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My liege, Civilization V is free to play on Steam this weekend
The time of being born into power is coming to a close, as democracy sweeps across this world of ours. Now, if you want to be a leader of a country, you need to be smart – a student of conquest and diplomacy – and this weekend you can study up in Civilization V on Steam, free of charge.You can install the game through Steam and play until you bring the world around to your type of thinking, up until 1pm PT on Sunday. And if you like Civilization V, it just so happens you can also purchase it at a 75% discount this weekend, which brings the price down to $7.49. A good ruler must also be able to spot a good bit of marketing. The expansion, Gods and Kings, is a little more than a month away, after all.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown videos introduce developers, artistic approach
Fans of the original XCOM may have some concern regarding the upcoming reboot from Firaxis, XCOM: Enemy Unknown. But lead designer Jake Soloman wants to put those fears to bed – for him, the first game was "formative" and responsible for his life today as a game developer.
XCOM 'deep dive' doc probes 'Enemy Unknown' updates
Firaxis' "reimagining" of the original XCOM with XCOM: Enemy Unknown gets some great overall detail in this "deep dive" trailer. It covers the changes between the original game and where Firaxis went with the strategy game launching this autumn.
Civilization 5: Gods & Kings expansion announced, available 'late spring 2012'
Religion and espionage return to the Civilization series when the fifth installment receives the "Gods & Kings" expansion before the summer solstice.The expansion includes 27 new units, 13 new buildings and nine new Wonders. There's also nine new civilizations, including Carthage, the Netherlands and the Celts. Along with two new types of city-states: mercantile and religious.Scenarios include the medieval period, the fall of the Rome and the (very cool sounding) Empires of the Smoky Skies, "a Victorian science-fiction scenario."Oooh!Most importantly, however, is the return of religion and the salvation or subjugation of the populace through its means. As players enter the Renaissance, spies can be unlocked to change the course of history through surveillance, theft and the always good fun of a coup. Sounds like a missed opportunity for an Assassin's Creed crossover if you ask us.%Gallery-147791%
Sid Meier: modern graphics have lowered the barriers of entry to gaming
In this interview with Game Informer, legendary developer Sid Meier says even he has succumbed to the lure of modern graphics. "I used to love to try and challenge the players' imagination," he says, "to show them a few pixels in 16 colors and try and convince them that they're ruling an empire to stand the test of time. But I think today's player is not really willing to make that investment, so we're able to bring the worlds to life in 3D."But he also believes that beefing up the graphics has brought in a much bigger audience than games could have picked up 20 years ago. "You had to kind of suspend your disbelief and be willing to step into that world," says Meier. "Today we make it a lot easier," and as a result, players who want more than a few pixels on screen can also get their fix.Meier's currently the creative director of game development at Firaxis, and though he's not participating directly on XCOM it doesn't mean he's not working. Every morning, he says, he comes out of the shower with "about 10 ideas," and is constantly iterating with his team on different prototypes. "Most of them," he says, "just go back into the trash heap." In other words, anyone who wants to make an awesome game should probably go root around in the garbage cans near Sparks Glencoe, Maryland.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown shares its gas-station strategy
Firaxis' XCOM: Enemy Unknown will require a specific blend of strategy, turn-based and action-title abilities -- even with a team of three against a unit of Mutons holed up in a 1950s diner across the lot from a gas station. Such is the new preview provided by Game Informer, describing the turn-based steps and tactical placement of a three-person squad assaulting a team of Mutons, told through in-game screens.The piece outs a perk for the sniper, who earns "Damn Good Ground" after grappling to the top of the gas-station canopy, and the "Run & Gun" ability for the Assault soldier, which allows her to run across the diner's roof and still open fire at the end of her turn. Firaxis has yet to release video footage of this fall's XCOM game, but if you scroll really fast through these pictures, it's almost like a stop-motion movie. Almost.
