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From Joystiq: Joystiq spoke with EA and confirmed the rumor that the next version of SimCity is on the way. Currently dubbed SimCity Societies, EA says that's merely a "working title" at this point. We've been told "it's completely different from SimCity 4, so they're trying to come up with something different than just calling it SimCity 5."quote> It seems obvious here that the only reason they're not calling SimCity 5 "SimCity 5" is that it's such a departure they want to give it a unique name, hence "SimCity Societies." From Gamespot: An EA rep would only say that the title will move the series "in a new and exciting direction" that would "take the franchise back to its roots, and create an accessible, flexible game that will continue to appeal to avid SimCity fans, as well as attract new players to the franchise."quote> The emboldened text seems telling: this isn't a spin off as the game is moving the entire series in a new direction. A spin off doesn't do that -- it adds to the series. Here we're told the series itself is being reimagined. @schm0: While any ambiguity seems hopeful and could lend to this being SCS1 instead of SC5, it seems that EA/TM wants to break it to us easy that this is SC5. I'm certainly not trying to change your mind, and a great deal of us here are hoping you're right, but to me this is the next installment/version/incarnation/iteration of the series.

From Joystiq: Joystiq spoke with EA and confirmed the rumor that the next version of SimCity is on the way. Currently dubbed SimCity Societies, EA says that's merely a "working title" at this point. We've been told "it's completely different from SimCity 4, so they're trying to come up with something different than just calling it SimCity 5."quote> It seems obvious here that the only reason they're not calling SimCity 5 "SimCity 5" is that it's such a departure they want to give it a unique name, hence "SimCity Societies." From Gamespot: An EA rep would only say that the title will move the series "in a new and exciting direction" that would "take the franchise back to its roots, and create an accessible, flexible game that will continue to appeal to avid SimCity fans, as well as attract new players to the franchise."quote> The emboldened text seems telling: this isn't a spin off as the game is moving the entire series in a new direction. A spin off doesn't do that -- it adds to the series. Here we're told the series itself is being reimagined. @schm0: While any ambiguity seems hopeful and could lend to this being SCS1 instead of SC5, it seems that EA/TM wants to break it to us easy that this is SC5. I'm certainly not trying to change your mind, and a great deal of us here are hoping you're right, but to me this is the next installment/version/incarnation/iteration of the series.

Originally posted by: Cheese89 The screen shots on that site are some of the best I've seen... still no road variety though quote> Agreed on the quality of the screens -- they are much improved. I also share your concern for the roads. Purely speculation: if they eliminated the other networks, would it stand to reason they eliminated the road network as well? Look at this screen: Note that there are no roads -- dirt or otherwise -- connecting the houses. You can see this very well on the hill in the distance. It seems to me that road pieces are attached to the lots. Like this: You plop a building, you get road around the lot. When you plop another building immediately next to this one, you would get this: You can imagine how else this plays out. Basically, it looks to me that roads as we know them have been eliminated as well in place of a system that builds itself as you plop buildings. It explains the above screen, and it explains why the roads we've seen so far are so bland.

Originally posted by: LivingInThePast Atari's in trouble now financially. Will the same be for EA?quote> No, for the following reasons: 1. The Sims 2. EA Sports titles, namely the Madden franchise 3. Spore -- eventually 4. their assorted first-person shooter titles Watching a huge company make a mistake is like watching a fat kid trip and fall in a room full of Jell-O -- it never hurts them.

Originally posted by: Glenni i am not going to buy this now, forget it, i want a simcity not the streets of the sims mixed with futuristic mumbo jumbo with some ancient asian houses blended in with mildly retarded looking traffic lights. AND; it's all griddy! not a single street is angled, christ even city life could do that, there's a higher chance of building a realistic city in City life than Sim city societies... This game is now basically dumbed down, and stripped down to the max, i don't know if this game is for american kids or blind deaf and dumb people, but this is surely not a game for a serious sim city player... this is for "the kidz" they might aswell replace the UI text with "1337speak" And have the advisors go all like "omg it iz a fir33 in ur c1tee , lyke lolz, u have to put it out n0.0b!!!Omg lol u suk!" Then they will truely reach out to american kids and/or online "1337" gamers. mightaswell just make the whole damn thing online aswell to make even more money, and reach out to even more mindless idiots. So how sales in Europe will go i'm not too sure of, but i'm quite sure the sales will be bad, in America i predict alot of mindless hordes of flashseeking youths as you said are going to buy it. in Asia though, i have no idea.quote> Well put. So when Societies comes out and it's written on the box "Sim City 5ocieties" do we take that as confirmation that it's the fifth in the line or that they're just trying to be all 1337 and stuffz.

Just an idea for the form letter... [sender's Name][sender's Address] [sender's City], [sT] [Zip] [DATE] [EA/TM Exec's Name][Company] [Address] [City], [sT] [Zip] Mr./Ms. [Last Name]: I am writing to you to express my concern with the direction being taken of the development of the game presently titled "SimCity Societies." I have enjoyed the titles of the SimCity franchise for many years, and I am a loyal member of its fan base. I am even a member of Simtropolis, a large internet community dedicated to and centered around all things SimCity. Simtropolis' membership exceeds 100,000. I have read reports about the present course being taken with SimCity Societies, and I believe that it does not remain true to the SimCity franchise at its core. The fans of the SimCity titles, including specifically SimCity 4, have grown to appreciate the details and complexities offered in the previous incarnations of the series. If current descriptions of SimCity Societies are true, it seems that this to-be-released game will miss the mark with SimCity's fans and stands to risk alienating the community I am a part of from the franchise. It is my hope that a place will be found for present fans of SimCity in SimCity Societies and that things that make SimCity unique among its peers, such as intricate networks and facets of higher-level city planning, will remain a part of this legendary series of titles. Yours Very Truly, [sender]