Civilization-Revolution
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Firaxis cites graphics, controls behind shelving of CivRev for Wii
2K Games' decision last week to pull the plug on the the Wii version of Civilization Revolution no doubt left armchair rulers with a taste for waggle at a loss for words. Admittedly we had questions ourselves, especially considering the Wii's popularity, which like a racehorse on speed has shown little signs of slowing down. Why axe a game for the Wii, especially one boasting such a widely recognized name? Patrick Klepek of MTV's Multiplayer blog had questions himself, and went to the source by asking Firaxis' coder Scott Lewis why the Wii version was kicked to the curb. The reasoning behind why Civilization Revolution for the Wii was put on hold is likely symptomatic of the machine's surprise success, as Lewis notes that the Wii SKU was added as an afterthought once the world became wise to the console's runaway popularity. The project, as it turns out, was originally just PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 bound, and without a PS2 or PSP version from which to draw art assets "a great deal of work" would have been required to create entirely new graphics for the Wii version alone. Other issues, such as having to shoehorn the game's controls onto the Wii remote only compounded difficulties. Added Lewis: "If we had started the project with all four platforms in mind, it is far more likely that we would not have put the Wii version of CivRev on hold." This highlights an unfortunate reality when it comes to the Wii, as studios' are quick to cash in on the console's success, provided the amount of work to do so is minimal, something that doesn't exactly paint a rosy picture for Wii game development once developers begin to turn their back on the previous generation. However, Lewis noted that if Civilization Revolution performs well at retail for the existing SKUs, namely the PS3, Xbox 360, and DS, a version released for the Wii "will be more likely."
A little insight on the canning of Civilization Revolution
If you've been concerned that developers are using PS2 and PSP ports as a cheap, fast, and easy way to get games on the Wii, you just may be correct. Patrick Klepek, the new face at MTV's Multiplayer blog, took some time looking into the shelving of the Wii version of Civilization Revolution and some of the issues that led to the decision.Klepek spoke with Scott Lewis, a programmer at Firaxis, and learned that the Wii version presented a challenge due to the need to create entirely new assets. What isn't addressed, however, is that the DS version likely required as much effort or care as the Wii version ... but as was revealed before, the Wii version was added late, and was releasing late, so it seems unsurprising that, when cuts had to be made, it was the one to go.For now, it seems that multi-platform titles might offer a cheap and easy Wii solution, if there's already a PS2 or PSP version, but are cross-platform games really the answer for Wii owners? Are we that interested in them? Sometimes, Wii owners have no other real options, as they don't own another system, but we can't help but wonder how many people that really affects. While this move by Firaxis to nix the Wii version of Civilization Revolution (for now, at least) is disappointing, even this blogger -- a diehard Civ fan from way back in the way back -- finds herself more interested in new and innovative titles. More No More Heroes and less Need for Ports Speed. More Opoona, more Zack & Wiki ... and bring the development of these games up to the standard that Wii gamers deserve. Slapdash, hurried titles and last-gen ports are a huge reason third party developers are struggling in places on the Wii, and even the best, most deserving Wii titles suffer from a lack of mainstream advertising and promotion. Maybe it's time developers stopped relying on franchise names and started putting a little more effort in. Of course, well-done ports can work -- look at Resident Evil 4 -- but they're not the majority by far."I think the Wii would be perfect for a game like Civ, but we'd have to throw out all of our interface work (and some of our game design decisions) to make it feel like it truly fits on the platform," Lewis said. But will they do all of that? Even when there is an established name to trade on, we can only hope companies take the time to build something for the Wii rather than just throwing things together. Take your time, Firaxis, and build a Civilization for Wii owners. We'll be here.
