Guess we'll have to wait until the final release but.... This is seeming too much like political steerage to the acceptance of "Agenda 21".. They casually mention "sustainable developement" but it seems to be built in to the strategy.
They took their follow up "Cities XL" and made a couple changes and now it's "SimCity 2013". Looks and acts very similar. Even down to the online multiplayer aspect which failed miserably for "Cities XL".
They should have consulted with all the authors of NAM and the custom content creators. They kept the game going for all these years making improvements that were needed and adding a lot of realism at the same time. The game was much more realistic and enjoyable with the NAM and other add-ons then it was as a stand alone. The highway system alone was award winning.
The mod capability is still in question too. That was one of the best features of the last version.
Can't destroy a city and recover from a saved game. Just seems non-sensical to me. Guess it's just me.
I'll probably end up getting it anyway. Have to at least give it a try. It just seems like they never looked at what was going on with the game to keep it going as strong as it was for all these years.
I'm ever thankful to all the custom content creators. I don't want to try to name them all because I'm afraid I would miss someone. You all know who you are though.. Thanks!
For anyone who is interested, someone (*ahem*) posted a comprehensive review of the Beta in their forums (http://answers.ea.com/t5/General-Discussion/SimCity-Closed-Beta-Impressions/m-p/428960#M4781).