SimCity Uses Cloud Computing to Deliver Improved GlassBox Experience

Since the reboot of SimCity was announced, the team at Maxis has emphasized the multiplayer-centric element of the experience and its Digital Rights Management requirements and now the developers are giving out even more information on the way cloud computing will influence the experience.

Lucy Bradshaw, the leader of the team working on SimCity, says on the official website that, “Creating a connected experience has always been a goal for SimCity, and this design decision has driven our development process for the game. This is easily the most ambitious game in the franchise and we’ve taken great care to make sure that every line of code embodies the spirit of the series.”

She also reveals that, “There is a massive amount of computing that goes into all of this, and GlassBox works by attributing portions of the computing to EA servers (the cloud) and some on the player's local computer.”

The big problem with the always-on nature of the Internet connection for SimCity is that it counts as a DRM measure and most PC players tend to be suspicious of them.

The information that Bradshaw is offering is designed to eliminate fears and make it clear that the current SimCity concept could not exist without the shared work done on the official Electronic Arts servers.

The new game is designed to focus on regions and on citizens rather than on cities.

Players will be able to create multiple locations that are linked, with one of them contributing power to all of them, while others focus on more lucrative business opportunities.

Citizens all have needs and interests and players will have to pay attention to their actions in order to create a thriving city.

SimCity will be launched on March 5 of 2013 in North America and three days later in Europe exclusively on the PC.