2008's Biggest Blips: Civilization Revolution
Developer: FiraxisPublisher: 2K Games Release: April 1There are a lot of things that could be said about Civilization: Revolution on the DS. Sid Meier's strategy powerhouse is a perfect fit for the stylus-based control scheme, and if the screens seem a little small for you, well, just remember: there's two of them. And a little scrunching makes up for having to navigate around with a d-pad or analog stick. If you've ever played a Civilization game on a console (and we're Civ junkies here, so we have), then you know that can be less than fun, but real Civ fans suffer the pain anyway, just to maximize their domination experience.But what no one's mentioned about Civilization: Revolution is the number one reason it's fit for release on the DS, and frankly, we're shocked. Look, people. Civ, like Risk, is all about world domination. Yeah, there are other paths to victory, but in the end, it's all about punking down those other dudes. And that is exactly what the DS is all about. It's the little handheld that could. It's won its own version of the space race, and while it hasn't exactly crushed and wiped out all of the competition, its constant presence at the top of sales charts all over the world says all that needs to be said. In fact, had the DS been around when Civilization was first created, we expect it might have been named DS: The Game. Instead of tanks and cavalry, we'd have had DS Phat models and little guys waving sabers from the back of a thumb stylus. Japan's special unit would have looked a great deal like Dr. Kawashima, and their leader would have been Satoru Iwata. For the U.S., we'd dump Lincoln or Roosevelt and instead bring in the Regginator, who in times of crisis would remind us that it's just not his problem. In battle-heavy games, however, he would certainly kick ass and take names. Need entertainment for your citizens? Build download stations and Wi-Fi networks for your cities. Competing civilizations could be not only other gaming systems, but even other hobbies and activities. After all, the DS is conquering various age groups, it's spreading in schools, and it's taking over many everyday aspects of life. You could be the nation of DS versus School, Sony, and Being-A-Functioning-Human on a small map. It could be awesome. Also, just as realistic -- or more so -- than some of the scenarios that mimic historical events!Okay, so all of that is really very silly, but we're very serious about the march of the DS juggernaut mimicking a good game of Civilization. It started out a little slow, rather like being out in the tundra and cursed with a huge expanse of desert nearby, and an aggressive civilization just next door, hovering around your dudes and giving 'em the evil eye. But when you're in the zone, it just doesn't matter -- you can persevere and move beyond awkward starts and spread across continents ... just as the DS has done. Some people saw the early screens and turned their noses up at the title, citing it as a little too cluttered or not impressive graphically, but hardcore Civ fans should know better. Like the DS itself, it may seem a little strange at first, but we have faith that Firaxis will pull it out in the home stretch. Civilization Revolution could well be a portable strategy title to rival any other strategy game -- of any sort -- on the DS, and lately, that's been a huge and varied field. But we have faith, and we're keeping an eye on this one. %Gallery-14922% Harvest Moon Back The killer in you
Civilization Revolution on hold for Wii
Civilization's multi-platform console reboot known as Civilization Revolution has had its Wii version put on hold. GI.biz diplomatically states 2K Games is focusing on the "next-generation" versions for the Xbox 360 and PS3, with the DS version apparently still on track as well. All three versions are expected sometime this spring. The last time it popped up on radar, Civilization Wii-volution was expected later than the other console versions, only due to arrive sometime in Fall '08.
Sid Meier talks about consoles stepping up to strategy
When we got our first real look at Civilization Revolution at E3 -- the Civilization designed for consoles -- it was a strange sensation. You know you're looking at a Civilization game, just a very different type of Civilization game. Civ guru Sid Meier recently spoke with CVG about Revolution and says, "I think the console audience has evolved to where it's not just hand-eye action games that we're seeing, there's a much wider variety of game genres becoming interesting on the consoles." Meier makes sure to point out that Revolution isn't hurting Civilization 5, it's just a different path. The game is expected in the spring of '08. We're definitely looking forward to seeing more of Revolution -- what we've seen so far just shows it as being more playful than its PC counterpart. We have no idea how it'll control, so we're definitely looking forward to getting some hands-on time to see how easy it'll be to manage an empire without a keyboard and mouse. %Gallery-4355%
Joystiq impressions: Civilization Revolution
Sid Meier didn't just put his name at the top of this game, he's actually involved, and the producers made sure to point that out. Civilization Revolution has had a rough time with the hardcore Civ players who mock it for being cartoonish and the simple fact that it's designed for consoles. It's a legitimate Civilization game with a more playful and cartoony feel. The producers who showed the game said this is a Civ Sid Meier really wanted to make. They say it's a mash-up of a bunch of different Civilizations, the best elements brought together for a new game. It's not Civilization 5 and they're quite clear to point out it isn't Civilization Lite. It's just different. The character models are playful looking and upgrade over battle. The interface is completely streamlined and every major event is represented by a full character model animations. The map we saw was very small and packed with cute animations. The whole game seems streamlined for consoles but they say a regular game should last three hours. There are four ways to win the game which are standard for Civ players (Space Race, Military, Economic and Culture). When you win all your troops dance (big butch medics do a conga) and even the battleships do a little dance while shooting off canons. The game seems very different but familiar to any Civ player. It looks to be another version of the well known franchise trying to open up the game to players who want a strategy game, but don't want the implied weight that the PC version of Civ brings. The game will be out spring of 2008.
