SimCity is a city-building simulation franchise created by Will Wright at Maxis, starting with the 1989 original and eventually becoming shorthand for open-ended chores and always-online DRM.

Where did SimCity come from?

Will Wright built the first SimCity in 1989 after realizing the map editor he made for the 1984 shooter Raid on Bungeling Bay was more fun than the actual game.

What does SimCity mean?

As slang, 'to simcity someone' means giving them a task with no clear end, and 'SimCity DRM' mocks any single-player game that requires an internet connection.

How do you use SimCity?

The verb form gets used to push back on chores, like 'don't simcity me,' while 'SimCity DRM' shows up in complaint threads about game launches that require login servers.

Is SimCity still popular?

No new mainline SimCity game has released since the troubled 2013 reboot, but fan communities like Simtropolis still keep older titles active with mods and city showcases.

SimCity

1989video game franchiseclassic

Published September 27, 2026

SimCity is a city-building simulation franchise designed by Will Wright at Maxis and first released in 19891. The name later became internet shorthand for endless open-ended tasks and always-online DRM after the 2013 reboot's server meltdown wrecked its launch4.

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Overview

'To simcity someone' entered slang as a way to describe piling on a task with no visible end, mirroring the game's open-ended loop of building without a win condition5. 'SimCity DRM' also stuck as a mocking label for single-player games that demand a constant online connection, named directly after the 2013 reboot's always-online requirement5.

The 2013 title produced the loudest meme cycle. Buyers who paid full price sat in server queues on release day, error screenshots ran across forums, and Amazon reviews stacked up one-star protests. Older entries like SimCity 2000 and SimCity 4 stayed alive on community sites through mods and elaborate city screenshots.

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Origin & Background

Platform

PC / video game franchise

Creator

Will Wright

Date

1989

The first SimCity shipped in 1989, designed by Will Wright and published by Maxis3. Wright built the concept from a map editor he had written for the 1984 shooter Raid on Bungeling Bay, deciding that placing buildings was more fun than blowing them up2.

The fifth mainline entry, simply named SimCity, was announced at the Game Developers Conference on March 6, 2012, with two gameplay trailers at E3 2012 and closed beta invitations opening that August4. Its March 5, 2013 launch collapsed under server outages that locked out solo players and drew scathing reviews.

How It Spread

The franchise built a dedicated fandom over two decades through fan-run sites like Simtropolis, the SimCity Wiki, and SimCity Fan Site, where city plans, mods, and old-title screenshots still trade2. Older entries kept a slow, steady presence long after the last mainline game shipped.

In October 2011, The Huffington Post ran a comparison between Herman Cain's '9-9-9' presidential tax plan and the default tax rate settings in SimCity 4, and the joke spread through political blogs4. The 2013 launch disaster later handed gamers the term 'SimCity DRM' as an insult for any single-player release tethered to a login server5.

Timeline

1989

The first SimCity, designed by Will Wright at Maxis, is released and establishes the city-building simulation genre.

2011-10

The Huffington Post compares Herman Cain's '9-9-9' presidential tax plan to the default tax rate settings in SimCity 4, spreading the joke through political blogs.

2012-03-06

SimCity (2013) is officially announced at the Game Developers Conference.

2012-08

Closed beta application process opens for the upcoming SimCity reboot.

2013-03-05

SimCity (2013) launches and immediately collapses under server outages, locking out solo players and generating a meme cycle.

2013

The term 'SimCity DRM' enters gamer slang as an insult for any single-player game that requires an online connection.

How to Use This Meme

The slang works two ways. 'Don't simcity me' pushes back on someone assigning a task with no clear end, echoing the game's endless build loop5. 'SimCity DRM' shows up in gaming complaints whenever a single-player title requires an internet connection, used as an insult tied to the 2013 launch failure5.