Electronic Arts announced the company will donate the original SimCity to the non-profit organization OLPC (One Laptop Per Child).

This will allow the developers of OLPC to install the game on XO laptops, machines that are being manufactured as a humanitarian project for the children in the developing nations (or children in the third world countries).

OLPC is not, at heart, a technology program, nor is the XO a product in any conventional sense of the word. OLPC is a non-profit organization providing a means to an end - an end that sees children in even the most remote regions of the globe being given the opportunity to tap into their own potential, to be exposed to a whole world of ideas, and to contribute to a more productive and saner world community.

SimCity is an interesting game which enables the gamer to build cities by using imagination and keep developing them.

"SimCity is entertainment that's unintentionally educational," said VP of The Sims Label, Steve Seabolt. "There are choices and consequences, but in the end, it's a creativity tool that's only limited by the player's imagination. The game should prove to be an incredibly effective way of making the laptop relevant, engaging, and fun, particularly for first time players. We are thrilled to be making this contribution to OLPC to help meet their goal of educating the children of the world."

The game is currently free to play on the Electronic Arts site. Electronic Arts is the first game company that donates a game to a humanitarian project. Our children, our future!

As a result of this initiative it is expected to help children deal with computers, while learning how to make decisions, and also develop skills and creativity.

OLPC's first laptops will be sent to countries including Uruguay, Peru, Mexico, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Haiti, Cambodia, and India by the end of the year.