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Dive into the long lost SimCity NES port
SimCity on the Super Nintendo was groundbreaking -- it managed to combine the joy of simulated city building that Mac and Amiga gamers enjoyed into a family-friendly console title that anyone could play. But did you know Maxis and Nintendo also had an NES version in the works, too? Last year, two prototype cartridges of the NES SimCity appeared at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo, and Frank Cifaldi of the Video Game History Foundation snagged a digital copy. As a fitting Christmas gift to the gaming world, he published a deep dive into the history of the long lost game, which also covers the ways it differs from the SNES version we're all familiar with, as well as a NES ROM for emulators.
EA shuts down the studio behind 'SimCity'
The studio that created SimCity and The Sims is no more. Today, EA confirmed that it will shut down Maxis Emeryville, displacing the folks primarily responsible for the aforementioned titles. In a statement, EA said that it'll relocate Maxis' development to its other offices in Redwood Shores, California; Salt Lake City; Helsinki; and Melbourne, Australia. The company plans to move forward with projects already in the works, including an expansion pack for The Sims 4 and ongoing support for the existing The Sims and SimCity faithful. Those two are massively popular PC titles, and the latter finally arrived on Mac in 2013 with players everywhere encountering a truckload of launch issues.
SimCity BuildIt soft launches, starts building on Android, iOS
Mayoral duties can follow you everywhere in SimCity BuildIt, EA's new urban spread that has soft launched in Canada on Android and in New Zealand on iOS. BuildIt is a free download with in-app purchases, and while EA's reveal post in September mentions the presence of an offline mode, "many of the coolest features do require an online connection." EA's reveal notes that longtime fans should find threads of the PC games in BuildIt, adding that they've been "streamlined to make the experience more fun and manageable on touchscreens." Players can tend to zones, roads and traffic, services, city specializations and data layers of their metropolis, and the familiar goal of landmarks returns. Of course, should you need to start over, disasters are still a therapeutic tool to help clear the grid. BuildIt's store listing adds that you'll be able to "trade resources with friends and other cities," so maybe consult with a neighbor before letting your frustration fuel the death of hundreds of Sims. Unless your authoritative, do-good role is just a guise for your eagerness to be the kid burning ants with a magnifying glass, that is. [Image: EA]
EA announces upcoming SimCity BuildIt for iOS
EA has announced that it will bring a new version of its popular SimCity franchise to iOS. The SimCity BuildIt game keeps the same city planner theme of earlier titles, but is designed from the ground up for gaming on the go. The choices you make evolve your city in a variety of ways. Meet your citizens' needs to keep them happy, or make questionable choices and feel your citizens' wrath. Pinch, zoom, and rotate 360 degrees as you manage your city in the palm of your hand. With countless buildings and vivid, 3D-quality graphics, it's the most advanced mobile building simulation game. EA has not announced a launch date or pricing for the new game, only confirming that the title is coming soon to iPhone and iPad. This isn't the first SimCity game to make its way to iOS. EA previously released SimCity Social and SimCity Deluxe for the iPad, both of which are no longer available. EA also maintains SimCity 4 for the Mac.
'SimCity BuildIt' brings urban planning back to phones and tablets
SimCity hasn't been on mobile devices for a while -- the last title surfaced way back in 2010. You'll get another crack at metropolis building pretty soon, though, as EA has quietly teased SimCity BuildIt for Android devices, iPhones and iPads. Details are scarce right now, but it's already apparent that this will be a big, big visual upgrade over the last incarnation; you'll see 3D graphics that more closely resemble SimCity's recent reboot than a cut-down phone release. We've reached out to EA for a launch date and more info on the game mechanics. However BuildIt works, we're just hoping that it fares a lot better than its desktop counterpart.
