E3 Preview: SimCity (2013)

[BENZOOKA]

Godzilla, anyone?

I liked SimCity 2000 "back in the day". These news sounded very promising at first, but I can easily see it being dumbed down and streamlined to being uninteresting.

 

[Sushewakka]

Considering this bit of news:

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2012/05/123_111971.html

I think always on DRM will not catch on.

 

[R.Nevermore]

always on.. yep another one for me to skip.

hope its good for you guys who want it

It's the way of the future. Deal with it or get out.

I hate to be hyperbolic but that's the same thing people have said to African American's before, during, and after the Civil Rights movement.

"If you don't like it go back to Africa."

That's a remarkably stupid outlook on just about anything.

Wow... I normally refrain from posting on the forums, but this was the most shockingly stupid thing I've read on the forums in a long time.
You are comparing digital rights management to the systematic dehumanization of an entire race of people to validate your anger! Don't you see how ridiculous that is? And besides, those who fought against civil rights weren't fighting for the future, but for maintaining traditional ways of the past.

Sad as it may be to you, as internet connections become faster, stronger and more commonplace, it is not too much to ask that a computer e always connected to the net. That means that more and more games can come out with always on DRM without it being too much of a demand. This sort of thing DOES enhance the gaming experience, even for single player games, adding a whole new dynamic.
Yes, it is the future. I won't tell you to get out, but you should get on board or you will be boycotting allot of good games in the future.

 

[mdqp]

@R.Nevermore: I would hardly say that "it's the future". A single player game can get something out of an always on connection system? Sure. But it's hardly "the future", it's just a different way to implement content and/or mechanics. And it's a problem whenever said system doesn't really add anything, and it's there only to implement a DRM, for two reasons:

1)As usual, DRM will never be a solution to piracy and;

2)If you have a problem to your connection, you won't be able to play the game you bought.

One can overlook the second problem, if he/she feels that the always on-line is a net positive, but many sees it as just another intrusive way to try (and fail) to deal with the piracy problem, a system that affects only the honest players, in the end. It also gives an inevitable expiration date to games, when their server will go down.

I can enjoy single player games whose developer have gone down many years ago, would I be able to do the same with this game? For how long will they keep supporting it? It might sound trivial, but it's important, at least to me.

Edit: sorry, I meant to address this to kortin, but I picked the wrong message author.

 

[Bvenged]

"snip"

I really, really hope the author misunderstood what the EA folks were saying here. Otherwise, this is really stupid. In reality, the size of a road has almost nothing to do with the size or density of the development that occurs alongside it. (In fact, in many cases where it does seem to have an effect, the effect is inverse: that is, larger roads with more traffic capacity, like expressways, seem to almost guarantee low-density development.)

Density-based zoning is one of the most true-to-life aspects of the old SimCity, and it would be a shame if they replaced it with the idea above, which is just, well, babytown frolics.

Yeah, to reinforce what you said, I live in a modest £200-400k suburban area in a 4 bedroom house with a private drive and a sizeable garden (yard). It's a smallish suburban estate on the edge of the city with 400 houses similar to mine.

On 1 side of the estate is a 15ft deep river; the other side has a factory, fast-food restaurant and a supermarket; a 3rd side is an active railway and some farmers fields; and the 4th side is walled by a 70MPH duel carriageway that you use to get here, and heads off up to the mountains. That duel carriageway (2-2 lane freeway) is 20ft from some of the homes here. According to the new density mechanic I should be living in a large apartment, so close to a large road.

Also, down the duel carriageway is the 3-3 lane 70MPH London - Swansea M4 motorway. It's lined by large parks, cottages and farms without a tower building in sight.

 

[Fulbert]

This sort of thing DOES enhance the gaming experience, even for single player games, adding a whole new dynamic.

Blizzard has already enhanced Korean players' gaming experience enough with lags and errors 37 for the authorities to take notice. That's not the sort of "the whole new dynamic" any sane person would be happy with.

My god...I can't fucking wait, looks excellent!

Question, If I buy the game at a game-stop or something, will it need always-on DRM?

Yes it will. Enjoy the future, pal!

 

[ASnogarD]

I played SimCity for the design and creative aspects, and basically switched off the disasters so I could just try design a good looking and fuctional city.
The idea of being forced into multi player whereby some other players city could impact my city isnt appealing to me.
Being forced online always is also a switch off, and finally being forced to install Origin to play it is yet another reason not to bother.

... then there is the fact it will have DLC, oh yes DLC and loads of it.
Can see it now already , Future City pack , Disaster Pack , Theme Pack, Pack of Packs , Giveusyourmoney Pack , Premium Pack , Subscribers Pack , A Pack because I cant think of any other name Pack , a Pack of Lies , EA Chairmans Retirement Fund Pack...

Thing is people will buy it, and defend it to the death and it will become the norm... and later when players complain, people will say what are you complaining about ? Its normal.
Always on ? The norm. DRM riddled ? Norm. DLC stuffed ? Norm. Delayed PC titles ? Norm.

Pretty sad the state of current gaming.
Sure in the 'good old days' the developers and publishers were out to make money as well, but as gaming was a niche market they had to offer a lot of value to keep fans happy, but now as the market has mass appeal its all about adding more revenue streams to IP's than adding more value.

 

[satsugaikaze]

http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/sim-city-5/1221798p1.html

It's not always-on DRM, so you guys can stop knee-jerking about that one. Do your research yourself before making assumptions, doy.
It's less like Diablo 3 and more like Starcraft 2, if you want a good analogy.

Also, the dudes at Maxis know how much of a leg modding was to stand on for the previous SimCity games. It makes me sad to see people handwaving well-intentioned games off simply because they see "EA" or "Origin" in the same sentence.

edit: As a sidenote, I've fallen in love with the palette of this game. It just screams "good ol' Maxis fun" to me.