Civilization Rights Sold by Infogrames

[Dinner]

A few similiar but no exact competitors.

[player1]

Well, Actrivision CtP is dead for a long time.

And no other game is in any way similar to it to attract same fan base.

[notyoueither]

My money's on Sid and Firaxis. They've said some things about console games and that they'd like to be in there. How better to get in there than with Civ? And who else would care enough about the name?

[Antrine]

CIV goes console and the modder's world is dead........... Now I know why we were so mistreated, we were already 'dogmeat' or DOA in someone's plan.

The Genre cannot die however, EVEN if there are no 'names' in it. For this empty vortex will draw a hundredfold back on within it....

So says the 'Graveyard Keeper'

[Gramphos]

If Civ goes console it will still be available for PC as well. Even if consoles don't handle modding PCs will.

[Antrine]

With a smile of Good Fortune, then maybe it will not hurt to give the PC world access to the AI Script and Event Scripting along with ALL other Modding caveats we have had access to one time or another!

Actually, two things will happen in the evolution of computers; One, user access to the intelligence running underneath a program and a Universal Intelligence Engine that effectively 'replaces' programs altogether. Come on Microsoft I know you are working on this one!

Demand commands the unfolding of events. (you can tell I am a philosopher in one of my 'real' lives)

And the accumulated spirit of our desires and demands here on this forum and others like it, is also the harbinger of tomorrow!

Sincerely,

[Antrine]

Check out the fourth paragraph, OCTOBER 2005 is the drop-dead deadline! One shot, get it right!

http://pc.ign.com/articles/568/568768p1.html

[Brent]

If there are no other turn based historical empire builders, the one that there is must remain at least as appropriate for all audiences as it now is, and if that changes, someone else must step in.

I would love to have Civ on a console so the computer could be used for other things and so it wouldn't take up space on the same hard drive as more important things. And if it were on a console I would want that console to have available inexpensive monitors, and be able to use two or more of them on the same console unit for multiplayer. If it were to go console I would still play it on the PC too, especially if that's the only way to mod, but I would like to be able to mod on the console too. And Civ on handheld game systems, not just phones, would be good too.

[Robert]

Originally posted by Antrine
Check out the fourth paragraph, OCTOBER 2005 is the drop-dead deadline! One shot, get it right!

http://pc.ign.com/articles/568/568768p1.html

From october 2005 Infogrames doesn't hold the distribution rights to civ1 - civ3, according to that article.
Does that mean that the old civ-versions will go to the new owner as well?

Besides that, the article states that only civIV has been sold...... now I wonder, has the entire name been sold, or just only civ IV?

[Robert]

the entire article Antrine refered to:

http://pc.ign.com/articles/568/568768p1.html

Civilization Sold
Infogrames unloads the franchise -- but to whom?

November 24, 2004 - European developer and publisher Infogrames mentioned in its first-half 2004/2005 financial report that the company sold the Civilization franchise. The sale resulted in a capital gain of 15.5 million euros (in excess of 20 million USD) for Infogrames.


The Civilization series of turn-based strategy games, created by Sid Meier, is one of the most recognized and acclaimed PC gaming franchises. The next title in the series, Civilization IV, is under development at Firaxis Games, Sid Meier's development company.

Though the identity of the franchise's new owner has not yet been disclosed, our sources were able to clarify the situation somewhat:

"Infogrames (parent company for Atari) has sold the rights to Civ IV. Atari however will continue to hold the publishing and distribution rights to all previously released Civilization games and expansion packs through October 2005."

No release date for Civilization IV has been announced, and it is unclear how the sale may affect the sequel's release. As more information emerges, rest assured we'll be back to let you know.

[Barinthus]

Surely if Firaxis was the buyer, they'd be eager to announce this to the community.

[Rommel2D]

...Infogrames subsidiary Atari had been publishing the series--and its numerous expansion packs--since 1996's Civilization II, ...

Gamespot doesn't exactly research their information very well, do they?

[Rommel2D]

"Infogrames (parent company for Atari) has sold the rights to Civ IV. Atari however will continue to hold the publishing and distribution rights to all previously released Civilization games and expansion packs through October 2005."

This could be read two ways: Either all Civlization material will remain the property of Atari until it transfers to the new buyer next October; or Atari will maintain ownership of anything produced up until next October, after which Civ4 will be released by the new owners.

The second scenario throws out a glimmer of hope that Atari will decide to do another expansion pack before D-day to milk the last remaining potential from Civ3...

[punkbass2000]

I think SirPleb has offered to fix the main C#C bugs for 15 000. Maybe the 'expansion' could be a $5 download They'd probably at least make their money back, only 3000 people needed. CFCers and Apolytonites could pledge $5, even.

[Rommel2D]

This SirPleb has seen the source code for Civ3?

(The State of Wisconsin just paid almost $700,000 to a contractor to build a website for a freeway construction project. In this light, $15,000 for 'real' code would seem a bargain indeed. ;-)