SimCity lays foundations for new mobile game, 'coming soon'
EA unveiled SimCity BuildIt this morning, an "all-new" iOS and Android entry in the metropolis-making franchise. Beyond a few screenshots and the mention of pinch, zoom and rotational controls, details are sparse at present. EA's overview page does note BuildIt is "coming soon" to iPhone, iPad, Android and Android tablets. BuildIt is far from SimCity's mobile debut. An old-school SimCity Mobile was released in 2008, before it was taken down and replaced by the more modern SimCity Deluxe Mobile two years later. History may be repeating itself, because we weren't able to locate Deluxe Mobile on the Apple App Store or Google Play at the time of writing. Google Cache reveals it was available on Canada's App Store on August 31, but the link appears broken now. We've reached out to EA for more details on SimCity BuildIt and the status of Deluxe Mobile. [Image: EA]
Sims 4 hasn't made a home on OS X, and I'm OK with that
Today's big release of Sims 4 was not celebrated by OS X devotees thanks to EA's decision to make the game a Windows-only affair, at least for the time being. An FAQ posted on the Sims 4 website makes the potential future of a Mac edition unclear, noting only that there are "no updates on Mac at this time." You know what? Fine. It wasn't that long ago that we got to see exactly what EA is capable of with the refresh of SimCity. After a launch on PC that was plagued with a completely busted (yet mandatory) online component, the OS X version of the game similarly stumbled out of the gate when it was launched months later. EA's forums were overrun with gamers claiming that the Mac version froze upon launch, crashed randomly, and -- to sum it all up -- was completely unplayable. Aside from complaints that the game is too dumbed down or simply not as good as Sims 3, Sims 4's PC release seems to be faring better than SimCity's. That being said, many customers still have a horrible taste in their mouths from the SimCity disaster, and unless EA puts the Mac port of Sims 4 in the hands of Mac publisher Aspyr -- which has proven itself multiple times with iOS and OS X ports of games like KOTOR, BioShock Infinite, and even SimCity 4 and Sims 2 -- I'm perfectly fine with EA having no news about a Mac release of Sims 4. It's not that I don't want to play the new Sims title. In fact, it looks like it would be a blast to play... but only if it actually works. At the moment, I'm just not sure I trust EA to deliver a playable game on OS X, and I don't think I'm alone.
SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition reigns supreme on Mac
The SimCity reboot on OS X came with a whole host of launch day problems, and longtime fans of the series cried foul at the streamlined nature and much more modest city sizes. If you happened to be in that camp, SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition is exactly what you've been dreaming of, and now it's finally available on the Mac App Store. If you've somehow managed to avoid the addictive pull of the SimCity franchise, I'll lay it out for you: You play as the all-seeing mayor of your own metropolis, and must build it up from a barren piece of land. It's the ultimate micromanagement experience, and you'll zone pieces of land for residential buildings, commercial properties, as well industrial purposes. As the mayor, the life of every citizen is in your hands, and you must provide for their basic needs such as utilities, education, emergency management, mass transit, and a host of services. Your city never sleeps, and you're never truly done doing your job. New problems will pop up constantly and your team of advisors will always have a suggestion for how you could better your burg. The sense of accomplishment that comes with seeing your city thrive is countered by the inevitable failure of many of your plans. A freak fire or riot can quickly change your approach, and no two play sessions are ever the same. You might be short on cash and need to tweak the city's taxes, but even the slightest nudge can topple the local economy and send residents fleeing from your town -- the balances are that fragile. As you expand, your once quiet town will burst into a bustling city, and before you know it you'll be scrolling over dozens of city blocks to spot unrest, add a hospital, or investigate a traffic issue. If for some reason you manage to craft a utopia -- and that isn't likely to happen until you've spent dozens or even hundreds of hours learning the game's nuances -- you can increase the difficulty by prompting a natural disaster like a tornado, volcano, or meteor. Handled by seasoned Mac publisher Aspyr Games, there was little doubt that the game would enjoy a seamless transition, and the company has once again delivered on that promise. Technically speaking, the game is the true SimCity experience with zero compromises, and the game runs well on even modest systems thanks to plenty of graphics options. The Deluxe Edition includes both the base game and the Rush Hour expansion pack, which adds a whole list of new mass transit options for your citizens. It's the ultimate SimCity experience, and anyone put off by the recent series reboot will almost certainly find this version to be far superior in terms of options, size, and scope. At US$19.99, it's the cost of a couple of movie tickets, but will give you hundreds of hours of enjoyment with little issue.
