Maxis Live Broadcast; SimCity and The Sims 3

On Tuesday (10/9), Maxis had its first live broadcast streamed to fans of The Sims and SimCity. They made announcements regarding The Sims 3 Seasons and SimCity. Best of all Maxis showed viewers both games in action; streaming live gameplay.

The live broadcast became a bit excessive; lasting well over an hour. Between all the fillers and supposed unscripted interruptions Maxis made some interesting announcements about SimCity and The Sims 3 Seasons.

In favor of  keeping you interested this article breaks down some of the most interesting (opinion) aspects of the broadcast, broken down into five key points per game.

The Sims 3 Seasons:

5. Diving Board: I always wondered where the diving board went as it was a major part of creating pools. The diving board is back! In the Sims 3 Seasons diving is a skill that you can build and this time around your Sims can perform diving tricks. Cannonball! Skinny Sims will barely create a splash and fat Sims can make ginormous splashes.

4. Blueprint Mode: This mode is new to The Sims franchise. New users will find it especially helpful for its ease and advanced users may enjoy quickly moving on to the live mode. Blueprint mode includes prebuilt, fully furnished room that can be placed instantly on a lot or in a house. No more fussing around perfecting your Sims home when all you want to do is see your Sims lives unfold.

3. Festivals: The Sims 3 Seasons includes a new way to play, with festivals. The festivals change with the seasons and therefore differ from each other. Your Sim can get their face painted at the Summer Festival, participate in an eating contest, get in a snowball fight at the Winter Festival, and run a kissing booth. Win festival tickets for prizes/awards that are not available in normal build/buy mode. To name a few, a face painting booth and face paints.

2. Weather: The Sims 3 Seasons will have the most realistic weather simulation of any game in the franchise. Check the weather forecast, watch the weather unfold, and wait for the results. In the summer the sun may blare giving your Sims a beautiful tan or burning them to a crisp. In the fall trees will change colors, leaves will fall, and your Sims will rake them into piles. Your Sims will even have the opportunity to WooHoo hidden in the leaves. Winter brings blizzards, calling for a wardrobe change. Adorn your Sims with beanies, snowboard gear, and umbrellas.

1. Aliens: Why Aliens got slipped into the Sims 3 Seasons I'm not sure. Despite the mystery Aliens are coming back and better than ever. Use an alien's telepathic abilities to scan your neighbors brains and find out if they're good or evil. Boost your own energy and deplete others, abduct Sims from their backyards, and see your male (or female) Sim come back with a pregnant belly. Alien Sims will have their own vehicles/UFO's to cause chaos in a busy park and take a trip into outer space.

Relax in the the Ice Lounge with The Sims 3 Seasons Limited Edition.

SimCity:

1. GlassBox Engine: Simply put GlassBox is the technology of SimCity. It allows for SimCity gamers to take advantage of many of the features in the game including moving buildings, establishing industries, and manipulating the elements. Influence your Sims, manage your cities, and see what happens in real time (no charts or numbers).

4. Transportation: The modes of transportation in SimCity are endless. Bring in Sims to your city via train, boat, bus, and planes. Build a bus station, create routes, and place bus stops around your city. Build an international airport to help your city and neighboring cities increase their population and bring in revenue.

3. Individually Mod Buildings: Maxis gave an excellent example of building modules using a hospital. Add more patient rooms and ambulance bays to accommodate a disease-ridden population. Hospitals, fire stations, and universities are a few buildings that you will be able to mod. As your city become successful more building modules will be available.

2. Multiplayer Capabilities: In SimCity your city will be a part of a larger region. You can control multiple cities in the region alone or you can team up with friends. Each city will affect the entire region so players can share services (fire, education, etc), send gifts to each other, and collaborate with one another (international airports, space shuttles, etc). If you want to go with another approach you can build a darker city with pollution, waste, and disease. Play bad and  you may frustrate neighbors affecting them with your cities maladies.

1. Deserted Cities: So what happens if you're playing SimCity multiplayer and a player from a neighboring city just stops? You can take it over! That deserted city can now be yours. Take it over, fix it up (or destroy it), and watch what happens.

There are some amazing things happening with SimCity and The Sims 3 Seasons. This article has only grazed the surface. To watch the Maxis Live Broadcast visit Origin and get more details from Maxis.

The Sims 3 Seasons is available this November and SimCity releases February 2013. Stay tuned to NoobFeed for further updates, previews, and reviews.

Megan Bethke, NoobFeed.
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