Software:SimTown

From HandWiki

SimTown is a 1995 video game published by Maxis, much like the best-selling SimCity but on a smaller scale. SimTown allows the player to construct a town consisting of streets, houses, businesses and parks and then control the people in it. SimTown is one of the many "Sim" spin-offs from SimCity, and was targeted more towards children. The Macintosh version was released in May 1995.[1]

The Super Famicom version of SimTown is titled SimCity Jr. (シムシティJr.) and was published by Imagineer exclusively in Japan.

Gameplay

Building a town in the game

The game structure of SimTown is similar to SimCity, but on a generally smaller and simplified scale, in which players are instead tasked with crafting a small town. Players are allocated a blank and flat tract of land, where they will be required to place homes, workplaces, and civic buildings. In addition, other elements such as roads and flora can be placed, although they have no practical use beyond beautification, and consume water resources.

The primary objective of SimTown is to keep the town's citizens happy. This can be achieved by ensuring that water supply, trees, farm crops, and the recycling/air quality program remain well maintained and well funded, with the allocation of "credits" given at each stint. The amount of these resources required for the town and the credits awarded will depend on how much has been built in the town. Trees and ponds, for example, may consume a certain amount of water, while most businesses and homes will generate garbage that must be dealt with using the recycling program. If these resources are not kept in check, the town may experience negative repercussions, such as the presence of dying trees and dried-up ponds if a water supply is not sufficiently provided. This aspect of the game may be compared with the annual or monthly budgets seen in SimCity; however, there are no signs of actual currency used in SimTown aside from the credits allocated for the external resources; there is no monetary cost associated with landscaping or the construction of buildings.

Like SimCity, SimTown places an emphasis on ensuring that a balance between the number of residents and jobs is adequately regulated and maintained. Each household in a home contains two children, a pet, and two adults; the latter may need to find jobs in businesses or civic buildings placed by players. Likewise, businesses and civic buildings require a sufficient number of workers to function properly. If residents are unable to find jobs after a while, indications of their long-term unemployment will show when their home rots and is eventually reduced to rubble (and its inhabitants move out). Similarly, if a business or civic building lacks sufficient employees, the buildings will decay and eventually collapse into rubble.

SimTown allows a player to monitor the town's condition with a feature that allows players to craft and name a resident, who will provide basic feedback and daily activities through diary entries. A local newspaper is also provided to monitor the general conditions of the town. SimTown also awards players with trophies and prize ribbons by meeting certain objectives and requirements. There are also several easter eggs hidden in the game.

Development

SimTown was one of several Sim spin-off titles developed by Maxis made to capitalise on the success of the SimCity series,[2] and was developed as one of two titles in a new lineup of educational software targeted to children, alongside Widget Workshop.[3][4][5] It followed the studio taking over distribution of its titles after having previously used Broderbund and Davidson to publish and market its products.[6] Design was led by Claire Curtin, who had previously been hired by Broderbund to tailor the design of SimCity, SimEarth and SimAnt for the education market.[7] The game was announced and showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show in 1994.[8][9][10]

Reception

Sales

In its Form 10-K annual report for the fiscal year to March 1996, Maxis stated SimTown was the best-selling product in its learning products line, a category that grew from 11 to 18 per cent over the previous year.[3]

Critical reviews

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame4/5[11]
Hyper75%[12]
Next Generation1/5[14]
PC Gamer (US)76%[13]
CD-ROM Today3/5[15]
Electronic GamesB+[16]
Mac User3.5/5[17]
PC Games Magazine UK76%[18]

SimTown received generally positive reviews from critics.[19][20][21] The game was considered as accessible and educational for children,[22][12] with some critics also describing it as educational and an introduction to resource management and city building game mechanics.[22][16] PC Gamer viewed the game as easy to learn, featuring houses and attractions that were appealing to children and would help them express their creativity.[13] PC Games UK found the game's interface was designed in a helpful and easy way for children to understand.[18] However, some critics viewed elements of gameplay as cumbersome,[18] with CD-ROM Today describing placing paths as "frustrating" and removing rubble as "tedious".[15]

The visual presentation was generally praised. Next Generation considered the graphics SimTown conformed to a "usual high standard" of Maxis titles,[14] and PC Games UK praised the variety and "enchanting" level of detail of buildings and their interiors.[18] Some highlighted the inclusion of personalisation features for individual characters,[16] with PC Games UK writing that it gave players a level of interaction not shared by earlier Sim titles.[18]

Reviewers considered the content and gameplay options of SimTown was limited. Next Generation found the game to be "boring and repetitive" due to a lack of building options,[14] and PC Gamer felt once players had added available houses, there was little to do or accomplish.[13] PC Games UK also noted that whilst the game was "fun at first" for adults, it was too easy compared to SimCity and unlikely to sustain long-term interest.[18] Several reviewers experienced performance issues and found the game slow to play on older systems.[11][12] [14]

