SimsVille | |
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![]() The ending of the SimsVille trailer, displaying its stated year to be released and logo. | |
Developer(s) | Maxis |
Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
Release | Cancelled[1] |
Genre(s) | Life simulation |
SimsVille is a cancelled 2001 game by Maxis. It was meant to be a crossover game between The Sims (2000) and SimCity, which would offer the user control of a multitude of houses in a neighborhood, in a fashion similar to The Sims.
In March 2001, during a launch event in San Francisco, California for the release of The Sims: House Party expansion pack, several Maxis developers demonstrated SimsVille, and the game was due to be released in early 2002.[2] It received a tepid response in comparison to the House Party demonstration. One significant difference between the gameplay of The Sims and SimsVille was that while in The Sims a player would push Sims by giving them commands to follow, in SimsVille a player could only pull Sims by placing objects with different degrees of attraction to the Sims; objects with insufficient attraction would be ignored by Sims.[2] This new gameplay style did not allow as much player control in SimsVille as in The Sims, which contributed to its poor reception by those in attendance.
![](../I/Simsville-unknown.png.webp)
SimsVille was cancelled in September 2001, as Maxis decided to shift development efforts to expansion packs for The Sims instead.[1] Many aspects of the game, such as a communal "downtown" area, were incorporated into The Sims: Hot Date expansion pack.[1] Several gameplay elements of SimsVille, such as obtaining feedback from citizens, would be prominently used in Maxis' next city simulation game, SimCity 4 (2003). The ability to control many households at once and the fully 3D neighborhood view format was also used in The Sims 2 (2004). Finally, the concept of a fully open world without loading screens features in The Sims 3 (2009) and MySims (2007).
The trailer can be seen on the SimCity 3000 Unlimited and The Sims: Livin' Large installation CDs.
References
- 1 2 3 "SimsVille canceled". GameSpot. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
- 1 2 I. G. N. Staff (2001-05-18). "SimsVille". IGN. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
External links