Civilization Revolution coming to Wii, maybe not for PSP
The saga of Civilization coming to consoles and portables via Civilization Revolution has been marred by one particularly vexing question, namely: which consoles and portables is it actually coming to? When the game was first announced a few weeks ago, 2K's press release ambiguously said it was coming to "next generation consoles and handhelds" in Spring 2008. Then word broke that it might not be coming to Wii. Now, a new press release on 2K Games' E3 lineup lists a Wii version of the game coming in Fall 2008, well after Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and DS versions in Spring 2008. A PSP version was not listed in the release. What in the name of all civilization is going on? A spokesperson for 2K Games said a PSP version has not been announced and could not confirm either way whether one was in development. As for the Wii version, the spokesperson confirmed that it is coming but had no comment on why it would be so late. Who knows how many more system permutations will be speculated before the game finally comes out. %Gallery-4355%
Sid Meier's Civilization never announced for PSP
Contrary to an earlier report, the new Civilization Revolution is not coming out on PSP. The original press release mentioned the game's release on handheld systems -- it appears that 2K Games actually meant handheld system, singular.A recent E3 press release shows the title arriving on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and DS. However, no PSP version was mentioned. When we conatcted a 2K Games representative, they simply said that a PSP version is not announced. Considering how the game's E3 debut will avoid PSP, we believe that the title will never appear on the system. Hopefully, we're wrong.
Civ Revolution headed Wii-ward after all
Turns out that the Wii wasn't forgotten when Firaxis decided to roll out Civilization Revolution -- we're just getting the game a few months later than the other guys. Is it too much to hope that the delay means we're getting online multiplayer, and it takes a little more time to work out the kinks with Nintendo's new system? Maybe we'll find out at E3, but we wouldn't bet on an answer coming that quickly. However, since 2K Games will be discussing the game with (and demonstrating for?) lucky attendees, at least a few juicy details are likely. %Gallery-4694%[Via Joystiq]
Civilization Revolution trailer released
Just a few hours after the good news hit, Take 2 has released a trailer for the upcoming Civilization Revolution game our handheld and console systems are already salivating for. Ok, so no actual gameplay is shown, just a bunch of orchestral music, pre-rendered cut scenes, and marketing speak reminding us why Civilization is one of the coolest franchises we've ever played. But come on ... this is Civilization. On your DS. On your Xbox 360. How great is that? %Gallery-4355%
Video: Civilization Revolution debut trailer
Announced just this morning, the first trailer for Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution has appeared online. The trailer relies solely on cinematics, so don't get your hopes up for any gameplay. Still, we do get a peek at some of the various groups and technologies you'll be controlling. More or less, think of this as a video version of the press release. It is there merely to whet the appetites of strategy-hungry gamers everywhere. Mission accomplished fellas. Now let's see some gameplay.%Gallery-4369%
Civilization Revolution to revolutionize 360
2K has announced plans to bring a brand new Civilization title to new-gen consoles, including our beloved Xbox 360. Title Civilization Revolution, the game is reportedly the game that Sid Meier has always wanted to make. We're inclined to agree with him, since he's already made it four times. Joking aside, Civilization Revolution looks to bring a console level of "action-packed" goodness to the series, which has traditionally been a relatively slow affair on PCs. The new console iteration promises to streamline the experience, giving console gamers the instant gratification to which they've become accustomed. Civilization Revolution will also include multiplayer with integrated video and voice chat. Of course, the big question on everyone's mind is whether or not the game can appeal to both console gamers and a loyal PC following. We'll find out when the game releases in Spring 2008. [Via Joystiq]
Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution coming to new-gen consoles and handhelds
Take-Two has announced that strategic mastermind Sid Meier intends to embrace the playthings of our fairly uncivilized age and build Civilization Revolution, the designer's first "next generation" game. Scheduled for a Spring 2008 release on modern consoles and handheld platforms, the strategy game promises to build the widely appreciated Civilization gameplay "from the ground up" for consoles. According to the press release, that means "an all new accessible, visually immersive, and action-packed world" with a "streamlined time scale for quicker games, intense combat, and constant action." Yes, we checked twice to make sure we were reading the correct document. It's also the game Sid Meier's always wanted to make, you know. "Civilization Revolution is the game I've always wanted to make!" he says. "We are excited to take advantage of the power of next generation consoles and the ingenuity of handhelds, to create a great and unique strategy game for newcomers to the series, as well as the millions of fans around the world who enjoy Civilization on the PC." Since the PC's Civilization almost seems like the shushing librarian compared to console gaming's heavily armed macho man, this "Revolution" faces quite a challenge in getting the two to shake hands and appeal to both sets of gamers. Mr. Meier had best prepare himself for an initial torrent of "it's being dumbed down" accusations. You might choose to save those for your fellow player, as Civilization Revolution will support online multiplayer matches along with integrated video and voice chat. We can't wait to don togas and wave our scepters about as we crush the feeble armies of General H@xinat0rr 3K. %Gallery-4355%
