EA Donates Original SimCity to One Laptop per Child Program

November 9, 2007
What a nice gesture...

Although GamePolitics has occasionally taken Electronic Arts to task for corporate callousness, we must give credit where it's due.

EA announced yesterday that it will donate the original SimCity as an installed program for computers issued through the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) initiative. From the press release:
OLPC is a not-for-profit humanitarian effort to design, manufacture and distribute inexpensive laptops with the goal of giving every child in the world access to modern education.

By gifting SimCity onto each OLPC laptop, EA is providing users with an entertaining way to engage with computers as well as help develop decision-making skills while honing creativity. This is the first time a major video game publisher has gifted a game to the world.

OLPC is set to begin distributing specially-constructed laptops in Uruguay, Peru, Mexico, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Haiti, Cambodia and India by year's end. OLPC advisor John Gilmore, familiar with SimCity, suggested the idea.

GP: While giving away an 18-year-old piece of software might not seem that impressive, it is for several reasons. One is that the original game, believe it or not, is still selling. I myself bought it as a Wii download recently. Also, SimCity's simplicity, relative to the latest 3-D versions of the game, is well suited to the PC's issued by the OLPC program.

Joystiq has more...

You can make your own donation which will buy an OLPC laptop for a child in a developing nation. There's even a give-one, get-one program for those who would like to own their own OLPC laptop.

Comments

Submitted by Overcast (not verified) on Sat, 11/10/2007 - 04:18.
And now that I think about it, glad I always did buy the Sim stuff, I have bought just about all the versions of the Sims and Sim City..

I'll be sure to continue to. But the RIAA can still stick it

Submitted by Tom Arden (not verified) on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 13:24.
It would have been even more impressive if they'd given away SimCity 2000, which is the best version of the game as it manages to get that balance between complexity and fun just right.

Submitted by Rdeegvainl (not verified) on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 07:45.
that computer could probably run some starcraft too!!!

Submitted by CyberSkull (not verified) on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 07:48.
I didn't know there was a Linux version of SimCity. I find the "Give One Get One" program rather interesting. If I had a lot more money than I do have, I'd consider going that route (what geek doesn't like a new tech toy?).

Submitted by JB (not verified) on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 07:49.
I love the SimCity series. I've spent hours trying to make my cities perfect and I still spend a few hours every now and then playing SC4/Rush Hour.

Nov 13 is the release of SimCity Societies too by the way. Maybe this is a bit of marketing strategy as well? Good gesture though all the same! I'm sure the kids will love it.

Submitted by The Discombobulator (not verified) on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 08:22.
Nice to see that developers are helping out with this project. I was an adult when i got my first laptop and i was excited like a child. Imagine what this means for the kids in this programme. Well done to all involved, and thanks Dennis for the heart warming story!

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 08:44.
Shoot. That is way better than solitaire. Windows could learn a thing or two. ;)

E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary

Submitted by Wraith108 (not verified) on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 08:51.
Bah, give them SC2000 instead. Seriously though it's a nice gesture on EAs part.

Submitted by CyberSkull (not verified) on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 08:55.
@ Wraith108: Actually, that is a great idea! :D SimCity 2000 is more or less the basis of SimCity 4, it has somewhere between 75-90% of the features of the later games without all the hardware demands.

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 09:52.
@ Wraith

Nothing beats the original. Not even the SNES version. Sure the SNES one has bowser, but the PC version just has the proper feel and nostalgia.

E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary

Submitted by Ken (not verified) on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 10:06.
Have fun building cities kids, and then making it's citizens' lives a living hell when you cause disaster after disaster on them. >:)

Submitted by Aciesethon (not verified) on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 10:11.
"This is the first time a major video game publisher has gifted a game to the world."
That is not true at all. Unless you consider activision to be a indie publisher..

Still this is great news and from the last company I'd have expected such a charitable action.

Submitted by Benji (not verified) on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 10:27.
If the games are intended for children, I'd say the original is a better gift than SC2K. It's way more complicated and a good bit harder to get a city that works, and I imagine a lot of young people would be turned off by the complexity.
The original is still a solid game, and most kids could acquire some handy lessons from it. That, and it's a gateway drug, getting the kids hooked on SimCity so that when they grow up they go out and by the latest versions of SimCity, giving EA a nice return on its investment.
Yes, I'm perhaps a bit overly cynical, but it's a nice gesture by EA in any case.

Submitted by point09micron (not verified) on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 10:49.
This is an outrage! EA (Electronic A$$es!) is trying to indoctrinate kids with this ultraviolent game that allows Godzilla to destroy police stations and schools! This "donation" is going to lead to a over-nine-thousand-times-Columbine incident within the next 6 months!!


!!

Whew... Sorry about that folks. I was momentarily possessed by the ghost of Jack's career. In all seriousness, this is a good move for EA. The game is educational, and the positive PR speaks for itself.

Submitted by Pandralisk (not verified) on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 11:20.
Oh boy... putting a 10 year old game on a laptop intended for poor children...

Charity? Hahaha! Like EA is capable of ethical game development.

Marketing, baby, marketing.

Submitted by Jabrwock on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 11:30.
It's a trick! They're just trying to dispel the myth that it's abandonware! ;)

j/k Good game. I never really got hooked on the series myself, but it's an occasional good time-waster.
-- If your wiimote goes snicker-snack, check your wrist-strap...

Submitted by King James (not verified) on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 12:55.
Even if it's marketing, it's not like they had to do it, and they are giving something away for free that they're still making money on. The original SimCity was a great game and it rewarded both puzzle-solving and critical thinking skills. I don't like EA either, but Maxis may be the best part of EA, and they're giving away one of the best parts of Maxis.

