What really makes SimCity so special and so useful in education is the fact that it is a dynamic model, and not a predetermined set of events. The player is really in control of the city. The model reacts to the player's every action and every decision. And since SimCity gives instant, visual feedback on all actions and decision, students intuitively learn about the consequences of their own actions and the interrelations of different aspects of the city, all as a by product of playing the game. Simulations involve action and behavior rather that just acuistion of facts.
Simulations allow students to study processes instead of events.
Students become active and powerful participants in the learning process. Simulations encourage and require imaginative thinking rather than rote learning. Simulations give students experience in decision making, and allow them to quickly see the consequences of their decision. With simulations, students become explorers who create and follow their own hypotheses rather than mere observers reading what other people have done. Simulations are particularly appropriate when the inquiry process assumes that knowledge is cumulative and constantly expanding.