(Beta info at the bottom)
CitiesXL! Ripped shamelessly from wikipedia:
"Cities XL (formerly Cities Unlimited) is a city-building simulation computer game under development by Monte Cristo, which has prior development experience in City Life. It was originally scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2009, but is now set to be released on September 3, 2009 in French and German. The game allows players to play online and interact with others on massive persistent planets, to work together to shape cities, manage the economy and care for the needs of city inhabitants. Players can also play in a single-player mode."
It's been a while since the last big city building release and so no doubt like me you are starved for modern metropolis forging pursuits. SimCity 4 came out in
January 2003. That's like, pre-wheel and shit. So anyway, CitiesXL is supposed to be the spiritual successor to the colossus that SimCity 4 was. It's some kind of city building/MMO hybrid with neat-o 3d graphics and all that modern jiggery-pokery. Let me tell you, I cannot wait to craft some massive erections with my loving hands.
Yes, I went there.
Anyway, enough of my bullshit:
Screenshots:
Movies:
Steam Group
The group is called
Penny Arcade CitiesXL. If you want in, join the chat and ask for an invite. Those who are in the beta are building on the planet Hyperion.
OH SHIT IT'S A BETA
Closed beta started 17/06/09. You can't sign up on the website anymore, but lets face it, nobody ever wins those things anyway. Beta giveaways on third party sites are the way to go and there's plenty to have a go at. Sites having beta key giveaways listed below. Be aware that most of the sites that were giving out keys immediately to anybody that signed up have now run out of keys. You will have to try your luck with the ones running lottery-style mail-ins/competitions/easter egg hunts.
French:
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MondesPeristants -
http://www.mondespersistants.com/news/cities-xl-la-beta-est-lancee:13488/
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JeuxOnline -
http://www.jeuxonline.info/actualite/23164/500-acces-beta-gagner
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www.jeuxvideo.com -
http://www.jeuxvideo.com/news/2009/00034980-500-cles-pour-la-beta-de-cities-xl-a-gagner.htm
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www.gamekult.com -
http://www.gamekult.com/articles/A0000077295/
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www.jeuxvideopc.com -
http://www.jeuxvideopc.com/news/26668-50-cles-gagner-pour-beta-cities-xl.php
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www.jvn.com
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www.factornews.com -
http://www.factornews.com/news-26181-Concours_Gagnez_un_acc_s_la_b_ta_de_Citi.html
German:
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SimCityPlaza -
http://www.simcityplaza.de/content/view/480/1/
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www.Gamestar.de -
http://www.gamestar.de/betatests/citiesxl/
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www.pcgames.de -
http://www.pcgames.de/?menu=license_key_mailing&lk_product_id=214989
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www.onlinewelten.com -
http://www.onlinewelten.com/win/226-cities-xl-beta-keys/
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www.gamers.at -
http://www.gamers.at/news/wir_verlosen_cities_xl_beta_keys-3210/
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www.4players.de -
http://www.4players.de/4players.php/gewinnspieldetail/Allgemein/2878.html
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www.gamingxp.com -
http://www.gamingxp.com/newsview-15828-kategorie-8-gewinnen_sie_und_bauen_sie_ihre_eigene_stadt_in_citiesxl.htm
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www.eurogamer.de -
http://www.eurogamer.de/articles/cities-xl-wir-verlosen-300-beta-keys
English:
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www.mmohub.org -
http://mmohub.org/forums/citiesxl/1436-citiesxl-beta-key-giveaway-official-thread.html
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www.filefront.com -
http://files.filefront.com/CitiesXL+Beta+Test+Client/;13909660;/fileinfo.html
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www.zam.com -
http://www.zam.com/story.html?story=18494
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www.strategyinformer.com -
http://www.strategyinformer.com/news/4611/exclusive-cities-xl-beta-test-keys-for-strategy-informer-members
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Simtropolis -
http://www.simtropolis.com/?p=citiesxl_beta
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www.fileplanet.com -
http://www.fileplanet.com/promotions/cities-xl/
More English sites are likely to be announced as the day goes on. (But as far as I know, there is no difference in the version of the game. If you get a key from some dirty foreigner it's just as good as an English key no matter what your parents might have told you.
