In this next-generation take on the city building genre, realism will be pushed to the limit with cities that are bigger, more realistic and sophisticated than ever before. Cities XL, previously called Cities Unlimited, will expand upon all that make city builders fun and interesting, while letting players take their game online, as they interact with others in a massive online environment.Cities XL allows gamers to develop cities on realistic 3D maps using an incredible collection of unique structures and monuments based on American, Asian and European-influenced architectural styles. The maps feature a variety of environments: mountains, hills, canyons, beaches and islands, all set in different climates from tropical to desert, Mediterranean to temperate. Players must create the right combinations of social services, leisure activities, special events and other job opportunities within their cities in order to feed, clothe, employ and entertain their citizens. Be it planning and building a new zoo, public park, residential neighborhood or transit system - there's always a fresh and exciting challenge for would-be city managers and mayors in Cities XL.
"We are very pleased to receive this new round of funding from such renowned partners," said Jérôme Gastaldi, CEO of Monte Cristo Games. "This new funding will allow us to dedicate additional resources to creating the best entertainment experience possible in Cities XL, while also leveraging our incredibly talented development teams in Paris and Kiev to create a fantastic virtual world and online community."
"Cities XL is an impressive project, and we are very excited to support it with such a significant investment," said François Tison, General Partner of 360° Capital Partners. Thomas Balland, Investment Director of Innoven Partenaires added: "Monte Cristo Games is a well-established creator of top-quality entertainment, and we have absolute confidence in their ability to create and operate a massive interactive experience as unique as Cities XL will be."
The game’s online features and services will allow players to create interconnected cities on virtual and persistent planets. Mayors can share and trade with one another, specialize their economy and team up with befriended cities to create sprawling metropolises. Life on the planet will be punctuated by events and competitions - a concert held in one town may, for example, be attended by visitors from other areas who can also enjoy a walk around the city to admire the urban creations of multiple players. By combining a fantastic single-player game with the social and multiplayer aspects of an MMO, Cities XL will shape the future of the genre by offering more variety, bigger cities and multiple gameplay layers.
Cities XL is currently scheduled to ship in 2009.
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