Editing SimTower (section)

==Development==
Developed by [[Yoot Saito]] of [[Vivarium Inc.|OPeNBooK]], ''SimTower'' was originally titled ''The Tower''.<ref name="GameAxis">{{cite journal| journal = GameAxis Unwired| publisher = [[Singapore Press Holdings|SPH Magazines]]|date=September 2000| issue = 60| title = Origin of Species| first = Jonathan| last = Leo| page = 27| issn = 0219-872X}}</ref> It works on computers running the [[Microsoft Windows]] or [[System 7|Macintosh System 7]] operating systems; the game will operate on 68k-based Macs at a minimum. It requires [[8-bit color]]s and four megabytes of [[random-access memory]].<ref name=southchina /> Graphics and sounds used in ''SimTower'' are similar to those of [[List of Sim video games|previous ''Sim'' games]], and high-resolution graphics are also used. The sound effects are kept to a minimum; noises that are played in the background include office "buzz" and elevator bells.<ref name=theage />

While attending [[Waseda University]], Saito played ''[[SimCity (1989 video game)|SimCity]]'' on the Macintosh, which prompted him to pursue video game creation after graduating. His first game was a simulation title that was part of a future media project for a publishing house. When Saito asked to develop a second, the business refused because it was not a video game company. He left the company to personally produce the second game, which built on ideas he conceived while working on his first: elevators and towers. Saito teamed up with freelance programmer Takumi Abe to complete the project.<ref name="gamesTM-Retro">{{cite journal| journal = [[GamesTM]]| publisher = [[Imagine Publishing]]| title = Sonic Yoot| pages = 252–255| author = GamesTM Staff| series = The Ultimate Retro Companion| year = 2010| volume = 3| isbn = 978-1-906078-56-0}}</ref> To research the gameplay, Saito contacted an elevator company to learn about elevator scheduling and management. However, the company declined to provide the information.<ref name="Dragon217">{{cite journal |title=Eye of the Monitor |author=Jay & Dee |journal=Dragon |issue=217 |date=May 1995 |pages=65–74}}</ref> Saito handled the graphic design, starting with a monochromatic scaled tower created in [[HyperCard]]. The designer added color to differentiate between office- and hotel-type buildings. As development neared completion, Saito noticed that the Mac's performance had improved and decided to increase the [[Palette (computing)|color palette]] size from 16 to 256&nbsp;colors. Saito enlisted a second designer to produce animation for the graphics and improve the details for the color increase.<ref name="gamesTM-Retro" />