New Video: "SimCity Shows Off Three Major Landmarks"

[ItsShane 18]

I love this, the price of the digital deluxe is a little steep though in my opinion.

P.S. Sorry if this has been posted already.

[ItsShane 18]

80 bucks eh

Hahah I know right. I think I'm going to stick with the limited edition, which is expensive enough.

[Xyloxadoria 1,098]

Both games are the same thing. You just have to pay to "unlock" things that ship with the original version of the game. If the game is anything like the beta, then the Digital Deluxe edition and the Limited Edition are the exact same download, its just that in the limited edition, the extra content is "locked" This was the case in the beta, if you looked in the landmarks section all the digital deluxe content was there. You just couldnt use it (it had the NOT IN BETA thing over it)

Personally I dont like that game companies do this nowadays. It would be like selling you a car that already has a power sunroof and heated seats. But those wont work unless you pay extra for them to turn them on.

[Hoipus 292]

The European buildings made me think of SimCity 3000 Unlimited.

[DMFan 37]

It would be like selling you a car that already has a power sunroof and heated seats. But those wont work unless you pay extra for them to turn them on.

This. Also, the cars that were sold a decade ago had no optionals and you had to pay a lot to get, for example, air-conditioning. Now these things are taken for granted when you buy a car.

The computer game market has gone in the opposite direction. They strip games down to their bones and then sell the product at full price. After that they start selling DLCs with things that should have been in the game from the beginning.

Do you want to know what I did when I saw this new trend? I stopped buying games at day one. Now I only buy GOTY editions or special sales on Steam (which contain all DLCs and expansions).

You reap what you sow.

[strokesboy21 11]

ill just a wait a few weeks after launch when the price will prob get knocked down or even in the run up if pre order sales are low they might do a "special offer" so ill hold out EA....

[Xenocity 343]

Meh I only like the German set and the high speed rail.

I'll by the upgrade pack for $20 later down the line (yes you can buy this as an expansion pack).

[jcarlilesiu 37]

Personally I dont like that game companies do this nowadays. It would be like selling you a car that already has a power sunroof and heated seats. But those wont work unless you pay extra for them to turn them on.

So you wouldn't have an issue if the game didn't download the items that weren't paid for?

[ItsShane 18]

Meh I only like the German set and the high speed rail.

I'll by the upgrade pack for $20 later down the line (yes you can buy this as an expansion pack).

I didn't realise you could do that. I think I'll do that too.

I'm just stating it's a lot more expensive to get the Digital Deluxe in Ireland since you have to get it of Origin and they rip us of. The Limited Edition is 40 euro in stores here, so paying double the price for the Digital Deluxe is ridiculous in my opinion. This is the internet by the way, people whine on the internet, a lot.

[Charizard 284]

$80 is still a lot when all you get is three sets of buildings and 3 additional landmarks. The base game alone costs $60 which is ridiculous since it isn't worth that much imo. In this economy every dollar matters. What happened to games being $50? It seems someone started selling games at $60 and now it's a trend.

Anyways I won't buy the game until it's down to the $20-$30 mark and all the DLC comes with it. To me the restrictions in the game far outweigh the new features they put in. This game is a direct downgrade from SimCity 4 and thus I won't pay that exorbitant amount of money for it. It's nice that they decided to put in the Empire State Building or Big Ben but how are you supposed to recreate New York or London if the cities are abysmally small, there is no terraforming, cities are surrounded by uninhabited landscape, and there is no modding support? For me I price a game based on how much I'll get out of it and how long I'll keep playing it. SimCity 4 is easily worth $80 because of the true sandbox mode of the game that allows you to test the limits of your creativity. I and many others are still playing it to this day so I would definitely pay $80 for it because of all the replayability it has offered me. However SC2013 is not worth more than $30 to me because the numerous restrictions that I stated above really limits its replayability. I tried the beta and by the end of the hour of gameplay I was bored and frustrated by the game because of all of the restrictions and the step backwards in comparison to the previous games. I don't see myself playing this game for years on end like I did with SimCity 4 (that's assuming they won't pull the plugs on the servers someday which I assure you they will). So yes I do think EA is trying to rip people off by charging $60-80 for this game and I guarantee you they will do quarterly releases of $20-40 DLCs a la The Sims 3 if this game is successful. If EA decides to fix these problems so that the game will have an unlimited lifespan like SimCity 4 and it will be less restrictive than the current game then I wouldn't mind paying the full price for the game. However knowing EA I don't see that happening anytime soon.

