Custom software

SimCity, originally released in 1989 with numerous versions and spin-offs since then, is a classic simulation game, in which players design, build, and attempt to run a thriving city. Players either choose a preset scenario or build a city from the ground up. The real-life factors that a player must take into consideration include zoning laws, infrastructure, cultural and civic institutions, and tax and crime rates, all of which affect quality of life and funds available for further growth. Crucial decisions require weighing short-term convenience against long-term sustainability: high-density zoning, for example, is a cheap way to raise population and capital but may lead to increased crime; placing housing near industry seems convenient, but the effects of pollution on citizens’ health and happiness are considerable. The game rewards successful urban strategies with skyrocketing property values, bustling malls, and flourishing institutions, and failure results in urban blight, in the form of decaying buildings marring the cityscape. Unexpected disasters—fires, floods, menacing alien ships—occasionally sweep through, leaving players to pick up the pieces. Each major upgrade of SimCity makes available a broader universe of information and complexity, both visual and conceptual. In the latest installments, SimCity 3000 and SimCity4, the graphics are axonometric, and players can import architectural landmarks from anywhere in the world—such as the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge, among many others—to add glamour to their creation. SimCity depicts the city as a dynamic organism made of interrelated systems that affect its overall well-being.