Motor City Online

Motor City Online was a racing massively multiplayer online video game released by Electronic Arts on October 29, 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.^[3] EA, however, developed a new online racing game, called Need for Speed: World. Many fans of Motor City Online consider Need for Speed: World a spiritual successor of Motor City Online, although EA has denied any direct link between the two games.

Motor City Online
Developer(s)	EA Seattle[1]
Publisher(s)	EA Games
Engine	Need for Speed: High Stakes
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release	NA: October 31, 2001[2]
Genre(s)	MMOG/Racing
Mode(s)	Multiplayer

Originally conceived as part of the Need for Speed series under the title Need for Speed: Motor City,^[4] 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 role-playing video game elements, such as leveling up after completing tasks (e.g. winning races), and a functional, supply and demand economy for players to get involved in.

Reception

IGN gave the game a score 7.9 of out 10: "When the tumbleweeds roll through a city, you know there's something wrong."

Review scores

Publication	Score
GameSpot	7.6/10[5]
IGN	7.9/10[6]
The Tampa Tribune	D[7]

Reception

GameSpot gave the game a score of 7.6 out of 10: "Motor City Online delivers on its potential, but it's most definitely not for casual online gamers or those whose patience is easily taxed".^[5]

The Tampa Tribune gave the game a score "D": " "Motor City Online" looks great and, umm ... it well looks great."

Awards

• E3 2000 Game Critics Awards: Best Racing Game

References

1. "Put the Pedal to the Metal On EA.com- EA Ships Motor City Online for the PC". Business Wire. Berkshire Hathaway. November 1, 2001. Archived from the original on November 18, 2001. Retrieved June 26, 2019 – via Yahoo.com.
2. "GameSpot: PC News: Motor City Online ships". 2001-12-01. Archived from the original on 2001-12-01. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
3. Butts, Steve (February 23, 2003). "Motor City Offline". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on June 5, 2003. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
4. Radakovic, Nebosja (January 7, 2004). "NFS Motor City Preview". gamerevolution.com. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
5. Poole, Stephen (November 21, 2001). "Motor City Online Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
6. Adams, Dan (November 16, 2001). "Motor City Online". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
7. Phillips, Wes (December 7, 2001). "Motor City Online". The Tampa Tribune. p. 127. Retrieved March 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.