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Civilization V stands the test of retail September 21
Civilization V will charge players to create an empire that will stand the test of time when it becomes available in North America and internationally on September 21 and 24, respectively. After a successful spin on consoles with Civilization Revolution, Sid Meier's epic franchise returns to its PC roots and tweaks the core gameplay -- casting a hex on the game board. Sid Meier's Civilization V will be shown next week at E3 2010 and we'll be sure to kick the tires ... er, the stone wheels -- depends on what era in the game we get to see. %Gallery-87799%
Direct2Drive's Spring Sale: Star Trek Online, Civ 4, Torchlight and more discounted
Once again, downloadable gaming retailer Direct2Drive has chosen to reduce the price of a whole gaggle of its offerings. Encheapened titles as part of the "Spring Sale" include interstellar MMO Star Trek Online ($29.95), Nazi-vanquishing sim The Saboteur ($14.95), mine-raiding RPG Torchlight ($9.95), world-dominating strategy title Civilization 4: Complete Edition ($9.95) and every X-Com game ever made, except for, you know, the new one ($4.95). To see the complete list of discounted games, click past the jump. Now look, Direct2Drive. You really, really need to chill out with all of these sales. If you keep discounting the prices of your games with such regularity, then people are going to start thinking that these are your normal going rates for these titles. During the off-times when you're not holding a sale, they're going to start thinking that you're just having a temporary ... expensiveization. That can't possibly be good for business.
April Fools: Civilization V to feature 'Extreme Diplomacy'
Firaxis and 2K Games today announced "Extreme Diplomacy," a new feature for Civilization V, the upcoming installment of the tired strategy series. In an attempt to get the masses playing the turn-based snore fest, the series will add a fighting game death match arena: "two world leaders enter" ... "one world leader leaves." The victor is said to gain control of the defeated's empire. The publisher has also announced an Über Edition of Civ V, which includes an 8-button joystick "to bring the classic fighting arcade game feel to these Extreme Diplomacy battles." Each faction leader will also have a super move, and we've listed the first six moves to be revealed after the break. Finally, Civilization will have some action!
Direct2Drive discounts Civilization IV, Supreme Commander this weekend
Perhaps in celebration of Civilization V's recent reveal, Direct2Drive is offering Civilization IV -- as well as the standalone Civilization IV: Colonization -- for 33% off. Other deals on the direct download service this weekend include Supreme Commander: Gold Edition, Majesty The Fantasy Kingdom Sim: Gold Edition, and more. If you're one of the few who doesn't "get" the Civilization addiction epidemic, which has swept the world over the last two decades leaving workplace productivity in shambles, consider yourself luckier than the folks in the video after the break. Yes, Civilization Revolution was solid, but CivIV has the uncanny ability to turn the sweetest old lady into a crazed destroyer of all mankind. Basically, It's fun for the whole family. Shortcut: See all weekend deals on Direct2Drive
Report: Civilization Network beta coming in June
The problem with those hollow boxes littering the cubicles at your workplace is there isn't enough juice, enough substance, within to actually run any kind of program outside of Excel, Outlook or--when you're really bored--MS Paint. So if you're at work and don't really feel like working, you're forced to either scour the web for stuff or watch a neat screensaver. Then, there was hope: Civilization Network for Facebook. However, it looks like Civilization Network is still a ways off. Variety reports that the beta for the new Facebook game won't actually start up until around June. This will likely come as a big let-down to fans, as the initial announcement back in October mentioned a hunt for beta testers would be underway "soon." We guess "soon" means "maybe in a few months or something."
