EA unveils new SimCity game

By Robert Purchese Published 13 June, 2007

Meet Societies.

EA has told the world it's working on a new SimCity game for PC. Although it isn't quite what you're expecting.

You see, Maxis - which created the other games in the series - won't be developing it. Instead Tilted Mill - responsible for Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile (2005) - will be doing the honours.

The new game will also attempt to add a whole new layer of strategy into the mix, based around the idea of social and cultural behaviour.

Dubbed Societies, the new city-builder will add a new feature-set allowing you to combine buildings to produce or consume "social energies". And it's how you handle your levels of industry, wealth, obedience, knowledge, devotion and creativity that will define your urban masterpiece.

Put your hippy hat on and create an eco-friendly and love-filled city full of creative, spiritual and knowledgeable people. Or pop your headmasters outfit on (we know you have one) to create a dictatorial state built around being powerful, obedient and fearful. It's completely up to you.

Societies also has more familiar aspects. There's more than 350 buildings to construct, each with the flexibility to combine, connect or be re-arranged with others; including a weird and wonderful world of structures like gingerbread houses and chocolate factories. Like always, you'll unlock new bits and pieces as you go along and achieve various milestones.

SimCity Societies is due for release on PC in November.

Head over to our SimCity Societies gallery to see its unique new style.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (28) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • tesco #1 5 years ago

    what a load of crap.

  • Syrok #2 5 years ago

    Want.

  • souljacker2000 #3 5 years ago

    pooo

  • cyacomini #4 5 years ago

    on Mac OSX too ?

  • KingOfSpain #5 5 years ago

    should be on Wii

  • Der_tolle_Emil #6 5 years ago

    City Life?

  • T4RG4 #7 5 years ago

    Sounds screwed up! Was interested in another game. Hopefully this society stuff is just for the PR hounds.

  • aldo_14 #8 5 years ago

    Looks pretty disappointing to me - and graphically worse than SC4 from those pics - although the concept is interesting (1984 dystopia? Excellente - my Dad was always commenting that my SNES Simcity looked like a police state with it's police station every 2 blocks.)

  • crashVoodoo #9 5 years ago

    why the fuck can't they just make sc5 and have it in zoomy/rotatey 3d squiffyness

    why have they decided to make sim gheysville : population - you!

  • Eraysor #10 5 years ago

    Poor effort EA. Keep on digging...

    Edit: It would actually look far better if it kept the same isometric style as SimCity 4, that was wonderfully detailed.
    Edited by 1 at 13/06/07 @ 15:56

  • The_Benny #11 5 years ago

    Obviously with Will Wright working on Spore and Maxis being reduced to endlessly pimping out the Sims there just isn't room in their schedule for the series which defined them for years.

  • ZeroAX #12 5 years ago

    sounds like crap.

  • afray #13 5 years ago

    There's no reason to be fair why it can't have an isometric camera as well as a floaty 3d zoomy camera.

  • Razz #14 5 years ago

    WAIT A BLOODY MINUTE?

    Have they got rid of the zoning??! o_O Do we pick buildings from menus and place them in the city now?! THAT'S SERIOUSLY WRONG! :(((((((((((((

  • Lacero #15 5 years ago

    I really enjoyed Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile. The graphics do look a bit crap though. I'm hopeful rather than optimistic.

  • T4RG4 #16 5 years ago

    Just had a look at the screenshots - Now I know it's shit :) That looks pretty shocking by modern day standards if you ask me!

  • Der_tolle_Emil #17 5 years ago

    I want SimCity 3000 II. SimCity 4 was a bit of a letdown. Graphics were nice but somehow all the cities looked the same and I really did not like the automatic placing of roads. Generally there was too much emphasis on traffic management even before the addon. SimCity 3000 still is the best.

    Has anyone here played City Life? The new SimCity really sounds exactly like that.

  • rudedudejude #18 5 years ago

    hahaha, they sure curled a good one out!

  • smelly #19 5 years ago

    *wanks*

    definitely want!

  • chupachups #20 5 years ago

    Different game, different developers, different name. How exactly is this a Sim City sequel?

  • smelly #21 5 years ago

    "hat looks pretty shocking by modern day standards if you ask me! "

    No-one is asking you.

    But think about how much is probably going on there. This isnt an "on rails" shooter here where you're forced down paths, etc. This is a full living world. And as such it's technically stunning to get the level of detail they have.

    So your opinion is wrong. Sorry.

  • Agent_Llama #22 5 years ago

    The SC games lost their way with the inclusion of all the Sims-related tat. Remove it please EA. We don't all love The Sims.

  • EzyRyder #23 5 years ago

    Well, I loved SC4 and this game looks quite bad from the screenshots to be honest. I hope it gets better, it will be a huge disappointment if it's not as good as SC4 at least. :(

  • smelly #24 5 years ago

    The screenshots look great. What on hell are you talking about?

    That's a big ass city looks like you can zoom right out and then right in. So that's fairly impressive tech.

    Looks fine to me. You lot just seem to think that if it doesnt look as good as the latest fps (where you're running down corridors, etc) then it doesnt look very good. Think about it.. Going from that high to that low? Of course it's not going to look like the latest racing game or whatever.

    Doesnt stop it from looking good.

  • bit_mite #25 5 years ago

    The introduction of cultural values sounds really interesting - a step forwards for the series. Just as long as it's not a one-step-fprwards-two-steps-back kinda thang. I loved SC3000 and SC4 - hope they get it right again this time.

  • Razz #26 5 years ago

    If they get rid of the zoning system I'll go to EA and shout at every single manager responsible. I mean come on! Cuilding chooser? Like an RTS? Fuck that! Leave in the zones the delevoping buildings that change depending on the local environment and improvements. :/ IF they've just got a library of buildings you place your self it will take to much away from the game. :( ;_;

  • smelly #27 5 years ago

    >SimCity is fantastic, why ruin it.

    Well why not play the old version? If it's so great then surely there's no reason to release a new version at all?

    I'd HATE for them to do a SC2000 where it was just the same game with prettier graphics (yawnsville).

    I for one applaud them.

  • TheUnionFrag #28 5 years ago

    Wow, another game to add to my lifetime persistent global ranking ignore list . . .