AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cities XL, the highly anticipated massively multiplayer online game (MMOG), lets players create, build, and develop their dream city by taking on the role of a mayor as an avatar. The MMOG features novel real-time construction tools, 25 maps with varying landscapes, and around 500 buildings based on various architectural styles. To process worldwide payments, Cities XL uses GlobalCollect’s Hosted Merchant Link interface. Through this interface, players can select their preferred payment method, ranging from international and national credit- and debit cards (in USD/EUR/GBP), to real-time banking, and direct debits (in Germany) – with further options to follow as the game is being rolled out globally.

In addition, Cities XL takes advantage of GlobalCollect’s scalable fraud screening tools from renowned partners to maximize transaction safety prior to payment authorization. These include customized business rules, online account validation, neural networks and IP geolocation data.

Jerome Gastaldi, President of Monte Cristo, said: “Cities XL is the first City Builder that presents players with an MMO environment. By subscribing to the online-mode Planet offer, players experience a new dimension of gaming and emotions. As the city builder genre addresses a large consumer audience quite used to online purchases, Monte Cristo uses GlobalCollect to offer Cities XL players a secure, user-friendly, and convenient payment platform”

Jan Manten, CEO of GlobalCollect, added: “We extend a warm welcome to Monte Cristo. Over the last 15 years of servicing the online payment industry, we’ve gained solid insights into the requirements of the online gaming world. For instance, that it is crucial to handle payments quickly, so the methods we offer are processed instantaneously through our real-time payment platform, WebCollect.”

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About Monte Cristo

Created in 1995, Monte Cristo is a leading game production company with over a decade of experience, having successfully published 30 games worldwide. Backed by leading international venture capitalists, we are currently focusing a team of over 80 people on the development of CITIES XL™ which merges video gaming with social networking and virtual worlds.

About GlobalCollect

GlobalCollect is the world's premier Payment Service Provider of local e-payment solutions for international Customer Not-Present (CNP) channels such as internet, mail and telephone orders, and specialized in a wide range of industries such as travel, ticketing, telecommunications, retail, publishing, portals, online gaming, and digital content. While most providers limit their services to a technical link with payment acquirers, GlobalCollect is a full service partner consulting clients on how to increase transaction volumes, expand distribution channels, and reduce costs by streamlining back office processes. Through a single-interface online payment platform, we offer access to an unrivalled portfolio of local and international payment methods in over 200 countries, including all major credit and debit cards, direct debits, bank transfers, real-time bank transfers, eWallets, cash at outlets, prepaid methods, checks, and invoices. www.globalcollect.com