The New Sim City

Apparently, a higher power (in this case, the developers at Maxis) is trying to get me to neglect my lovely wife.  At least that's the only way I can rationalize why I heard this week that a new version of Sim City is out for the PC.

I've written before about my love of Sim City 2000.  Back in 2000/2001, I would come home from designing pipes, roads, and sewers at my job to design pipes, roads, and sewers in my fictional city (cities) in Sim City 2000.  But now the progression of rendering, graphics, and interior game detail has increased exponentially judging by the screencaps from the new Sim City.

Back in 2000, the idea of people living in "arcologies" as they were known in the game was bizarre.  A self-contained tower that provided your energy, place to live, place to work, grew your food for you?  Sure thing!  Right after my hover car and female robot servant, Rosie, I'm sure.

But in construction right now is the Shanghai Tower that will have 550,000 square feet of living, working, and recreation space all in one tower.  It has its own subway stop and is a very green friendly building with efforts to reduce wind loads and heating/cooling demands.

Will our self-destructive tendencies as a society force us to live in these "sky towers" one day, due our continued interest in parasitically consuming every resource we can find and ruining every piece of nature that exists?  Will these be the only bastions of relief in a world that we will ruin?  Or are these simply the next progression of what a "city" will be known as?

I'm not sure of the answers to these semi-weighty questions right now.  But I what I do know is that more than likely I'll be ponying up $59 for the new Sim City.  I apologize in advance for neglecting you, DB~.  Or whatever your name is.