Counting down to SimCity

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The new SimCity is coming to town tomorrow. I can’t wait to play it (though it seems like we Mac people have to wait a little while longer.) I admit I am not much of a gamer – SimCity and Age of Empires are my two gaming weaknesses, so it makes sense that I have been waiting for this brand new sequel for a very long time. I used to look at the blank grid of my unbuilt dream city and then take a long walk imaging the best possible city I could create based on the landscape. I often pondered decisions for hours and hours. I loved the windmills and big boulevards – explained by my love for Paris, Lyuten’s Delhi and Scandinavian sensibilities towards the environment.

SimCity attuned me to the need for balance and refinement. I am and will always be a SimCity geek. There are many reasons to get excited about this version of the game and Josh Dzieza at the Daily Beast makes a great case for it. He writes:

The game’s most salient message, though, is that cities are extremely complex. You have to deal with power, water, housing, transportation, pollution, even sewage.

Magical words to my ears! So much so, I might have to install Windows just to play the game if the Mac version doesn’t come to market soon.

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On the SimCity blog, senior producer Kip Katsarelis writes:

This is a new SimCity that offers a deeper, richer game than ever before, with the new GlassBox engine driving the most authentic simulation you will ever see. We have created a model-like world that makes you want to reach in, poke, prod, tinker and destroy. We have put the simulation right in front of you so you can see the consequences of your actions and really dig in to see how the systems work. This new SimCity has been built from the ground up to be an online experience with a new Multi-City feature, which adds an epic scale to city planning, as your decisions impact both your city and your region.

Here is a little taste of the game. Enjoy!