SimCity closed beta video shows starting tutorial [Update: poof!]

SimCity mayor

Update: Aaaaaaand it's gone. EA yanked the video on copyright claims, but our suspicion of a marketing tactic still flows as strong as a properly laid sewer stream. Original story below.

Not much else is shown outside basic introductions to building, resource management, and a whole heap of reticulated splines, but the unedited gameplay definitely shows off the shiny GlassBox engine 's chops. Take a look, and also watch us chatter away on SimCity's online requirement and other related topics.

I noticed that the video's submitter posted his footage to Reddit under a totally legitimate, freshly-created account named SimCityDude , which isn't exactly subtle. But then again, maybe he's just covering his tracks. The submitter does, though, go out of his way to link to the game's pre-order page. We still consider the footage to be worth your time, but our thought around the office right now is that EA intentionally released this under the guise of a leak. PC Gamer: always vigilant, always paranoid.

Omri Petitte is a former PC Gamer associate editor and long-time freelance writer covering news and reviews. If you spot his name, it probably means you're reading about some kind of first-person shooter. Why yes, he would like to talk to you about Battlefield. Do you have a few days?