SimsVille

{{Short description|Cancelled video game developed by Maxis}}

{{good article}}

{{Infobox video game

| title = SimsVille

| image = Simsville-comeingsoon.png

| caption = Promotional trailer

| developer = Maxis

| publisher = Electronic Arts

| released = Cancelled

| genre = Life simulation

| platforms = Microsoft Windows

| producer = Christine McGavran

}}

SimsVille is a cancelled life simulation video game developed by Maxis. The game was conceived as a hybrid between the gameplay of The Sims, a social simulation game, and the city-building game SimCity. Development of SimsVille was undertaken over two years by the Maxis development team for SimCity in an attempt to expand The Sims franchise. Following delays to the game's release window, Maxis discontinued development of SimsVille in September 2001, citing concerns with the quality of the gameplay experience. Despite its cancellation, design elements of SimsVille would influence later Maxis products, such as the community features of The Sims: Hot Date and the integration of Sims into SimCity 4.

== Gameplay ==

File:Simsville-unknown.png

SimsVille was a city-building and life simulation game where players were tasked with populating and managing a town. In contrast to gameplay in SimCity, which focuses only on city-building mechanics, homes in Simsville would be inhabited by households of Sims, who moved between and interacted with buildings in the city. Players were required to build and manage a city that met the needs of individual Sims by satisfying their 'Energy', 'Fun', 'Environment', 'Social' and 'Hunger' moods, as well as individual interests, that would affect the environment and character of the city. Similar to The Sims, the game's gameplay modes were separated by a 'Build Mode', which allowed players to construct buildings and infrastructure, a 'Buy Mode', in which players could purchase items that affect Sim needs and interests, and a 'Live Mode' to indirectly control Sims.{{cite web|website=GameSpot|last=Ajami|first=Amer|date=17 May 2006 |title=SimsVille Preview|accessdate=4 March 2024|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/simsville-preview/1100-2805353/}} The game supported a three-dimensional engine, allowing players to freely rotate and zoom into details in their town.{{cite web|website=GameSpot|last=Varanini|first=Giancarlo|title=E3 2001 Hands-OnSimsVille |date=17 May 2006 |accessdate=4 March 2024|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2001-hands-onsimsville/1100-2762367/}} Whilst players would not have had direct control over individual Sims, it was intended players would be able to design families or import households from The Sims to appear in the game.

== Development ==

Developed over a two-year period to its cancellation in September 2001, SimsVille was conceived out of early conceptual work during development by the Maxis team responsible for the SimCity series, and The Sims codesigners Claire Curtain and Roxy Wolosenko, with minor input from franchise creator Will Wright.{{cite web|website=GameSpot|title=The Sims: Livin' Large Preview - Part 3: Will Wright Q&A|date=28 July 2000|accessdate=3 March 2024|url=https://www.gamespot.com/app.php/articles/the-sims-livin-large-preview-part-3-will-wright-qanda/1100-2609362/}} SimsVille was intended as a hybrid between the simulation gameplay of The Sims and the city-building mechanics of the Sim City series.{{cite magazine|magazine=PC PowerPlay|issue=51|title=SimsVille|pages=44–45|date=August 2000|url=https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-051-2000-08/page/n43}}{{cite magazine|magazine=Computer Gaming World|last=Coffey|first=Robert|title=SimsVille|issue=193|date=August 2000|pages=48|url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_193/page/n51}}{{cite web|website=GameSpot|title=SimsVille Q&A|date=6 June 2000|accessdate=3 March 2024|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/SimsVille-qanda/1100-2567501/}} The development team aimed to bridge these gameplay approaches through expressing the impact of Sims and communities on the character of the environment.{{cite web|website=IGN|title=SimsVille|date=19 May 2001|last=Lopez|first=Vincent|archiveurl=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/05/18/simsville|archivedate=13 March 2019|accessdate=4 March 2024|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/05/18/SimsVille}} SimsVille was developed in parallel with other products that aimed to innovate and expand upon The Sims franchise, including The Sims Online.{{cite magazine|magazine=PC PowerPlay|title=Let's Get Together: Hot Date and the SimFuture|pages=9|issue=65|date=October 2001|url=https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-065-2001-10/page/n7}} The 3D engine for SimsVille was developed from the ground-up and did not use code from SimCity 3000 or The Sims. Originally slated for a May 2001 release,{{cite magazine|magazine=Game Week|title=Release Schedule: PC Gaming|date=11 December 2000|pages=22|url=https://archive.org/details/game-week-december-11-2000/page/n53}}{{cite magazine|magazine=PC PowerPlay|title=SimsVille|issue=57|date=February 2001|pages=50|url=https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-057-2001-02/page/n49}} publishers later expected the release of the game to occur as early as January or February 2002.{{cite web|website=Eurogamer|date=21 September 2001|title=SimsVille Shuts Down|accessdate=3 March 2024|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/article-31206}}{{cite magazine|magazine=PC PowerPlay|title=The Future of Games|issue=63|date=August 2001|pages=44|url=https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-063-2001-08/page/n43}}{{cite magazine|magazine=Games Domain Offline|issue=15|title=SimsVille|pages=17|date=April 2001|url=https://archive.org/details/games-domain-offline-15/page/16}} In May 2001, Electronic Arts showcased previews of gameplay of SimsVille from multiple booths at E3,{{cite book|title=E3: Touch The Future - 2001 Directory|pages=54|date=May 2001|publisher=Prima Games|url=https://archive.org/details/E32001Guide/page/n55}}{{cite AV media|website=YouTube|title=A SimsVille E3 2001 Demonstration|date=30 May 2008|publisher=GameSpot|accessdate=3 March 2024|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8WZImWpgVc}} with its content observed by PC PowerPlay to have "progressed considerably" from the previous year.