[Xenocity 343]

Meh I only like the German set and the high speed rail.

I'll by the upgrade pack for $20 later down the line (yes you can buy this as an expansion pack).

I didn't realise you could do that. I think I'll do that too.

It is only available thru the Origin Store.

@Charizard

Development costs have been double and tripling the past 6 years.

Development costs are expected to double again within the next 5 years, due to the demand for better graphics.

Thus you either need to sell more copies and/or raise prices to breakeven.

$70 and $80 dollar games could become the new norms.

[Charizard 284]

Meh I only like the German set and the high speed rail.

I'll by the upgrade pack for $20 later down the line (yes you can buy this as an expansion pack).

I didn't realise you could do that. I think I'll do that too.

It is only available thru the Origin Store.

@Charizard

Development costs have been double and tripling the past 6 years.

Development costs are expected to double again within the next 5 years, due to the demand for better graphics.

Thus you either need to sell more copies and/or raise prices to breakeven.

$70 and $80 dollar games could become the new norms.

I understand that and inflation plays a role too. But the game isn't worth that much money to me. Like I said if the game was like its predecessors then I would gladly pay $80 to help support the devs. But EA has refused to listen to the fans in order to appease the casual/multiplayer crowd and as a result they won't be getting my money.

[Xenocity 343]

Meh I only like the German set and the high speed rail.

I'll by the upgrade pack for $20 later down the line (yes you can buy this as an expansion pack).

I didn't realise you could do that. I think I'll do that too.

It is only available thru the Origin Store.

@Charizard

Development costs have been double and tripling the past 6 years.

Development costs are expected to double again within the next 5 years, due to the demand for better graphics.

Thus you either need to sell more copies and/or raise prices to breakeven.

$70 and $80 dollar games could become the new norms.

I understand that and inflation plays a role too. But the game isn't worth that much money to me. Like I said if the game was like its predecessors then I would gladly pay $80 to help support the devs. But EA has refused to listen to the fans in order to appease the casual/multiplayer crowd and as a result they won't be getting my money.

I beg to differ.

Seriously this game is more "hardcore" than the previous Simcity titles, due to the DLC, multiplayer, acheivements etc...

You really need to learn what a "casual" gamer is.

[Burrell 1]

I agree, I might just buy SimCity base for now, then buy the expansion later down the road.

[Charizard 284]

Meh I only like the German set and the high speed rail.

I'll by the upgrade pack for $20 later down the line (yes you can buy this as an expansion pack).

I didn't realise you could do that. I think I'll do that too.

It is only available thru the Origin Store.

@Charizard

Development costs have been double and tripling the past 6 years.

Development costs are expected to double again within the next 5 years, due to the demand for better graphics.

Thus you either need to sell more copies and/or raise prices to breakeven.

$70 and $80 dollar games could become the new norms.

I understand that and inflation plays a role too. But the game isn't worth that much money to me. Like I said if the game was like its predecessors then I would gladly pay $80 to help support the devs. But EA has refused to listen to the fans in order to appease the casual/multiplayer crowd and as a result they won't be getting my money.

I beg to differ.

Seriously this game is more "hardcore" than the previous Simcity titles, due to the DLC, multiplayer, acheivements etc...

You really need to learn what a "casual" gamer is.

Are you serious? How does DLC, multiplayer, or achievements make this game more hardcore? If anything, that makes this game meant for more casual gamers since EA is trying to market this game towards a different demographic and trying to milk as much money out of the game as they can. The previous games didn't have any of these things (except Rush Hour) and did well among casual and hardcore gamers alike. DLC or multiplayer does not mean that this game will have replayability or a long lifespan with dedicated hardcore gamers. Besides the fact that they can shut down the multiplayer servers anytime they want to, they will release multiple packets of overpriced DLC that provide minor additions to the game because EA knows that there are casual gamers out there with itchy trigger fingers who will buy the DLC the day it comes out. The DLC would probably be something like the Sims 3 DLC which is highly priced and doesn't make changes to the underlying game mechanics to provide it with a longer lifespan. We hardcore gamers want a SimCity like the previous ones that can be played for months or even years on end. Instead this game is marketed towards the group that is satisfied with playing the game for a quick rush (think CoD fans, not to bash them of course) and will probably abandon the game 1-3 months after release. If EA really wanted to make money on the long term they could have released a game that had a long lifespan and will be bought for years. Heck SimCity 4 is more than 10 years old yet they decided to sell it on Steam where it is still selling a respectable amount of copies and has spawned the large community over here. If that's not hardcore I don't know what is. I'm pretty sure SC2013 won't have this sort of fanbase still playing it 10 years after release (assuming no one else takes over the city building genre). EA went for the quick-fix to make some fast money and besides the fact that the game doesn't have any replayabiltiy whatsoever because of the small cities, deadspace between cities, no modding support, no terraforming, etc., it won't be replayable at all once the servers are shut down eventually. What kind of business model is that? Certainly not a very good one and certainly not one that keeps the customer base loyal.

