Is SimCity 4 Dead?

[gmark4711 0]

I find that I now have the time to get back into SimCity and this particular thread is very helpful. Given all of the modding and forum activity surrounding the current version (even though many years of age), I would have to concur that while the franchise might be a bit long in the tooth, the application and the community are very much alive.

I think it time that I get back to some city building!

Cheers!

Gmark

[ZackAttack 0]

Oh! this is all nice, But ever since I saw my older cozin playing simcity 2000 in 1996 (I was only six years old!), It was a life changing experience!

Here's a short story of my life if nobody minds, when I first got my simcity 2000 I never liked any other game, on my 7th birthday my moms friend heard I was a big fan of Simcity so she got me the original Simcity (played it until I maxed out on the gameplay).

At the year 1999 I was only 9 by then I heard that simcity 3000 was coming out, so I made a pack with my dad when he traveled for work for over a month, the pack was that I turned on the sprinklers (at that time we didn't have timed sprinklers ), so I did what I was told, Finally! my dad came back and as promised I got Simcity 3000 now the problem is my computer was too old for it (I was really smart, well only for simcity smart knew everything about computers to make it work), so this was a new problem for me.

I have heard my neighbor got a new PC, Made a deal with him that I would clean his garage and water the garden, for an hour of simcity 3000 on his PC everyday.

After a couple of years I have got into The Sims but then heard of the release of Simcity 4, this time I learned from my lessons, first of all convinced my dad that our PC was too old (so he changed it), saved up my money to buy the game, then I knew I was on the right path.

Year 2003 simcity 4 was released, it changed the way I think of life. over the years I went to college: First: I studied a year of civil engineering but math was too hard for me, Second: half a semester of Architecture, but as life turns out not everything you dream of is possible (some people actually did it, I'm really happy for them), then after another semester of English Literature, did great but wasn't appealing to me, So now I'm studying Dentistry second year (Not going to change ).

This is my life of simcity, if it is was dead my life meant nothing, to me it's alive and keeps me moving and the people here on Simtropolis kept me moving.

Some might say this is pathetic or I'm just nuts, But I forever will still play simcity even if there is no other release even in the next 10 years (lets just hope that EA finally got back to it's senses by that time)

Zack Sorry for the long post

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Zack, that was a wonderful saga.  You have Simcity to fall back on during all those years of halitosis.  Some dentists give up, but you have cities to build in your spare time, you lucky stiff.

I expect this game to go on and on.  I can't play right now because of a technical glitch, but I am moving heaven and earth to get it fixed.  Simcity is my prime time waster in my retirement and it is keeping my grey cells active.  Haven't played for about a week, and I am beginning to have withdrawal symptoms.  I might even resurrect my old machine just to I can play.

[madhatter106 3,905]

Is this thread dead?

[_marsh_ 1,117]

I know I am dead. 

[Prophet42 1,503]

In my mind, it is far from dead.  I still play it.  In fact I'm still working my En Gedi region since 2005!!  I may not be the fastest player, but a least I'm detailed.

[TheMentalist 9]

After several games I played this year, including Alan Wake, GTA IV: TLAD, GTA IV: TBOGT, Mafia 2, I'm still returning to Sim City 4. This is my 3rd time period when I'm playing Sim City 4. First was after it's release and 2nd in 2008. I make new City Journal - almost 8 years after release date.

Sim City 4 is not dying. There are several users visitng Simtropolis every day, new BATs and mods are being released, new CJ's started. Remember that Simtropolis isn't the only Sim City-related community. There are a lot of local or smaller sites and some users from those sites don't have accounts here. I think hundreds of people are playing it right now, which is enough to make strong players community.

Even if Sim City 5 would ever be made, it will definetly have less content inside. Maybe graphics would be upgraded, more tools added, but I don't think Maxis or EA will add for example 15 different stadiums to the game. During last 8 years several mods and buildings were published and it will take some time to made the same for the new title.

Because my hard drive was damaged in 2008 and I lost all my files connected to Sim City 4, I recently have to download everything again. I have almost 2000 things downloaded from STEX, LEX and other sites. Probably core version of Sim City would be dead, but with all these files makes it better than Cities XL 2011.

To sum up, I think Sim City is close to retirement, but far from death.

[MajinDarkness 5]

*checks for a pulse....*

Nope, the SimCity fanbase still isn't dead yet.

[Timmystwin 201]

I got black ops on tuesday. Im now doing some awsome farms. Dead? I think not.

