Cities XL
Encyclopedia
Cities XL is a city-building
computer game
developed by Monte Cristo
, which has prior development experience in City Life. It was originally scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2009, but was eventually released on October 8, 2009. The game allowed players to play online and interact with others on massive persistent planets, and to work together by trading resources or building blueprints in order to satisfy the needs of city inhabitants. However, on March 8, 2010 the online service was closed and the game became single-player only.
Focus Home Interactive
acquired the franchise in June 2011 and released Cities XL 2011
on October 14, 2010. The latest installment, Cities XL 2012
, was announced in July 2011 with a planned October 20, 2011 release.
known as a planet which required a monthly subscription fee. As a member of a planet, players were able to build their cities in a virtual world populated by other subscribers, trade resources such as electricity with other players, work together to create structures such as the Eiffel Tower
, and visit other cities as an avatar and host events.
On January 27, 2010 Monte Cristo announced due to a low subscription rate they would be closing the multiplayer online service, and they did so on March 8, 2010. A patch was released on the same day allowing players to use bus
es in single-player mode, as they had previously only been available in multiplayer mode.
The game offers the designation of three types of building
lots: residential, commercial
and industrial
, each of which can have a different density. Residential lots
are furthermore distinguished by four social class
es: unskilled workers, skilled worker
s, executives
, and elite
s. Before designating building lots, players are required to select which class of residents may live there. The social class chosen for a lot will not be modified by the simulation.
To create building lots, players can zone
an area of the map in which, upon confirmation, individual building lots will be created by the game. Players can also plop building lots individually. A Mass Placement Tool allowing players to select tags that define what categories of buildings they want to see created when outlining an area of lots has been announced in previews.
s and tunnel
s are also part of the simulator. Other transport options that were planned to be included in the game were train
s, ferries
and subways
. An add-on introducing bus
es to the game was released in December 2009.
or a beach
, that would have been implemented into a city and managed in extra detail by the player. For example, in a ski resort GEM, it would have been possible to add ski lifts, restaurants, shelters, and ski-trails. It was planned that when a player was managing a GEM the main city simulation was stopped, but successful management of GEMs could help enhance a city.
The terrain is composed of height maps, textures and a normal map. Instead of creating new tools, Monte Cristo relies on existing third-party tools like EarthSculptor, World Machine and GeoControl to generate unique realistic terrain before importing it into their terrain-editing software. In addition, middleware like SpeedTree
has also been used for in-game afforestation. In an interview on September 11, 2007 Philippe Da Silva announced that Cities XL would include a large variety of maps and landscapes, which would allow players a greater depth with the types of cities they wanted to create. A pre-released screen shot of an Aspen map confirmed that Cities XL would include snow
y landscapes.
. However, it was later revealed in a community website interview that it would not be called City Life 2, and was initially named Cities Unlimited to avoid confusion. On April 15, 2008 it was announced that Cities Unlimited official game title would be Cities XL. The game was released on October 8, 2009 in Oceania and in Europe, and on October 9, 2009 in North America. Two different versions of the game were released, a standard edition and a limited edition. The limited edition contained extra content including additional landmarks, additional maps, and a poster. A demo
was also previously available.
During the development of Cities XL, Monte Cristo maintained a developer blog and internet forum
s on their main website
. Prior to the game's release, both the blog and user forum were closed and removed from public view. The company had stated that the community was not to worry, as they have "saved all of the good posts", and would continue to maintain a presence on websites such as Simtropolis.
Monte Cristo shut down in May 2010 following poor sales of Cities XL.
had acquired the Cities XL franchise, and that a new version of Cities XL titled Cities XL 2011 would be released on October 14, 2010. New features included more buildings and maps, improved public transport
, an enhanced tax
system, and better trading
options.
is being released simultaneously.
described the game as having "pushed the genre in the right direction" with its "friendlier learning curve" compared to the SimCity series
. The review praised the ability to add curved roads, and the "gorgeous" graphics, however, the multiplayer feature was described as "shallow" and the subscription cost was questioned.
GameSpot
praised Cities XL for "taking a city builder online", but described the multiplayer feature as "limited and overpriced", and the single-player mode as an "afterthought". The review criticised the limited trading options in single-player mode and commented that the graphics were "bland". 1UP.com
also criticised the trading features of the game, and while the review did describe the graphics as "fantastic", it concluded that Cities XL was being "dragged down" by a lack of features. Aggregate review websites give scores of 68.27% on GameRankings, and 69 (out of 100) on Metacritic
.
