SimsVille
''SimsVille'' is a cancelled simulation video game game developed by Maxis. The game was conceived as a hybrid between the gameplay of '' The Sims'' and '' SimCity''. Development of ''SimsVille'' was undertaken over two years by the Maxis development team for ''SimCity'' as an opportunity for expansion of ''The Sims'' franchise. Following delays to the game's release window, Maxis discontinued development of ''SimsVille'' in September 2001, citing the studio's concerns with the quality of the gameplay experience. Despite its cancellation, design elements of ''SimsVille'' would influence later Maxis products, particularly the community features of '' The Sims: Hot Date'' and the integration of Sims into ''SimCity 4''. Gameplay Players of ''SimsVille'' were tasked with populating and managing a town. In contrast to gameplay in ''SimCity'', homes are inhabited by households of Sims, who move between and interact with buildings in the city. Players would be required to build ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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SimCity
''SimCity'' is an open-ended city-building video game series originally designed by Will Wright. The first game in the series, '' SimCity'', was published by Maxis in 1989 and were followed by several sequels and many other spin-off "''Sim''" titles, including 2000's '' The Sims'', which itself became a best-selling computer game and franchise. Maxis developed the series independently until 1997, and continued under the ownership of Electronic Arts until 2003. EA commissioned various spinoffs from other companies during the 2000s, focusing on console and mobile releases. A 2013 EA-Maxis reboot was subject to what has been described as "one of the most disastrous launches in history", which may have triggered the 2015 shutdown of Maxis Emeryville and the end of the franchise. Gameplay ''SimCity'' titles are real-time management and construction simulators. Across most titles, the player (acting as mayor) is given a blank map to begin and must expand the city with the b ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Maxis
Maxis is an American video game developer and a division of Electronic Arts (EA). The studio was founded in 1987 by Will Wright and Jeff Braun, and acquired by EA in 1997. Maxis is best known for its simulation games, including '' The Sims'', ''Spore'' and '' SimCity''. In the late 2010s, Maxis suffered from a series of studio closures and layoffs. This included the shutdown of Maxis Emeryville in 2015, EA Salt Lake in 2017, and a wave of layoffs at Redwood Shores in 2018. With the remainder of Maxis reorganised under EA Mobile, and EA opening new studios under the label from 2019, some commentators have suggested that only the brand name from the original studio survives. History Independent studio (1987-1997) Maxis was founded in 1987 by Will Wright and Jeff Braun to help publish '' SimCity'' on home computers. Before then, the game was only available on a limited basis on the Commodore 64 due to few publishers showing any interest in porting a non-traditio ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Sims
''The Sims'' is a series of life simulation video games developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The franchise has sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide, and it is one of the best-selling video game series of all time. The games in the ''Sims'' series are largely sandbox games, in that they lack any defined goals (except for some later expansion packs and console versions which introduced this gameplay style). The player creates virtual people called "Sims", places them in houses, and helps direct their moods and satisfy their desires. Players can either place their Sims in pre-constructed homes or build them themselves. Each successive expansion pack and game in the series augmented what the player could do with their Sims. ''The Sims'' series is part of the larger ''Sim'' series, started by '' SimCity'' in 1989. Development Game designer Will Wright was inspired to create a "virtual doll house" after losing his home during the Oakland firestorm of 1991 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cancelled Windows Games
Cancel or cancellation may refer to: * Flight cancellation and delay, not operating a scheduled flight Sociology * Cancel culture, boycott and ostracism calling out offensive behavior on social media or in real life Technology and science * Cancel leaf, a bibliographic term for replaced leaves in printed books *Cancellation property, the mathematical property if ''a''×''b'' = ''a''×''c'' then ''b'' = ''c'' ** Cancelling out, a technique for simplifying mathematical expressions *Catastrophic cancellation, numerical error arising from subtracting approximations to nearby numbers *Noise cancellation, a method for reducing unwanted sound *Phase cancellation, the effect of two waves that are out of phase with each other being summed * Cancel message, a special message used to remove Usenet articles posted to news servers * Cancel character, an indication that transmitted data are in error or are to be disregarded * Resolution rule, in propositional logic a valid inference r ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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SimCity Societies
