SimCity Game Intro Trailer

[RyanMorgan95 144]

The trailer shows off so many things - where to start! I guess it's really highlighting collaboration within the multi-city play, concluding with the space rocket launch. I don't seem as concerned about city size; whether that's because the city areas are close together or we're finally seeing a full 4km square map, I'm not sure, although I'd still like to see much larger maps. Other comments:

• Building textures still have a plastic look to them, although there is plenty of building variation within cities
  
• Hi-tech industry looks very, very futuristic (maybe a bit too sci-fi)
  
• Smoke/steam effects (particles I guess) look really good!
  
• Industrial buildings need more imaginative names.
  
• The freight train looks nice, and is a decent length (plus horn sounds!)
  
• Cars are too wide
  
• It would of have been nice if they used a musical piece that we haven't heard before; this one is from the very first trailer.
  

Overall, I feel more likely to buy SimCity after this.

I'd love to hear what everyone else thinks!

[fiver 306]

The video is rated 10+ "Mild Violence" (!), while this "doll town" is exactly for children of 7 to 10.

After all the recent screenshots posted here, I would expect the intro to look better. But no, the town still looks like the 'not final software' inscription is likely to pop up.

It will be the first Sim City which looks ok only in the dark.

[Ocram's Razr 963]

This video is OK. E10 makes sense, since there will be crime, casinos, and bars. The Sims is a virtual doll house and it is rated T. The High Tech Industry buildings certainly look too futuristic. I wish there was a type of more generic looking factories between dirty manufacturing and futuristic High-Tech.

--Ocram

[macvirt 361]

It is a work in progress, though the freeze is actually pretty close. Still, somehow it seems caught between trying to cater to the biggest volume and strategic trends for both look & feel (and limitations to the interaction model) and those markets which actually buy it for going deep. Feels a bit like a project caught between the suits with directives and devs still trying to compensate for that with the actual game. Some big risks for the marketing campaign visible in that regard.

But yeah, it is an ok video. Definately some pride visible, which is good and fine. But indeed, it is too visible that the prime focus is trends that are really part of other parts of the industry. Bit of a shame.

[Sandis_van_Great 346]

The trailer shows off so many things - where to start! I guess it's really highlighting collaboration within the multi-city play, concluding with the space rocket launch. I don't seem as concerned about city size; whether that's because the city areas are close together or we're finally seeing a full 4km square map, I'm not sure, although I'd still like to see much larger maps. Other comments:

• Building textures still have a plastic look to them, although there is plenty of building variation within cities
  
• Hi-tech industry looks very, very futuristic (maybe a bit too sci-fi)
  
• Smoke/steam effects (particles I guess) look really good!
  
• Industrial buildings need more imaginative names.
  
• The freight train looks nice, and is a decent length (plus horn sounds!)
  
• Cars are too wide
  
• It would of have been nice if they used a musical piece that we haven't heard before; this one is from the very first trailer.
  

Overall, I feel more likely to buy SimCity after this.

I'd love to hear what everyone else thinks!

Lol, what was so impressing in this video that made you want to buy it now?

Thoes empty wastlands betwen block of "city"?

That non ecisting nature(5 trees around a city)

Thoes buildings that look almost the same as the ones in first sc5 pictures?

thoes small city sizes that have space for 3 skyscreapers and 5 houses?

that super cool new engine that cant even hold big citys?

that fact that you are forced to be online?

that its made as an facebook game where you have to send presents to your frends?

the fact that there is no terrain editing?

or that such a small villages have traffic on every corner?

[Jim14409 448]

SC2013 doesn't even come close to the realistic look of SC4 it seems to me. The terrain, the buildings, the vehicles, the streets, and the way the buildings are placed. None of it appeals to me visually. However I am happy for those who are happy.

[Urban Cartographer 601]

Interesting trailer. However, there are many things that I want that are not in the trailer. All the cities shown have skyscrapers next to undevelopable land (and the boundary between city and undevelopable land is very clear).

I will wait one year before thinking of picking up this game. Hopefully, it would be vastly improved.