[MandelSoft 2,770]

The only thing for me that seperates SimCity from all other games I played: it never bores me and it never gets old

[SimCity4muztah99 0]

SimCity 4 ain't dead yet dude....I agree to all they said and it still has a very active community here on Simtropolis...besides, SimCity 4 is sooo much better than CitiesXL because more players still play it even though it's an old game... I suggest you to play it even more...okay???

[The Bluejay 40]

SC4 easily has one of the most - perhaps the most - dedicated and prolific community around. Partly due to a lack of sequels, partly due to the ease of modding, partly due to the sheer length of time for which it has been the city builder.

The CitiesXL series is nice, but it is a different game and works in a different way, and attracts a different group of people to SC4. I don't think that it's going to be a SC4 killer, and you only have to look at other games around to verify this. Halos 1 & 2 were still being avidly played over the original Xbox live right up until the end of the service. The output of the Sims2 custom content community continues to vastly outweigh that of the sequel.

This dedication to SC4 is not entirely a good thing - We can't imagine SC4 without NAM, CAM, and hundreds - even thousands - of custom buildings. Games like Cities XL just can't compete with that.

[§haÅ--Ñ€ §hÅŽo 370]

Originally posted by: The Bluejay

SC4 easily has one of the most - perhaps the most - dedicated and prolific community around. Partly due to a lack of sequels, partly due to the ease of modding, partly due to the sheer length of time for which it has been the city builder.

The CitiesXL series is nice, but it is a different game and works in a different way, and attracts a different group of people to SC4. I don't think that it's going to be a SC4 killer, and you only have to look at other games around to verify this. Halos 1 & 2 were still being avidly played over the original Xbox live right up until the end of the service. The output of the Sims2 custom content community continues to vastly outweigh that of the sequel.

This dedication to SC4 is not entirely a good thing - We can't imagine SC4 without NAM, CAM, and hundreds - even thousands - of custom buildings. Games like Cities XL just can't compete with that.quote>

True. Also because it has over 300,000 fans. http://www.pcworld.com/article/158850/the_ten_greatest_pc_games_ever.html This site gives SimCity the spot #4 of all time best games. With the Sims at number 8

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Interestingly enough, the illustration is for SimCity 1.  This has also been released by EA and appears as Micropolis.

[non_party 0]

sc4 never die, because no one has yet invented a town-planning simulator better than simcity 4, i think

[Made in Erie 814 60]

SimCity4 will be dead the day technology dies. I can't think of any other way to put it.

[Loney 22]

SC4 is still breathing, but its already showing its age due to occasional issues with multiple core processors and graphic cards attempting to cram graphic features down SC4's throat.

SC4 will die as soon as new operating systems, processors, graphic cards, and other hardware components no longer support SC4, unless if someone manages to code and upload an emulator.

[ryanrunt 0]

no it will not!

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

no it will not!

Long live Linux. Any Microsoft .exe created prior to .NET will run under wine with whatever Windows decor you choose. .NET stuff runs under mono. If DOS executables are no longer operable in Windows, everyone using them will simply jump ship.

[NCGAIO 562]

Although I agree with what you say about Linux have to remember that other facts also has led to exhaustion of the model SC4. Technological developments that can no longer cling to outdated models to keep an alleged compatibility ... under penalty of losing market share to competition as is the case with the S3D cliping Nvidia cards will not bother to solve it just for the game already has more than 8 years.

I do not mean that I agree with statements that are dying. I am a diehard fan of the game since it was released but I know what has kept open, and without doubt the legions of members of the forums that have transformed the way we see Simcity. I doubt that even the folks at EA had the notion that dozens of dedicated programmers to search would put the guts of the game to offer the community things that never bother.

This is no longer just a builder of cities with the function of creating a game for fun ... the search for promising prospects of reality in the limited capacity of the visions of the game are the result of this work. So I think the day is still far away ... where the last one to leave turn out the lights!

[Andresta 19]

NAM 5.0 was recently released. With a major mods, including NAM, still releasing new updates, it's very hard to conclude to that SC4 is dead. Despite being 8 years old, some of my upperclassmen are still playing SC4! This also shows that this game has an incredible staying power.

[LivingInThePast 364]

The fact that SimCity.com redirects to the Facebook page for SimCity 4 means at least Societies is deep-sixed.

[2farnorth 26]

Simcity4 will never die.

It is one of the best games ever, and mods like the nam always adds something new.

