Electronic Arts today launched SimCity BuildIt for iOS devices, which is a new mobile iteration of its popular city-building franchise. The game features a variety of fully-detailed buildings found in the PC iterations of SimCity with touch-optimized controls for pinching, zooming, and rotating, as the game works online and offline.

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Like the PC version, gameplay is centered around keeping citizens happy by solving challenges like traffic and pollution while expanding a city with new resources and buildings. Players can also trade resources with friends and unlock exclusive buildings, natural disasters, and other content. The game was originally announced in September, and follows the release of the latest SimCity title on the Mac last August.

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SimCity BuildIt is a free download for the iPhone and iPad on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

146 months ago
Without even looking at it I know this is freemium ******** and you have to spend more than 50$ in app purchases to actually play the game.

Why is stuff from EA even featured?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
146 months ago
Hey guys. A huge vault of sim cash is only $99. That's pretty reasonable.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aluminum213 Avatar
146 months ago
What a great "story" from macrumors
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BillyBobBongo Avatar
146 months ago
Why is stuff from EA even featured?

Ad revenue.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MH01 Avatar
146 months ago
Simcity , such a good brand , being ruined by EA :(
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Steve121178 Avatar
146 months ago
I just spent a couple of minutes playing. Who are they designing these games for five year olds? I remember spending so much time as a child on sim city 2000. It was fun, engaging, and had some strategic elements.

This game has you design about 8 city blocks. It's like sim city for anyone with an iq under 80. I think the old sim city that came out a while back that was a port is much nicer.
The Sim City you and I loved doesn't exist any more apart from the name only. EA destroyed everything that was great about Sim City, likewise with Command & Conquer.

EA don't even design most of their games to be fun. It's about trying to extract as much money as they can from people.

You can actually play a free web-based version of the original Sim City which is a trillion times better than this ****.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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