[nathanthemayor 1,261]

IMO, it looks pretty awesome!

[Cyclone Boom 16,829]

A game intro is a game intro. It's something that doesn't influence the game's mechanics, but should rather showcase its best aspects. It does this to a satisfactorily standard, although it is unnecessarily long.

However, as I said on this news item, there must be a way to turn it off like with SC4. It's not something that I'd appreciate enduring every time I start the game.

[RyanMorgan95 144]

Lol, what was so impressing in this video that made you want to buy it now?

Thoes empty wastlands betwen block of "city"?

That non ecisting nature(5 trees around a city)

Thoes buildings that look almost the same as the ones in first sc5 pictures?

thoes small city sizes that have space for 3 skyscreapers and 5 houses?

that super cool new engine that cant even hold big citys?

that fact that you are forced to be online?

that its made as an facebook game where you have to send presents to your frends?

the fact that there is no terrain editing?

or that such a small villages have traffic on every corner?

I don't have a problem with most if not all of what you said. If you don't want to buy it, don't, but I most probably will, no matter how much you try to persuade me not to.

And no, it's not made as a Facebook game. Honestly.

[macvirt 361]

Actually, the design principles followed are the same. It caters to generic users of the casual / leisure type categories, focuses on broad gameplay but avoids taking the user to deep gameplay, and so forth. Has a distinct focus on social / sharing elements. Styleguide visibly falls away from realism to the comfort type of stylesets. Etc. It's just not browserbased, but then again, it is cloud focused on all levels. Including having savegames not locally, but in the cloud. Which would not surprise me if that turned out to be nothing more than an anti piracy attempt that bit.

It's not a bad thing, just different. People tend to use the term "facebook game" as a bit of a derogatory statement, which is understandable considering how tainted it is by excessive monetisation focus. But let's be honest, whether it is coins or gold or DLC, monetisation is part of the state of affairs these days.

[Xenocity 343]

Actually, the design principles followed are the same. It caters to generic users of the casual / leisure type categories, focuses on broad gameplay but avoids taking the user to deep gameplay, and so forth. Has a distinct focus on social / sharing elements. Styleguide visibly falls away from realism to the comfort type of stylesets. Etc. It's just not browserbased, but then again, it is cloud focused on all levels. Including having savegames not locally, but in the cloud. Which would not surprise me if that turned out to be nothing more than an anti piracy attempt that bit.

It's not a bad thing, just different. People tend to use the term "facebook game" as a bit of a derogatory statement, which is understandable considering how tainted it is by excessive monetisation focus. But let's be honest, whether it is coins or gold or DLC, monetisation is part of the state of affairs these days.

Again none of this is true.

Simcity 2013 has a much deeper level of simulation and data than Simcity 4.

This is done due to the servers being able to handle it, while our PCs cannot (unless you own an extremely high end PC).

It is also near impossible to code a simulator that deep and develop it in under 10 years.

Again Simcity 4 is not that deep when it comes to data and simulation.

Nor does Simcity 4 have realistic graphics, it has the Simcity art style.

So far the simulation detail is amazingly deep, cutomization is yet to get there (it took over 5 years for Simcity 4 to get all the content it currently has).

So yeah Simcity 2013 is not "casual" in anyway, shape and form.

Most Simcity players don't bother to go as in depth as players on this forum.

Why? They don't see the need.

This doesn't make them "casual", it just means they aren't obsessed with maxing out every aspect of the game.

Yes I am going to buy the digital download from Amazon.com (yes you can do this for the PC version, the Mac version is only through Origin).

[JaceTwice 115]

I like the looks of the High Tech buildings. Other than that it's a perfectly serviceable intro movie.

Also I'd call SimCity somewhere in between hardcore and casual. Pretty much all of the games in the series have been deep enough to pose the player with a ton of different problems and solutions (Including SC2013 from my guess of the gameplay), yet they're also games that everyone and their mother has played at some point or other, so it's not niche either. It's like Myst I think; one of those good games that everyone has played.

[macvirt 361]

Simcity 2013 has a much deeper level of simulation and data than Simcity 4.

