Monte Cristo has finally released some of the details for their Planet Offer for Cities XL! Patrick Marchal notes in the press release below that they want players to "first enjoy Cities XL in solo mode, and then convince them to join the Planet Offer, which will open the gates to a more ambitious level of game experience." And it really does look like the MMO aspect of Cities XL will be ambitious, as players will participate in a global economy by trading resources, developing economic strategies and specializing your cities. Not only that, but players can work together to build Mega Structures and the cities they erect will have an impact upon the world that they build on. Monthly costs appear to be lower than your average MMO, with one month subscription costing about 7€, and two longer term subscriptions for substantially cheaper amounts. Who'd have thought you could mesh a city building game with the MMORPG genre?

Monte Cristo reveals the details of the "Planet" offer for Cities XL.

Paris, France – 26th May 2009 – independent developer Monte Cristo today revealed the details of the content for their genre-redefining City Builder Cities XL. The game, which is playable in both single and massively persistent multiplayer modes, offers a unique experience for both.

In Solo mode, Cities XL will offer -

• 25 maps featuring varying landscapes - from canyons to grassy hills and snowy mountains
• Around 500 buildings based on various architectural styles (European, American …)
• Diverse citizen structure: Four levels of wealth, four main different needs (Services, Environmental, Prices and Traffic) split into many sub-categories (Police and Fire departments, Education, Leisure, Commerce, multiple types of Pollution, Taxes, Cost of Life, Distance to work and more)
• A rich enterprise selection ranging from agriculture to heavy industry, services, tourism…
• A complex, but easy to access, simulation based on 12 resources to trade with an opportunistic AI (electricity, waste management, agriculture, water, fuel, etc.)
• An ambitious traffic system including many type of roads (five different widths, costs, quality and capacity), highways, airports, ports, and much more
• A set of never-before-seen real-time construction tools allowing players to create curved roads, building zones of various shapes, elaborate bridges...
• An avatar studio and Web-based profile pages

“From day one we wanted to make sure that we were going to compete with the most ambitious builders out there in term of content and functionality," said Patrick Marchal, studio director. “We wanted the players to first enjoy Cities XL in solo mode, and then convince them to join the Planet Offer, which will open the gates to a more ambitious level of game experience.”

The massively persistent Planet Offer.
Multiplayer gameplay both in-game and on the web:

• Trade resources with other players to develop economic strategies, specialise your cities, maximise your possibilities in a global economy
• Work cooperatively to build Mega Structures – special buildings that enhance your city aesthetically and economically
• Web-based city management -- check your trade contracts, receive alerts, adjust your decisions from any computer in the world

Persistent MMO world:

• Each player receives five slots to build five persistent cities on different Planets
• Contribute to the life and statistics of the Planets (economics, population, pollution…): what you do has an impact on the world

Community features and animations in-game and on the web:

• Visit one another’s cities, see other players’ creations and content, chat with other players
• Create and participate in online events, discover virtual cities and real people

Regular upgrades :

• All Buildings, Maps, simulation and functionality upgrades are free with the planet offer

Monthly costs:

• 1 Month = 7€
• 3 Months = 5€/month
• 6 Months = 4.5€/month

“We think that with a price point of 7€ for one month or 5€ per month for 3 months, the Planet offer offers tremendous value for money. There are countless hours of gameplay, fun and sub-objectives in the Planet Mode that players will discover with time,” said Jerome Gastaldi, Monte Cristo’s CEO. “We really intend to continually expand the game, and together with the community keep on enriching it and improving it. “

About Monte Cristo Games
Created in 1995 Monte Cristo is a leading game production company with over a decade of experience, having successfully published 30 games worldwide. Backed by leading international venture capitalists, we are currently focusing a team of over 80 people on the development of CITIES XL™ which merges video gaming with social networking and virtual worlds.