Retrospective reception

Several critics have identified the design of SimTown was an early influence on the design of the 1999 Maxis video game The Sims, with media professor Tanja Sihvonen describing it as an "important precursor",[23] and Game Informer writing that it "almost plays like a prototype" of The Sims due to its management of neighborhoods and people.[24]

References

  1. ↑ Crotty, Cameron (May 1995). "New Products - SimTown". Macworld (International Data Group): 50. 
  2. ↑ Rose, Frank. "Open Worlds". The Art of Immersion: How the Digital Generation is Remaking Hollywood, Madison Avenue, and the Way We Tell Stories. W.W. Norton. pp. 140. https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780393076011/mode/2up?q=%22simtown%22. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Maxis, Inc. (20 June 1996). Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1996 (Report). U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Accession No. 0000898430-96-002785. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/943583/000089843096002785/0000898430-96-002785.txt. Retrieved 9 September 2026. 
  4. ↑ Robertson, Barbara (October 1994). "Kids' Stuff". Computer Graphics World: 34. https://archive.org/details/computer-graphics-world-october-1994/page/n35/mode/2up?q=%22simtown%22. 
  5. ↑ Eisenhart, Mary (6 March 1995). "Building SimEmpires". MicroTimes (134): 93. https://archive.org/details/microtimesissue100unse_15/mode/2up?q=%22simtown%22. 
  6. ↑ "To The Maxis". CD-ROM Today (6): 26. June 1994. https://archive.org/details/CDROMToday/CD-ROM%20Today%20Issue%206%20%28June-July%201994%29/mode/2up?q=%22simtown%22. 
  7. ↑ Gingold, Chaim (2024). "Maxis at the Crossroads". Building SimCity: How to Put the World in a Machine. MIT Press. pp. 266. 
  8. ↑ "Direct From Las Vegas: EG Picks the Hits!". Electronic Games: 27. March 1994. https://archive.org/details/Electronic-Games-1994-03/page/n25/mode/2up?q=%22simtown%22. 
  9. ↑ "Winter CES". Computer Game Review (44): 106. March 1995. https://archive.org/details/computer-game-review-issue-44-march-1995/mode/2up?q=%22simtown%22. 
  10. ↑ "CES Winter '94". Computer Games Strategy Plus (40): 30. March 1994. https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/de61e912-b82a-4802-b071-458710cf08fc/pdf?token=a3e2fdb5-e2fe-4db8-9770-14c1592928ab&length=103997596. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Cook, Brad. "SimTown". Archived from the original on 16 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141116035453/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=643&tab=review. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Daniel, Matthew (September 1995). "SimTown". Hyper (22): 67. https://archive.org/details/hyper-022/mode/2up?q=%22simtown%22. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Howie, Lisa M.. "SimTown". PC Gamer (16): 108. https://archive.org/details/pc-gamer-issue-16-september-1995/page/n109/mode/2up?q=simtown. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 "SimTown". Next Generation (5): 95. May 1995. https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-005/mode/2up?q=%22simtown%22. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Levin, Charles (September 1995). "SimTown". CD-ROM Today: 49-50. https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/333f811b-6878-4755-94e4-149ddb15db28/pdf?token=e3f2ffad-02d1-4f6b-81c7-df36c304b062&length=144591951. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Yates, Laurie (May 1995). "SimTown". Electronic Games: 99. https://archive.org/details/electronic-games-1995-05/page/98/mode/2up. 
  17. ↑ Echler, Nikki; Olson, Rebecca (October 1995). "Top Spins: 50 New CD-ROMs". Archived from the original on 26 July 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010726184334/http://www.macuser.com/mu_1095/cdrom.html. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 Upchurch, David (July 1995). "SimTown". PC Games UK (12): 56-7. https://archive.org/details/pcgames-10_202603/PcGames12pdf/page/n55/mode/2up?q=%22simtown%22. 
  19. ↑ "SimTown". Australian PC User: 72. January 1997. https://archive.org/details/australian_pc_user-1997_01/mode/2up?q=%22simtown%22. 
  20. ↑ Scisco, Peter (June 1995). "SimTown". PC World: 57. https://archive.org/details/pcworld136unse/page/184/mode/2up?q=%22simtown%22. 
  21. ↑ "Tot Towns". 16 April 1995. https://www.newsweek.com/tot-towns-181846. Retrieved 9 September 2026. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Holiday Buyer's Guide". Computer Gaming World: 1997. December 1994. https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/b2186c2b-b6e4-44db-8c38-124e65e83c84/pdf?token=c881175d-f2b2-4af6-b8eb-453c014364e0&length=139720918. 
  23. ↑ Sihvonen, Tanja (2011). "Cultural and Commercial Appropriation". Players Unleashed!: Modding the Sims and the Culture of Gaming. Amsterdam University Press. pp. 67. 
  24. ↑ "The Forgotten Sims". Game Informer (170): 124. June 2007. https://archive.org/details/game-informer-issue-170-june-2007/mode/2up?q=%22simtown%22. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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