An offline mode for SimCity has been the single most asked-for feature due to the problems with the need for a persistent connection. EA has been under fire ever since the game launched because of regular server errors and hiccups that at one point rendered SimCity unplayable. However, that's past now as Maxis Emeryville, the developer of the game, has announced that SimCity will finally be able to go offline.
The announcement comes surprisingly after EA executives claimed that an offline mode would be too difficult to implement. EA said that to have an offline mode, it would require a wholesale change in the architecture. Surely enough, such a change could not happen overnight, and Maxis Emeryville did not specify what had to be done to make it possible to go offline in SimCity.
General manager of the Maxis Emeryville studio, Patrick Buechner, says in a blog post that offline mode will come with Update 10. No matter what, players will be able to log into their cities and play all the previous downloadable content with the new update installed. However, beyond the standard multiplayer game, there will be a single-player mode where players can play offline, if they so wish. Players can save and load their game whenever they want instead of relying on the games auto-saving feature via the cloud.
"In Update 10, you can still play solo in Regions on your own, or in Multiplayer with people from around the world. What's new is the Single Player Mode, which allows you to play the game Offline by yourself. And because your saved games in this mode are stored locally, you can save and load to your heart's content. Our team will be delivering a follow-up blog that will outline the full details in the near future so stay tuned," Buechner said.
No word on when players can expect to download Update 10. However, from the looks of the announcement, it might not happen any time soon. Nonetheless, it's good to see game developers finally listening to the fans.
