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What surprises me is that they didn't realize that SimCity doesn't have the right game mechanics for classic DLC. Instead of going the DLC route, they should h

What surprises me is that they didn't realize that SimCity doesn't have the right game mechanics for classic DLC. Instead of going the DLC route, they should have gone the user-gernerated content route. Allowing users to not only share and rank their cities but also to create additional content (3D models, conversions) and to interact with the game mechanics using an in-game scripting language. By that last part I mean things like programming the logic of the in-game traffic lights, train schedules, and so on. Pure, raw, script-based micro-management. Had they managed to implement a game incorporating content-sharing, they might have seen the sales of their core game skyrocket, fueled by the positive marketing feedback of a content-generating community.

DanBC 13y ago
Someone needs to write a short essay about the power of user generated content to sell product. Doom was released as shareware. You got the first few levels for free. You paid and got the rest. Doom had a huge amount of user generated content, but the community was careful to make sure it would only work if you had the full paid version of the game. Obviously some people didn't, but you'll always get pirates. That's an early example of the community protecting the ip while helping to boost sales. Minecraft is a more modern example of user generated content driving huge sales of a game. We just need a short easy to read essay to point the accountants and suits at.
- SimHacker 13y ago
  Absolutely. I believe that's the reason behind the success of The Sims (and the lack of user generated content was the reason behind the failure of The Sims Online). A browser based version of SimCity Classic could use WebGL to render the buildings with digital bricks (i.e. Legos). Then it would be very fun and easy for players to create their own buildings with existing tools (or new browser based tools build into the game), and even construct those buildings in the real world out of Legos. There is an active community of Lego fans and a rich ecosystem of open source digital brick editing tools, and Lego Digital Designer even imports and exports some of the file formats that were developed by the open source community, as well as Lego's own xml file format. http://ldd.lego.com/ http://ldd.lego.com/ In fact there's already an open source JavaScript/WebGL/three.js library for rendering digital bricks: https://bitbucket.org/msx80/brigl https://bitbucket.org/msx80/brigl demos: http://www.lugato.net/brigl/index.html http://www.lugato.net/brigl/index.html Check out the Lego Micropolis Micro City Standard: http://twinlug.com/micropolis-micro-city-standard/ http://twinlug.com/micropolis-micro-city-standard/ and the beautiful stuff people have made: http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/micropolis/Interesting http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/micropolis/Interesting Bad day for Micropolis contest: http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/ http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/ winners: http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/badday.html http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/badday.h... http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/basic.html http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/basic.ht... http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/double.html http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/double.h... http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/doubleplus.html http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/doublepl... Imagine importing that great stuff into SimCity, or rather, the open source version of SimCity, whose name also just happens to be Micropolis: https://code.google.com/p/micropolis/ https://code.google.com/p/micropolis/ I'd write a short essay, but I'm afraid it would end up being a long essay! ;)

DanBC 13y ago

Someone needs to write a short essay about the power of user generated content to sell product. Doom was released as shareware. You got the first few levels for free. You paid and got the rest. Doom had a huge amount of user generated content, but the community was careful to make sure it would only work if you had the full paid version of the game. Obviously some people didn't, but you'll always get pirates. That's an early example of the community protecting the ip while helping to boost sales. Minecraft is a more modern example of user generated content driving huge sales of a game. We just need a short easy to read essay to point the accountants and suits at.

SimHacker 13y ago
Absolutely. I believe that's the reason behind the success of The Sims (and the lack of user generated content was the reason behind the failure of The Sims Online). A browser based version of SimCity Classic could use WebGL to render the buildings with digital bricks (i.e. Legos). Then it would be very fun and easy for players to create their own buildings with existing tools (or new browser based tools build into the game), and even construct those buildings in the real world out of Legos. There is an active community of Lego fans and a rich ecosystem of open source digital brick editing tools, and Lego Digital Designer even imports and exports some of the file formats that were developed by the open source community, as well as Lego's own xml file format. http://ldd.lego.com/ http://ldd.lego.com/ In fact there's already an open source JavaScript/WebGL/three.js library for rendering digital bricks: https://bitbucket.org/msx80/brigl https://bitbucket.org/msx80/brigl demos: http://www.lugato.net/brigl/index.html http://www.lugato.net/brigl/index.html Check out the Lego Micropolis Micro City Standard: http://twinlug.com/micropolis-micro-city-standard/ http://twinlug.com/micropolis-micro-city-standard/ and the beautiful stuff people have made: http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/micropolis/Interesting http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/micropolis/Interesting Bad day for Micropolis contest: http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/ http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/ winners: http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/badday.html http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/badday.h... http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/basic.html http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/basic.ht... http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/double.html http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/double.h... http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/doubleplus.html http://www.reasonablyclever.com/lego/contest/badday/doublepl... Imagine importing that great stuff into SimCity, or rather, the open source version of SimCity, whose name also just happens to be Micropolis: https://code.google.com/p/micropolis/ https://code.google.com/p/micropolis/ I'd write a short essay, but I'm afraid it would end up being a long essay! ;)