SimCity 4 didn't have DLC nor multiplayer. It had one expansion which was Rush Hour that just added a few transportation options and provided more mod support. Even without DLC, multiplayer and achievements loads of "hardcore gamers" have stuck with it to this day. Sure casual gamers first played it when it came out. But the "hardcore" gamers and fans who really love SimCity have stuck with it to this day. SC2013 does not appeal to long-time SimCity fans who are anything but casual gamers. Just look around this board and I'm sure you'll get the idea.

PS: For anyone that watches the video in the first post look at the comments section if you want a good laugh.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

Cute. Not my thing. It would be nice if more building tile sets were available.

--Ocram

[l_rubbo 34]

Here's the version for the rich, here's the version for the peasants. Why not just average the price to $70 and sell it as one game?

[Xenocity 343]

@Charizard

"Hardcore" gamers are the ones who support World of Warcraft and other MMOs.

They also prefer shooters.

"Hardcore" gamers are the ones that made Xbox 360 the best selling console in the U.S. and soon to be the U.K.

"Hardcore" gamers buy Call of Duty in droves along with Halo.

"Hardcore" gamers ignore games because they lack online play, achievements, and DLC.

"Hardcore" gamers have ragging on Simcity as a game for nerds and kids.

"Casuals" are the ones that made Nintendo a household name

"Casuals" made the Wii the best selling console this gen.

"Casuals" made the PS2 the best selling console last gen.

Simcity 2013 is best chance Maxis has at convincing "Hardcore" gamers to finally pick up a Simcity title.

I hate to break it to you, Simcity 4 didn't sell well and it sold millions less than Simcity 3000.

Also EA canceled all the extra expansion packs that Maxis had planned for Simcity 4 due to low sales of Rush Hour.

If Simcity 4 had all those expansion packs you all would have spent over $100 to get the complete game.

Very few fans and gamers actually bought Simcity 4.

I mean Simcity 3000 (including Unlimited) sold over 5M worldwide being the best selling Simcity to date.

Simcity 4: sold around 2M+, losing half the sales of the previous game.

[Dewm 177]

Meh I only like the German set and the high speed rail.

I'll by the upgrade pack for $20 later down the line (yes you can buy this as an expansion pack).

I didn't realise you could do that. I think I'll do that too.

It is only available thru the Origin Store.

@Charizard

Development costs have been double and tripling the past 6 years.

Development costs are expected to double again within the next 5 years, due to the demand for better graphics.

Thus you either need to sell more copies and/or raise prices to breakeven.

$70 and $80 dollar games could become the new norms.

I understand that and inflation plays a role too. But the game isn't worth that much money to me. Like I said if the game was like its predecessors then I would gladly pay $80 to help support the devs. But EA has refused to listen to the fans in order to appease the casual/multiplayer crowd and as a result they won't be getting my money.

I beg to differ.

Seriously this game is more "hardcore" than the previous Simcity titles, due to the DLC, multiplayer, acheivements etc...

You really need to learn what a "casual" gamer is.

No I beg to differ..

And what DLC? I see no DLC for this game?

How is it Hardcore? and do you know what that word means?

from the wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardcore

Hardcore (or hard core or hard-core, for many terms) may refer to:

• hard core, the members of a group or movement who form an intransigent nucleus resistant to change.
  

Pretty sure 2013 is FAR different from any other SC title... So thanks for playing.. but you are completely wrong, on all accounts.

[Xenocity 343]

Meh I only like the German set and the high speed rail.

I'll by the upgrade pack for $20 later down the line (yes you can buy this as an expansion pack).

I didn't realise you could do that. I think I'll do that too.

It is only available thru the Origin Store.

@Charizard

Development costs have been double and tripling the past 6 years.

Development costs are expected to double again within the next 5 years, due to the demand for better graphics.

Thus you either need to sell more copies and/or raise prices to breakeven.

$70 and $80 dollar games could become the new norms.

