Release Info:
- Developer: Maxis
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
- Platform: PC
- ESRB Rating: Rating Pending
- Format: DVD-ROM, Digital Download
- Internet: Requires online connection
- Multiplayer: 1-16 players
- Release Date: 2013
Key Features:
- Features a custom simulation engine designed for managing multiple systems at once
- Respond to your Sims needs as mayor
- Carefully plan and manage residential, commercial and industrial zones
- Create a city that specializes in specific areas
- Collaborate or compete with friends
Credits:
- Lead Producer: Kip Katsarelis
- Creative Director: Ocean Quigley
- Senior Software Engineer: Dan Moskowitz
- Chief Architect: Andrew Willmott
System Requirements:
- Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 4000+ (or better), Intel Core 2 Duo Processor 2.0GHz or better
- Operating System: Windows XP/Vista/7
- RAM: 1.5GB (Windows XP), 2GB (Vista and Windows 7)
- Graphics Card: ATI X1800 or better, nVidia 7800 or better, Intel 4100 Integrated Graphics or better
- Graphics Card Memory: Minimum of 256MB of on-board RAM and Shader 3.0 or better support
- DVD-ROM: 8x or better
Description:
The game that defined city-building simulations returns with an all-new level of detail as well as online multiplayer support. The advances in technology since earlier SimCity games have allowed the developers to create a custom-designed simulation engine, entitled GlassBox, which supports animated buildings and a more dynamic city populated by Sims that go to work, attend school, relax at home, shop and more.
The GlassBox engine is so named because it aims to give players a sense of transparency so they can more easily understand the various simulations that are going on within their city. Buildings will show what’s happening inside them through animations or audio cues, such as gears moving in an industrial building that’s producing goods or a coal factory releasing black smoke into the air as it generates power. Multiple building components or modules can be added to existing structures to not only change their appearance, but change their functionality as well.
A school, for example, can be expanded by adding a gym, new classrooms or a bus. Multiple colors can be selected to give your buildings a more personalized look, and different surface textures include brick, stone, metal and more. Another example is a fire station expanding with multiple garages, allowing for more trucks to respond to potential emergencies.
The three main zoning areas in SimCity include commercial, industrial and residential, with each sector working together to create a vibrant world. Trucks will carry manufactured goods from the industrial sector to commercial buildings, where Sims will be able to purchase them with their money. As you construct residential areas, moving vans and construction trucks will start to appear, supplying the resources needed to make the area flourish and thrive.
Your population of Sims will have basic and advanced needs that you must fulfill to keep them happy and satisfied. Initial needs include water and electricity, with other needs ranging from larger parks to more recreational areas. You’ll decide how many hospitals to build, how much to tax, and how you want to define your city, such as a tourist attraction or an industrial powerhouse.
SimCity also includes an online multiplayer component, allowing you to interact with nearby cities created by friends and other players. You can send emergency vehicles to help with fires and other disasters in a neighboring city, or for those who are more devious in nature, create mass pollution that will make Sims in another city sick. There are also be global challenges to complete, allowing participants to win trophies for placement in their cities, and both regional and global leaderboards to track your overall progress against cities from the community.