Impressions: Civilization Revolution on iPhone
2K Games' Civilization Revolution is ready to explore, expand, exploit and exterminate on iPhone/iPod Touch, having sneaked its way onto the App Store today. The full version is a bargain at $5 and comes with the standard game, along with a little under a dozen scenarios. We had an opportunity to spend a fair amount of time with the game prior to release. Developed by 2K Games China and overseen by Firaxis, the iPhone version is a faithful translation of the Civ Rev experience that works intuitively on the platform's touch screen. Anyone that's played the game on another platform will instantly know what's going on and ease right into the experience. Civ Rev on the iPhone is certainly as addictive as it is on other systems, but not without some issues. First, and most likely to be fixed, is that the version we played had awkward sound spikes. The volume would be fine one second, get really loud and then go back to normal. It's not so bad when you're at home, but definitely not good on a train or with earphones on. The other thing is that the art style appears to be an evolution from the DS version of the game, which wasn't exactly the nicest thing to look at. The iPhone likely has the power to bring a little more pretty than what's seen in the game. It's like an actor wearing Old Navy to a Hollywood premiere; sure, they look good, but you know they could have done better. Civ Rev on the iPhone/iPod Touch brings the epic experience to those looking for a 4x strategy title on their Apple handheld. It may not be all it could have been on the eyes, but it definitely pokes the organ it's supposed to properly -- your brain. %Gallery-69694%
Civilization Revolution available now on iPhone
Civilization Revolution has apparently made it's way to the iPhone and its purchase can now be rushed for $5. There is also a "lite" version of the game to test things out. It's good to finally see an epic strategy title make its way to the iPhone/iPod touch. We'll have our impressions of the game up shortly (like, a couple hours from now). Impressions are go.
X3F Review: Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution
History teaches that Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (or "The Gandh" to his pals) was an influential spiritual and political leader of India, a man whose pacifist ways solved many political problems. According to textbooks, kissing babies, implementing civil disobedience for causes such as poverty, and being an all-around nice guy were Gandhi's favorite hobbies.That's what history says. So there I was in 2024 A.D., trying to bring the Greeks to greatness while mostly minding my own business, and Gandhi decides to show his dark side. Let's be allies, he said. We'll share technologies, he said. Family barbecues, he said. Next thing I know, Gandhi and his lackeys have Sparta, my main science city, completely surrounded by tanks and bombers, the Americans took back New Orleans by overcoming my tank with a catapult (it was a really, really big rock) and Cleopatra decides to stab me in the back by taking the 1200 gold I paid her to attack the Indians for 10 turns and signing a peace treaty with The Gandh after only five turns!All of that, and why? Because my trigger finger was slick with sweat and accidentally nuked India? Big deal! I said I was sorry!If there's a video game that better demonstrates the medium's potential for non-authorial storytelling better than Sid Meier's Civilization, I've yet to play it. Rewriting history to my design always proves more fun than decapitating zombies or battling any number of demons. For years, the appeal of Sid Meier's "One more turn!" opus has been enjoyed primarily by PC gamers with ten-plus hours to kill if they want to experience a complete campaign.Probably to the chagrin of significant others across the globe, Firaxis Games released Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution in early July, a Civ developed specifically for consoles that, while not as deep an experience as any PC version of Civilization, is more than enough to captivate couch-bound gamers looking for something more involved than the never-ending stream of FPS titles.
Joystiq E3 eyes-on: Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization
Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization is an interesting title in its marketing and presentation. The Civ IV tag is put on the game to give an idea of what to expect for those who don't remember the original Colonization, but the game is also clearly based on the Civilization IV engine and uses similar assets. Also, given some of the well-designed mods in Civ IV expansion, Beyond the Sword, we were wondering if Colonization would end up being a glorified mod or appear to be an actual new game? We still haven't come to a conclusion on that question, but there's a lot in this stand-alone product that certainly goes beyond what we'd call "a mod." For starters, and it really bites that we can't show the UI or find videos, the interface and music are different from Civilization IV. Also, the graphics have been given a nice boost and, seeing them in person, it's certainly noticeable. Senior Producer Jesse Smith also walked us through several other things that make Colonization different from Civ IV. %Gallery-24746%
Big Versus compares Civilization Revolution to PC predecessors
Wipe away those tears, sunken-eyed PC loyalists. We know you're upset that Firaxis appears to have turned their back on you in favor of the somewhat fairer console waters, but perhaps the latest edition of Big Versus on Joystiq's youngest sibling, Big Download, will mend your tattered hearts. The console-exclusive Civilization Revolution is measured against the PC-exclusive Civilization IV in this installment -- are PC gamers being robbed of an important chapter in the seminal turn-based strategy franchise, or are they dodging a dumbed-down, oversimplified bullet? You've got to read to find out -- but knowing you brainy PC types, that shouldn't be a problem.