This is done due to the servers being able to handle it, while our PCs cannot (unless you own an extremely high end PC).

It is also near impossible to code a simulator that deep and develop it in under 10 years.

Again Simcity 4 is not that deep when it comes to data and simulation.

Nor does Simcity 4 have realistic graphics, it has the Simcity art style.

So far the simulation detail is amazingly deep, cutomization is yet to get there (it took over 5 years for Simcity 4 to get all the content it currently has).

So yeah Simcity 2013 is not "casual" in anyway, shape and form.

Most Simcity players don't bother to go as in depth as players on this forum.

Why? They don't see the need.

This doesn't make them "casual", it just means they aren't obsessed with maxing out every aspect of the game.

Yes I am going to buy the digital download from Amazon.com (yes you can do this for the PC version, the Mac version is only through Origin).

There is no comparing SC4 to SC2013 or vice versa for anything other than the names within the established franchise and the general orientation of the genre and scope of the product. We can't even speak of an evolution between the two, in spite of these things because of the different approaches, the origins thereof and the commercial targeting of each individual product.

Both are flagship titles, set to function as foundation elements to what is known as brand value. Each is a product of its time. On a codebase level, on an engine level, completely different beasts. One was made in its own derivative right, the other was made as a stepping stone for the societies engine. Most importantly though, and often people forget that, they are different states of products. SC4 today is (indeed, though it took about two years) not a release product, it is a nurtured product (a term reserved for games that have been carried by its users, as opposed to by its publisher or developers). SC2013 faces completely different challenges in that regard than SC4, challenges which did not even exist in those days

Don't confuse terminology like "casual" or "leisure" in reference to game design and marketing concepts with very humanly subjective but in this context completely unrelated personal interpretations. These are references of user typing, categories of market and product research. They are not value statements or anything like that. Honestly, don't read that kind of angle in to what is simply research terminology of this industry.

I don't discount the hardware evolution that has taken its place between the times of these products, as I said, both are products of their time. In more ways than one, this should be obvious. But I do doubt that the marketing presentation of Maxis will equate to the actual underlying motivations and decisions resulting in the actual state of product upon release We have to be honest there, they would be the first company in the history of this industry using marketing instrumentation prior to release if that were to be the case. This is nothing bad, this is just business "as is".

For the casual or leisure type of consumer categories in gaming SC2013 is actually, as stated before, very well tuned in to aspects of trends, points of comfort in exposure and experience and general appeal. It is not the new SimCity, it's a next SimCity.

But honestly, the presentations sofar on model capabilities do not match realistically. The online component elements are direct mirrors from EA debates at the last 3 GDC's, up to and including the concept of "presenting cloud connectivity as data handling for the purposes of ensuring protection of various rights and interests". I'll be the first to congratulate Maxis if they actually do a meaningful implementation of a balanced transaction handling system between client and server for more than just the market and attached mechanisms (note the "more" part) and I am willing to admit that a lot of my doubt comes from the direct insistance on remote save game prioritisation (which is a direct copy of EA talk) as something closer to a syndrome of strategic focus first, game second.

Either way, as pointed out earlier, we will have to see. There is no point in making any decisions now. People are obviously free to do so, for good reasons It does not hurt though to realise that all we see until release (and actually for a while after that too, as such things are commonly well planned and prepared) is marketing. There is neither truth nor value to that other than means & methods of the sales pitch. That is normal. We all want to believe, especially when we care. That is human, and that is the basis of both marketing and sales (just like any form of human dynamics really). And no, that is not slagging off, nor is it paranoia It's just business.

[Sandis_van_Great 346]

Lol, what was so impressing in this video that made you want to buy it now?

Thoes empty wastlands betwen block of "city"?

That non ecisting nature(5 trees around a city)

Thoes buildings that look almost the same as the ones in first sc5 pictures?

thoes small city sizes that have space for 3 skyscreapers and 5 houses?

that super cool new engine that cant even hold big citys?

that fact that you are forced to be online?

that its made as an facebook game where you have to send presents to your frends?

the fact that there is no terrain editing?

or that such a small villages have traffic on every corner?

