civilization
Latest
Meet Sid Meier at NY Comic Con this Saturday
Sid Meier is attending New York Comic Con '08 this weekend promoting his upcoming Civilization Revolution game. He'll be at the 2K Games Booth (#1157) on Saturday, April 19, from 1-3PM. He'll be making chit-chat with fans and "providing autographs." There's +2 internets in it for the guy who gets Meier to sign his man-boob. Attendees will also get a chance to try out demos of the console-only Civilization Revolution, which should be very close to done now. Revolution is expected to release on Xbox 360, PS3 and DS on June 3. The Wii version is still hidden by the fog-of-war.
Civilization Revolution establishes community site
Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution now has a nice little official site in a corner of the internet to explore, expand, exploit and exterminate. The site for the "it's totally not a port" console version of Civilization provides general information about the game, along with a developer podcast explaining what makes Revolution different from the PC version. The need to explain by the developers and 2K Games that Revolution is not a "dumbed down" version of Civilization is so pervasive that there's also a Q&A section on the site that tries to explain as much. Revolution will be available on Xbox 360, PS3 and DS on June 3 ... the Wii version is currently on hold.
Civilization Revolution website launched, new info
The official website for the upcoming console game Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution is now up and running. Civ enthusiasts might want to check it out; the site has a lot of new information on all sixteen civilizations, specifically on their rulers and the unique bonuses each civilization will receive. One interesting news bit is that each civilization not only gets one bonus throughout gameplay, but will get a different bonus as the game progresses into a new age. This brings better balance to more ancient civs in the latter stages of the game and vice versa. Another revealed detail about the game is the confirmation of downloadable content such as multi-player maps and scenarios for the PlayStation Network. Also there are unlockable maps, scenarios, and mods to be found offline as well. If you're a big fan of the Civilization series, but too much of a traditionalist to accept having the next game on a console, then you're missing out. Revolution looks likes it's going to be a worthy addition to the series; it's visually on par with Civilization IV and from what we're hearing thus far, it sounds like it's improving on the tried-and-tested formula. If you're interested in seeing more on the game, check out the official website.
Civilization Revolution 'never' coming to PC
2K Games continues to emphasize that the console-centric Civilization Revolution is a totally different branch from the PC's Civilization franchise by telling MTV's Multiplayer that Revolution will "never" come to PC. It's a similar thing to what we were told at E3 last year when we got our first chance to see Revolution.Jason Bergman, a producer for 2K Games, tells MTV that the game was designed from the ground up to be played with a gamepad. Since the game was announced, many PS3 owners have asked if the game will support a mouse and keyboard. Bergman says, "The answer is no ... The game has not been designed for that [controller]." He highlights again that Revolution is not a port, but an entirely new game. We kinda feel bad for the guy, it sounds like he's been repeating the same defense for the title over and over again since last July.
Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution gets release date and screenshots
Click for high-resolution image. Sid Meier's Civilization series is one of the most renown turn-based nation-building sims on the PC, but the next title in the franchise won't be going to the platform of its roots. Instead, the latest game, Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution, will be hitting up the PlayStation 3 and other systems. If you want to play the next Civ game it's time to get a PS3; you'll have to get one soon because Civilization Revolution is expected to make its way to retailers by June 3, 2008. It's not the first time for a Civilization game to make the crossover to the console arena, but Civilization Revolution is the first to be made solely for it. Firaxis built the game from scratch, and have given the control schemes a streamlined interface in order to make Civilization Revolution more console-friendly. For those unfamiliar with the Civilization series, the goal of each game is to choose a civilization, build it up, and eventually conquer the world either through brutal warfare or cultural influence. To see how it all actually goes down, check out the new screenshots down below. %Gallery-16533%
IGN seeks out new Civilization
It's no surprise that Civilization is great -- it's been being great for decades. But what is nice to hear is that our very own DS version of Civilization Revolution is turning out well. IGN's Steve Butts calls it "essentially just a portable version of the game you're getting on the home systems," in that the game design is unchanged aside from obvious graphical scaling-back and the addition of touchscreen controls. Sid Meier assured us of much the same thing, but we prefer to get confirmation from somebody whose name isn't on the box.As for details -- well, if there's pretty much anything you want to know about Civilization Revolution, this exhaustive preview has it. For example, the discussion on technology. While you can't set your research on autopilot in order to go directly to a certain technology, you can arrive at many of them via multiple paths. If a technological breakthrough has multiple prerequisites, achieving any of them will qualify you for the new tech. And you get a bonus for being the first to discover a certain technology.If you're already thinking about historical discoveries that would totally rule in-game, and the previous discoveries that led to them, you should consider checking out the full preview. See also: 2008's Biggest Blips: Civilization Revolution
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."