City-building game
City-building games are a genre of strategy computer game where players act as the overall planner and leader of a city, looking down on it from above, and being responsible for its growth and management...
computer game
Personal computer game
A PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
developed by Monte Cristo
Monte Cristo (company)
Monte Cristo was a French computer game developer and publisher, based in Paris. It was established in 1995 by former Credit Suisse First Boston vice-president Jean-Marc de Fety and former Mars & Co strategy senior consultant Jean-Cristophe Marquis. The company was led by Jean-Christophe Marquis...
, which has prior development experience in City Life. It was originally scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2009, but was eventually released on October 8, 2009. The game allowed players to play online and interact with others on massive persistent planets, and to work together by trading resources or building blueprints in order to satisfy the needs of city inhabitants. However, on March 8, 2010 the online service was closed and the game became single-player only.
Focus Home Interactive
Focus Home Interactive
Focus Home Interactive is an independent publisher of computer games based near Paris, France. Founded in 1996, Focus has published and distributed original titles such as Blood Bowl, Sherlock Holmes, TrackMania and Runaway and sports games like Cycling Manager and Virtual Skipper.On June 25, 2010...
acquired the franchise in June 2011 and released Cities XL 2011
Cities XL 2011
Cities XL 2011 is a city simulator developed by Focus Home Interactive. Cities XL 2011 is the second game in the Cities XL franchise. The game focuses on a single-player mode, and was released on October 14, 2010...
on October 14, 2010. The latest installment, Cities XL 2012
Cities XL 2012
Cities XL 2012 is a city simulator developed by Focus Home Interactive. Cities XL 2012 is the third game in the Cities XL franchise. The game focuses on a single-player mode, and is scheduled to be released on October 20, 2011. New features include new structures, new maps, a starter guide, opens...
, was announced in July 2011 with a planned October 20, 2011 release.
Massively multiplayer online
Cities XL allowed players an option to play on a persistent online virtual communityPersistent world
A persistent world is a virtual world that continues to exist even after a user exits the world and that user-made changes to its state are, to some extent, permanent...
known as a planet which required a monthly subscription fee. As a member of a planet, players were able to build their cities in a virtual world populated by other subscribers, trade resources such as electricity with other players, work together to create structures such as the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
, and visit other cities as an avatar and host events.
On January 27, 2010 Monte Cristo announced due to a low subscription rate they would be closing the multiplayer online service, and they did so on March 8, 2010. A patch was released on the same day allowing players to use bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es in single-player mode, as they had previously only been available in multiplayer mode.
Zoning
Building
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
lots: residential, commercial
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
and industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
, each of which can have a different density. Residential lots
Lot (real estate)
In real estate, a lot or plot is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner. A lot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property in other countries...
are furthermore distinguished by four social class
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
es: unskilled workers, skilled worker
Skilled worker
A skilled worker is any worker who has some special skill, knowledge, or ability in their work. A skilled worker may have attended a college, university or technical school. Or, a skilled worker may have learned their skills on the job...
s, executives
Senior management
Senior management, executive management, or management team is generally a team of individuals at the highest level of organizational management who have the day-to-day responsibilities of managing a company or corporation, they hold specific executive powers conferred onto them with and by...
, and elite
Elite
Elite refers to an exceptional or privileged group that wields considerable power within its sphere of influence...
s. Before designating building lots, players are required to select which class of residents may live there. The social class chosen for a lot will not be modified by the simulation.
To create building lots, players can zone
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
an area of the map in which, upon confirmation, individual building lots will be created by the game. Players can also plop building lots individually. A Mass Placement Tool allowing players to select tags that define what categories of buildings they want to see created when outlining an area of lots has been announced in previews.
Transport
Cities XL allows players to create a road network of a variety of road types, with it possible to draw roads at many different angles and curvatures. BridgeBridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
s and tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
s are also part of the simulator. Other transport options that were planned to be included in the game were train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s, ferries
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
and subways
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
. An add-on introducing bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es to the game was released in December 2009.