I don't have a problem with most if not all of what you said. If you don't want to buy it, don't, but I most probably will, no matter how much you try to persuade me not to.

And no, it's not made as a Facebook game. Honestly.

question was , what from this trailer was so special that made you decide to buy it? the only one new future i saw was that rocket station.

dont need to start this, dont want dont buy crap again.

[RyanMorgan95 144]

Lol, what was so impressing in this video that made you want to buy it now?

Thoes empty wastlands betwen block of "city"?

That non ecisting nature(5 trees around a city)

Thoes buildings that look almost the same as the ones in first sc5 pictures?

thoes small city sizes that have space for 3 skyscreapers and 5 houses?

that super cool new engine that cant even hold big citys?

that fact that you are forced to be online?

that its made as an facebook game where you have to send presents to your frends?

the fact that there is no terrain editing?

or that such a small villages have traffic on every corner?

I don't have a problem with most if not all of what you said. If you don't want to buy it, don't, but I most probably will, no matter how much you try to persuade me not to.

And no, it's not made as a Facebook game. Honestly.

question was , what from this trailer was so special that made you decide to buy it? the only one new future i saw was that rocket station.

dont need to start this, dont want dont buy crap again.

Read my first post; I said I'm more likely to buy it after the trailer. It looked very good in my opinion.

[cirugo 1,889]

I asked in the article on the front page if this was official...I find it astounding that they've made an intro video that HIGHLIGHTS one of the biggest complaints people have about the game: small, discontinguous city areas separated by big empty spaces.

[Sandis_van_Great 346]

Lol, what was so impressing in this video that made you want to buy it now?

Thoes empty wastlands betwen block of "city"?

That non ecisting nature(5 trees around a city)

Thoes buildings that look almost the same as the ones in first sc5 pictures?

thoes small city sizes that have space for 3 skyscreapers and 5 houses?

that super cool new engine that cant even hold big citys?

that fact that you are forced to be online?

that its made as an facebook game where you have to send presents to your frends?

the fact that there is no terrain editing?

or that such a small villages have traffic on every corner?

I don't have a problem with most if not all of what you said. If you don't want to buy it, don't, but I most probably will, no matter how much you try to persuade me not to.

And no, it's not made as a Facebook game. Honestly.

question was , what from this trailer was so special that made you decide to buy it? the only one new future i saw was that rocket station.

dont need to start this, dont want dont buy crap again.

Read my first post; I said I'm more likely to buy it after the trailer. It looked very good in my opinion.

Yes, and that meens that after you saw the trailer you more likely are gona buy it, so again im asking what was so special in it that made you decide that you want it more now?

[RyanMorgan95 144]

Lol, what was so impressing in this video that made you want to buy it now?

Thoes empty wastlands betwen block of "city"?

That non ecisting nature(5 trees around a city)

Thoes buildings that look almost the same as the ones in first sc5 pictures?

thoes small city sizes that have space for 3 skyscreapers and 5 houses?

that super cool new engine that cant even hold big citys?

that fact that you are forced to be online?

that its made as an facebook game where you have to send presents to your frends?

the fact that there is no terrain editing?

or that such a small villages have traffic on every corner?

I don't have a problem with most if not all of what you said. If you don't want to buy it, don't, but I most probably will, no matter how much you try to persuade me not to.

And no, it's not made as a Facebook game. Honestly.

question was , what from this trailer was so special that made you decide to buy it? the only one new future i saw was that rocket station.

dont need to start this, dont want dont buy crap again.

Read my first post; I said I'm more likely to buy it after the trailer. It looked very good in my opinion.

Yes, and that meens that after you saw the trailer you more likely are gona buy it, so again im asking what was so special in it that made you decide that you want it more now?

Why does it have to be something "special". Please can you stop being so interrogative; I liked what I saw, end of story.

[Ocram's Razr 963]

I will talk about the trailer some more then respond to Macvirt's post. It is very enlightening though I have some questions.

