I have the same problem too, and this was a result from update 3.0. I say this because it was fine before the update and even after update 3.1 it still won't load! Its just stuck in the reticulating spleens screen! This is one of the worst customer support experiences I face and it is an obomination coming from a supposed reputable games company called "EA"
Same thing happened to me.
First one of my cities wont load anymore--300 Simoleons lost.
then I cant load the other 2 cities...there is a white background where the city name and it says animating sand..petting goats etc..
plus i cant turn off the game..I have to ctrl+alt+delete and kill it from task manager.
In last 3 days this game has gone from somewhat working to dead.
I bought the game 3 months ago and guess what the warranty is only for 90 days!\
Wish there was an 800 # to call.
Mayor Baltimore Colt
Region Alpha
