EA Maxis Emeryville’s general manager Patrick Buechner has revealed in a blog post that the studio is exploring the possibility of an offline mode in SimCity.
“Right now we have a team specifically focused on exploring the possibility of an offline mode,” Buechner wrote, in part. “I can’t make any promises on when we will have more information, but we know this is something that many of our players have been asking for.”
At the launch of SimCity, many players were unable to access the game due to the game’s always online requirement. “While the server connectivity issues are behind us, we would like to give our players the ability to play even if they choose not to connect. An offline mode would have the additional benefit of providing room to the modding community to experiment without interfering or breaking the multiplayer experience.”
In the post, Buechner also notes that discussions have begun for the support of User Generated Content (UGC).
“We have begun a discussion with our players with the ultimate goal of giving you space to mod while assuring all our players that the multiplayer experience is safe and has integrity,” Beuchner adds. “It’s difficult to determine what makes a ‘good’ or safe mod and what crosses the line. Clarifying guidelines for UGC will help players understand where that line is. We want to have an open discussion with our community about what you want out of SimCity and hear your thoughts about UGC guidelines.”
(via Joystiq)