SimCity 3000 is a city-building simulation video game that was released in 1999. It is the third major version in the SimCity series. The game was published by Electronic Arts (EA) and created by Maxis, the company that started the series. It was available for Microsoft Windows, Macintosh computers, and Linux computers, with Linux support made possible through a partnership with Loki Games.
Gameplay
SimCity 3000 has many differences compared to its earlier version, SimCity 2000. These changes include how players manage cities, as well as the game’s visuals and environment. New city services are added, and these changes create a different experience than SimCity 2000.
One major change is the introduction of waste management. In SimCity 3000, garbage starts to build up when a city grows to a medium size, and the city must pay to remove it. Farms and agricultural buildings are also added, appearing in large industrial zones where land is cheap and pollution is low. A new zoning system with three densities is introduced, compared to SimCity 2000’s two.
Power plants and other utility buildings now have a limited lifespan and lose efficiency as they age. Water facilities also have a lifespan now.
Although SimCity 2000 had a feature for neighbor cities, SimCity 3000 expands it. Players can now interact with neighboring cities, making deals such as buying or selling water, electricity, or waste management services. These deals affect the player’s money, and canceling a deal without the other city’s permission may cost money.
SimCity 3000 more accurately shows how land value affects construction. High land value areas create distinct neighborhoods with clear differences between poor, middle-class, and wealthy areas. Buildings near the city center have higher land value, while those on the edges have lower value.
A new feature in SimCity 3000 is business deals, where players can build structures like maximum security prisons to earn money. However, these structures often lower land value.
Graphical changes include a more detailed and colorful landscape. SimCity 3000 uses a realistic green color for land, with colors changing based on height, such as beige for beaches, green for hills, brown for bare ground, and white for snow. Slopes now have five different steepness levels, compared to SimCity 2000’s single steepness. Trees vary in size and type, from small deciduous trees to tall redwoods.
SimCity 3000 and its version, Unlimited, include seven advisors who help players make decisions. Each advisor focuses on a specific area, such as finances, transportation, or education. Unlike earlier versions, these advisors have names and provide detailed advice.
Petitioners, often city citizens, ask players to change policies, such as lowering taxes or passing laws. Some petitioners represent outside interests, proposing actions that might harm the city, like building a casino, in exchange for money. Neighboring city mayors may also request help with services like trash disposal or water in exchange for payment.
A news ticker at the bottom of the screen shows updates about the city, such as the need for more schools or how well departments are working. When a city is doing well, the ticker may show humorous or unrelated headlines, like “A man discovers his wife is a rare yucca plant” or “A city prints wrong phone numbers, leading to 15 marriages.” Some headlines are labeled “(City Name) News Ticker” or “From the Desk of Wise Guy Sammy.” The ticker can also hint at disasters, such as “Did you feel that big truck pass by?”
Real-world landmarks, such as the Parthenon, the CN Tower, and the Empire State Building, are added for decoration. These buildings are free to place and can be used for tourism advertising.
SimCity 3000 also includes a live music score composed by Jerry Martin. The soundtrack features new-age and jazz music, with contributions from David Lauser on drums and Darol Anger on violin.
Development
Before Electronic Arts purchased Maxis in 1997, plans for SimCity 3000 were made in 1996. The game was intended to be fully 3D, matching the growing trend of 3D video games. However, employees thought the idea was too graphically demanding. Maxis management still supported the plan, and development continued for one year. When the game was shown at the 1997 E3 event, it was seen as a failure. The 3D version was expected to perform poorly, and its release was thought to worsen Maxis’s struggles, as the company had not released profitable games since SimCity 2000.
After the acquisition, Maxis promised SimCity 3000 would be released in December 1997. Luc Barthelet, a new general manager from Electronic Arts, questioned the 3D version’s feasibility. The 3D plan was canceled, and Lucy Bradshaw joined from EA in November 1997 to lead the project. A new version was created using a graphics style similar to SimCity 2000, including a type of 2D projection and sprite-based visuals. This version focused on improving minor features, such as larger maps, new zoom levels, and additional gameplay options.
The revised SimCity 3000 was better received at the 1998 E3 event and was well-received after its release in February 1999. Maxis had originally aimed for a Christmas 1998 release, but Electronic Arts waited until the game was fully completed.
