Electronic Arts’ Maxis division is considering opening up the always-online SimCity to user-generated content and mods, according to a report.
EA has drafted guidelines to permit for user-generated content and modding. Maxis said in a forum post that it would like to discuss user-generated content for SimCity in a blog post.
“Our goal is to ensure that we provide a place for all of our players to have fun while assuring them that the gameplay experience is safe and has integrity,” Maxis said. “It’s difficult to determine what makes a ‘good’ or safe mod and what mods cross the line. Clarifying guidelines for UGC will help players understand where that line is and protect both our UGC and non-UGC community. Ultimately we want everyone to have fun with the game, no matter how you play it.”
The company’s draft guidelines say that mods or UGC should not jeopardize the integrity of the game or the experience of other players. UGC cannon tamper with the simulation for multiplayer games. Acceptable UGC includes swapping art assets.
Modding is important to players of SimCity. The previous offline entries supported modding and user-generated content, and years after SimCity 4’s 2003 release, players were still creating mods and other content for it.