First of all, I like the trailer OK but I guess Regional Minor Works and working farmland in regional space is impossible. It seems like commerical services and commercial offices are different occupant types but that could just be the style. It would be a step backwards if they are considered the same thing. Commercial offices should only consume a tiny bit of industrial products, hire many people, and produce Office Services, which behave sort of like electricity (as they are telecommunications), which benefits industry only. The high tech factories look too futuristic and I would appreciate it if a building style could allow for more realistic looking high tech factories. In reality, most high tech businesses look like offices or warehouses, while some use retrofitted and remodeled buildings that used to be manufacturing industry. The empty space between cities is a little off-putting and I really wanted something useful to be there, like farms. I really hope that one can mod new factories that act sort of like a hybrid between manufacturing industry and high tech industry that look like realistic modern, low polluting factories.

There is no comparing SC4 to SC2013 or vice versa for anything other than the names within the established franchise and the general orientation of the genre and scope of the product. We can't even speak of an evolution between the two, in spite of these things because of the different approaches, the origins thereof and the commercial targeting of each individual product.

Both are flagship titles, set to function as foundation elements to what is known as brand value. Each is a product of its time. On a codebase level, on an engine level, completely different beasts. One was made in its own derivative right, the other was made as a stepping stone for the societies engine. Most importantly though, and often people forget that, they are different states of products. SC4 today is (indeed, though it took about two years) not a release product, it is a nurtured product (a term reserved for games that have been carried by its users, as opposed to by its publisher or developers). SC2013 faces completely different challenges in that regard than SC4, challenges which did not even exist in those days

Don't confuse terminology like "casual" or "leisure" in reference to game design and marketing concepts with very humanly subjective but in this context completely unrelated personal interpretations. These are references of user typing, categories of market and product research. They are not value statements or anything like that. Honestly, don't read that kind of angle in to what is simply research terminology of this industry.

I don't discount the hardware evolution that has taken its place between the times of these products, as I said, both are products of their time. In more ways than one, this should be obvious. But I do doubt that the marketing presentation of Maxis will equate to the actual underlying motivations and decisions resulting in the actual state of product upon release We have to be honest there, they would be the first company in the history of this industry using marketing instrumentation prior to release if that were to be the case. This is nothing bad, this is just business "as is".

For the casual or leisure type of consumer categories in gaming SC2013 is actually, as stated before, very well tuned in to aspects of trends, points of comfort in exposure and experience and general appeal. It is not the new SimCity, it's a next SimCity.

But honestly, the presentations sofar on model capabilities do not match realistically. The online component elements are direct mirrors from EA debates at the last 3 GDC's, up to and including the concept of "presenting cloud connectivity as data handling for the purposes of ensuring protection of various rights and interests". I'll be the first to congratulate Maxis if they actually do a meaningful implementation of a balanced transaction handling system between client and server for more than just the market and attached mechanisms (note the "more" part) and I am willing to admit that a lot of my doubt comes from the direct insistance on remote save game prioritisation (which is a direct copy of EA talk) as something closer to a syndrome of strategic focus first, game second.

Either way, as pointed out earlier, we will have to see. There is no point in making any decisions now. People are obviously free to do so, for good reasons It does not hurt though to realise that all we see until release (and actually for a while after that too, as such things are commonly well planned and prepared) is marketing. There is neither truth nor value to that other than means & methods of the sales pitch. That is normal. We all want to believe, especially when we care. That is human, and that is the basis of both marketing and sales (just like any form of human dynamics really). And no, that is not slagging off, nor is it paranoia It's just business.

1. I understand that it is difficult to compare SimCity 4 to SimCity 2013 but they are both in the same genre so one can still compare them as much as one can compare SimCity 4 to City Life, Cities XL, and Anno 2070.

2. Stepping stone for societies engine? Are you talking about SimCity Societies? SimCity Societies is based off the Caesar IV engine since it is a 3D Tilted Mill city builder game.

3. SimCity and the Sims are both casual type of games. I would consider "hack and slash" and "first person shooters" as the evocatives of hard core games. Dwarf Fortress is hardcore in a different way.

4. Their marketing is pretty effective. It has swayed many people to buy this game. I will buy this game, but only at a good enough discount.