Gold Rush-era empire builder 1849 strikes paydirt on May 8
While normally you'd need a mule and scraggly beard to properly reenact the California Gold Rush, developer SomaSim's upcoming 1849 will allow players to build a mining empire from the comforts of their own home. Slated to debut on PC, Mac, iPad and Android tablets on May 8, the simulation drops players into one of 20 virtual cities, each based on a real Gold Rush-era boomtown. SomaSim cites SimCity as a direct influence on 1849 and claims that players will need to build mines, attract workers, find ways to keep said workers fed and entertained, and establish trade networks to ship ore out of the wilderness. SomaSim promises a campaign consisting of 20 distinct scenarios designed to test different aspects of a player's mining talents, alongside an endless sandbox mode. If you'd rather not wait until May 8 to kick off your mining career, 1849 is currently available in Early Access form from Indie Game Stand and the Mac Game Store. The former offers both PC and Mac versions of 1849, while the latter strictly features OS X software. Both sites are offering 1849 for $10, and each will be updated with new content as the game nears its official launch. [Image: SomaSim]
SimCity 4: Deluxe Edition returns to Mac in updated digital release
While fans may never forgive EA for the disastrous launch of SimCity, those would-be city planners devoted to OS X will be happy to hear that the fan-favorite SimCity 4: Deluxe Edition is making a return to Apple hardware. This new version of SimCity 4: Deluxe Edition has been designed from the ground-up for modern Apple hardware. It requires OS X Mountain Lion or a more recent Apple operating system, but alongside this shift into the modern, Aspyr claims the game boasts new bug fixes, performance improvements and native resolution support – a huge boon for anyone who'd rather not play SimCity 4 at a muddy, pixelated 1024x768. Otherwise, this is the same SimCity 4: Deluxe Edition that so many players have spent so many hundreds of hours immersed within. Best of all, you Apple devotees need not wait for this game's launch. As of this morning, SimCity 4: Deluxe Edition is available on the OS X App Store at a price of $20. [Image: Aspyr Media]
SimCity offline mode update in 'final testing'
SimCity's Update 10, a patch that will allow for offline play, is in "final testing," according to a tweet posted on the game's official Twitter account. Update 10 was revealed back in January, shortly after publisher EA and developer Maxis announced that the game would also start supporting mods. The SimCity saga of server instability and poor service was one of 2013's defining moments in gaming, as well as inspiration for our newly-launched State of Service reviews. The option to play offline has been a long time coming. [Image: EA]
Myst and SimCity enter the History of Electronic Games collection
Broderbund Software's legacy is sure to live on through ports, sequels and source code, but what about the game developer's behind-the-scenes history? Thankfully, it won't be fading away any time soon. Company founder Doug Carlston has donated Broderbund's software and corporate records to The Strong, a museum dedicated to all forms of play. The move should help illustrate the creation process behind every title that Broderbund published, including classics like Myst, Prince of Persia, the original SimCity and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego. The collection isn't limited to game assets -- Carlston is donating correspondence, photos and other material that reveals the studio's culture. Few people will get to see this treasure trove of gaming nostalgia in person, but it should preserve Broderbund's accomplishments for a long time to come.
EA says it took six months to make 'impossible' offline play possible in Sim City
Yesterday EA announced the latest incarnation of Sim City would be patched to finally bring offline play to the controversial title. An online-only play requirement caused the game to be crippled from launch for many players, and left offline players locked out of the title completely. At the time the game was launched, EA simply told players adding an offline mode was impossible. Obviously yesterday's news proved that assertion was false. In light of a wave of backlash and questions from fans, including the ever-important "Why did you tell us this was impossible?" EA has released a statement explaining what went into making the game playable offline. The main ingredient? Time -- six and a half months' worth. Leader engineer Simon Fox offered the following explanation on the EA blog. The original creative vision for SimCity was to make a game where every action had an effect on other cities in your region. As such, we engineered the game to meet this vision, setting up the player's PC (client) to communicate all of its information to the servers. That means that our entire architecture was written to support this, from the way that the simulation works to the way that you communicate across a region of cities. So yes, while someone was able to remove the "time check" shortly after launch, they were unable to perform key actions like communicating with other cities that they had created locally, or with the rest of their region(s), or even saving the current state of their cities. My team did, however, see a path forward towards Offline, one that would maintain the integrity of the simulation. Lucy once said that Offline wouldn't be possible "without a significant amount of engineering work", and she's right. By the time we're finished we will have spent over 6 ½ months working to write and rewrite core parts of the game to get this to work. Even things that seem trivial, like the way that cities are saved and loaded, had to be completely reworked in order to make this feature function correctly. Fair enough; it's understandable that meeting the expectations of fans for the game after the launch backlash took time. Sim City's connectivity was integrated into even the most basic features of the game, initially making an offline mode seem impossible. The developers didn't start working on the offline mode until August of 2013, the month the title launched for Mac. Sim City was released for the PC in March of 2013. Thankfully, the wait will be over soon, and hopefully the next Sim City game will launch as a playable title.
