SimCity

SimCity is a real-time strategy/simulation computer game (or "software toy") developed by Maxis. There are four versions, SimCity (later, SimCity Classic[?]), SimCity 2000 (1993), SimCity 3000 (1999) and SimCity 4 (2003). All of the games were re-released with various add-ons including extra scenarios.

Description

SimCity is predominantly a single-player game (the exception being a "Network Edition" of SimCity 2000). SimCity, originally developed by game designer Will Wright, sparked off a new paradigm in computer gaming by creating a game that could neither be won nor lost. This did not bode well with the software publishers at the time, who did not forsee the possibility of successfully marketing and selling such a game. However, the success of SimCity speaks for itself: "Sim" games of all types was spawned - with Will Wright and Maxis developing a myriad of titles including SimEarth[?], SimFarm[?], SimTown[?], and a quirky ant-simulation called SimAnt. The most recent development is The Sims, which has since gone on to become the most successful computer game of all time.

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, enact city ordinances, connect to neighbouring cities, build a power grid, build transportation systems and many other actions, in order to enhance the city. Also, the Player can face Catastrophes: Flooding, Tornadoes, Fires, Riots, Earthquakes, etc.

Some people consider SimCity 2000 to be a better game than SimCity 3000, because of SimCity 3000's obvious bugs and game-play issues. For example, SimCity 3000 occasionally gives you the option of hosting a parade, which gives a boost to your city. The animation for the parade lasts a long time, the game pauses during the animation, and you do not have the option of skipping over the animation. There are many other similar flaws. The meaning of the syllable "Sim" in SimCity 3000 differs from in SimCity 2000, in that it refers to a city of "Sims" (like in The Sims; the game's simulated people) rather than being an abbreviation of the word "simulation".

See also: SimCity 4

External links

• Official website (http://www.simcity.com/)
• SimCity classic online (http://simcity.ea.com/play/simcity_classic.php)