SimCity (2013)

For other uses, see SimCity (disambiguation).

SimCity
Developer(s)	Maxis
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Producer(s)	Kip Katsarelis
Release date(s)	Windows NA March 5, 2013 EU March 7, 2013 JP March 7, 2013 GB March 8, 2013 OS X WW August 29, 2013
Genre(s)	City-building simulation, massively multiplayer online game
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, OS X
Media	DVD, Digital download
Input methods	Mouse, keyboard
Ratings	ESRB: E10+ PEGI: 7
Series	SimCity
Cheats

SimCity (also referred to as SimCity 2013 or SimCity 5) is the reimagined version of the SimCity series, developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts (EA). The game was released on March 5, 2013 for Windows PCs. An OS X version was also announced and subsequently released on August 29, 2013.

SimCity 2013 began development in the spring of 2009. It is the first Maxis-developed main series SimCity game since SimCity 4, released a decade prior. The game brought back the zoning feature and introduced multiplayer, where groups of cities work together or compete in an online region. The new agent-based city simulation (roads, agents, and units instead of grid-cells) and city regional play was declared the heart of the game by its Creative Director, Ocean Quigley.

SimCity 2013 received positive reviews prior to release; however, as a result of widespread technical problems such as difficulty connecting to the game's always-online servers, reviewers lowered the game's review score significantly. EA offered early buyers a free game from Origin as apology. Update 10, released March 18, 2014, introduced an offline mode toggle, allowing the player to play in single-player whenever.

Features

Every individual Sim has their own job, personality, education, life expectancy, etc., as part of the of the agent-based city building introduced to the franchise through SimCity 2013. One unit's behavior, such as a moving van blocking the street, could ripple out and cause a traffic jam, in turn delaying the response time of a fire truck attempting to put out a fire, resulting in a swath of the city burning.

There is no terraforming in this game, although the player can raise and lower land surrounding roads to a limited extent as of Update 7. The environmental consequences of running a city are also explored, focusing on climate change and other environmental issues such as air, water, and ground pollution due to resource extraction and non-renewable services.

Finite non-renewable resources (coal, oil, ore) means players overconsuming resources too quickly can backfire, collapsing their city's economy and employment makeup. However, players can trade resources with other players online. In a demo shown at E3 (2012), a mayor from Stoneslow was able to pipe electricity into Taylor City.

Crime is more detailed; when a Sim commits arson, the player will hear gasoline being poured, a match being lit, and see panicked Sims running from the building, some of them on fire. Further, the idea of "gateway crimes" is explored, where a criminal sim not caught for shoplifting will soon escalate to more extreme crimes—murder at worst—until caught.

Online multiplayer means regions can house multiple cities from a variety of players or "Mayors". Mayors can work together, possibly collaborating to build great works. These mega-projects can benefit the region, such as bringing in more tourists via the international airport or unlocking the purchase of solar power at a reduced cost. To access online features, players must be logged into an EA account.

The feature of zoning residential, commercial, and industrial zones return. However, players can no longer zone in different densities. Rather, densities are designated based on road upgrades and happiness effecting the zoned area.

Disasters

In SimCity 2013, disasters can occur randomly, though Update 8 allows players to "Disable Random Disasters" in the settings menu.

Like SimCity 4, the player can summon disasters by using the disasters tab. In multiplayer mode, the 7 disaster options have to be unlocked by completing achievements. In single player mode, disasters are unlocked automatically, as achievements cannot be earned offline.

The disasters in SimCity 2013 are:

• Meteor strike
• Earthquake
• UFO encounter
• Big lizard
• Tornado
• Zombie attack
• Outworlder 6 (requires Cities of Tomorrow)

Notable gameplay differences

• Always online connection to the EA app (EA servers, formerly Origin)
• Multiplayer is supported and is provided as invite only or public/free join.
• Cloud saving allows the player to pick up their game from any computer, but not able to load an earlier version of the city in case of disasters.
• No industry types in RCI meter. Industry types are determined by separate "Industrial Tech" level.
• Absence of terraforming.
• Absence of agriculture.
• Absence of subways.
• Addition of streetcars, dirt roads, and free-form roads.
• Pre-designed maps and population road connections.
• Zoning density is no longer controlled by zoning, instead controlled by the road type.
• Modular utility buildings that can be physically improved with additional functionality ploppables.
• Player doesn’t have direct control over a civic building's funding.
• Player can turn a whole building on/off and/or add/remove Modules.
• Size of the maps is limited to 2 km by 2 km (Comparable to SimCity 4 medium size).
• Any player can join into a public region, from 2 and up to 16 cities in a region at a time.
• Players can engage in six main City Specializations: Mining, Drilling, Gambling, Electronics, Trade, and Culture.
• Players can compete on global leaderboards.
• Players in online mode can earn achievements.
• Players can trade resources (import/export) on the global market.

