SimCity Closed Beta Registration Now Live

It's been nearly 10 long years since SimCity 4 was unleashed, and next February, we'll finally be getting a new installment in the main franchise. Electronic Arts and Maxis seem to be making a number of changes with in SimCity, and if you want to check it out ahead of time, you might be pleased to know that you can now register to be in the upcoming closed beta. Of course, you may not get in, but you'll never know unless you try.

Registration went live shortly after Electronic Arts discussed the beta during its Gamescom press conference. We're not sure when this beta itself is going to go live, but we imagine (or hope, whichever term you prefer) that it's only a few weeks away. Also unknown is which platforms are included in this beta, as Electronic Arts didn't clarify if this beta is open to those playing on a Mac.

This closed beta isn't just going down to offer longtime SimCity fans a look at the new iteration. In many ways, it's a necessity for Maxis and Electronic Arts, as they're requiring that all SimCity players have a persistent Internet connection while playing. The idea behind it is that individual players will be part of a larger persistent world, which – aside from the thinly veiled always-on DRM – does sound pretty cool. Let's just hope that Maxis and Electronic Arts can get all of the kinks worked out before release – after all, remember how all of that beta testing helped the launch of Diablo III?

As stated above, we don't know when this beta will be going live, but with registration now up and running, it can't be far off. Given the large following SimCity has built in the past two decades, you can count on the fact that a lot of people will be interested in signing up, so good luck getting in. The registration form can be found here, and be sure to keep checking back with us here at SlashGear for more information on SimCity!