Simcity 2000, the highly acclaimed human simulator is now free for download for all Origin users. The game would be available free of cost for all PC users. Until of course EA changes their mind.
Simcity 2000 as the name suggests was released in 2000, and at that time was a worthy sequel to the Sims franchise. It expanded on the original game in a number of ways. Players now could build marinas, hospitals, prisons, schools, museums, libraries and (eventually) arcologies in their cities. The game also offered players several new infrastructure options such as subways and bus terminals. Highways could be built to other cities to provide an economic boost.
Like other games in the series, SimCity 2000 let players create their own cities or steer existing cities through historical crises. Some of these scenarios included the 1970s recession in Flint, Michigan or the 1989 hurricane in Charleston, South Carolina. Maxis also threw in some fictional events, like a monster attack in Hollywood and a nuclear meltdown in New York City.
The visuals may look antiquated now but they were a serious step up at the time. They allow players to see their buildings being constructed. Flourish communities were bright and colorful while a decaying neighborhood was dark and dim. These visual cues were enough to give your successes and failures extra weight
Simcity 2000 is the latest entry to EA’s On The House promotion. This promotion which offers free games to Origin users have included Dead Space 3, Battlefield 3 and Dragon Age Origins. On the House promotion is EA’s way to lure customers towards their Origin service competing against similar rivals like Steam.
Not a lot of people like EA, and they have been voted the most evil company a few times in the past years. But EA have created some more gamer friendly steps recently, and while I don’t think Simcity 2000 would result in a landslide of new loyal Origin customers, I never say no to something at the great price of free. So if you don’t have an Origin account, I suggest you make one right now (its free), and download the Simcity 2000 for some weird city and people.