Submitted by Beg12 (not verified) on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 15:29.
Shouldnt Jt be here complaning about the rash of sinceable city planning this would cuase

Submitted by Marlowe (not verified) on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 16:53.
Yeah the original SimCity is abandonware, you can get that for free... way to be charitable EA careful not to break the bank lest your shareholders revolt.

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 17:30.
@ Marlowe

It is not official abandonware. EA has never released it to public domain. They also release it from time to time in combo packs.

E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary

Submitted by Father Time (not verified) on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 19:45.
i was never able to get into Sim City that much, the only thing I ever did was make preloaded cities and wipe them out. Here's hoping they do a better job at the game than I did.

Submitted by neoelasticman (not verified) on Fri, 11/09/2007 - 20:25.
I've known about this One Laptop Per Child thing for a while, but this is the first I've heard about this development. Awesome move on the part of EA, too!

Submitted by Overcast (not verified) on Sat, 11/10/2007 - 04:17.
That's pretty cool of them - usually, all you hear about is companies suing people over 20 year old media..

Submitted by Tye The Czar (not verified) on Sat, 11/10/2007 - 13:59.
EA seems to be turning over a new leaf, oy. They're doing this as well as starting more original franchises such as Dead Space and Army of Two. Well, yeah, they did buy out Pandemic and Bioware.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 11/11/2007 - 18:59.
Yes, these murder simulators must not be given to laptops where innocent children could use them. You can level cities with a click, that's a clear depicition of real life genocide and a stop must be put to it! Jack Thompson, protector of the weak, where are you?!

Submitted by Ben (not verified) on Sun, 11/11/2007 - 19:59.
@Pandralisk

Next to Wacko Jacko, you are the second-worst spammer on this site. Here's an idea... go to your nearest grocery store and get a life. You can find them in the "Get Real" section next to the clues. Have fun!

Anyway, kudos to EA for this charitable gesture.

Submitted by Marlowe (not verified) on Mon, 11/12/2007 - 16:04.
May not be official abandonware, but I can download it from abandonware sites, and I believe (I know you used to be able to but I haven't checked recently) you can play it for free on the the official website. Just saying they could've made a little more in the way of effort to be charitable.
Forgot your password?
Username :
Password :

Shout box

You're not permitted to post shouts.
ZippyDSMlee: sigh...was playing anice game of empire at war and then boom crash...hope new oparts come soon ><05/22/2012 - 1:17pm
Andrew Eisen: I still say the particular word or phrase the MPAA uses to describe what it's fighting against is the least of its problems.05/22/2012 - 1:12pm
ZippyDSMlee: MPAA finally admits piracy is not the same as stealing, kinda http://tinyurl.com/chtcf8p05/22/2012 - 11:55am
ddrfr33k: @EZK Bwahahaha! @Michael: Yeah, several news sources have said that google DNS can bypass the TPB roadblocks.05/22/2012 - 11:38am
Michael Chandra: Weird, I can still visit piratebay. Wonder if Google DNS is related to that, or I simply have an exotic ISP?05/22/2012 - 9:03am
Lisa Pham: No harm done, E. Zachary Knight. :)05/22/2012 - 4:50am
Uncharted NES: BSA Claims Half of PC Users Are Pirates- http://slashdot.org/palm/17/12/05/22/0051216_1.shtml05/21/2012 - 11:18pm
E. Zachary Knight: Ah. Missed that. My mind just connected DDR3 with ddrfr33k and ran with it. Oh well.05/21/2012 - 10:12pm
Lisa Pham: He also mentioned the game "Shadows of the damned" which is on PS305/21/2012 - 8:08pm
E. Zachary Knight: ddrf33k, I think Zip is referring to computer hardware.05/21/2012 - 7:33pm
ddrfr33k: @Zip: Excellent game. It's a trip.05/21/2012 - 7:09pm
Lisa Pham: IanC - if you read/looked at the report (PDF and written) then you'd see where they failed and why. Some games have come close to passing and some have passed. The list of games evaluated. http://www.reclaimyourgame.com/content.php/18-RYG-Evaluations05/21/2012 - 5:49pm
Andrew Eisen: Maybe I'll luck out and the Wii version won't have this retail exclusive DLC nonsense.05/21/2012 - 5:12pm
ZippyDSMlee: Bought new guitar...trying to find a nice DDR3/mobo combo under 200$ sicne I need new ram thats 100$....fun times..... picked up shadows of the damned tho!!05/21/2012 - 4:56pm
E. Zachary Knight: Yeah, that's how I feel about retail exclusive DLC too. ;)05/21/2012 - 3:37pm
RedMage: That's what I started to figure too. They seem to have trouble coming up with an effective scare tactic. At one point they referred to it as "online looting" which just sounds stupid.05/21/2012 - 3:34pm
E. Zachary Knight: Of all the sucky suckiness that ever sucked. Lego Batman 2 will suffer from sucky retailer exclusive DLC. Suck! http://tinyurl.com/ckq67vg05/21/2012 - 3:30pm
E. Zachary Knight: As for Dodd, I think it is mostly that he realizes that calling copyright infringement "theft" is bad for PR and that they need to change tactics. Just like how they went from using "piracy" to using "theft."05/21/2012 - 1:48pm
E. Zachary Knight: Ian, I think in this case, the rating is well deserved. To get a good rating, I would assume that a company would have to release the game with no DRM, or at least fully disclosed DRM.05/21/2012 - 1:46pm
IanC: Lisa - what do companies have to do to get a good rating from that site?05/21/2012 - 12:54pm
All shouts

Be Heard - Contact Your Politician