[sejr99999 8,351]

I bought rush hour in 2003, quit in 2004 then reloaded it in 2009 and discovered Simtropolis, SC4D, Simpeg and a few European sites and this is a completely new game and gets fresher every day, I will play it as long as I have a compatible computer

[Jazzmaster 716]

For the Facebook page, it's hard for me to say; only because I can't tell if it's a sign of a true comeback, or if it just gained some moments in the spotlight because of this '9-9-9' Fiasco.

However I will say, there's no way I can ever forget this game. I paid $20 for it, 4 years ago and it's still so fresh thanks to everyone here. I could've bought the latest Call of Duty for $60 and gotten 3 months of fun out of it if that, but no game I've owned will ever have the same value this game.

It's funny, people ask me why I think it's fun. "You build a city, and then what?"..I don't think they understand that it's the journey, not the destination. The same can be said about any game "You beat the game, and then what?". The best titles have little secrets and things, and you'll know they're out there by a progression bar (you beat the final boss, but you've only 60% completed the game.); but the point about SimCity 4 is there is no finish line, and nobody to tell you you're done. You just keep having fun with it, if you're into it enough that is.

  Edited October 30, 2011 by Yoshiisland  

[LivingInThePast 364]

For the Facebook page, it's hard for me to say; only because I can't tell if it's a sign of a true comeback, or if it just gained some moments in the spotlight because of this '9-9-9' Fiasco.

However I will say, there's no way I can ever forget this game. I paid $20 for it, 4 years ago and it's still so fresh thanks to everyone here. I could've bought the latest Call of Duty for $60 and gotten 3 months of fun out of it if that, but no game I've owned will ever have the same value this game.

It's funny, people ask me why I think it's fun. "You build a city, and then what?"..I don't think they understand that it's the journey, not the destination. The same can be said about any game "You beat the game, and then what?". The best titles have little secrets and things, and you'll know they're out there by a progression bar (you beat the final boss, but you've only 60% completed the game.); but the point about SimCity 4 is there is no finish line, and nobody to tell you you're done. You just keep having fun with it, if you're into it enough that is.

I don't think you CAN be done with it. Cities keep growing, don't they? You can keep adding onto your region, linking cities into a massive megalopolis with suburbs, farmland, mass transit, and more. And if that's not all, learn the BAT and create buildings.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

^ I agree wholeheartedly. I bought SimCity 4 when it was new, and the payback has been going on for about 10 years now. Pennies per year for hours and hours of pleasure.

The open-endedness is unlike any other game I have ever played. Because it is a very extensive simulation with user content add ons it remains fresh and exciting.

The program can never end because the player sets his own goal, and having achieved it can go on to further goals. I think I have changed my playing style at least 10 times over the years. I also get bored with my current regions and occasionally clear them off and start over. I tried that recently without my plugins and found that I really couldn't live without them. They have been carefully selected since I joined Simtropolis.

Some members are in a "can you top this" thread on large populations. This is not my idea of a city. I prefer sparse populations not downtown Calcutta. However, every man to his own vision. Someone else has a thread that shows he always runs in pause mode and just wants to plop everything to make a nice city. This is not using the game to its potential, but they are his bucks. Everyone does his own thing, and some of us contribute so much effort to this and other sites exchanges that they deserve to be canonized.

[Mario 0]

SimCity4 is far from dead due to it's dedicated fan base.

Very similar to the MS Flight Simulator game and it's fan base.

[dazza262 133]

Everyone does his own thing, and some of us contribute so much effort to this and other sites exchanges that they deserve to be canonized.

Thats the reason that SC4 is very much alive, I fear that without these contributions the game may have died by now.

I originally started playing in 2003 when it first came out, after a couple of years I gradually moved onto other games, and it was left gathering dust on the shelf.

Then, one boring sunday afternoon earlier this year I decided to load up my old SC4 just for old times sake, and I was immediately hooked once again. At the time I was completely unaware of all the custom content that was now available, and then while surfing around the net for anything SimCity related I stumbled acroess Simtropolis and a whole new world was opened up for me. I promptly invested in a shiny new copy of deluxe, and set about downloading and reading as many of the excellent guides and tutorials available here.

So it's hats off to everybody who puts in so much time and effort for their contributions to this and other sites, for keeping the game fresh, utterly addictive, and ultimately very much alive.

I, for one, am very grateful, and I thank you all.

[PontiacFiero84 109]

off course it's not dead! It's just coughing up blood!