Offline play finally comes to SimCity

Just as Maxis has announced that modding support is now available for SimCity, the company has revealed an even bigger u-turn for the title, in the form of an offline mode. Up to this point, SimCity players were forced to connect to servers online and play with a constant internet connection, no matter whether you're playing alone or with friends. Although Maxis parent company Electronic Arts said numerous times that an offline mode would not be made available, the clamoring from the community clearly had the desired effect, as the company said late last year that it was considering an offline mode. In a new blog post today, Maxis general manager Patrick Buechner said that an offline mode is finally on the way, coming for free as part of the next update to the game. Buechner says that users will soon be able to play solo games completely offline, thanks to a new "Single Player Mode," while save games will be stored locally.