I understand that and inflation plays a role too. But the game isn't worth that much money to me. Like I said if the game was like its predecessors then I would gladly pay $80 to help support the devs. But EA has refused to listen to the fans in order to appease the casual/multiplayer crowd and as a result they won't be getting my money.

I beg to differ.

Seriously this game is more "hardcore" than the previous Simcity titles, due to the DLC, multiplayer, acheivements etc...

You really need to learn what a "casual" gamer is.

No I beg to differ..

And what DLC? I see no DLC for this game?

How is it Hardcore? and do you know what that word means?

from the wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardcore

Hardcore (or hard core or hard-core, for many terms) may refer to:

• hard core, the members of a group or movement who form an intransigent nucleus resistant to change.
  

Pretty sure 2013 is FAR different from any other SC title... So thanks for playing.. but you are completely wrong, on all accounts.

"Hardcore" gamer:

This is the definition of a "hardcore" gamer: Hardcore gamers may take part in video game culture such as competitions, events and conventions. Competitions are another defining characteristic of hardcore gamers, who often compete in organized tournaments, leagues, or ranked play integrated into the game proper, an example of this is Major League Gaming, an Electronic sports organization that often holds events for hardcore First-person shooter games such as Quake

"Casual" gamer:

A casual gamer is a player whose time or interest in playing games is limited. Casual gamers tend to play games designed for ease of gameplay and don't spend much time playing more involved games. The genres that casual gamers play vary, and they might not own a specific video game console to play their games.^[4][5] Casual gaming demographics vary greatly from those of traditional video games, as the typical casual gamer is older and more predominantly female.^[6] One casual gamer subset is the "fitness gamer", who plays motion-based exercise games.^[7]

The term casual gamer can also be used to distinguish between play styles of level-based character advance in nonlinear games with respect to the amount of dedicated hours of play. MMORPGs may require many hours of grinding to develop a character to maximum level and reach the endgame. Other games like Eve Online and The Lord of the Rings Online try to balance leveling so that casual gamers can play along with those dedicating more hours to the game.^[8]

Learning proper gaming types and definitions will do you well.

[Charizard 284]

Meh I only like the German set and the high speed rail.

I'll by the upgrade pack for $20 later down the line (yes you can buy this as an expansion pack).

I didn't realise you could do that. I think I'll do that too.

It is only available thru the Origin Store.

@Charizard

Development costs have been double and tripling the past 6 years.

Development costs are expected to double again within the next 5 years, due to the demand for better graphics.

Thus you either need to sell more copies and/or raise prices to breakeven.

$70 and $80 dollar games could become the new norms.

I understand that and inflation plays a role too. But the game isn't worth that much money to me. Like I said if the game was like its predecessors then I would gladly pay $80 to help support the devs. But EA has refused to listen to the fans in order to appease the casual/multiplayer crowd and as a result they won't be getting my money.

I beg to differ.

Seriously this game is more "hardcore" than the previous Simcity titles, due to the DLC, multiplayer, acheivements etc...

You really need to learn what a "casual" gamer is.

No I beg to differ..

And what DLC? I see no DLC for this game?

How is it Hardcore? and do you know what that word means?

from the wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardcore

Hardcore (or hard core or hard-core, for many terms) may refer to:

• hard core, the members of a group or movement who form an intransigent nucleus resistant to change.
  

Pretty sure 2013 is FAR different from any other SC title... So thanks for playing.. but you are completely wrong, on all accounts.

Thank you Dewm you took the words right out of my mouth. XenoCity I don't think you understand what hardcore exactly means. Hardcore gamers are niche gamers that like one particular genre (or even game) above all else and spend the vast majority of their time playing games of that genre. Sure some MMORPG gamers (The ones that play it for hours at a time) are hardcore gamers. But the reason why WoW became so popular is because of casual gamers that never even played an MMORPG before. The average Call of Duty gamer is anything but a hardcore gamer. Usually (and I'm generalizing here) the average CoD gamer is a 13 year old kid or a 20-30 something adult that wants to take part in the craze. That is casual and not hardcore. The casual gamers are what made MMORPGs and FPSes a craze. The fact that SimCity 4 didn't do as well as people wanted to yet even 10 years after its release we have a community here playing it shows you how hardcore the SimCity 4 (and SimCity in general) fanbase is. And I don't know where you're getting your numbers from but SC4 is on Steam now and it's often on sale so people must be buying it to this day. This new SimCity game is clearly marketed at the casual gamer that gains a quick-fix by playing in an online social interactive world with their friends. If you fail to see that then I can't help you. Just think about how they made the game less complex by taking out things like terraforming, large cities, seamless regions, etc. This game is most certainly less complex than SC4. The actual engine (glassbox) may be more advanced than SimCity 4's (obviously since this is 10 years later) but the grand scope of the game is less complex than SimCity 4. Heck they even made the cities smaller and are using an outdated graphics system so that casual gamers and their low-end computers can run the game. The multiple DLCs they will release will clearly be marketed towards casual gamers as is the case of Sims 3. Yet instead of purchasing a bedroom set for $10 now they will be able to purchase a new building for $10 to get their quick-fix. I wouldn't have minded if they marketed the game towards casual gamers with things like multiplayer or even DLC. However they've crossed the line by taking out fundamental features from the series such as terraforming, modding, large cities, seamless regions, etc. There has to be a compromise between attracting new casuals to the series as well as appeasing the hardcore fans which EA is not good at doing apparently. The hardcore fans are the ones that will consistently buy games from the series, purchase quality expansion packs (as long as its not crappy micro-DLC), and stay with the game for years on end like they have with SimCity 4. This is not a hardcore game. I can't put it in simpler terms.