Sid Meier mentions possibility of a Civilization MMO
Be sure to take this one with a grain of salt, but Sid Meier is apparently very interested in making a Civilization MMO at some point in the future -- according to a recent interview. However, Sid basically goes on to say that he doesn't think that sort of game is his next project, as he's interested in doing some more single-player games (Alpha Centauri 2, please?) before tackling something else.We've got to admit it though, the concept of an MMO where you start your very own civilization and slowly expand it over time sounds intriguing to say the least. Aside from all sorts of design hurdles, there are some very exciting ideas in the concept. The easiest method of doing a massively Civilization game would be to take a few notes from Guild Wars in terms of subscription-style. That way, a player could work on their civilization for as long as they wanted, take a break for however long they felt like and then come back for expansions or just because they felt like it -- all monthly-payment free.[via MMORPGdot]
Civilization Revolution grinds to a halt on Wii
At first, it was coming, and then it wasn't, and then it was ... and now, once again, Civilization Revolution is a no-go for Wii owners. An unnamed spokesperson for 2K Games confirmed to IGN that the Wii version has been put on hold indefinitely, and a poster by the name of Jason2K at the 2K forums reports that it's a simple matter of manpower. According to said poster, Firaxis didn't have the resources to work on four different versions of the game at once, and it looks like the Wii title, already set to release several months after the others, drew the short straw.We can only hope to see Firaxis revisit the project in the future, as the Wii (and DS) are spectacular choices for the long-running franchise, considering that their control schemes can closely mimic that of the mouse. The title was set to feature online multiplayer and several features that are being implemented for the new console versions.[Thanks, mian!]
Civilization Revolution has no alibi (it's ugly)
While DS development for Civilization Revolution continues (and progress on the Wii version, uh, un-continues), we can't say it's looking too great based on the initial batch of released screenshots. Check out this janky image on the right; it's almost as if someone tried to mash together Fire Emblem with Age of Empires: Age of Kings, but somehow messed it up.Of course, no one plays Civ for its graphics, and, according to a recent interview with IGN, Firaxis made sure to leave in the strategy title's core mechanics. The DS release will, for the most part, have the same mechanics as the 360 and PS3 versions, except with a mostly 2D presentation. You'll still have 16 civilizations to choose from and a robust online multiplayer experience with two-player head-to-head, four-player free-for-all, and team battle modes. End your turn and head past the break for a couple more screenshots.
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.
Testing the iPhone's fake GPS
Mac|Life has a pretty neat breakdown of just how the iPhone's faux GPS work (or doesn't work, depending on the situation). Long story short, the Locations feature is pretty darn close-- unless you really do need GPS. On average, it seems like triangulation put the guessed location (represented by the blue pin in the pictures) off from the actual location (represented by the red pin) by about .5 miles.Which is great if you just want to know where you are (which is what it was designed for, obviously). But not so great if you're actually trying to do something you'd need GPS for (like geocaching). Two drawbacks here -- I've been trying the Locations feature around Chicago, and I've found that if I try it more than once, or am moving, the app picks up a little better on where I'm at. Also, I've been in Chicago, and Mac|Life is in San Francisco, so it would be interesting to know how this works out where we might really get lost-- out in the country, farther away from cell towers.Still, while it's not as precise as real GPSers might like, the Locations feature is pretty amazing for what it is. Your iPhone doesn't know exactly where it's at, but it knows close enough to get you where you're going.
Best of the Rest: Alexander's Picks of 2007
Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword (PC) Please, make the addiction stop! Civilization IV: Warlords, the first expansion for Civ IV, made my "Best of the Rest" last year and Beyond the Sword tops this year's list. The funny thing is I'm not a Civ fanboy, nor am I even that great of a player (Full Disclosure: I still play on Noble level), but Civ IV is a game I can come back to over and over again. Beyond the Sword added much-needed mechanics for culture-prone and passive-aggressive players, with enhancements in espionage and other concepts "beyond the sword." Oh, and just to keep last year's tradition going: Firaxis (2K, Take-Two), please get the rights to Alpha Centauri back from EA and give us a sequel!
