Sim City 5 Rumors Afoot (Again)

In a couple of news posts over at Simtropolis recently, the old spectre of Sim City 5 seems to have reared its head yet again. Most interestingly, statements from a former executive at EA seem to indicate that they are considering resurrecting some "old franchises". Whether that includes Sim City or not is anyone's guess.

I've touched a little bit on what Sim City 5 would mean for us (both the project and the city sim community as a whole). In the short term, I think a lot of people would lose interest in the idea of a community-built game with a new Sim City to look forward to; Let's face it, despite that unfortunate Societies episode, the Sim City series is still one of the most popular and recognizable gaming franchises of all time. But for the long term, things aren't too clear. There are several possible scenarios: First, (and most likely in my opinion, given EA's track record) is that the game will fail to meet fans' expectations. Having been burned once by Societies, I think most people will be looking at any new game with a very critical eye, and anything less than an absolutely stellar Sim City 5 would probably prompt an outpouring of vitriol from the more rabid sections of the fanbase. While that would certainly be a disappointment, the silver lining is a net benefit for Metropolis: between having their appetites for a new city sim whetted, and (I would hope) finally realizing that EA is never going to meet their expectations with Sim City, a lot of fans would be much more receptive to something like the Metropolis Project.

The second possibility, of course, is that EA pushes the envelope and makes a truly outstanding Sim City 5. While this would be fabulous, it would also almost certainly mean a lack of attention for Metropolis in the short- to medium-term. Nevertheless, I would still be inclined to keep this project going. Why? Well, no matter how great a game EA makes, they will still be fundamentally unable to make a game with the potential of Metropolis, for one major reason: EA cannot release an open source game under their current business model. That means that whatever they release will be unable to evolve, and will eventually grow outdated and leave everyone demanding Sim City 6, which will again run the risk of being a disapponitment. Furthermore, even if they leave as much open to customization as they did with Sim City 4 (again, doubtful given the current trends in their games) players will eventually run up against hard-coded limits to the way they can enjoy the game. Ultimately, I really believe that for a game to be the best game possible, it has to be open.

Nonetheless, here's hoping EA surprises us all with a fantastic new city sim. After all, the main thing about games is to enjoy them, and a fun new city builder to play could only be a good thing!