Daily Roundup: Google aquires Nest, SimCity goes offline, Mark IV hands-on and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Daily Update for January 13, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some of the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
SimCity to receive 'impossible' offline update, gamers roll their eyes
Remember back in March of last year when SimCity launched and, because of its online play requirement, did a faceplant? And do you also remember when the game finally found its way to OS X in August and the exact same thing happened? Of course you do, because they were both huge stories. At the time, EA/Maxis apologized profusely and while gamers blamed the online play model, the company said that adding an offline mode to SimCity was "not possible." Well those developers must have been pretty busy for the past five months, because today EA revealed that SimCity would be getting an offline option in an upcoming update. Wow. In less than half a year, the company has made the impossible a reality. It's quite obvious that the online requirement was a stand-in for DRM (essentially, just a way to ensure pirated copies of the game weren't playable), but it seems EA has finally decided it might be better to just let SimCity fans play a not-broken, standalone version of the game. Hooray! The reaction to the announcement is predictably hilarious, since approximately 0 percent of gamers believed that an offline SimCity was "impossible" to begin with. EA hasn't explained how it managed to make it happen -- likely because it was never a real obstacle at all -- but if you're somehow still interested in the game after all these shady antics, your offline dreams will be fulfilled as soon as Update 10 lands.
SimCity getting offline mode 'soon,' aims to fix long-broken relaunch
EA's reboot of SimCity remains in a state of disarray, and the latest effort to correct the situation is an upcoming offline mode for the otherwise always-online game. This is a pretty major change considering all the noise made about SimCity depending on cloud computing to run, and creative director Lucy Bradshaw saying "significant engineering" would be required to take the game offline. It's not completely clear how the offline mode will work, though we do know it'll add a single player mode and offer local saves. "You can save and load to your heart's content," EA Maxis studio manager Paul Buechner said in a blog post this morning, which longtime SimCity fans know is a main pillar of the series. The update is coming "soon," and Buechner also confirms that city sizes will not be increased (another major request from players) and modding will be all the easier with players not affecting the overall online world.
EA allowing official SimCity mods, imposing official restrictions
Modders have never really needed a developer or publisher's blessing to do their work, but EA and Maxis have, nine months post-release, begun to allow official mods for SimCity. There are some caveats to being an official mod however: according to a post on the SimCity blog, you can't modify any executable files (.exe, .dll, .so, etc), can't use copyrighted material, can't use material unbefitting of an E10+ rating, and cannot "jeopardize the integrity of the gameplay" or "affect the simulation for multiplayer games and multiplayer features." While the first three items on the above list could be described as "restrictive," it's the rules about "jeopardizing the integrity of the gameplay" that raise eyebrows. In March, Maxis General Manager Lucy Bradshaw tweeted that "the game was designed for [multiplayer]," and reiterated in a blog post that a single-player mode "didn't fit with our vision." So if the game was designed with multiplayer as an integral gameplay experience but mods can't affect the multiplayer simulation or "jeopardize" gameplay, this may be the most restrictive clause of all. EA also has the right to use, copy, modify and/or distribute an official mod without asking the creator's approval, without paying the creator, and without crediting the creator. So feel free to change the game, modders; just don't change it too much, and don't expect to get paid or credited.
SimCity might get an offline option after all
After two fumbled launches -- one for Windows users and one for Mac -- that frustrated gamers with networking issues, SimCity might finally be getting an offline mode. A general manager for developer Maxis confirmed in a blog post that the company is indeed exploring whether an offline mode would be possible. "Right now we have a team specifically focused on exploring the possibility of an offline mode. I can't make any promises on when we will have more information, but we know this is something that many of our players have been asking for. While the server connectivity issues are behind us, we would like to give our players the ability to play even if they choose not to connect. An offline mode would have the additional benefit of providing room to the modding community to experiment without interfering or breaking the multiplayer experience." Prior to now, publisher EA as well as Maxis has insisted that an online-only experience was the only way the game could offer the experience they wanted. It seems that months of criticism may have finally worn down the game's creators, and they may be ready to offer gamers what they've been asking for since before the game was even released. [via GameSpot]
Daily Roundup: Galaxy Gear and Note 10.1 (2014) reviews, CEATEC 2013, GTA 5 multiplayer and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.