Usually, when a new game is released, the Mac version—if there is a Mac version—ships on a later date than the Windows version, a frustrating fact of life for many a Mac gamer. But with the new SimCity, that delay is probably a good thing.
Electronic Arts on Wednesday announced that June 11, 2013, is the official release date for the latest version of SimCity. When the Windows version shipped in North America on March 5, the release was met with one debacle after another: long wait times on servers, connectivity problems during the game, and disabled features put in place to try and cope with the unexpected server load. Now that Electronics Arts has had some time to address these problems, hopefully the Mac release will be nothing but smooth sailing.
According to the SimCity blog, the Mac version isn’t just a port of the Windows version, but a Mac native app, which should bode well for Mac gamers worried about game performance. However, SimCity requires a connection to Electronic Arts’ servers, even in single player mode, so there’s always a chance that a server issue or connectivity problem will arise.
The Mac version is available for pre-order though Electronic Arts’s Origin online store as a digital download only. The $80 Digital Deluxe version includes four bonus content sets, while a $60 standard version is also available without the bonus content. If you own the Windows version, the Mac version is free; buyers of the Mac version can also get the Windows version for free. The Mac and Windows versions can access cities created on either version.
SimCity requires an Intel Core 2 Duo processor or later, and Mac OS X Lion or Mountain Lion.
SimCity
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor
Roman has covered technology since the early 1990s. His career started at MacUser, and he's worked for MacAddict, Mac|Life, and TechTV.