Last night while you were all sleeping, EA officially confirmed the rumour that Maxis is currently working on SimCity 5 – although the game is being marketed as plain old SimCity.

The game is due out on PC in 2013, and Maxis VP Lucy Bradshaw took the stage at a pre-GDC event to officially reveal the game and share some details.

We can confirm that SimCity 5 is a fully 3D game, and long-standing fans of the franchise will be pleased to learn that it finally supports curved roads! The game uses a brand new engine, which Bradshaw confirmed is designed to take advantage of powerful PCs; a revelation that PC Gaming Master Race card holders will be pleased with.

The game will also introduce a comprehensive online component, and neighbour cities will be controlled by actual people, and their actions will affect your city. Pollution can carry between cities, and it will be possible to trade resources and work with other people online.

Resources will apparently be finite, and technology an important element of the game.

“We’re building a simulation that really captures the world we live in today, where your decisions go beyond the boundaries of the city,” said Bradshaw at the press conference. “It’s been about ten years since we shipped the last, true SimCity by Maxis,” she said.

While Maxis is pitching the game as a serious, deep city management simulator, Bradshaw also pointed out that it is still a game, and “you never know when a giant lizard might just trundle around the corner and kick the buildings down.”