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BOARD GAME REINCARNATE?
(2 February 2002, 20:44 | Misc) Eagle Games Inc. may be following in the path last travelled by Avalon Hill in the early 1980`s by releasing Civilization... as a board game. This story was recently broken by Thrasher`s Axis & Allies fansite, saying that in August the said company`s product will include hundreds of plastic playing pieces - spearmen, settlers, cities, ships, tanks, elephants, chariots, canons, and many more (17 different types of units). At this point in time, however, there is no confirmation or otherwise on Eagle Games` corporate website. A request for confirmation of this information has been sent to the company and if and when a response is received, it will be reproduced here.
Eagle Games was founded in September, 1999 and specializes in strategy-themed boardgames including notables similar context to Risk and Axis & Allies. For an ongoing tally of new information, also be sure to keep your browsers pointed to this thread on the Thrasher site. Kudos to AllCiv for the news tip. - DanQ
APOLYTON ON COMPUTER GAMES MAGAZINE
(2 February 2002, 12:30 | About) 
If you got the March 2002 issue of Computer Games Magazine, open up page 34 to read among other things:
"The best single source of mods is the Apolyton Civilization site, where you`ll find everything from a completely revised rules set for the Ancient governments in the game to oddities like Pierre Trudeau`s head for use with a custom created Canadian civilization..."
The mention is part of the magazine`s feature on mods. Many thanks to DarkCloud who first posted about it, and Jonah Falcon of www.gamepen.com for his "webcam scan"! :) - MarkG
*EXCLUSIVE*: AOP V2.0 RELEASED
(2 February 2002, 07:37 | Civ2) 
Pillage and plunder in the Golden "Age of Piracy" -- come on, you know you want to. Apolyton Civilization Site is proud to be the exclusive launching pad for Shay Yates Roberts` Age of Piracy v2.0 MOD. The 11.5MB work of art is available for download from the official website the author has created around it.
This is unlike any scenario you have experienced, Roberts says. It contains 82 new units, 39 new technologies, 10 new city improvements and 5 new wonders. It can be played solo or multiplayer. Numerous random events insure that no two games are ever the same! [..]
As you embark on these treasure quests, be prepared for the many special events that will suddenly occur. Some events are random, some historically scheduled, and all are certain to create a dynamic challenge.
You can choose to take on either the "Pillage and Plunder" challenge, for those looking for a short yet historically accurate gaming experience, or boot up "High Sea Conquest" for a long, traditional game of conquest which lets your forge your own Pirate Empire on a world map optimized for naval conflict.
Finally, Roberts offers a warning for those would-be-cocky maurauders of the open seas.
Don`t expect this to be easy. You are outlawed and outgunned. Every unit you have is a precious commodity. Historically, the most successful pirates were the smartest, not the fiercest. You must be a strategist to excel at this sport.
Civilization II: Multiplayer Gold Edition and its third patch installed are required to run the scenario. Thanks to Shay for the news tip. - DanQ
NPDI TOP TEN: JAN 13-19/02
(2 February 2002, 06:41 | Misc) Below is the Top Ten Selling PC Games for January 13-19, 2002 according to NPDI.
1. The Sims: Hot Date | Electronic Arts
2. Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone | Electronic Arts
3. The Sims | Electronic Arts
4. Roller Coaster Tycoon | Infogrames Entertainment
5. Zoo Tycoon | Microsoft
6. Return To Castle Wolfenstein | Activision
7. The Sims: Livin’ Large | Electronic Arts
8. Empire Earth | Vivendi Universal Publishing
9. Backyard Basketball | Infogrames Entertainment
10. Civilization III | Infogrames Entertainment
Source: [ The Adrenaline Vault ] - DanQ
FOR DIE-HARDS ONLY, RULES GX
(2 February 2002, 06:07 | Civ3) A review that until recently has by and large gone unnoticed, Gaming XPress has given Civilization III a 7.5/10 rating.
Overall, the game was quite disappointing, especially considering it is inheriting the mantle of one of the most hallowed games in computer gaming history. Totally average.
The reviewer goes on to claim that CivIII is too much like its predeccessor for it to be a worthwhile purchase for anyone other than die hard Civ fans. Thanks to AllCiv for the news tip. - DanQ
CGM`S GAME OF THE YEAR
(2 February 2002, 05:22 | Civ3) Civilization III was crowned 2001`s Game Of The Year by Computer Games Magazine, whose March, 2002 issue hit store shelves today. Here is a brief excerpt:
The folks at Firaxis [Games] have taken one of the most beloved games of all time and made it feel new again. IT would be easy to dismiss CivIII as just another iteration of a great game. [..] But to penalize the game for its ancestry is unfair. [..] In some respects it`s amazing the game works at all. CivIII offers the largest leap in gameplay since the series began...
Civilization III offers the biggest leap in gameplay since the series began, adding a bunch of new features and altering many of the existing ones while retaining the epic sweep that makes the game so compelling.
This latest release from Firaxis also beat out Europa Universalis II and Rails Across America for 2001 Strategy Game Of The Year. Thanks to DarkCloud for the news tip via the forums and to GamePen's Jonah Falcon for the additional quotes. - DanQ