Gameplay Extension Modules
An unimplemented feature known as Gameplay Extension Modules (GEMs), also referred to as Game Enhancement Modules, were features, such as a ski resortSki resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
or a beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
, that would have been implemented into a city and managed in extra detail by the player. For example, in a ski resort GEM, it would have been possible to add ski lifts, restaurants, shelters, and ski-trails. It was planned that when a player was managing a GEM the main city simulation was stopped, but successful management of GEMs could help enhance a city.
Terrain
SpeedTree
SpeedTree is a group of vegetation programming and modeling software products developed and sold by Interactive Data Visualization, Inc. that generates virtual foliage for animations and in real time for video games and simulations...
has also been used for in-game afforestation. In an interview on September 11, 2007 Philippe Da Silva announced that Cities XL would include a large variety of maps and landscapes, which would allow players a greater depth with the types of cities they wanted to create. A pre-released screen shot of an Aspen map confirmed that Cities XL would include snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
y landscapes.
3D engine
Monte Cristo has made a 3D engine that allows lower-range PCs to run the game. The player may not have all the graphic options fully turned on but still get better quality visuals than City Life.Release
In June 2007, a screenshot of a new city building game from Monte Cristo was posted in Philippe Da Silva's personal blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
. However, it was later revealed in a community website interview that it would not be called City Life 2, and was initially named Cities Unlimited to avoid confusion. On April 15, 2008 it was announced that Cities Unlimited official game title would be Cities XL. The game was released on October 8, 2009 in Oceania and in Europe, and on October 9, 2009 in North America. Two different versions of the game were released, a standard edition and a limited edition. The limited edition contained extra content including additional landmarks, additional maps, and a poster. A demo
Game demo
A game demo is a freely distributed demonstration or preview of an upcoming or recently released video game. Demos are typically released by the game's publisher to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version....
was also previously available.
During the development of Cities XL, Monte Cristo maintained a developer blog and internet forum
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
s on their main website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
. Prior to the game's release, both the blog and user forum were closed and removed from public view. The company had stated that the community was not to worry, as they have "saved all of the good posts", and would continue to maintain a presence on websites such as Simtropolis.
Monte Cristo shut down in May 2010 following poor sales of Cities XL.
Cities XL 2011
On June 25, 2010 it was announced that Focus Home InteractiveFocus Home Interactive
Focus Home Interactive is an independent publisher of computer games based near Paris, France. Founded in 1996, Focus has published and distributed original titles such as Blood Bowl, Sherlock Holmes, TrackMania and Runaway and sports games like Cycling Manager and Virtual Skipper.On June 25, 2010...
had acquired the Cities XL franchise, and that a new version of Cities XL titled Cities XL 2011 would be released on October 14, 2010. New features included more buildings and maps, improved public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
, an enhanced tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
system, and better trading
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
options.
Cities XL 2012
On July 11, 2011 the franchise's developers announced a new version of Cities XL titled Cities XL 2012 would be available on October 20, 2011 as a standalone game. The new version includes new structures, new maps, a starter guide, opens the game to modding and allows you to share your mods. It will be fully compatible with Cities XL 2011 version with a discounted upgrade available. An expansion packExpansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game...
is being released simultaneously.
Reception
Cities XL received average reviews. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
described the game as having "pushed the genre in the right direction" with its "friendlier learning curve" compared to the SimCity series
SimCity (series)
SimCity is an open-ended city-building computer and console video game series and the brainchild of developer Will Wright. It is published by Maxis . The game was first published in 1989 as SimCity, and it has spawned several different editions sold worldwide...
. The review praised the ability to add curved roads, and the "gorgeous" graphics, however, the multiplayer feature was described as "shallow" and the subscription cost was questioned.
GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
praised Cities XL for "taking a city builder online", but described the multiplayer feature as "limited and overpriced", and the single-player mode as an "afterthought". The review criticised the limited trading options in single-player mode and commented that the graphics were "bland". 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
also criticised the trading features of the game, and while the review did describe the graphics as "fantastic", it concluded that Cities XL was being "dragged down" by a lack of features. Aggregate review websites give scores of 68.27% on GameRankings, and 69 (out of 100) on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.
See also
- SimCity (series)SimCity (series)SimCity is an open-ended city-building computer and console video game series and the brainchild of developer Will Wright. It is published by Maxis . The game was first published in 1989 as SimCity, and it has spawned several different editions sold worldwide...
- City Life (video game)