Anniversary aftermath: Next year's awesome games that you forgot about
We spent yesterday going through the big releases that've been announced for next year so far -- Smash Bros. Brawl and/or Wii Fit likely topping your personal "must get" list -- but what about the second-tier games that don't usually receive much press or attention? Though we haven't forgotten about the low-key releases, we've collected a selection of games and media to ensure that these titles stay on your mind too! Read on for our top ten list of awesome 2008 games that you totally forgot about!
Making fun be worth it
Zen of Design has a great post up about how MMO game mechanics should "incentivize fun" in the gameplay. The main example Damion uses is the "daily quests" recently introduced to World of Warcraft-- Blizzard originally gave all players a goal of 5000g for their epic mounts, but then realized that they hadn't given players enough ways to earn that money-- most people were left grinding random spots to make the cash. So they then created "daily quests"-- daily timer quests that were repetitive and easy that gave lots of money. Play the game for x number of minutes every day, get all the cash you need.But as Damion says, the daily quests serve a purpose, but they aren't actually fun. Lots of players see them as a job, and the fact that they are repetitive (in a bad way-- he says a game like Civilization actually makes repeating gameplay interesting) makes them a necessity rather than an incentive to play the game.Now, the good news is that in the latest patch, Blizzard is working to fix this-- they've introduced daily quests that ask players to play fundamental parts of the game, and so there are now crafting daily quests, as well as battleground and instance quests. But these are fixes after the fact-- the way to really incentivize fun is to watch what players themselves want to do during development, and then reward that. Halo isn't an MMO, technically, but Bungie noticed that players were dying strange deaths in game, and then actually changed the game to reward players for their activities. Same deal with MMOs-- find out what players want to do in your game, and then give them rewards for doing just that.
Civ Rev interview discusses new features, old features
While long-time Nintendo fans might not be all too familiar with the franchise, Civilization has managed to constantly impress and push the envelope iteration after iteration. And, it should have came as no surprise that once it was revealed for the Wii, we were immediately smitten (the inclusion of online play helped). But, this isn't your grandpa's Civilization title, now is it?During an interview with CVG, Firaxis's Tim McCracken points out that this is a totally new Civilization game, built from the ground up for consoles. It should be noted that there is no shortage of nations on the consoles, either, as Time points out players can play as 16 different nations. From "Alexander the Great, to Bismarck, to Cleopatra - you can play as them and against them." Also, the addition of army creation (where the player takes three of same type of units, places them into the same square, giving that particular army three times the power of the single unit alone). Sounds great to us!That's not to say some of the other aspects of the franchise didn't make their way into Revolution, as players can still win by making it off the planet to Alpha Centauri, as well as through this blogger's preferred method of victory: global domination.
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%
Wii Warm Up: Civilization -- are we squealing alone?
Are we alone in our extreme enjoyment of the Civilization franchise? Well, we're probably not alone, since it's a big seller, but we mean here. Are you guys on the boat, especially now that we know it'll offer online play? We've played console versions before and have been less than impressed, but we can't help but hope that this time, it'll be as smooth as, say, snot on glass. Which is pretty darned smooth for such an icky image.
Civilization: Revolution to take it online, we squeal like little girls
News comes straight our of the Leipzig oven that Civilization Revolutions, the console port of the immaculate PC franchise, will have some features you might not expect. For one, the gameplay will not be altered for the Wii at all. So, it'll be the same game (just about, we imagine) you know and love. Also, we won't be getting the game until late in 2008.But, the best bit of news to come out for the game is that it will utilize Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connect service, allowing players to compete online. This .. couldn't make us happier. We had to towel down our keyboard several times contructing this post, as tears of joy erupted from our face over and over again. There's even a possibility for downloadable content!%Gallery-4694%[Via Go Nintendo]
Readers pick best Civ IV webcomic: Ctrl+Alt+Del
Of all the webcomics made for Firaxis' Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword, Tim Buckley of Ctrl+Alt+Del had his pair of comics voted most popular by a closer-than-usual margin. The strips played on historical anachronisms and World Wonder rule sets. We're really hoping voters didn't choose the strip for the Buttsylvania line. Second place goes to Dueling Analogs' Steve Napierski (our favorite), and third place to Scott Kurtz of PVP Online. Thanks to everyone who voted, and since we're returning to our usual routine next week, be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomics you stumble upon this week (and last week, too).
