Joystiq

Will Wright said it himself: SimCity is complicated. The series has always prided itself on its micromanagement but eventually, flexing the ol' executive muscle starts to feel more like work and less like playing god. No one actually dreams of being a city water commissioner, so why should you have to play one in a video game? SimCity Societies doesn't think you have to either.

In an impromptu presentation, the Sims team at EA walked us through their latest city builder with a focus on accessibility. The act of zoning is gone entirely, leaving players to place their buildings one by one in order to lay our their city. That may sound contrary to the overall goal, but the structures themselves are the characters this time around. Each building comes with its own stats and attributes that more clearly affect the citizens of your city. Your choices are also tailored to your current societal path, which leaves much less room for confusion while still allowing for creative expansion.

From there, it's business as usual, though more personal than ever before. With such a heavy focus on your citizens, its easy to understand the appeal of caring for the values and quality of life for your people as opposed to plotting out landfills and balancing budgets. For those who don't want to worry about money at all, a free play option will be made available from the very start.

SimCity Societies is due out for PC later this year. When asked about other platforms such as the Mac or consoles, nothing was confirmed nor denied.