New XCOM: Enemy Unknown screens should be reassuring
You won't find any new information in Game Informer's latest piece on XCOM: Enemy Unknown -- the article essentially lays out how XCOM stacks up against other modern day-titles -- but you will find a handful of new screenshots. Let's just scrutinize the beauty above, shall we? Soldier with obviously auto-generated Russian name? Check. Hit and critical hit percentage chances? Yup. Aim and range bonus stats? Oh, yes. And, upon very close observation, old-school X-COM fans may notice one other feature: Sweet, sweet hope. Head over to Game Informer for two more screens.
Build a mighty Civilization on the cheap at Amazon this week
If you have a little bit of spare change and a lot of free time, Amazon has quite a deal for you. The retailer's deal of the week offers both Civilization IV and Civilization V at a hefty discount. Either game can be had for a mere $9. If you need a strategy guide, Machiavelli has you covered.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown mixes strategy and turn-based combat, first screens
Looks like we were right again -- Firaxis' XCOM: Enemy Unknown isn't a remake of the original game, but is more of a re-imagining, Firaxis told Game Informer. Enemy Unknown will mix real-time strategy on a global scale with turn-based combat, making it less of an RTS in the classic sense, Firaxis said. Strategically, players will handle all the holistic aspects of conducting extra-terrestrial warfare, including directing research into alien technology, mollifying nations worldwide to secure funding, attacking UFOs with jet fighters, leveling up soldiers, recruiting new ones and directing the Skyranger transport to battle aliens on the ground. Enemy Unknown isn't copying the functions of the 1994 original -- soldiers will have different stats, for example -- and it gets rid of much of the "tedium and uninteresting mechanics," while keeping gameplay challenging, Firaxis said. Enemy Unknown takes place in the thick of the alien invasion of Earth, while 2K Marin's first-person shooter XCOM covers the first alien attacks on the US. This is interesting, considering Enemy Unknown may end up launching before 2K Marin's title. %Gallery-143608%
XCOM: Enemy Unknown returns to strategy genre, thanks to Firaxis
Were you thoroughly enraged when 2K Games announced intentions to first-person shooter-ize your favorite strategy game series, XCOM? Here's some potentially good (and calming) news: Civilization developer Firaxis Games is currently working on another totally new XCOM game, called XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Unlike 2K Marin's game (simply called XCOM), this one falls under the strategy genre that popularized the franchise to begin with. Despite the strategy angle, the game is planned for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC for this fall. More info will be revealed in this month's issue of Game Informer, per the cover reveal. We'd also like to bet right now that the Firaxis title arrives before the 2K Marin one. It's a race! It's worth noting that the first XCOM was subtitled "Enemy Unknown," though no indication is given that it's a remake of the original title. We've reached out to Firaxis and 2K all the same, but for now we're presuming it's little more than a nod to the original title.
Civilization 5 GOTY edition announced, available Sept. 27
2K Games announced today that a "Game of the Year Edition" for Civilization 5 will enter the annals of retail history on September 27. The $50 bundle includes the core game, soundtrack and previously released add-on content that was sold to Civ addicts for between $5 and $10 a hit. Civilization 5, as expected, was one of the best strategy games of the past year. The GOTY edition also includes all the mega-patches the game received since its launch a year ago. We've listed the included DLC for the GOTY bundle after the break.
Civilization 5 adds Koreans, ancient wonders DLC August 11
Civilization 5 continues its rapid DLC expansion with two new packs, featuring the Koreans and Ancient Wonders on August 11. The "Civilization and Scenario Pack: Korea" will have Sejong the Great presiding over events, with the new Turtle Ships and Hwach'a artillery at his command. The pack also includes a scenario that finds the Koreans holding off the Japanese warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi from invading the peninsula. You can play as Korea, China, Manchuria or Japan in the scenario. The "Wonders of the Ancient World Scenario Pack" adds three new wonders: The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Statue of Zeus and Temple of Artemis. The scenario for this pack will have civs competing to build (or capture from neighbors) the most wonders in a set amount of time. The packs are $4.99 apiece, or $7.49 for the "Korea and Ancient World Combo Pack".
Civilization 5 marked down to $17, Altitude free-to-play this weekend on Steam
It's far too hot to even consider crossing the threshold of your domicile this weekend. We suggest you tap into Steam's two big deals instead: Until Monday at 10 a.m. PT, Civilization V is down to $17, while the biplane combat title Altitude is half-price and free-to-play until Sunday afternoon.
