The Lot Editor has arrived, enabling you to take control of all the props on any of the SimCity properties you choose. You can find the lot editor as well as all the instructions to use it here. Also, get ready to share your lots with the new Lot Exchange coming soon.

Yes, SimCity 4 for Mac should be arriving on June 30th according to the last Amazon.com check. Mac users should also be pleased that they will probably be getting some exceptional performance on SimCity 4 Mac on the new Apple G5, slated for arrival in late August.

The first in a series of Screenshot Analyses for The Sims 2 has been added to the SimGlobal The Sims 2 screenshots page. The analysis looks at one of the first screenshots released and gives theories about the details in the screenshots, hopefully revealing a little more about the game. You can check out the analysis here.

Two new Korean landmarks have been released today over at SimCity.com. The new landmarks are the Seoul Soccer Stadium where the 2002 World Cup Championship was held, as well as the Yuksam (or 63) building, a sixty story high and three story deep building that towers over Seoul. Other than that, Maxis also released two new lots. Find the lots here and the buildings here.

For those of you out there who understand Norwegian, then head over to ITavisen.no, where you will find a full fledged preview along with screenshots and a video. Visit the review here.

The lot editor is coming! Maxis has revealed more information about the soon-to-come lot editor at simcity.com. This information about the tool that will let users customize all of SimCity 4's many lot features also contains a sample lot download of a Mayor's House.

The rumored latest expansion pack for The Sims has gotten a bit of a confirmation. Though nothing official has come from Maxis, an IGN report states that "...this will be the last expansion pack before the release of The Sims 2." The IGN article cites a Banc of America report that give information about the expansion. However, the report does not yet give a name for the expansion pack. You can read the entire IGN report here.

Head over to Gamespot.com to check out their SimCity 4: Rush Hour Trailer which shows many of the new aspects of the add-on including the alien invasion, a train wreck, adding signs, as well as much much more.

While we might not get an architect tool for SimCity 4 for a little while, a Lot Editor is on the way. "What exactly can you do with a Lot Editor?" is what you might be asking now. I offer you the full description posted on the SimCity forums by CoxFromMaxis:

Hello all,
I wanted to make sure everyone remained excited so I putting my comments about the Lot Editor at the top of the list.

In cased [sic] you missed the Lot Editor is a tool that enables you to customize and modify every lot in the game. By that I mean, you can change lots sizes, you can change the textures on the lots, you will have access to all the props and can change , add more or rearrange them as you see fit. All the little crowds of people and effects such as water fountains and fireworks can all be accessed and used in customizing lots. This tool will even create new buttons in the game for unique lots that you might make for your Mayor's house, favorite landmark, or fire station. Does this sound cool yet?
Does this mean that Maxis is not going to make an Architect tool for you? No. It does not mean that at all. An architect tool is something we are working on. You can feel good about that news and expect to hear more about our progress in the coming months.

In the meantime, you will need a lot editor if any kind of architect tool is going to work. Lots are the building blocks of SimCity 4. Lots are comprised of several components such as props (trees, fountains, swing sets, cars...), ground textures and of course buildings. By having a lot editor similar to what we used in making the game you will have significant power to modify the look of your game. And, getting at all the individual pieces that make up SimCity 4 is pretty cool.

With that said, clear your calendar because I think you will be wanting to spend a bit of time with this thing.

Regards,
CoxFromMaxis

For those of us who do not recieve The Philadelphia Inquirer, you can still read there in-depth Will Wright interview online. Check it out here.

Over at Gaming Excellence, SimCity 4 was chosen for their ’Editor’s Choice Award’. SimCity 4 came out on top with a rating of 8.9, only "slacking" in the presentation catagory with 8.5. Read the entire review at GamingExcellence.com.

Want the plop cheat for SimCity 4? Over at Simtropolis.com you can now find a mod that will do just that. Although it is only the Plop Modd Beta Release .01, you can still place a few buildings. Remember that any errors or problems are the user's responsibility. Read the full news story at Simtropolis here.

SimGlobal staff member, Hunter, has announced his resignation from the SimGlobal staff. Hunter has been with SimGlobal for a year, helping SimGlobal with news, ideas and content. He will be missed.