New games this week: Civilization Revolution edition
Listen, we're excited by this week's biggest new release Civilization Revolution, but it looks to us like it's going to play pretty fast and loose with the truth. How can we tell? Well, let's take a look at the box art. It looks fine, right? Until you realize that Napoleon is towering over Genghis Khan! Napoloean, as the less educated among you (and Firaxis) perhaps do not know, was 2-feet, 4-inches tall, so the thought of him being taller than anyone, let alone some of history's greatest leaders, is an affront to logic itself. The only thing we can imagine is that Lincoln is on his knees and Napoleon is standing on a apple crate of some sort, in which case we can only suggest that Honest Abe needs new representation. %Gallery-4355%
GameTap Thursday: Civ IV Warlords, Descent 3 and American Deer Hunter
Some more Interplay titles return to GameTap this week, but the really nice addition is that of Civilization IV's expansion, Warlords. It added several new elements to the excellent turn-based strategy game, like the Great General unit, vassal states and unique buildings for each nation. Civilization IV: Warlords (Windows) - The expansion to Civ IV. There are also several scenarios in Warlords to try out if you're not looking for the full-blown world conquering experience. Descent 3 (Windows) - Shoot everything in 360 degrees of blasting awesomeness (for a third time). American Deer Hunting (Windows) - PETA will thank you for playing this game instead of being a real man and killing yourself a big ol' buck. GameTap's free games list gets several new additions this week. We've placed the full list after the break and bolded the new titles for easy reference.
Sid Meier all but confirms eventual Civilization MMO
Legendary game designer Sid Meier (Civilization, Pirates!, Alpha Centauri) mentioned the prospect of a Civilization MMO (again) when fielding user-submitted questions at GameDaily. In fact, he mentioned it twice.First he was asked about the Civ MMO specifically. "A Civ MMO is a really intriguing idea," he said. "We're spending time thinking about how we could make it the fun, addictive experience Civ players expect." Later in the Q&A, a fan asked where Meier sees Civilization evolving in the future. He again suggested that he's interested in making an MMO.How would it work? Would it be like those browser-based strategy games in which players only get a few moves a day? Would everyone co-exist in one enormous map? We'd be fascinated to hear what Meier and friends are planning. Unfortunately, we'll probably be waiting a while. He didn't confirm that the MMO will be his next project. He's mulling over a couple of other ideas as well. Here's to hoping, though![Via Big Download]
Civilization Revolution demo tomorrow for Xbox 360 and PS3
Gamespot reports that a demo for console-centric Civilization Revolution will be available tomorrow on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The demo will fill about 1.08 gigglebytes of hard drive space and include both single and multiplayer demos. Players will have the option of playing as Cleopatra or Caesar up until 1250 AD in the turn-based strategy game. The demo will become available tomorrow beginning at 5AM EST on Xbox Live and as part of the PSN update sometime during the afternoon. We're definitely looking forward to testing out the demo and seeing if our civilization will stand the test of time survive until 1250 AD. Civilization Revolution is currently scheduled to release on July 8 for Xbox 360, PS3 and DS. [Via X3F, Thanks Jonah]
Civ Revolution delayed until July, Sid Meier enters Guinness records
2K Games announced today that Sid Meier has been entered into the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008 as the industry's most award-winning developer. Currently working on Civilization Revolution, Meier's awards span a lengthy career so far, with his latest being the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2008 Game Developers Choice Awards. Meier took the opportunity to thank the critics for their recognition over the years and to plug Civ Revolution in his statement. Speaking of which, buried at the bottom of the press release was the news that Civ Revolution has been delayed until July 8 from its expected June 3 release. Perhaps the delay will allow Meier some time to figure out where he'll store all the Revolution awards?
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.
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."
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%