Civilization World walkthroughs kick off with the basics
Beyond the name and developer, Civilization World shares more than a few traits with the series from which it was spawned. The first in a planned series of walkthroughs from Firaxis cursorily details those similarities, just below the break.
Upcoming Civilization 5 update to add 'Hot Seat' multiplayer
As the countless hours we've poured into Dance Central and Wii Fit can attest, we're big fans of gaming activities that also help keep our bodies from atrophying into nothingness. Firaxis is sympathetic to our aerobic cause, and is implementing a bit of movement into its latest turn-based strategy title, Civilization 5: A "Hot Seat" multiplayer mode, which allows two players to take turns ... taking turns on a single computer. Just think about how much physical activity this oft-requested gameplay mode will bring to your lengthy Civilization skirmishes! Hoisting yourself up and standing for minutes at a time, then sitting back down when your friend is done taking their turn? Why, that's practically doing squats, if you think about it. You can look forward to blasting your glutes and delts and stuff when the feature arrives in the game's next patch, which launches in June or early July.
PSA: Civilization 5 Viking and Explorer DLC packs now available
You spent the last week gathering up your chainmail shirt and a handy seax for battle, knowing full well that this week brought both Viking and Explorer downloadable content to Civilization V -- that's a given. But have you gotten your fancy exploring telescope oiled? Or your ship captain's wig powdered? Let's hope, as both DLC pieces are now available on Steam for $4.99 each or $7.49 together. And frankly, where would you be without your telescope at the ready? Lost, is where.
Rumor: Firaxis working on Unreal 3-powered console game, Civ Revolution sequel existed
Working through LinkedIn profile pages and various resumes of current and former Firaxis Games employees, internet detective Supererogatory unearthed what appear to be two juicy bits of information about the studio. First up: Apparently Firaxis was developing a sequel to Civilization Revolution back in 2008 for PC, PS3 and 360, according to the resume of David Jones, a current character artist at Firaxis. Also of note, the LinkedIn profile of ex-Firaxis level engineer Chris Doyle and the resume of former game programmer Will Miller both reference an "unannounced," multiplatform title, using Unreal Engine 3, as being in development at the Civ studio. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Miller's resume classifies the mystery game as a "AAA strategy title." Supererogatory posits that it could be the same title that was first spotted on a resume from 2008. We've yet to get a response from Firaxis or 2K Games on the matter.
Civilization 4 and 5 marked down for Amazon Deal of the Day
When it comes to kicking off a campaign of wholesale world domination, there really is no time like the present. Actually, there's doubly no better time than the present, as both Civilization 4: The Complete Edition and Civilization 5: The Only Edition are on sale today through Amazon.
Civilization 4 and 5 on sale this weekend through Steam
Two Civilization titles that are sure to stand the test of time are on sale this weekend through Steam. Civilization 4: The Complete Edition is $7.50, 75 percent off the regular price. It includes the core game, plus the two expansion packs (Warlords & Beyond the Sword), along with the Civ 4 spin-off Colonization. Civilization 5, in both the regular and "digital deluxe" editions, is 40 percent off, allowing your wallet to complete download production of the games for $29.99 and $35.99, respectively. This civilized offer will be extinguished next Monday. [Thanks, Steve]
PSA: Civilization 5 DLC now available on Mac
Rejoice, citizens of the Grand Kingdom of Macintosh! You've been forced long enough to live without the premium, downloadable Civilization 5 content that's been available to your cousins of the Land of Windows for ages. The DLC, which unlocks new civilizations for various prices -- except the Mongol expansion, which is free and installs automatically when running the game through Steam -- is now available for all Mac users. You can grab the "Mediterranean," "Mesopotamia," "Asia" and "Americas" expansions for $2.99 each (or $9.99 as a bundle), or the "Babylon Civilization pack" and "Spain and Inca pack" for $4.99 a pop (or $7.99 for the pair). Our position on which one you should buy first should be well known by this point, but if not, here's a hint: You should buy the civilization responsible for the music of both Bruce Springsteen and Menudo. That's a cultural powerhouse if we've ever heard one.