5. I am not sure what you mean by "it's a next SimCity." I consider it a new SimCity altogether.

6. I am ambivalent towards the online play and I wish that there would be offline autosaves that don't overwrite eachother and an offline mode, even if it has half of the features. I will also be impressed if Maxis pulls off the online mode well.

7. I have taken a few business classes (before changing my major) and have seen a few recorded seminars so I understand marketing enough fully agree with you that the information coming from EA/Maxis is not the full truth but is rather a ploy to get the consumer to buy and spend spend spend in this down economy.

[fiver 306]

This video is OK. E10 makes sense, since there will be crime, casinos, and bars.

What "will be" is another thing, imo. As for this particular 1.21-minute video, I have watched it a few times at its normal speed and couldn't catch any "mild violence". Maybe, if I slow it down many many times and somehow zoom in, I will notice something very naughty and terrible, I don't know.

[Thetford 22]

I wonder why people (of both sides of the argument), are so determined to change the viewpoints and opinions of the other side of the argument? Lovers gonna love, haters gonna hate and the Laissez faire are more or less fairly in the middle, or other such post modern crap.

[Xenocity 343]

I will talk about the trailer some more then respond to Macvirt's post. It is very enlightening though I have some questions.

First of all, I like the trailer OK but I guess Regional Minor Works and working farmland in regional space is impossible. It seems like commerical services and commercial offices are different occupant types but that could just be the style. It would be a step backwards if they are considered the same thing. Commercial offices should only consume a tiny bit of industrial products, hire many people, and produce Office Services, which behave sort of like electricity (as they are telecommunications), which benefits industry only. The high tech factories look too futuristic and I would appreciate it if a building style could allow for more realistic looking high tech factories. In reality, most high tech businesses look like offices or warehouses, while some use retrofitted and remodeled buildings that used to be manufacturing industry. The empty space between cities is a little off-putting and I really wanted something useful to be there, like farms. I really hope that one can mod new factories that act sort of like a hybrid between manufacturing industry and high tech industry that look like realistic modern, low polluting factories.

There is no comparing SC4 to SC2013 or vice versa for anything other than the names within the established franchise and the general orientation of the genre and scope of the product. We can't even speak of an evolution between the two, in spite of these things because of the different approaches, the origins thereof and the commercial targeting of each individual product.

Both are flagship titles, set to function as foundation elements to what is known as brand value. Each is a product of its time. On a codebase level, on an engine level, completely different beasts. One was made in its own derivative right, the other was made as a stepping stone for the societies engine. Most importantly though, and often people forget that, they are different states of products. SC4 today is (indeed, though it took about two years) not a release product, it is a nurtured product (a term reserved for games that have been carried by its users, as opposed to by its publisher or developers). SC2013 faces completely different challenges in that regard than SC4, challenges which did not even exist in those days

Don't confuse terminology like "casual" or "leisure" in reference to game design and marketing concepts with very humanly subjective but in this context completely unrelated personal interpretations. These are references of user typing, categories of market and product research. They are not value statements or anything like that. Honestly, don't read that kind of angle in to what is simply research terminology of this industry.

I don't discount the hardware evolution that has taken its place between the times of these products, as I said, both are products of their time. In more ways than one, this should be obvious. But I do doubt that the marketing presentation of Maxis will equate to the actual underlying motivations and decisions resulting in the actual state of product upon release We have to be honest there, they would be the first company in the history of this industry using marketing instrumentation prior to release if that were to be the case. This is nothing bad, this is just business "as is".

For the casual or leisure type of consumer categories in gaming SC2013 is actually, as stated before, very well tuned in to aspects of trends, points of comfort in exposure and experience and general appeal. It is not the new SimCity, it's a next SimCity.

But honestly, the presentations sofar on model capabilities do not match realistically. The online component elements are direct mirrors from EA debates at the last 3 GDC's, up to and including the concept of "presenting cloud connectivity as data handling for the purposes of ensuring protection of various rights and interests". I'll be the first to congratulate Maxis if they actually do a meaningful implementation of a balanced transaction handling system between client and server for more than just the market and attached mechanisms (note the "more" part) and I am willing to admit that a lot of my doubt comes from the direct insistance on remote save game prioritisation (which is a direct copy of EA talk) as something closer to a syndrome of strategic focus first, game second.

