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Simphoni 2.0 is now online! This is currently the beta version, which means it’s still in production. It also means that there’s more coming, including game info and screenshots sections! Stay Tuned (and enjoy the new look)!
Posts by the Monkeys Uncle
Jun
15
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The SimCity 5 preview in Games for Windows has finally been released, but it’s not anything like we expected two weeks ago, when we first heard rumours it was coming. This SimCity is so completely different from anything we have ever seen before; it barely even looks like a SimCity. The game features cartoonish graphics along with the gutting of a lot of familiar SimCity gameplay. Some observers claim the new gameplay is geared toward an under 10 audience, not the typical 14+ age group past SimCities have attracted. In the place of city building, SimCity Societies will now focus on “culture building”, the article says.
The Monkey’s Uncle’s Review: OK, we can see what they mean about the water pipes and advisors, they did get annoying. However, we actually liked a lot about SimCity 4, even if there were a few vices. Why then, did they have to gut the entire game and start over from scratch? Thanks to Greyleaf for the tip.
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A week after the “unofficial” announcement by Tilted Mill and Games for Windows, SimCity Societies has been announced by EA.
This excerpt from the article describes some of the gameplay we can expect to find in the game, which is expected to be released Winter 2008.
SimCity Societies introduces an all-new, revolutionary feature set for players to combine buildings that will produce or consume new kinds of resources called “social energies.” How you mix and match these resources - industry, wealth, obedience, knowledge, devotion, or creativity–determines the social energy of your city. Will your city be happy and creative, spiritual and knowledgeable, will it be wealthy and powerful or obedient and fearful? Its fate is in your hands!
Not only will players be able to build from any or all energies, but the cities will look and behave differently depending on the energy combinations the player makes. From futuristic metropolises and fantastical haunted cities to obedient Orwellian states and devout contemplative towns - what to combine and connect is up to the creator.
All current evidence indicates that SimCity Societies will be nothing like any SimCity we’ve seen yet. What do you think, are the changes for better or for worse?
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Five new screenshots and an article have been posted at the 1up website (affiliated with Games for Windows).
SimCity Societies Screenshots
Here are some excerpts from the article:
It’s with that spirit that EA sets out to reinvigorate the SimCity line with its upcoming SimCity Societies. Yes, there are many changes, and some of them will initially shock longtime fans. The mere fact that you can now select and place all the buildings (rather than watching them spring forth from your zoning) sets the stage for a major metamorphosis. But before panic sets in, know that despite the game’s new direction, the heart of SimCity still beats beneath it. While it may avoid some of the stricter city-planner roles, they’re replaced with a wide variety of social-engineering experiments that present would-be mayors plenty to play with.
#3 — As the working title implies, Societies adds a new layer of emphasis on the city’s citizens. The game introduces six “social energies” (such as Wealth or Obedience) that influence your city’s look and feel. Buildings and aesthetics change depending on how these six values develop. Focus on Obedience, for example, and your buildings will start automatically adding security cameras to monitor your citizens’ movements, Orwellian-style. Different energy balances unlock different building types, too.
Full article
I think it’s becoming more and more clear that the next version of SimCity will be the biggest flop in this franchise’s long history. EA, Tilted Mill, if you’re listening: make this game a real SimCity, or risk losing your entire community of fans! Yes, it’s that serious.
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The speculation is over and the next SimCity has been announced, titled SimCity Societies (the working title at this time)! Yes, it’s actually official! Posted on Shacknews:
Shacknews has today learned from an EA representative that SimCity Societies is the working title for the fifth main game in the popular Maxis city management series. Details on the game are being held until the publishing of a story in the next issue of Games for Windows: The Official Magazine.
SimCity Societies will mark the return of the SimCity franchise following the 2003 release of SimCity 4: Rush Hour. It also appears to signal some type of change in gameplay or setting, based on its deviation from standard numerical titles. Recent entries in the series have experimented with showing a more personal level of urban life. SimCity 4 supported the importing of characters from Maxis’ The Sims into the urban planner, allowing players to track their movements and habits.
GameStop currently lists the PC title as releasing on November 13, 2007, although that date is unconfirmed and is likely the result of speculation. As always, the new Sim City will be developed by Maxis, a wholly-owned subsidiary of EA. SimCity DS, developed by EA Japan and based on SimCity 3000, is set for release this month.
Wow, it’s all happening so fast. For the most up to date information, make sure you check the forums regularly!
