SimCity Programmer Shows off "One Laptop Per Child" Version

November 13, 2007
Last week GamePolitics and other sites covered EA's donation of the original SimCity to the One Laptop Per Child initiative.

By way of follow-up, GP asked famed SimCity (and The Sims and Spore) designer Will Wright for his thoughts. Will told us:
Don Hopkins, an old friend and coworker and the guy who programmed [SimCity] came up with the idea and opportunity. My role was in convincing the EA execs that it was a good idea.

Don was really the driving force making it happen.

We're working on an interview with Don, but in the meantime, he has shared this new video demo of SimCity running on an OLPC system:



GP: Don has additional information about SimCity and the OLPC project on his blog
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Comments

Submitted by CyberSkull (not verified) on Tue, 11/13/2007 - 09:23.
Nice stuff. :)

Submitted by GameDevMich (not verified) on Tue, 11/13/2007 - 09:23.
I...am...shocked...

A programmer get credited and receives the kudos? Publicly!?!?

*chokes-up*I'm sorry...I told myself I wouldn't get this emotional...

Nice work Don, and much respect to a legendary designer who remembers the grunt workers =)

Submitted by MaskedPixelante (not verified) on Tue, 11/13/2007 - 09:33.
while it's nice that they're doing that for charity, and it's GREAT for SOMEONE to portray the industry in a POSITIVE light, isn't the original SimCity like... abandonware now?

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight on Tue, 11/13/2007 - 10:01.
@ MaskedPixelante

Abandonware is not really anything legal. EA still holds the copyright to it and distributes it regularly in combo packs. It would not surprise me if Sim City 4000 (or whatever it is) has a copy of the original.

@ GameDevMich

Its not that surprising, considering Sim City was developed by Will Wright and Don Hopkins. I don't think there were any other contributers.

E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary

Submitted by GameDevMich (not verified) on Tue, 11/13/2007 - 10:23.
@E. Zachary Knight - I might have been exaggerating a tad bit. I think I'm just happy to see a rare instance occur, though for this specific game and parties involved it is not as shocking as I made it out to be.

Submitted by pix (not verified) on Tue, 11/13/2007 - 13:31.
god i loved that game , its was just so damn good

Submitted by Marlowe (not verified) on Tue, 11/13/2007 - 13:36.
Great, now how bout a release date for spore?

Submitted by Soul (not verified) on Tue, 11/13/2007 - 14:49.
How cool :) .

Submitted by chuck (not verified) on Tue, 11/13/2007 - 14:52.
That was seriously unwatchable. Couldn't they have just braced the damn camera on something? Might I suggest to the OLPC folks that something like FRAPS or some linux equivalent ship with it so that the next demo isn't done with the blurry-shakey-cam?

Submitted by Unafiliated Annonomous (not verified) on Tue, 11/13/2007 - 14:59.
I seriously wonder if FUNDS still works.

Submitted by BloodEagle (not verified) on Tue, 11/13/2007 - 18:07.
I could have sworn that the 'one laptop per child' laptops couldn't display more than a few grayscale colors....

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight on Tue, 11/13/2007 - 18:17.
@ Blood Eagle

They have full scale color displays when indoors. In direct sunlight, they switch to BW displays to help with viewing and battery life.

E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary

Submitted by Vladmire Triskavanski (not verified) on Tue, 11/13/2007 - 23:57.
Wow that some cool shiet there. switchin in sunlight and all that.

Submitted by Tye The Czar (not verified) on Wed, 11/14/2007 - 12:03.
Spread of good games FTW, oy! Now more impoverished children may witness the joys of Fansubs, youtube, and 4chan as well. XD (plus this site.)
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