[Xenocity 343]

Actually the "hardcore" gamer is male 13-35.

Their primary system is Xbox 360 and PS3.

Their primary genres are FPS, TPS, Sports, Action games, realistic racers.

They also need DLC, Online gameplay, Achievements.

Activision claims that nearly all the Call of Duty fans are "hardcore" gamers.

"Casual" gamers are everyone esle including men who don't play the genres above.

"Casual" gamers primary systems are PC, Wii, Wii U, and 3DS.

"Casual" gamers primary genres are simulators, platformers, Nintendo games, games that lack realistic graphics, Kart Racers, many fighters, Most RPGs, etc...

"Casual" gamers play local multiplayer or alone.

they don't like online play, DLC, acheivements and etc...

This definition defines where the games go and how they are made.

There is a reason why M-rated games and shooters are the dominant games being made.

Read this piece to understand how "hardcore" gamer definition changed into those who play M rated games and shooters.

[CaptCity 4,940]

Seem to be way off here... It looked as if the original topic was "three landmarks" from the video... Anything more on the original topic?

[fiver 306]

Looking at their "French set", I think Porkissimo's and Xannepan's Paris BATs are far far far far far better.

[Hellken 1,658]

Porkissimo, xannepan, and the SFBT crew had way more detailed Paris BATs.

[jason leo 485]

Britain style : Look at Gascooker and Matt's buildings, their BATs are much better than this.

France style : Look at Porkie and Alex's BATs, their BATs are much better than this.

German style : Many German BATers, look around SFBT's creation and don't forget the SimCItyKurier. There also some others who upload better BATs than this.

Dutch style : Not included.

Mediterranean style / Italian : Not included.

Spanish style : Not included.

East European style (Like Polish buildings & PreFab buildings) : Not included.

Scandinavian style : Not included.

Transportation system : Look at NAM and some other creators works.

Sorry, but actually SimCity4 has MORE features (+Mods), and LESS price (Choose SC4 means you save $60-$75).

[paeng 2,527]

Cut the Elizabeth Tower from the Palace of Westminster, tint all houses brown, and call it Great Britain...

Plop an undersized Tour Eiffel, tint all houses blue, and call it France...

Drop the Brandenburg Gate in a sea of timber frames, and call it Germany...

Yes, cute... maybe. But hey...

[MandelSoft 2,775]

^^ What you describe fits excellent in the category of caricatures, and as far as I've seen, you're right about that. They have caricaturized the buildings.

French, British and German architecture is way richer than that. Take the "French"-set for example. That one only features Hausmann-styled buildings from the city center of Paris. That's it. That makes it more of a "Parisian" or "Hausmann"-set rather than a "French" set...

Just my 2 cents...

[Deadeye31 1]

I personally would have liked to see a set based on Japan; maybe with the imperial palace as the landmark.

I can see the German set being in because Germans love simulators (which I think has to do with laws that restrict violent games) and the British have a very large gaming community now but I would've liked a "Japanese" set over a French one.

Three European cities seems meh to me but there will probably be more sets as DLC in the future.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

It is cute but not my thing. I hope that other landmarks can be made that make other styles of buildings grow. Maybe have a landmark from the 1860-1900 time period of Chicago to have a chicago 1880 style with a ton of pink bricks (instead of orange) and other stuff. Maybe have the Chrysler building make your city look like NYC in the 1920s?

--Ocram