Who makes it · Developer
Maxis
Based in Redwood City, California, United States Founded 1987 Part of Electronic Arts
Maxis is the Electronic Arts studio behind The Sims and, historically, SimCity and Spore. The Sims games are sold as a base game plus a long line of paid expansion and add-on packs.
Track-record badges
No badges yet
Nothing on this company's record has earned a badge yet.
Track record
What's on the record, newest first
- Labour
EA closed Maxis's Emeryville studio
EA closed Maxis Emeryville, the main Maxis studio and developer of SimCity and Spore, moving Maxis development to other EA studios. EA said The Sims was not affected and that departing staff would receive separation packages or could apply for other roles; it did not say how many jobs were lost.
Kotaku - Good practice
Added an offline mode to SimCity
A year after launch, Maxis began deploying Update 10 for SimCity on 18 March 2014, adding a single-player mode that works without an internet connection.
Game Informer - Other
SimCity launched with an always-online requirement and server problems
SimCity (2013) required a constant internet connection, and server problems at launch left many buyers unable to play, led EA to switch off some features and prompted Amazon to briefly suspend digital sales. Maxis's Lucy Bradshaw apologised and EA offered a free PC game from its catalogue to people who had registered SimCity.
The Verge
Settlements are often made without an admission of wrongdoing; we say so where it matters. Follow each source for the full detail.
Games in the guide
What Maxis made or published
Each game's money rating is its own: it comes from how that game makes money, not from the company's record.
Last checked 2 November 2026. Sources: kotaku.com, www.theverge.com, www.bbc.co.uk, kotaku.com, www.gameinformer.com. Spotted something wrong or missing? Send a correction.