Releases

Limited edition cover of SimCity (2013)

There are four versions of SimCity 2013 available:

• Standard Edition: The base game with all the features listed above.

• Limited Edition: Only available through pre-order. Included the Heroes and Villains Set. Players who pre-ordered on Origin also received the Plumbob Park set.

• Digital Deluxe (Origin/EA app only): Includes the Heroes and Villains set found in Limited Edition as well as three European City packs: British, France and German. Players pre-ordering on Origin also received the Plumbob Park set, as with the Limited Edition.

• Collector's Edition: Contains the British set (UK only), France set (France only), German set (Germany only), and a steelbook.

Downloadable contents

Main article: Downloadable content

• Heroes and Villains Set (Included with the Limited and Digital Deluxe editions)
• Plumbob Park (Only available during Origin's exclusive bundle for pre-ordering)
• British City Set ($9.99, included with the Digital Deluxe edition)
• French City Set ($9.99, included with the Digital Deluxe edition)
• German City Set ($9.99, included with the Digital Deluxe edition)
• Amusement Park Set ($9.99)
• Nissan Leaf Charging Station (Currently available free of charge on EA app)
• Attractions Set (Was available for free from release through Update 9)
• Airships Set ($8.99)
• House of Worship Set (Free through Update 7)
• Roman Casino Set (Free through Update 8)
• Progressive Insurance Set (Once free, no longer available as of 2025)

Country-specific downloadable contents

These DLCs are only available in specific countries in Europe.

• Media Markt Set
• Metro Set
• Telia Set
• Play Set
• Micromania Set
• Red Cross Set ($9.99, only available to players located in Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States)

Expansion packs

• SimCity: Cities of Tomorrow ($19.99, released on November 12, 2013)

Compilation packs

• SimCity: Plus Edition (Includes the main game and the expansion pack. No longer available through Origin or the EA app)
• SimCity: Complete Edition (Includes the main game, expansion pack, pre-order and digital deluxe content and all paid DLCs; free DLCs, such as promotional content, are not included)

Trial version

Formerly, a paid by the hour trial version of SimCity 2013 was offered starting August 5, 2014. This was exclusive to the PC version, would last for four hours, and began counting whenever you first launched the game. It provided two save slots (as opposed to ten in the regular game), two regions (Cape Trinity and Reflection Atoll), and was playable only in single-player mode. Save files in the trial version are still transferable if the player chooses to purchase the full version of the game, as save files are stored locally.

Patches and updates

Main article: SimCity (2013)/Updates

Reception and Legacy

SimCity received mixed-to-negative reviews on release, mostly due to the always online requirement, severe technical issues at launch, and the lengthy delay between server restorations. Many cited that taking an offline single player series and forcing players to play online without toggle was disrespectful to the franchise's loyal community.

Currently, the game is the lowest rated SimCity title to date, behind SimCity Societies, a game noted for its negative reception from fans.

Following negative fan backlash and reviews, on May 6, 2013, EA and Maxis revealed The Sims 4. Maxis stated in a video that The Sims 4, released on September 2, 2014, will not require internet or have online features to avoid further fan backlash, a reaction EA and Maxis did not anticipate with SimCity 2013. They did reveal, however, that The Sims 4 uses the same engine SimCity 2013 uses, GlassBox. They hinted at the possibility of reinventing a SimCity 4 and The Sims 2 feature where players could export a city layout in SimCity 4 into The Sims 2. However, The Sims 4 players have expressed resentment for GlassBox engine, and there have been no noted collaborations between the two EA releases since.

Videos

Sim City Limited Edition Pre-Order Trailer

Pre-Order Trailer

SimCity 5 Official Announcement Trailer HD

Announcement Trailer

SimCity Beta - 1 - Part 1

Beta Gameplay

Gallery

See also

• Interface (SimCity (2013))

External links

• Title at Gamefaqs