Motor City Online

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Motor City Online
Developer(s)	EA Games
Publisher(s)	EA Games
Release date(s)	October 10, 2001
Genre(s)	MMOG/Racing
Mode(s)	Multiplayer
Rating(s)	Everyone (E)
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Media	CD-ROM, download
System requirements	PII 333 or equivalent, 64 MB RAM, 4X CD-ROM, 8 MB VRAM, 800 MB, DirectX v8.0
Input	Keyboard, Mouse, joystick (optional)

Motor City Online is a racing massively multiplayer online computer game released by EA Games on October 10, 2001. The point of the game was to buy classic cars (mostly American muscle cars) ranging from 1930s to 1970s models, tune them up, and race them against other players. The game went offline on August 29, 2003 so EA Games could focus on their current online game at the time, The Sims Online.

Originally conceived as part of the Need for Speed series under the title Need for Speed: Motor City [1], all single player elements that may have been developed for the game were discarded in favor of an online-only model. The game featured some RPG elements, such as levelling up after completing tasks (e.g. winning races), and a functional, supply and demand economy for players to get involved in.

Aside from EA focusing on The Sims Online, another contributing factor to MCO's demise was the game's technical setup. Lag, as with most online games, was a problem, with cars acting unpredictably during times of high latency. Falling subscription rates (from an alleged peak of 36,000; this figure is disputed) and a lack of new interest in the game eventually led to its downfall. Previous Motor City Online users were offered access to The Sims Online or Ultima Online. [2]

[edit] Cars

All vehicles featured in Motor City Online consists solely of American models, ranging from coupes, Coupe Utilities, sedans and station wagons of the 1930s to 1950s, to muscle cars from the 1960s and 1970s. Most, if not all of the vehicles may be modified, providing the vehicles with an additional suffix on the vehicle's name (i.e. "Ford Ranchero Chopped", "Ford Coupe Bumperless&Fenderless"). Older vehicles may also be available as convertibles, while a handful of older models are also available in the form of a body only.

1932 Ford 1940 Ford 1947 Cadillac Series 62 1949 Mercury 1953 Ford Crestline 1955 Buick Century 1957 Chevy Bel-Air 1957 Ford Fairlane 1957 Ford Ranchero 1957 Ford Thunderbird 1957 Chevy Nomad 1957 Chevy Corvette 1958 Chevy Impala 1959 Cadillac Eldorado 1963 Ford Thunderbird 1964 Ford Galaxie 1964 Chevy Impala 1964 Chevy Impala SS 1965 Ford Mustang 1966 Pontiac GTO 1967 Chevy Camaro 1967 Chevy Camaro RS 1967 Chevy Camaro SS 1967 Chevy Chevelle

1967 Chevy Chevelle SS 1969 AMC AMX 1969 BIG BAD AMX 1969 Dodge Charger 1969 Plymouth Road Runner 1969 Ford Torino GT 1969 Ford Torino GT Cobra 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 W-30 1969 Pontiac GTO 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge 1970 Chevy El Camino 1970 Chevy El Camino SS 1970 Chevy Chevelle 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS 1970 Chevy Nova 1970 Chevy Nova SS 1970 Ford Mustang 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 1970 Plymouth Cuda 1970 Plymouth Cuda AAR 1971 Plymouth Duster 1971 Plymouth Duster 340 1973 Pontiac Firebird

I just wanted to add, it was the absolute best car game for all classic car lovers there ever was... until EA killed it.

[edit] Awards

• E3 2000 Game Critics Awards: Best Racing Game

[edit] References

• MMOGCHART.COM - Bruce Sterling Woodcock's tracking of MMOG subscription data.
• IGN Review

v • d • e Need for Speed video games

The Need for Speed • Need for Speed II • V-Rally • Hot Pursuit • High Stakes • V-Rally 2 • Porsche Unleashed • Motor City Online • Hot Pursuit 2 • Underground • Underground 2 • Most Wanted • Carbon Characters • Locations • Soundtracks