Thank you!

Thank you!

Oh my! I might be a little too excited for this game. I just had a rush of childhood memories come pouring back when I saw the announcement. Can't wait!

I hope this year goes really fast, I'am desperate for another simcity game

I hope to hear some in-depth commentary in their blogs. I'd like to hear about this "specialized economy" system. I as a Sim City fan since SC2000 am afraid it will turn into a sort of "Eco/Tycoon" based economy that we see from Anno 2070. Cities are variated and usually do not rely on one sort of economy to stay afloat.

I would also like to know if they're keeping the great formula of complexity as previous Sim City games had. I heard they were removing the graphs for "info-graphics" and simplifying the statistical information for visual information instead. I honestly think the reason SimCity has been a beloved city was its attention to detail. So here's to Maxis keeping it deep, complex, and fun. I read on the FAQ that this is coming to PC only, which makes me very happy to know that PC is the lead development platform at least. EA has ruined a few franchises in the past and I am glad to know that many of the SC4 developers are still working hard to create the next best game.

THANK YOU!

Thank you so much.

Eagerly waiting more news :) Just.....please don't make the game to easy to play. I like challenge, things like water pipes, power lines, mass transit system....I still play SC4 :)

Thanks guys, thanks so much! It's early days so I can innocently beg for one thing: Please hire an OST composer who can retain the core urban, jazzy feel of the original series' music! There's just not enough of it in any other games to miss this opportunity.

God, I miss the music styles from the Sims 1, SC 3000 and SC4...

Thanks guys, thanks so much! It's early days so I can innocently beg for one thing: Please hire an OST composer who can retain the core urban, jazzy feel of the original series' music! There's just not enough of it in any other games to miss this opportunity.

God, I miss the music styles from the Sims 1, SC 3000 and SC4...

Thanks guys, thanks so much! It's early days so I can innocently beg for one thing: Please hire an OST composer who can retain the core urban, jazzy feel of the original series' music! There's just not enough of it in any other games to miss this opportunity.

God, I miss the music styles from the Sims 1, SC 3000 and SC4...

I hope that the "specialized economy" system will not be a big disaster like in CitiesXL, with an unrealistic way to exchange resources. It was stupid to exchange of population and jobs as we shared resources such as energy and water.

We want a realistic game, with a realistic management !

I hope that the "specialized economy" system will not be a big disaster like in CitiesXL, with an unrealistic way to exchange resources. It was stupid to exchange of population and jobs as we shared resources such as energy and water.

We want a realistic game, with a realistic management !

So glad for Simcity to be back!

Thank you for reviving the series that we all though was dead years ago!!! But please, make sure there is a single player mode as well as keeping the zoning idea. I have high hopes. Thank you Maxis!!

Thank you for reviving the series that we all though was dead years ago!!! But please, make sure there is a single player mode as well as keeping the zoning idea. I have high hopes. Thank you Maxis!!

Awesome - I've waited a long time to play a new version of SimCity! Will there be a public beta? If so, can you provide details?

We know that fans of the franchise will be eager to learn more about the game...

Such as whether user custom content will be fully supported by EA/Maxis...
SC4 would not be still around today if it were not for the efforts of the community custom content creators. Then we will truly rejoice!

We know that fans of the franchise will be eager to learn more about the game...

Such as whether user custom content will be fully supported by EA/Maxis...
SC4 would not be still around today if it were not for the efforts of the community custom content creators. Then we will truly rejoice!

We know that fans of the franchise will be eager to learn more about the game...

Such as whether user custom content will be fully supported by EA/Maxis...
SC4 would not be still around today if it were not for the efforts of the community custom content creators. Then we will truly rejoice!

We know that fans of the franchise will be eager to learn more about the game...

Such as whether user custom content will be fully supported by EA/Maxis...
SC4 would not be still around today if it were not for the efforts of the community custom content creators. Then we will truly rejoice!

Please make SimCity 5 compatible with Mac OS! I was so thrilled about the announcement until I saw the system requirements.

Please make SimCity 5 compatible with Mac OS! I was so thrilled about the announcement until I saw the system requirements.

Please make SimCity 5 compatible with Mac OS! I was so thrilled about the announcement until I saw the system requirements.

Please make SimCity 5 compatible with Mac OS! I was so thrilled about the announcement until I saw the system requirements.

Please make SimCity 5 compatible with Mac OS! I was so thrilled about the announcement until I saw the system requirements.

Great - As an Urban Planner im a great fan - I put some suggested improvements on my blog http://wp.me/pNECF-2W8

1. Make it fully 3D rather than Pixel Art

Which with modern graphic cards can be taken as given. It should also enable you to drive through streets and walk through your city.