''SimCity Societies'' is a city-building simulation video game developed by Tilted Mill Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts, and is part of the ''SimCity'' series. The gameplay is significantly different from previous ''SimCity'' titles, with a greater focus on social development. ''SimCity Societies'' was released in 2007, and received mixed reviews, with praise for the game's improved accessibility and visuals, but criticism for being oversimplified and having poor performance. Gameplay ''SimCity Societies'' has a different style of gameplay compared to previous ''SimCity'' titles, with less focus on "stricter city-planner roles", and more focus on "social-engineering". Tilted Mill Entertainment also reduced the complexity of ''SimCity Societies'' after the previous games in the series had been described as too complex by Will Wright. Complexity was reduced by removing the need to lay pipes and power grids. The ability to fund buildings individually, building ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Sims Online
''The Sims Online'', also known as ''EA-Land'', was a massively multiplayer online variation on Maxis' computer game ''The Sims''. It was published by Electronic Arts and released in December 2002 for Microsoft Windows. The game was sold in retail stores in North America and Japan and could also be downloaded worldwide through the EA.com online store, though the game was English-only and had no official translations. The game charged a subscription fee of US $9.99 per month. In March 2007, EA announced that the product would be re-branded as ''EA-Land'' and major enhancements would be made. EA later announced that the game would shut down all activity on August 1, 2008. Gameplay Four cities had special rules: Dragon's Cove contained harder game objectives. For example, a Sim would lose energy when traveling long distances, and the virtual costs for items were doubled. Betaville was a city created for the purpose of testing new features, such as the ability to create a family of up ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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City-building Game
A city-building game, or town-building game, is a genre of simulation video game where players act as the overall planner and leader of a city or town, looking down on it from above, and being responsible for its growth and management strategy. Players choose building placement and city management features such as salaries and work priorities, and the city develops accordingly. City-building games such as ''SimCity'', ''Cities XXL'' or '' Cities: Skylines'' are considered a type of construction and management simulation. History The earliest city-building game was '' The Sumerian Game'' (1964), a text-based mainframe game written by Mabel Addis, based on the ancient Sumerian city of Lagash. It was subsequently adapted into '' The Sumer Game'' (1968), later known as ''Hamurabi''. The city-building game genre was established in 1989 with ''SimCity'', which emphasized continuous building rather than a set victory condition. Players followed personal preferences in design an ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Will Wright (game Designer)
William Ralph Wright (born January 20, 1960) is an American video game designer and co-founder of the former game development company Maxis, and then part of Electronic Arts (EA). In April 2009, he left EA to run Stupid Fun Club Camp, an entertainment think tank in which Wright and EA are principal shareholders. The first computer game Wright designed was '' Raid on Bungeling Bay'' in 1984, but it was ''SimCity'' that brought him to prominence. The game was released by Maxis, a company Wright formed with Jeff Braun, and he built upon the game's theme of computer simulation with numerous other titles including '' SimEarth'' and '' SimAnt''. Wright's greatest success to date comes from being the original designer for ''The Sims''. The game spawned multiple sequels, including ''The Sims 2'', '' The Sims 3'', and '' The Sims 4'' and expansion packs, and Wright has earned many awards for his work. His latest work, ''Spore'', was released in September 2008 and features gameplay base ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the designers and programmers responsible for its games as "software artists." EA published numerous games and some productivity software for personal computers, all of which were developed by external individuals or groups until 1987's '' Skate or Die!''. The company shifted toward internal game studios, often through acquisitions, such as Distinctive Software becoming EA Canada in 1991. Currently, EA develops and publishes games of established franchises, including '' Battlefield'', '' Need for Speed'', '' The Sims'', '' Medal of Honor'', '' Command & Conquer'', '' Dead Space'', '' Mass Effect'', '' Dragon Age'', '' Army of Two'', '' Apex Legends'', and ''Star Wars'', as well as the EA Sports titles '' FIFA'', '' Madden NFL'', '' NBA Liv ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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SimCity 4
''SimCity 4'' is a city-building game, city-building Construction and management simulation games, simulation Personal computer game, computer game developed by Maxis, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts. It was released on January 14, 2003. It is the fourth major installment in the SimCity, ''SimCity'' series. ''SimCity 4'' has a single expansion pack called SimCity 4: Rush Hour, ''Rush Hour'' which adds features to the game. ''SimCity 4: Deluxe Edition'' contained the original game and ''Rush Hour'' combined as a single product. The game allows players to create a region of land by terraforming, and then to design and build a settlement which can grow into a city. Players can zone different areas of land as commerce, commercial, Industrial sector, industrial, or residential area, residential development, as well as build and maintain public services, transport and public utility, utilities. For the success of a city, players must manage its finances, natural environment, environmen ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |