Cities XL

Back in January we reported that Cities XL developer Monte Cristo Games would be ending its "Planet Offer" option (the subscription-based element that made the next-gen sim-building game into an MMO, of sorts) because of low subscription numbers. Many fans actually preferred the move, because they felt that the "premium MMO aspect" of the game wasn't worth a monthly subscription anyway. Earlier this week, a spokesperson for Monte Cristo Games announced that the developer will be closing down this week, according to a forum post by "Gregory_C" on the Simtropolis.com message boards (a building-sim fansite community).

"This is with deep regrets that we officially announce today the closure of our studio," the post reads. "As such Monte Cristo will close its door this week. We leave behind us a couple regrets but also, more important, a lot of good memories." The France-based developer explained that a yet-unnamed publisher "has shown up who will pick up Cities XL’s license, and who will continue to sell the game." The poster continued to write that the publisher will likely make itself known soon, and that the Monte Cristo team is "confident that we leave Cities XL in good hands." According to the announcement, current players should be able to continue logging in and playing Cities XL without interruption, at least for the time-being. To read the complete announcement as it was posted on Simtropolis, click past the jump.

Monte Cristo announced today that it will be ending the Planet Offer for Cities XL on March 8 due to a low subscription rate. Cities XL will continue to live on as a single-player game, but will sadly lose the MMO features that allowed players to interact with each other. You can read the full announcement after the jump.

A major change like this raises all sorts of questions, but Monte Cristo has already answered the big ones. According to the FAQ, no new content or patches will be published for the current online game or solo game until Cities XL 2011 is released. Also, the avatar mode will disappear since it's tied to the Planet Offer.

Cities XL may take place in a virtual world, but Monte Cristo is hosting a contest that asks players to venture into real cities and take photographs for the chance to win an Alienware M15x Cosmic Black notebook. You have until Jan. 17, 2010 to submit your photos.

In addition to the Alienware prize, the players who take the most beautiful pictures and best Christmas pictures can win a Kodak digital video camera and a Nvidia GTX 260 video card. Check out the official rules for more information.

Monte Cristo just announced that four new planets have been added to the Cities XL galaxy: [US] Titan, [UK] Metis, [FR] Albiorix, and [DE] Belinda. This was done "in order to allow for an ever growing number of cities to be built."

Planets in Cities XL are persistent worlds that can be accessed through the multiplayer Planet Offer subscription service. Players can build up to five different cities on these planets, as well as trade and collaborate with thousands of players.

Numerous MMOs are currently celebrating the holiday season with festive events, and Cities XL is no exception. Monte Cristo has announced that this week's upcoming patch will bring "some seasonal and permanent cosmetic enhancements to all cities" for both solo and online players.

The seasonal enhancements will come in the form of Christmas decorations on houses and streets, while glowing lights will be permanently added to lamp posts and headlights. Just think of it as a little holiday gift from the developers.