More details have emerged on Electronic Arts' upcoming SimCity sequel, and it looks like original developer Maxis has little or nothing to do with the project.
SimCity Societies, as it's being called, has been handed over to Caesar IV developer Tilted Mill Entertainment, who will be taking over development duties from Will Wright's Maxis.
EA officially confirmed the game in a chat with Joystiq. According to an unamed EA exec, the reason behind the Societies name is that it's "completely different from SimCity 4, so they're trying to come up with something different than just calling it SimCity 5."
Fans are unexpectedly not very happy about the developer shift, posting a barrage of heated messages on Tilted Mill's official forums.
Responding to the debate, President & Director of Development Chris Beatrice posted an official statement:
"...I do not want to mislead anyone: This SC is not a realistic urban simulation, which I understand, to many, represents the heart of what SC is," he said. "No one is blind to that. And if you're just completely turned off, even angered by the mere notion of any game called 'SimCity' that is not a detailed, realistic urban simulator, I absolutely understand that viewpoint, and absolutely respect it."
"I do want to say, though (with no insult intended to die hard SC fans)," he adds, "that we are absolutely thrilled to be a part of this venerable series, are extremely proud of what we have put together, and make no apologies about what we have managed to create. And while our past experiences (including contributions from many of you) certainly inform all our ongoing efforts, this SC is its own unique creation."
First looks at the game in US Games for Windows mag show a fully 3D world, with a colourful environment and a Theme Park-style fairground bustling in the foreground.
Caesar IV was admittedly a bit average as far as city builders go, so let's cross our fingers and hope it jumps in to gear to live up to SimCity fans' massive expectations.
We've currently hammering EA's PR department with the CVG bat phone, so expect more SimCity 5 gubbins very soon.
