SimCity (series)


 * Note: The Sims Wiki is not an encyclopedia about games outside of The Sims series and its spin-offs. Therefore, this article provides only limited information about the SimCity series. For more information, please see Wikipedia's article on this topic.
 * For information on the fictional location by the same name, see SimCity

SimCity is a series of simulation games first developed by Will Wright and published by Maxis (either independently, or later as a subsidiary of Electronic Arts) for PCs and various platforms beginning in 1989. There have been four main releases within the series - SimCity (1989), SimCity 2000 (1993), SimCity 3000 (1999), andSimCity 4 (2003). Additionally, SimCity Societies (2007) is sometimes regarded as the fifth entry in the series, though it departed from much of the tried-and-true gameplay of its predecessors, and was not developed by Maxis. Maxis has returned to develop the newest game in the series - named simply SimCity (or SimCity 2013 to avoid confusion with the original game) - which is set for release in March of 2013.

The purpose of games within the SimCity franchise is to build and simulate metropolises. This is accomplished through the placement of civic and governmental buildings like schools, police and fire stations, parks, and others. Growth of the city is determined by tax rates, ordinances and available zones for development, which are all adjusted and controlled by the player. Like The Sims and most other Maxis games, gameplay is open-ended and there typically is no end goal or objective, though in some versions of the game, scenario play is available.

The success of the SimCity series in the 1990s led to the creation of many, albeit less successful games, within the Sim- series. This series culminated with the development and release of The Sims in 2000 and the birth of The Sims series. The success of The Sims series has since eclipsed the earlier successes of the SimCity series.