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Instead of “SimCity 5″, recent evidence suggests that the next version of the game will actually be called “SimCity Societies”. We think this for two reasons: On its website, Gamestop lists a “SimCity Societies” to be released in November of this year, around the same time frame most speculate the next SimCity is coming. Also, a domain search for www.simcitysocieties.com lists Electronic Arts as the owner (as of March 3, 2007). Will this be some sort of strange hybrid between SimCity and The Sims? We’re not sure, but speculation in the forums is ongoing. Join the discussion!
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It appears that rumours that SC5 will in fact be in Games for Windows magazine are true! All information show that it will be in the July issue of the magazine. Here’s the evidence:
If you look at the bottom right hand corner of the Games for Windows website, the cover graphic for the next issue appears, like this:
Jeff Green, who’s an editor at the magazine, posted this on his blog:
Hi kids! Long time no blog. But, look, I’ve been really freakin’ busy with the magazine, and I was on three (3!) podcasts this week for 1UP (GFW, Retronauts, and the new 1UP Yours coming later today…). BLAHBLAHBLAH LISTEN TO ME IM SO INTERRRESTING.
Anyhoo, the July issue of GFW is being printed now and will be in mailboxes shortly, and it is, if I may be so bold, and I think I may since this is my blog, a great one. The cover story is one of those OMG WORLD EXCLUSIVES WE SAW IT BEFORE YOU DID HAW HAW stories that magazines love to crow about even though the Internet is making all that irrelevant anyway.
I’m not allowed to tell you what it is yet, but will be posting the cover next Friday, jeebus willing. Suffice it to say it’s the new game in one of PC gaming’s oldest franchises–a series w/bazillions of fans. Ryan Scott wrote the story and did his usual kickass job, because Ryan KICKS ASS.
Now, this might not seem that conlusive, but looking at the rest of the evidence, it makes sense that this, one of PC gaming’s oldest franchises (started in 1989), is SimCity 5.
The patterns all line up. For example, SC5 was featured in a magazine in May 2002, which was exactly 5 years ago last week. Now consider this: there has been 5 years between almost every edition of SimCity, except for before SimCity 3000.
It all looks very cool, and we are incredibly pumped!
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If our sources are correct, the next generation of SimCity is getting it’s biggest publicity yet! The image below shows the June issue of Games for Windows magazine, and a screenshot of what appears to be SimCity 5 in full 3D glory. However, we are not yet sure if this is real or not, as the Games for Windows website appears to have no reference to any city simulation games. Investigation continues, and we hope to have bought ourselves an issue of the magazine within 24 hours to see if its true or not.
Jun
2
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IGN has published a list of booths slated to appear at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in August, including EA’s displays. The good news: we now know what’s going to be there. The bad news: both Spore and SimCity 5 are not on the list! However, there’s still several months to go, and there’s a good chance it will be updated to include either of them. Cross your fingers! If Spore or SC5 does appear on said list, we’ll be the first to tell you.
May
23
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In an interview with Gamasutra, EA Chief Executive Officer William Gordon made it clear how important Spore is to EA - very, very important. From the interview:
Q: How important do you see Spore being to EA’s future?
A: WG: If it’s as big as The Sims, [it will be very important]. The Sims gave us a three-year financial lift and created a new division for us. The Sims is as important for us as Madden or FIFA, so one of those is always good.
It’s the hardest thing that anyone at EA has ever tried, by a lot. Even for somebody like Will Wright, there’s so many moving parts that it’s hard for him to fully imagine the end result. For two decades, we’ve made games where we could mostly imagine the end result before we started, but in Spore, we ended up imagining the possibility space and then designing within it for a long time.
With Spore, we’re trying to learn how to take socialization and customization in games to the next level, where customization starts having animation, not just meshes and textures. We’re trying to cover new content in various kinds of evolution. We’re trying to figure out new ways to make mini-products in the game. When we did The Sims for the first time, we strictly tried to make it a massive single-player [experience]. Customizing everything was new. There’s the photo album feature that turned out to be wildly important. That got invented at beta.
Spore has more innovations than The Sims did. So, Spore is important because it might create a new division for EA, but for sure what it’s doing is getting our feet wet in trying to do a Web 2.0 game.
Spore, as we all know, is a very complicated game. It may look simple on the outside, but the mechanics of things like the editors take skill - and lots of time and money - to create. Clearly though, EA is banking on all that hard work paying off!
Q: Is it going to take a lot for Spore to become profitable, given the million-year development time?
A: WG: Yeah, it needs to sell in the millions and last a few years to pay back the investment. But you know, we were probably going to spend the money on something. It might as well be on Spore!
Thanks to Jirnsum for the tip!
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