Civilization Revolution: A Lesson for EA and Maxis

I do not own SimCity 2013 (5, whatever... I still don't know how they are distinguishing this iteration from the others).  I have watched streams of the game, YouTube videos, read reviews, and been unable to avoid discussions about SimCity on Reddit for weeks.  A thought keeps popping up in my mind about this whole thing and I am tired of not spelling it out.  This game would have been loved if it was marketed properly.

Civilization 4 was as deep and complex a turn based game as you could find back when it was released and has been loved and admired ever since.  There are whole communities of people who still play the game just because it's great!  I purchased it about a year ago because I wanted something turn based I could run on my laptop when I'm out of town and couldn't pay 100% attention to the screen at all times.  It has never let me down.  I have played a ton of Civ4 and have never been very good at it.  I am simply overwhelmed by all there is to learn and do even though it gives you all the time in the world to make your decisions.  I love it, but I know I'll never master it.  It's everything you could want out of a turn based strategy game if you really want to get deep into the strategy part.

Civilization Revolutions was launched as a primarily console title that was INTENTIONALLY more accessible.  The graphics were made more bright and goofy.  The tech tree was dismantled and simplified.  The whole experience was dialed back to make it much easier to get into than the previous 4 Civ games.  If you were looking for the next Civ4 they TOLD YOU that revolutions wasn't it... but here's the important part...

THEY WERE WORKING ON CIV 5 WHICH WOULD BE THE SEQUEL TO CIV 4.

Civ Rev was an offshoot of the Civ world.  It was a console game based off a PC juggernaut.  It was Duplo to 4's Lego.  But... Civ Rev was well received.  I don't remember anyone spitting bile at Sid Meier about this new dumbed down causal game for consoles while the core market was on the PC.

If Civ Rev was sold as Civilization 5 I can only imagine the pitchforks and torches.  It would have been everything wrong with the modern casualization of hardcore games.  It's a CONSOLE game based on a PC exclusive!  These are things that send the internet into a frothing white hot rage... but it didn't happen.

See where I'm going with this?

If SimCity 2013 was SimCity Online and cost $40 instead of $60 that would have been a start.  If EA assured us that Maxis was working on SimCity 5 that would quench the thirst of everyone who loved super deep city simulation but that SimCity Online would be a fun social experience meant to be played online with your friends until SimCity 5 was launched then THIS "FUMBLED" LAUNCH WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED.