It looks like Maxis EA Games is going to release a new SimCity game. Their other recent releases for the franchise were absolutely horrible.

One of the biggest issues with SimCity has been trying to find the audience, and creating a game that would really appeal to such people. They tried going more complex and giving many more micromanaging options, but it wasn’t real enough to appeal to the hard core simulator fans, and too difficult for casual gamers. They have tried making it more cartoon like, but that just made it a game without a real point.

They were never really able in my mind to recapture the fun I had as a boy playing the original SimCity, as well as SimCity 2000.

It looks like they are going to try again though, with Will Wrights Spore coming sometime in 2008, if SimCity Societies comes out first, and is able to market itself well, will it take some of the excitement from Spore? I, personally, don’t think so, but we will have to wait and see.

So far SimCity Societies is set to release mid-November of this year, but that could change as it gets closer.

The biggest question on my mind though is how this will hold up against Spore, as Will Wright is brilliant, and the old Maxis team that made SimCity popular aren’t even on the new SimCity Societies development project. Instead SimCity Societies has been handed over to Caesar IV developer Tilted Mill Entertainment.

SimCity Societies

image from 1up, which also has further coverage.

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