The world really IS ending - Next Civ for consoles

[lord of the mark]

TakeTwo just announced something called Civ:Revolution, which will be for next gen consoles. AND for handhelds (!?!)

I dont know much about it, surprised nothing about it on this site yet.

[lord of the mark]

This is quoted at Quartertothree. I dont see any refs on the Firaxis website though.


"2K Announces Civilization® Revolution™ - Sid Meier's First Game for Next Generation Consoles
Legendary designer Sid Meier builds the Civilization� experience from the ground up for consoles

New York, NY - June 28, 2007 - 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today that it will publish Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution, the first next generation game designed by world famous game designer Sid Meier. Slated for a spring 2008 release for next generation consoles and handhelds, Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution is being developed by Firaxis Games™, 2K's world-renowned development studio.


Oh, wait, here it is, its official

http://ir.take2games.com/ReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=251368

Sid Meier put computer gaming on the map when he delivered Civilization® to the gaming world, launching the "God Game" genre and creating one of the most award-winning and addictive strategy series of all time, including Sid Meier's Civilization IV™, the Gamespy and GameSpot 2005 Game of the Year. Driven by sheer passion for the game concept, Meier is now handcrafting a brand-new Civilization experience designed and built from scratch for next gen consoles and handhelds.

"Civilization Revolution is the game I've always wanted to make!" said Sid Meier, Director of Creative Development at Firaxis Games. "We are excited to take advantage of the power of next generation consoles and the ingenuity of handhelds, to create a great and unique strategy game for newcomers to the series, as well as the millions of fans around the world who enjoy Civilization on the PC."

In Civilization, players strive to become ruler of the world by establishing and leading a civilization from the dawn of man into the space age - waging war, conducting diplomacy, discovering technologies, going head-to-head with some of history's greatest leaders, and building the most powerful empire the world has ever known.

Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution is a watershed game, offering players a chance to experience the epic empire-building world of Civilization in an all new accessible, visually immersive, and action-packed world specifically designed for the console and handheld gamer. Delivering Civilization's renowned epic single-player campaigns featuring vast re-playability and unmatched addictive gameplay as well as revolutionary features like real-time interaction with leaders and advisors, extensive multiplayer capabilities and integrated video and voice chat, it will completely transport the Civilization series to a level of gameplay that fans have never seen before.

"Civilization is one of the world's top selling PC game series with more than 8 million units sold, and continues to be recognized as one of the greatest franchises ever created," said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. "We are excited to have Sid Meier getting back to his roots as the game's Lead Designer to carry on its legacy with Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution."

Some of the key features that will resonate with fans of strategy games and the Civilization franchise include 16 civilizations to master and lead to victory, an array of famous historical leaders to play as or compete against, and accessible maps and streamlined time scale for quicker games, intense combat, and constant action. In online multiplayer mode, players will compete for world conquest and glory among their peers as they battle in teams, head-to-head or epic free-for-all matches. In addition, auto-matching, ranked games, leaderboards, achievements, downloadable extra content and integrated video and voice chat make the online play more versatile and fun than any previous version of Civilization and will allow players to see where they stand against the competition. Finally, the position of ruler of the world can be settled online.

Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution will be released in spring 2008 for next generation consoles and handhelds. For more information please visit http://www.civilization.com/. "

[Lemmy]

[Verto]

It'll be interesting to see how they work out the controls. I wasn't impressed with the C&C 360 game (it's just so much easier using a mouse to explore and interact with the map, etc) but at the same time there is the appeal of seeing the game on a big HDTV rather than a smaller monitor. The online portion of the game would benefit greatly from the Xbox Live service, whether it be simply finding and connecting to a multiplayer game, or tournaments and competitions. At this time the PC will perhaps have one overriding feature though: player customization with maps, units, scenarios. Until Xbox Live rolls out the ability for players to upload that kind of thing, that is.

I think a Nintendo DS version could make for a pretty cool Civ game, if they got around the rather small screens.

[Kuciwalker]

Onion article?

I can see it working on the Wii, and especially the DS (portable Civ ) but I refuse to even try it on a gamepad.

[ixnay]

Oh good lord the trailer for it

http://www.xboxyde.com/stream_4014_en.html

[Kuciwalker]

That was incredibly lame. Tons of graphics, none of them from the actual game...

[Maquiladora]

That was useless.

A DS version could work though even without the stylus. I hate playing strategy games for long periods with the touch screen. The only game i've used all way through with the stylus was Phoenix Wright, because it was unavoidable at times.

[DrSpike]

It will be a dumbed down version for sure - nothing to fear here.

[Wiglaf]

"Civilization Revolution is the game I've always wanted to make!" said Sid Meier, Director of Creative Development at Firaxis Games

What a d-bag.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by DrSpike
It will be a dumbed down version for sure - nothing to fear here.

They could try to save money on Civ5 and dumb it down and give it a console friendly interface from the start. Oblivion anyone?

Consoles are bad.

[El_Cid]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph

They could try to save money on Civ5 and dumb it down and give it a console friendly interface from the start. Oblivion anyone?

Consoles are bad.

But they are GOOD for bank balances it seems? I can see a DS version working more than the big NextGen versions(due to the stylus).
Uggh! Imagine having to 'click' and 'select' all the options in a Civ game with a gamepad! Or maybe they can distill the options into 12(or so) single button clicks? (the horror!)

The worrying thing about this for me is what it says about the confidence in PC gaming. If Civ, the all time PC classic is starting to look better to produce on a console.........well that can't be a good sign can it? Hopefully this is all about making as much money as possible, rather than carrying on the natural progression of the series and furthering the efforts to make great strategic games.

More of the same info already posted, but on Gamasutra - it will be interesting to see what replies/letters get made on this topic:

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=14503

Sn00py may be happy - maybe this IS the 3D Civ he always wanted? It will have to be 3D to get on a mainstream console I suspect?

[Nostromo]

In other news...

In perhaps the most stunning handheld announcement of the year, Sega of America, Inc., SEGA Europe, Ltd., and Canada-based development studio BioWare Corp. today announced a partnership to create a new videogame based on the classic Sega flagship icon Sonic The Hedgehog. The exact name of the game is undetermined, and it will ship in 2008. The only details currently known are that it will be a role-playing game developed specifically for the Nintendo DS.

"BioWare is one of the hottest names in RPG development in the world," said Simon Jeffery, President and COO, Sega of America, Inc. "Everyone at Sega has huge confidence that Sonic is in the safest of hands, and that BioWare can create the ultimate handheld RPG experience for gamers of all ages."

"We're thrilled to be working with Sega on Sonic, one of the industry's most enduring and compelling icons," said Greg Zeschuk, president of BioWare. "As huge fans of Sonic ourselves, we're committed to delivering a truly amazing story-driven experience within the Sonic universe, focusing on capturing the character's broad appeal and placing him in a completely original adventure," added Ray Muzyka, chief executive officer of BioWare.

At GameSpy, we were shocked to learn that one of our favorite developers would be breathing new life into the Sonic franchise. While we know absolutely nothing about what this game will look like, play like, or if it will ever even see the light of day, we also couldn't ask for a more intriguing handheld game to look forward to. The Sonic franchise has had its ups and downs, but this sort of bold move by SEGA gives hope that good things are in store for one of gaming's most recognized mascots.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph


They could try to save money on Civ5 and dumb it down and give it a console friendly interface from the start.

Maybe, but I don't think so. And if they do, we will still have Civ4.

[Bkeela]

Wow - Civ the FPS - I'm so not inspired.

I'll stick with Civ IV I think.