Either way, as pointed out earlier, we will have to see. There is no point in making any decisions now. People are obviously free to do so, for good reasons It does not hurt though to realise that all we see until release (and actually for a while after that too, as such things are commonly well planned and prepared) is marketing. There is neither truth nor value to that other than means & methods of the sales pitch. That is normal. We all want to believe, especially when we care. That is human, and that is the basis of both marketing and sales (just like any form of human dynamics really). And no, that is not slagging off, nor is it paranoia It's just business.

1. I understand that it is difficult to compare SimCity 4 to SimCity 2013 but they are both in the same genre so one can still compare them as much as one can compare SimCity 4 to City Life, Cities XL, and Anno 2070.

2. Stepping stone for societies engine? Are you talking about SimCity Societies? SimCity Societies is based off the Caesar IV engine since it is a 3D Tilted Mill city builder game.

3. SimCity and the Sims are both casual type of games. I would consider "hack and slash" and "first person shooters" as the evocatives of hard core games. Dwarf Fortress is hardcore in a different way.

4. Their marketing is pretty effective. It has swayed many people to buy this game. I will buy this game, but only at a good enough discount.

5. I am not sure what you mean by "it's a next SimCity." I consider it a new SimCity altogether.

6. I am ambivalent towards the online play and I wish that there would be offline autosaves that don't overwrite eachother and an offline mode, even if it has half of the features. I will also be impressed if Maxis pulls off the online mode well.

7. I have taken a few business classes (before changing my major) and have seen a few recorded seminars so I understand marketing enough fully agree with you that the information coming from EA/Maxis is not the full truth but is rather a ploy to get the consumer to buy and spend spend spend in this down economy.

1. I agree it is difficult to compare them. But with server based functions it does allow Maxis to build a much deeper simulation and analytics into Simcity 2013. Many games already have something similar in the analystics manner due to their server side, including Call of Duty.
   
   
2. Yeah I don't get what he means either. On that note Simcity 2013 uses Simcity 2000: Network Edition as its foundation/template. Simcity 2000: Network Edition is said to be the best version of Simcity to date due the online multiplayer modes
   
   
3. Simcity is actually neither "hardcore" or "casual" it falls in the middle.
   
   1. 
      
   2. The defintion of a "hardcore" game is the West (I am using the American definition not the other one) is:
      
      
   3. Shooters, Hack & Slash, Realistic Sports, Realistic Racers, and occasionally a few other games that do not fall in these genres
      
      
   4. A "hardcore" game by American definition also has loads of DLC
      
      
   5. They also have online co-op and other online modes
      
      
   6. Simcity 2013 is the closest Simcity has ever been to being "hardcore"
      [*]You've already been able to buy this game for 25% thru EA.

[*]I'd say Simcity 2013 is the next Simcity, since our cities are now replicating real life interaction with other cities.

[*]I wish there was an offline mode, but since my laptop is almost always connected the internet, it doesn't bother me too much.

[*]Companies as whole rarely release the full details. They only have to release what is required by law. Since this game has been ongoing in development, many things will have changed since the announcements.

[

[Superbacon 380]

Sorry to say, but it still doesn't look like a game that I can make a hobby out of.

[CaptCity 4,669]

Let's be careful with how we word things when responding to others' viewpoints and desires. Discussion is the ultimate goal here. Flat-out judgments directed toward others' views will only lead to mis-direction at best. Thanks.

[SirChick 184]

At this point I'm going to say SC4 has better graphics, that made me more put off than prior to seeing that =/ Those gaps are completely stupid... reminds me of railroad tycoon where the cities were spaced out. There was a purpose for that in that game... but in this game it just makes no sense what so ever.

They really took a weird direction for SC5 and I think the game is still going to not be that successful.

Anno 2070 graphics (but in modern setting) would of made this game look beautiful.

