Timing of SCS

[jabezscratch 159]

Not to ignore the concerns that have been expressed w/ the apparent departure of SCS from the traditional look and feel of SC, but I wonder if the timing of SCS explains or at least contributes to the initial harsh reaction.

Consider the following:

1) SC4 is hardly outdated, techincally speaking (display resolutions are adequate and keep in step w/ more modern games; SC4 can be played on widescreen monitors w/o any issues; and there are no issues w/ its playability on Vista).

2) SC4, particularly w/ mods and loads of plugins, can still push current computer specs.  Even recently, the forums have been populated w/ thread after thread of comments about major slowdowns once city populations hit a relatively meager 60,000, let alone megacities that exceed one millions citizens.  2GBs of RAM and a powerful CPU seem to be minimum specs to keep the game running well w/ all of the mods.

3) SC4 does not look outdated.  But for 3D graphics, the game looks crisp and modern.

4) SC4 has been customized and modded extensively (more so than any game I can think of) to keep it current.

5) Further to points 3) and 4) above, real-life buildings and innovations that have emerged since the release of SC4 are possible, keeping the game looking current.

6) Player support for SC4 remains strong.

My point is why a new SC now?  I'll answer my own question (and look forward to any comments): because it will likely be a top seller and generate significant revenues.  Please don't take that as cynical as it sounds: I have no problem w/ the free market and profits.  I just wonder if that's the best reason to release a game like this at this point.  Also, in fairness to EA, one would reasonably figure that this is an appropriate time to see the next installment in the franchise.  After all, four years in the gaming industry is like an eternity.  As an avid StarCraft fan, I bemoan the fact that it took a decade for a sequel to the original.

[Pixelrage 34]

it's probably being done now to get back at Monte Cristo.

[simzebu 19]

You are absolutely right, jabezscratch. I don't know if that contributes to the bad response, though. I think most of the bad response is because it does not appear that SCS will have the look and feel of a SimCity game.

But technically, SC4 is still wonderful. I personally think that EA could have gotten away with another expansion pack for it. I don't know what they would put in it, since we've done far more than I ever could have imagined when RH came out.

[aking88 7]

Undoubtedly simcity is a very good game and with even more potential, just thinking about what could be done with the sourcecode makes me giggle frenetically.

The one thing which is most outdated though is the menus, which cannot handle all the plugins, its the number one setback to playability. Sourcecode availability could solve that too...

Simzebu:

I know many things they could put in it, solving issues such as restriction as to the number of different transit networks and the interfaceissue for example.

[simzebu 19]

Yeah. That would have to be it. An increased number of transit networks. Five new networks would have taken Maxis at most a year of work. Start selling the pack at 30 bucks a pop, times at least 50,000 people (That assumes that about a third of ST buys it at that price. That doesn't count all SC4 fans or even all ST fans), that's a mil and a half of income. Even if they finished WAY over budget, that would have been a quarter mil plus of easy cash in the bank.

Actually, I'm going to go work out some math on this...

EDIT: Here we go. This is estimated for the addition of 2-5 new transit networks, and support buildings for them.

Cost to make the expansion=$600000

Let's say it takes twenty people working eight hours a day, five days a week, fifty weeks to complete. Way over estimating there. And let's say they get paid $15/hour. These guys are rich.

20^programersx8^hours/dayx5^days/weekx50^weeksx15^$/hour

20x8x5x50x15=$600000 to make the game

Income from sales=$2,593,080

Now let's say Maxis/EA charges $30 for the expansion. I don't know the statistics for how many people would buy it, but let's say a number equal to half of Simtropolis's members buys it at the starting price. That's 86,436 people.

$30^/personx86436^people=$2,593,080

Profit=$1993080

Profit is an easy calculation from there.

$2,593,080_income--$600000_production=$1993080_profit

So by my estimates, Maxis/EA could make almost two million dollars from the creation of an expansion.Two mil if you add in the slightly increased sales of SC4E, and possible new users. And that's without ads. I say without ads because at least  half of the people here would buy it, assuming those features I mentioned were included. The only advertisement you would need would be a single press conference to announce it, and screenshots on the website.

The only problem is that a fat cat corp like EA won't care about two million little bucks. Their income before taxes was $325 million in '06 according to Wikipedia. To them that's just chump change to please a core group of not even a million people. Now if we could get the rights and ability to produce that.... it would be a big deal.

Actually, I like that idea. A defined group of ST members work to create the expansion. When the tech work is done (not the texturing, that can wait until after approval), ST members petition EA to give Simtropolis the rights to produce SimCity4: On the Road Again, or some name that's equally cheesy. Simtropolis takes the two income, the people who worked on the project get paid a nice sum, and the remaining money is used to keep ST up and running ad free.

[jabezscratch 159]

In keeping w/ the timing theme of this thread, colour me naive but I guess I was caught off guard by the "sudden" announcement of SCS.

Given how much the online community took SC4 beyond its original state, I suppose that I just expected EA to hold an open forum (a virtual town hall, if you will) and make the development of a sequel more of a collaborative effort. I can already hear some readers laugh when they read that but I just think that EA owes (yeah, I'll say it out loud but respectfully) its devout fan base some voice in the next evolutionary step of the game, however minor that voice may be. Obviously, that didn't and won't happen. I just don't see any evidence of consideration for the views of the game's core supporters.