Reception
SimCity 3000 sold 1 million copies in the first six months after its release. In Germany, it received a "Gold" award from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD) by the end of May 1999. This award showed sales of at least 100,000 copies in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland combined. It was the best-selling computer game in the United States during the first half of 1999. By the end of September 1999, it had sold 470,000 copies in the United States, earning nearly $20 million in revenue. For the entire year of 1999, it ranked second in the United States, behind Rollercoaster Tycoon, with total sales of 657,514 copies and $26.8 million in revenue. This was the highest revenue for a computer game in the United States that year. In 2000, SimCity 3000 sold an additional 385,001 copies in the United States, earning $10.5 million more in revenue.
By August 2006, the Unlimited edition of SimCity 3000 alone had sold 1.1 million copies in the United States, earning $27.5 million. It was ranked as the sixth best-selling computer game in the United States between January 2000 and August 2006. Combined sales of all SimCity computer games released between January 2000 and August 2006, including SimCity 3000 Unlimited, reached 3.4 million copies in the United States. The UK Edition of SimCity 3000 received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), showing sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom.
According to Maxis’s Lucy Bradshaw, SimCity 3000 had sold 4.6 million copies worldwide by January 2002. Using registration data, she noted that at that time, the overall series had a userbase that was three-fourths male and one-fourth female. By 2007, the game had sold 5 million copies worldwide.
SimCity 3000 received positive reviews. IGN gave it a score of 9.0, praising its sound, gameplay, graphics, and lasting appeal. GameSpot gave it a score of 8.5, praising its graphics but criticizing the adviser system. SimCity 3000 Unlimited also received good reviews, with IGN giving it a score of 9.1 for its presentation and graphics. The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated SimCity for "PC Strategy Game of the Year" at the 2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, though it lost to Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri.
Next Generation reviewed the PC version of the game and gave it four stars out of five, stating that "SimCity 3000 is great fun and loaded with interesting, mind-absorbing gameplay."
The Classic Mac OS version of the game received mostly negative reviews. AllGame editor Lisa Karen Savignano criticized it for being difficult to learn and noted that many new features compared to SimCity Classic and SimCity 2000 "add nothing to the game in terms of playability and very little in terms of enjoyment." In a January 2000 review for MacAddict, Mark D. Shuchat-Marx called SimCity 3000 "a big disappointment," stating that the game "doesn’t actually run well on a Mac."
Legacy
In May 2000, the game was released with different names in various regions. Examples include SimCity 3000 Unlimited (North America and Oceania), SimCity 3000 Deutschland (Germany), SimCity 3000 Edition Mondiale (France), SimCity 3000 Korea (South Korea), Mahanakhon 3000 (Thailand), SimCity 3000 UK Edition (UK and Ireland), and SimCity 3000 World Edition (other countries). This version included new features such as building sets from East Asia and Europe, more terrain colors and plant types, a snapshot tool, extra music, an improved Building Architect Tool (a design tool based on cubes), four new disasters (like locusts and space debris), new landmarks (such as Seoul Tower and Helsinki Cathedral), reward buildings, thirteen scenarios (with an editor using Microsoft Access), and a new FMV intro.
Pre-made cities were also included, such as London and Liverpool for the UK, Berlin (with the Berlin Wall), Madison, Madrid, Moscow, and Seoul. The game featured city terrains based on real cities like Hong Kong and Chicago. At the time of release, EA created a website for SimCity 3000 Unlimited where players could share their creations. The site, once located at www.simcity.com/us/exchange/ (for North America), is no longer available and requires an archiving tool to access.
SimCity 3000 Unlimited was later released digitally on GOG.com on July 14, 2016, and on Steam on March 7, 2024.
SimCity DS is a version of SimCity 3000 modified for the Nintendo DS. It was released in Japan on February 22, 2007, North America on June 19, 2007, and Europe on June 22, 2007. The game uses the DS’s two screens to show extra information. It includes features like using the console’s microphone to blow out fires and a touchscreen for controls. A "Save the City" mode allows players to help cities recover from disasters and meet specific goals.
Loki Entertainment released SimCity 3000 Deutschland, SimCity 3000 Unlimited, and SimCity 3000 World Edition for Linux.
A version of SimCity 3000, called SimCity for iPhone, was released for the iPhone and iPod Touch in 2008.