The Regionalization of SimCity

SimCity first gave a mass audience a taste of its oddball brand of urban planning back in 1989. Now Maxis, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts, is bringing back the popular game for the first time in a decade, with the planned release of an updated version of SimCity in 2013. But despite sticking with the same name, regions and the interconnectedness within what academics would call mega-cities will feature prominently in the new version.

"Cities will affect the environment, Sims will commute from city to city, cities will economically specialize and provide resources and services to each other," says Ocean Quigley, Maxis's creative director for the new SimCity. "If you’re playing solo, then it’s all taking place between the cities that you control. If you’re playing with friends, then some of those cities will be controlled by your friends."