Also, I feel compelled to include this:
Posts
Well, I got in the Beta...then they made me sign an NDA.
Downloading now, I'll be sure not to tell anyone anything of any use at all.
Also, rereading the NDA to see if I can talk about anything at all about it once I start playing.
Edit...
Yeah, I can't say a damn thing about the game at all, let alone infer anything...bah
I can't wait for all the posts along the line of:
"I am playing a game right now. I can't say if it's CitiesXL, but it is a game."
"I just (redacted) some (redacted) to my (redacted) and it looks fucking (redacted)"
Maybe we can just raise one eyebrow and lean in slightly? Everything will go unsaid.
Over at Simtropolis they are doing easter egg hunts or something.
Why is their website in english if there's not going to be a release in an english speaking country?
You can't even go that far.
I will say that if there were a beta of a game called Cities XL, I would have a key and be downloading right now. But there isn't. The game doesn't exist.
I bet you're in violation for even admitting there's an NDA.
That site has the worst fucking registration CAPTCHA on earth.
I am/was a Sim City whore. Can I at least know if it is shaping up to be as good or better than 4?
This is what I want to know as well. I loved the shit out of SC4, even taking its silly traffic simulation into account, and have been drooling for a successor ever since.
The French/German thing concerns me though. Is there not going to be an NA release?
I haven't really poked around in the planet part much, but given the MMO angle and the online-ishness of the whole thing (you can chat with other players while you build your city, for example) I would find it highly likely that there's some way for us to hang out without incurring the wrath of the gods (like I sort of did just then.)
You have to sign up for an account at the top of the site, activate it, log in and then fill out the grey form on the right hand side with a birth date, e-mail address and check both boxes.
raises eyebrow
Sounds like a lot of work
edit: But ultimately worth it.
Apparently I know German. Who knew.
Am I the only person who completely ignores NDAs for beta tests?
Hopefully the game uses some kind of culture-influencing mechanic, like how Civ 4 works.
"Tonight, robot cops and children patrolling the forest for monsters? In your city? Find out what you can do to stop it, tune in at 11 'o clock."
This is probably a sensible decision, just for forum chatter. I would imagine most of the prohibitions in the NDA will only get exercised in the event someone starts running their mouth on the internet and causes a lot of bad press. I cannot imagine a situation where a company would try to silence people who are saying nice things about their game.
That said, I think the forum rules around here will get you in trouble for doing it.
I'd have to check the rules thread again, but with the ban on talking about pirating games and such because of the trouble it would generate for the forums, I would assume liberal breaking of the NDA wouldn't be approved of here either.
Edit: I assume it is roughly related to:
Really all that would probably happen to you is you get your beta access taken away if they figure out who you are, but I assume the forums would appreciate if you just kept everything to their beta forums.
EDIT: Whoops I'm a noob.
https://beta.citiesxl.com/download/
EDIT: Sweet jesus this is 2 CD's of downloading!
http://www.fileplanet.com/promotions/cities-xl/
It says you need to sign up but I don't have a subscription or anything. I just gave them my name and email address and I got a key + download link.
Also, if anybody is having any issues signing up/logging in, be aware that the servers are offline and the following message is on the login page for the beta site:
What are betas for, right?
Hmm... ?
??
http://www.onlinewelten.com/win/226-cities-xl-beta-keys/ seems to have a few more keys at least, just google translate and you should be fine
They've really been promoting the crap out of the game, and I used to follow it a lot more. Well, the beta may shed some light.
Why would people playing the game need to be told what playing the game is like?
I can't tell you, that would violate the NDA.
In a theoretical world, where I was in the beta for some theoretical city-building game, my username there would be the same as it is here.
Battle.net: IronSquirrel#1462