Maxis rebuilds SimCity

Electronic Arts and Maxis today announced the return of the SimCity franchise to PC.

Yes, the ability to zone up your city and build power plants in inappopriate places will be yours again.

“We’d like to thank the millions of fans who have helped make SimCity synonymous with the city-building genre. This is a franchise that means the world to us at Maxis and we’re happy to be bringing it back home where we are reimagining it for an entirely new generation of players,” said Lucy Bradshaw, senior vice president of EA’s Maxis Label. “Using our proprietary GlassBox Engine, SimCity for PC will equip players with the tools to play the most sophisticated simulation of its kind. We are dedicated to making sure the experience – no matter the platform – has the fun, flavour and playability that has been intrinsic to the franchise since its birth." 

EA and Maxis made the reveal during a 'Game-Changers' conference at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

It's due to arrive in 2013, though eager gamers can pre-order via Origin now if they really want, and get some SimCity Heroes & Villains content along with it. There's also an extended trailer at www.SimCity.com .

The firms also said: For the first time in SimCity franchise history, players’ decisions will have long-lasting repercussions that will extend beyond their city limits. Together, players will address real global challenges such as climate change, the search for renewable resources and natural disasters. It’s up to the players to decide whether to compete or collaborate to shape the world of tomorrow – for better or for worse."

Could be a load of PR fluff, could mean a natural and exciting evolution for the title. 

Here at PCR, we're intrigued to see what changes a 2013 edition will bring to the franchise. Nothing has quite matched up to SimCity 2000 for this writer...

Tags: Games, ea, maxis, simcity