimCity (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/04/17/water-works-well-simcity/)

soopaman2

04-18-12, 05:19 PM

I. HATE. MULTIPLAYER. ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't WANT to have a global economy, I don't WANT to impact the region. I don't want to have a neighbor city. Dammit, EA, can't you just let me continue to use video games as a way to indulge my antisocial tendencies?

There is a trend towards appealing to the MP crowd. I seen SP parts of games ruined because of fixes to MP units/weapons/abilities.

I am not trashing the MP crowd, just that they represent a minority and get catered to constantly.

Dowly I thought the same thing about a certain illicit "port of call" being used alot.

I have quite a few games that require online connections that I wish I "Jack Sparrowed"

Because jack and his crewmembers have all that crap removed, and get just a game.

edit: There is nothing relaxing nor casual about modern MP games.

Skybird

04-18-12, 05:57 PM

I think the game has been designed around the online scheme, so that they have a lame excuse for forcing players online. No longer follow security and online schemes the developement of games - it's the other way around: games' content get designed so that they follow said schemes, making them appear as if they were a necessary part of gaming.

Saw the same happening to chess programs by chessbase recently, the latest GUIs. The opening books are mandatorily accessed now at an online database. Before, the database was copied to the harddrive. They excuse it with how great it is that the database keeps track of how long people have analysed a given position so that players climb in a highscore list on how much time they have analysed a given position. Laughable. I'll stay with older Chessbase GUI, and if the need would arise, I would use free GUIs now. Chessbase is history for me. Which is a shame, visually their GUIs and boards are the most beautiful of all there are.

Anyway, I'm out of Sim City, of course. Every love affair must end one day.

EA also gets a full broadside here: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2012/04/opinion-kohler-video-expensive/

Arclight

04-20-12, 11:48 PM

http://www.vg247.com/2012/04/20/maxis-simcity-a-relaunch-of-the-franchise-not-simcity-5/

Get Sam’s chat with Barry above, where it touches upon on the game’s new GlassBox engine, politics within the game and more.

It looks nice... If I ever snap and you see me wandering down the street, just shove me through the doors over at EA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DsiwBUgmwk).

Arclight

04-25-12, 06:08 PM

And Now The Game: A SimCity Preview (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/04/25/simcity-preview/)

Platapus

04-25-12, 06:35 PM

Interesting trailer... until I saw the tiny words "images not representative of the game". :hmmm:

Arclight

04-27-12, 12:32 PM

The art-work is not final yet, actual in-game looks a bit shoddy (only purely graphically) so they are really just saying it's still being worked on. (it's pre-alpha)

Maxis Factor: A SimCity Interview (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/04/27/maxis-factor-a-simcity-interview/)

I wants it... resolve... wavering...