SimCity Offline Mode Possibility Being Explored, Says Maxis

SimCity was plagued with server issues for a fair bit of time, something that eventually also affected Mac users upon the Mac version launch. An offline mode has been requested for many months, and though at one point it seemed that such was not going to be a reality, SimCity developer Maxis has stated that a team has been put in place to explore the possibility.First indications that an offline mode could happen came in a Tweet sent out on the SimCity account while the server work was underway earlier this year. In it, gamers were told that while there was no intention of "offling" SimCity in the foreseeable future, the idea was being looked in to as a way to earn back gamers' trust. Now as the end of the year closes in, the possibility is closer to fruition.

The information comes from Maxis' General Manager Patrick Buechner, who said: "Right now we have a team specifically focused on exploring the possibility of an offline mode. 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."

He went on to state that the decision to add an offline mode isn't due to server problems, but simply as an option for those who want to play while not connected to the Internet. The modding community would benefit from such a feature as well, he said, being able to "experiment without interfering or breaking the multiplayer experience."

SOURCE: GameSpot