...It's time to make Sim City 5, Maxis.

It would be cool if they were actually working on the "Falcon approach" method I mentioned a while back. But I doubt it.

the number 1 problem i beleive is why Maxis wont make another simcity is because SC4 is developed into a huge community, where the players have made the game much better than they planned it, is they were to make another one they would have to restart all the buildings and that would be very time consuming,in other words i would love for Maxis to make a simcity 5 but they are going to need the help of the community

Best idea is to simply rework SC4. Modernize it, completely. It's already got everything anyone needs, just.. Tweak it, to exact needs.. (NO GRID!)

Oh, and if all else fails, just give us the source code..

If they could just update 4 and create 5 then fine, if not then create a new game- but certainly it seems silly not to make any sequel (putting aside Societies which imo does not count) at all.

There is something fundamentally WRONG with people's expectations if they're basing the assumptions and demands on comments made in 2003.

Those comments were made with the concession that it was with 2003 3D graphics which were pretty garbage. I mean, the average independent texture size was still 128x128 and 3D models were only just breaking 1500 polys in consumer applications.

Today, we expect a building to carry over 50,000 polys and intricate detail in every corner. I think RAM sizes in excess of 50GB would be necessary for the same area that was to be rendered in 2003 in 2011 standards.

Oh, I forgot about the actual city SIMULATION. That would still be expected to take the lion's share of the processing power if a real SimCity 5 were to be made.

@ jdenm8

With that kind of thinking it will never be made. What we expect always advances, it's like waiting for Intel to release a faster processor they will release it and will have a faster one in the works so you rinse and repeat.

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I wish EA would release a new SC, however they like many others seem to have lost focus on what made great companies in the past and I fear they feel that if it will just break even it isn't worth their time.

Just make SimCity 4.5, there is no need for further complications:

- optimize it for current systems and multicore CPUs

- add a "Downloads and Mods" manager that will automatically get whatever dependencies are required for a given mod, so players don't have to waste hours and hours before actually getting to play the game.

- add support for custom building styles (for example, a Mediterranean set, a Middle Eastern set, and any new sets we might define ourselves); and give us the option to zone only buildings from a certain set in different parts of the same city (i.e., so we can zone for old cities, cathedrals in the city center and high-rises at the edge)

- add built-in support for different terrains and climates

- integrate the NAM and RHW seamlessly into the core game (including an easy way to build them in the game UI); add support for tunnels and bridges for each of these networks (give us the opportunity to build even stacked elevated RHW tunnels if we wanted to)

- add multiple underground levels and the possibility to build whatever underground network we want

- add multiple overground levels and the possibility to build custom stack interchanges

- add support for easy modding of new transit networks

- add support for diagonal buildings, so they line up nicely on diagonal roads, and give us more freedom from the tyranny of the grid (I'm sure there are clever ways to do this without rewriting the whole game to be gridless).

- add support for defining mass transit lines like in Cities in Motion

These should be the ingredients for a great game.

@egod6969

Indeed, I agree that fixing and enhancing SC4 is the key to making a proper 'next' SimCity 4. Taking the expansion packs for The Sims (which were a pain and a stroke of genius at the same time) into account, I can't begin to imagine what wasn't implemented in SC4. I mean, Rush Hour was meant to be the first of many, and I think that a nature-based one would have been next. The amount of unused weather simulation code that was found when Lowkee was making his terrain mod over at SC4D is astounding, and the fact that in-game water was not the water that was originally going to be in the game Code exists for real salt and fresh water, as well as making water towers less effective in valleys and pumping stations almost useless on the tops of hills, but it was all dropped in favour of the Aquifer.

The Sims 2, I think, can be a good analogue. Rain was originally a planned feature for TS2 in the base game, but it never made it in due to a recurring bug which made it consistently rain inside. It wasn't until Seasons that they discovered a solution and finally implemented it (along with snow and hail).

The main problem is that the people who are making these demands now demand today's graphics, based on requirements specified in a comment made way back in 2003, eight years ago. If a game was to be released with 'full' 3D graphics that met those old requirements, they'll be the same people who whinge and whine later about bad graphics. These people cannot be pleased.

...and EA has shown off their E3 wares, with no SimCity (Facebook or otherwise) in sight.

If they did a really good job on it, I would pay $200 for it. My favorite game "in the world"!!

Omg... I Hope There Will Be A Simcity 5 !!

I remember when oblivion was released for the pc and none of the pc's could run it, well if they release it now then it would be the same thing. Besides we got 5GB graphics cards which could run anything, but they cost like $2,000 or more.

I remember when oblivion was released for the pc and none of the pc's could run it, well if they release it now then it would be the same thing. Besides we got 5GB graphics cards which could run anything, but they cost like $2,000 or more.

sorry, it submitted slowly .

OK, let's get serious.

When I propse a recompile and fix for bugs, that's what I mean. NO enhancements, just fix the existing code.

If EA feels strongly enough about UDI, let them fix up the GUI for it, but my preference would be to remove it entirely and use the code space to continue the things that didn't get finished. Essentially, re-open the existing project and fix the bugs incorporating the current patches.

Installation time options for handedness of traffic and languages could eliminate the multiple edition nonsense, at a considerable production saving.

The whole works could be issued on DVD with a better security system. Perhaps it would be necessary to issue a CD version also, but I really feel that a DVD drive should be de rigeur on most systems now. The need to have the disk in a drive also needs to be eliminated. This nonsense went out with Windows 95.

As a professional programmer of some 40 years experience, I find it inexcusable for a program of any kind to crash, especially a game that has absolute control over its input. And core dumps went out with high-button shoes.

Forgot to mention that I would pay between $50 and $100 for this. How about $79.95 U.S.?

if they make a sc5 they should hear the sc4 players suggestionsfor makin the best game possible

@OBLSC4

Why not send an e-mail to EA/Maxis with the link to this thread in it.

Maxis has got one more excuse: There is no Maxis anymore. EA would go to the SiMS direction instead of listening to us, but the mail is a good idea. If they did a SimCity 5, it would be an extra game in the clothes of a massive extension to The Sims 3. But I've got the strange feeling that we take care of an orphan of Will Wright, while The Sims was adopted by a rich parent. But I'd like to see SC5, especially for Mac OS X Lion or later! :=)