2. Make it a Global Game

Sim City has been very American. It easily enabled you to design grids and car orientated cities. It was less good at curvy streets and what urban designers call 'Barcelona Blocks' perimeter blocks of irregular shape where buildings front the street and their is a back courtyards. The designers say it will have curvy streets and zoning, so fingers crossed. They key test though is whether buildings will adapt to those streets. it did not enable you to design pedestrian orientated streets with a mix of modes. It did not enable you to mix uses vertically in a fine grain manner of the kind you find in most historic cities. It didnt simulate the rapid chaotic urbanism you find in the growth of most global cities as we now find in the developing world. Sim City never had shoddily built concrete buildings and there was never slums in Sim City. This reduces it relevance to a global audience.

3. Properly simulate the economic trade-offs and benefits

If you spend lots on energy/commuting then you will have less money for real estate. A city that spends on energy by consuming it in automobile use will be poorer and vulnerable to changes in gas prices. But also larger denser cities with have economies of scale. They say everything will be simulated in Sim City - lets hop so - but not everywhere can be artists cities as otherwise the price of sprockets will rocket - so will the simulation model the economic interactivity between cities and between cities with a disparity of natural resources and accessibility. The developers say they have a new sim model that will enable people, buildings etc all to be modelled so lets hope so.

4. Integrate with Other Software

Will you be able to export or import to openstreet map or esri? Will you be able to bring in or out buildings to sketch-up, google earth or city engine? If it did there would be a nerdgasm from the Geo-community.

5. Simulate Water Cycle infrastructure in a new way

In Simms cities of the past you had to lay individual pipes, tedious and missing the key issues about what type of infrastructure to have. Do you go for septic tanks, sewers or solid waste collection (as in china). Do you go the extra cost and seperate fould and surface water drainage, and if you dont in heavy rain you will have pollution episodes. It shuld also be realitically expensive to dig up and relay/redesign sewers.

6. Allow for Total Streets and Shared Spaces

In CityCad urban planning software, and autocad civil 3D you can design a cross section of street and set out you own road hierarchy based on these typologies which will automatically be laid out when you set down the street network. But it should go further and allow for 'naked streets' and shared spaces where footways are not always explicitly designed. Pedestrians should be treated and modelled seriously. All car trips should begin and end with modelled pedestrian trips. Pedestrians sims should avoid busy dangerous roads, as should cyclist sims. Indeed you should be able to design cycle priority. The amount of people visting an area by foot should reflect its walkability and the number of attractions (trip ends).

7. Allow for Procedural Building designs and Design Codes

If they are using a procedural rules for buildings then you should be able to set them realistically in a form based zoning type of design code. For example 50% of the building must be to the street line, maximum and minimum setbacks and plot coverage. Enable setting of floor area ratio and bonuses. Enable for example mandating stoops and roof forms. Have a look at some of the best form based codes for inspiration as well as the rules in City Engine.

8. Allow for Design Review and Heritage Conservation

At the amount all you can do is zone. Why not allow you to set up design reviews by zones so you can reject designs until you get one you like. Another realism amendment. Similarly allow building by building and zone by zone preservation rules. Of course with this there will be economic trade offs. Cheaper older buildings might encourage gentrification by sims. Also allow for abandoment, and 'urban prairies'.

9. Treat Hazards Seriously

This was lost after Siim city 2000. But a proper 3d game will able serious treatment of rivers and flooding. How much money do you spend on levees? Do you build above a 50, year, 100 year, 200 year flood lin? Do you make buildings more expensive and earthquake resistant or just take the economic hit and rebuild. Poor people might build favellas on slopes, which could be vulnerable from flash flooding. These are the day to day concerns of urban planning globally.

10. Allow a choice, to Plan or let the market reign

At the moment buildings only happen where you zone. You should also have the choice at the beginning to nave the alternative that sims can build anything, anywhere unless you place restrictions in. You might then have mines, blast furnaces, factoriesand slums springing up at the beginning of the game and you having to deal with the consequences.

This is the best news in a VERY long time !!! Please, please, PLEASE don't ruin the game like it was ruined by Simcity Societies. Please make it deep, complex and huge so we - all the old Sim City - Fanatics will have a game to turn to (instead of the good old SC4, many of us still plays).

I know Maxis can pull this off. The multiplayer aspect sounds truly amazing. In my mind I'm aleady there. Its going to be a long wait, but one that will definitely be worth it. Going to dig out SC4 now.

I hope this new version of the game doesn't distant from realism and I also hope that as SC4 this new version will support custom content, I mean SC4 still has very active fan-sites where thousands of people share custom content of incredible quality that has kept the game alive for many many years! As developers you should take the time to visit these fan-sites to see what people appreciate from the game. Thousands of people