[Xenocity 343]

At this point I'm going to say SC4 has better graphics, that made me more put off than prior to seeing that =/ Those gaps are completely stupid... reminds me of railroad tycoon where the cities were spaced out. There was a purpose for that in that game... but in this game it just makes no sense what so ever.

They really took a weird direction for SC5 and I think the game is still going to not be that successful.

Anno 2070 graphics (but in modern setting) would of made this game look beautiful. Their graphic designer sucks imo.

I and many others beg to differ.

Simcity 4 was the most ugliest and bland Simcity game to date.

It tried to hard to be realistic.

Every other Simcity has had an artistic style to it.

[Superbacon 380]

At this point I'm going to say SC4 has better graphics, that made me more put off than prior to seeing that =/ Those gaps are completely stupid... reminds me of railroad tycoon where the cities were spaced out. There was a purpose for that in that game... but in this game it just makes no sense what so ever.

They really took a weird direction for SC5 and I think the game is still going to not be that successful.

Anno 2070 graphics (but in modern setting) would of made this game look beautiful. Their graphic designer sucks imo.

I and many others beg to differ.

Simcity 4 was the most ugliest and bland Simcity game to date.

It tried to hard to be realistic.

Every other Simcity has had an artistic style to it.

If you think the game to be the ugliest SimCity game to date. Even uglier than SC2000 and the original SimCity, then you should try it with some of the many terrain and building mods available.

[croxis 150]

At this point I'm going to say SC4 has better graphics, that made me more put off than prior to seeing that =/ Those gaps are completely stupid... reminds me of railroad tycoon where the cities were spaced out. There was a purpose for that in that game... but in this game it just makes no sense what so ever.

They really took a weird direction for SC5 and I think the game is still going to not be that successful.

Anno 2070 graphics (but in modern setting) would of made this game look beautiful. Their graphic designer sucks imo.

I and many others beg to differ.

Simcity 4 was the most ugliest and bland Simcity game to date.

It tried to hard to be realistic.

Every other Simcity has had an artistic style to it.

If you think the game to be the ugliest SimCity game to date. Even uglier than SC2000 and the original SimCity, then you should try it with some of the many terrain and building mods available.

Thats the point. Mods are mods. You can't take the additional person hours of work that went into the mod, which go on top of the development person hours that went into the vanilla game, and declair that it is superior. That would be like saying Civilization V is inferior because you can install the Rhys and Fall mod for Civ IV to make it a better game. If you compare a new, only in vanilla game to its heaviley modded predicesor (which can have years of added, free, developer hours) then the new game will always lose.

The point of reference really should be vanilla SC4 (yes, not including rush hour) and how that felt when it came out over SC3k.

[Xenocity 343]

At this point I'm going to say SC4 has better graphics, that made me more put off than prior to seeing that =/ Those gaps are completely stupid... reminds me of railroad tycoon where the cities were spaced out. There was a purpose for that in that game... but in this game it just makes no sense what so ever.

They really took a weird direction for SC5 and I think the game is still going to not be that successful.

Anno 2070 graphics (but in modern setting) would of made this game look beautiful. Their graphic designer sucks imo.

I and many others beg to differ.

Simcity 4 was the most ugliest and bland Simcity game to date.

It tried to hard to be realistic.

Every other Simcity has had an artistic style to it.

If you think the game to be the ugliest SimCity game to date. Even uglier than SC2000 and the original SimCity, then you should try it with some of the many terrain and building mods available.

Thats the point. Mods are mods. You can't take the additional person hours of work that went into the mod, which go on top of the development person hours that went into the vanilla game, and declair that it is superior. That would be like saying Civilization V is inferior because you can install the Rhys and Fall mod for Civ IV to make it a better game. If you compare a new, only in vanilla game to its heaviley modded predicesor (which can have years of added, free, developer hours) then the new game will always lose.

The point of reference really should be vanilla SC4 (yes, not including rush hour) and how that felt when it came out over SC3k.

Exactly.

I do have mod installed.

Simcity 2000 on Saturn had very cool future set that occured once you hit year 2000.

All the future buildings gave your city a cool look.