I’ve been a fan of the SimCity series ever since I found a copy of an original SimCity on a Macintosh I inherited at work in the 1990s. Creator Will Wright had trouble finding a publisher for SimCity back in the 1980s as the game was an oddity with no win-or-lose goals. He and Jeff Braun eventually founded Maxis to release SimCity. The Sim-franchise grew, reaching a pinnacle when The Sims became the best-selling PC game ever. The people-oriented Sims continues to grow with expansion packs and spin-offs. And now Will Wright is occupied with the ultimate life simulator, Spore. To continue SimCity, Maxis’ parent company EA (who acquired them in 1997) decided to hand the reins over to Tilted Mill Entertainment, creators of Caesar IV.
Tilted Mill took to heart the criticism that the SimCity sequels had become increasingly complex. They wanted to keep fun heart of the game while adding a new twist. But advance word of their reworking, called SimCity Societies, received profoundly negative reactions from SimCity fans. The problem? SimCity Societies is a “social engineering” game, not a city simulator. Gone are the planning of zones, laying of pipes, stringing of electrical wiring. Instead of watching buildings being built, you place them yourself and pick different “social energies” that guide how the city and its inhabitants develop. SimCity traditionalists would likely prefer that the game was just called SimSocieties. I wouldn’t mind if EA released the same ol’ SimCity gameplay with better graphics every few years, as unexciting as that may be for the marketing staff. SimCity Societies is scheduled to release in November. Even if the city simulator fans shun it, it could still find an audience in the vast Sims fanbase.
Friday Youtube 1980’s flashback fun (well, it’s not exactly the 1980s this time): In 1999 BBC2 broadcast a programme (that’s the British spelling) of their Songwriters Circle series featuring Graham Gouldman (of 10cc and numerous hit songs), Neil Finn (of Crowded House), and Roddy Frame (of Aztec Camera and, well, Roddy Frame!). With the help of acoustic guitars and each other, they served up a selection of their hits. And hopefully the BBC won’t yank them offa the Youtube.
Martha Stewart’s Turkey Hill residence, which featured prominently in her magazine and original TV series, finally sold in June after a year on the market. The four acres in Westport, Connecticut went for $6.7 million, asking price was just under $9 million. Meanwhile Stewart’s partnership with builders KB Home is turning out very well. The Twin Lakes development of Martha Stewart branded houses in Raleigh, North Carolina is selling faster than other neighborhoods. 800 people put their names on the waiting list after the original announcement. KB has 11 other communities in the area which average 6-10 homes sold each month. Twin Lakes is averaging 25 a month.
Speakers playing KING-FM, the local classical music station, are being installed at the Tacoma Mall Transit Center to reduce disorder at the covered bus stop. If drug dealers and loiterers are indeed less inclined to gather there, we may hear KING-FM piped at more bus stations in the area. The alternative would be to remove the covered stops, allowing Seattle weather to be a natural deterrent.
Seattle area residents have the Seafair airshow to look forward to this weekend, along with several I-90 bridge closings Thursday through Sunday to accomodate the Blue Angels. Following the crash and loss of Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis at an April airshow in South Carolina, the Blue Angels grounded themselves for 9 days and canceled a May appearance in Nebraska. They returned 3 weeks after the incident to perform in North Carolina on May 12. The solo position Davis held has been filled by a former member of the squad, one who holds a special fondness for Seafair. Lt. Cmdr. Craig Olson calls Kirkland, WA home and his local connection was always noted by the media in past appearances. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Jasper Fforde‘s latest releases are now available: “First Among Sequels” the next Thursday Next, and the trade paperback of “The Fourth Bear” nursery crime. For Seattle folks, he will be reading and signing at Third Place Books today. Megan of Not Martha was sweet enough to mail me a teaser packet she got from Penguin Books a few months back along with a copy of “Over Easy.” Fforde fills my sadly empty Douglas Adams humor gap, though they have very distinct styles.
Food Network, which has trimmed back shows featuring genuine chefs, is airing “The Next Iron Chef” in October. Eight chefs compete to be the fifth Iron Chef America. Michael Ruhlman, one of the judges, exuded enthusiasm for the concept as established chefs competing with each other is certain to result in “some of the best actual cooking ever on reality television ever.” Alton Brown will host, making it must-watch TV for me.
Photos from the SandFestival Ruhr have been turning up in various newspapers‘ “pictures of the day” galleries. From what I can gather this festival in western Germany features 11 large sand sculptures, one of which depicts “President George W. Bush as an octopus who holds corn, oil, a cross, the World Trade Center, and a gun in his tentacles.” Though I don’t know any German, I do know how to use flickr tags so here’s a “sandfestivalruhr” gallery which currently contains photos from Markus Schroeder.
The San Francisco Chronicle caught up with the creator of the Mobile Movie (MobMov) movement at an undisclosed location as 15 cars tuned in their radios to enjoy the latest traveling feature film. Bryan Kennedy has received plenty of blog and national press coverage as his nostalgic re-creation sprouted a healthy following in many states and around the world. This article observes that the movie-goers “seem to be attracted to the intersecting parallels of art and kitsch, the familiar and the unknown.” A recent intermission innovation at this MobMov is playtime on a Nintendo Wii.
The popularity of jewelry featuring uncut diamonds is growing. At DeBeers’ U.S. stores, one of every five pieces sold features rough diamonds. Not surprisingly DeBeers was among the first to push these stones into the jewelry market. Many of the stones used are unsuitable for cutting into faceted gems, so otherwise worthless rocks are made valuable by clever marketing to the exclusive, subtle, and natural trends in luxury products. (via Luxist)