As you all probably know by now, Nintendo Wii owners will not be able to have a taste of Sid Meier's Civilization series of games just yet. This is because 2K Games decided to postpone the development of Civilization Revolution.

When a company makes a decision of this magnitude, we are assuring you that there's an explanation behind it. And that's exactly what developer Scott Lewis has provided in a recent interview.

He's been at it for 25 years, and he's still going strong. We're referring to Sid Meier, Firaxis head and game designer of such notable PC titles as Civilization 4. This industry veteran is obviously far from tired, as he can still talk animatedly about the upcoming Civilization Revolution and the MMORPG genre. Find out more in the full article after the jump.

 

You can't discuss strategy games and not talk about Civilization. It's one of the most loved franchises in PC gaming that has survived the test of time. Now the game is making the transition into the next-gen consoles. In an interview with Sid Meier himself, CVG finds out what we should expect from Civilization Revolution.

Although the game is taking the step to the next gen, Meier explains that the game will not be a port of the PC games. Although everything we know and love from the franchise will still be present - such as tech, wonders, and exploration - the game has been redesigned for the consoles, taking advantage of the different capabilities of each one.

Controls will be different for each one (of course) but it has been designed to have ease of use. Meier says that because the game is turn-based, the transition to using a joypad instead of a mouse is, in fact, easier:

The difficulty with real-time is you always have to be at a different place and the mouse is often a more natural way to manage 20 different things going on at once. Whereas with Civilization, given that it's turn-based, it feels very natural on the console controller, and that's our advantage.

Although the game will appear on multiple platforms, Meier stated that they are all essentially the same. There will be differences of course, in terms of graphics, interface, and presentation, but they are "the same game, whether you're playing on your PS3, your DS, your Xbox 360 or whatever."

Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution will be making its debut on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo DS in Spring of next year, and the Wii version will follow later.

Sid Meier's Civilization series has already made its mark in the PC gaming industry as one of the most well-known turn based builder games out there. Now Firaxis is spreading its wings out onto the console platform with Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution.

Calling it a "great reinvention of the series," the developers have decided to revamp the game altogether rather than doing a simple port from the PC. It's essentially the same game, where players build up their fledgling civilization from the roots up into a superpower nation, with a few added features.

One of these new features will be the introduction of army creation, where three units can band together to form a singular unit which can attack as one. Craftier players can use this to their advantage and join three different units with different abilities and send them out on a warpath of conquest.

The game is taking its time with its release for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Nintendo DS still in mid-2008, while the Wii version will have to wait until the third quarter of next year before it hits the shelves. So until then just keep checking our site for more updates on the game.

Firaxis Games has been developing Civilization Revolution for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, and the Wii. However, it was announced at the Games Convention 2007 that Sid Meier's classic strategy game will be coming a little later for the Wii than its contemporaries. The other versions will ship by Spring 2008 while the Wii will only be out by Fall.

1UP was able to get in contact with Firaxis Programmer Scott Lewis to clarify the issues behind this decision. Apparently the developers are making all the games in-house and doesn't have enough resources to accommodate the Wii version in addition to all their other projects. He said that:

Conceptual work has started on the Wii and we are working on a whole new interface for that version of the game. Nothing silly, like you have to wave the remote above your head to lasso your workers, but making it more appropriate to the pointer style. Currently it feels more like the Mii manipulation screen, where you pick up and move folks around. The style and feel might change, but we're not going to tack on any silly mini-games to make it more Wii-friendly.

While the delay may be a bit of a bummer to those waiting for this title to come out, the additional work being done should make playing this real-time strategy game more intuitive. After all, better to get a great game late than a half-baked one early right?

Firaxis has given a preview of their flagship game, Civilization, as it makes the transition to the next gen consoles. During the Leipzig Games Convention, they confirmed the release of Civilization Revolution on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo DS next Spring, but the Wii version won't be making the festivities and will arrive sometime next Fall.

 

No explanation was offered for the delay but 1Up believes it may have something to do with coming up with a new interface for the Wii. For the versions they did manage to get a preview of though, they found that not only was Civilization Revolution accessible, but also fun even for the average gamer. If the game really did make the transition from mouse to joypad without a hitch, this could easily become a classic for the next gens.

Take-Two Interactive is planning to hit the Game Convention 2007 hard this year as it announces its line-up for the event. Taking center stage are Borderlands, Civilization Revolution and NBA 2l8 along with a host of other hot prospects.

Slated for the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, and Nintendo DS next year, Civilization Revolution takes the veteran RTS franchise out of the PC realm and into consoles. New gameplay mechanics have been devised to suit each system, so expect the Firaxis team to take advantage of what your console has to offer. Real-time voice chat and interaction between leaders as well as other deep features are trumpeted to captivate strategy buffs everywhere.

NBA 2K8 is also lacing up its shoes and getting ready for the next season this fall with brand new moves. Emphasis has been placed this year on new defensive and off-ball controls to better simulate the hoop experience. The franchise mode has also been deepened and new game modes have been added to raise this baller's replay value.

Gearbox Software, working under the Take-Two banner, is still a year away from completing its genre-bending action game Borderlands, but we'll get an early peek of it come GC 2007. Customizable characters and randomly generated items have been marked as the title's strong points so far. Will the graphics and gameplay hold up? We'll get an idea soon.

Tennis sim Top Spin 3, which 2K Sports calls "the most realistic tennis simulation today," will also be making an appearance at the GC 2007. The developers claim 20 of the top ranked smashers from around the world have been licensed for this title, and that can only spell more fun to those who like the sport.

Lastly, we've got NHL 2K8, which continues its run of excellence with its trademark ProStick feature that allows you to handle the puck with ease. More mayhem with hard checks and brutal breakaways should leave our collective teeth chattering in the ice long after we've won the Stanley Cup.

If you still have some savings after purchasing the final installment in the Harry Potter book series last July 21, you might want to check up on this week's game releases. It's quite a big library to stir into your gaming cauldrons. In this week's On Shelves lineup, we find Square Enix's Final Fantasy II: Anniversary Edition for the PSP. That game's got a story epic enough to match the events at Hogwarts.

Console gamers can live on the fast lane this week with NASCAR 08 on the the PS3 and Xbox 360, while Wii owners get the thrills and horrors found in Escape from Bug Island - you might want to take some tips from Hagrid first though.

Those who want to go casual can pick up handheld games the likes of Ultimate Puzzle Games: Sudoku Edition and Chameleon: To Dye For! on the Nintendo DS. PSP owners though, who want to do an Ellen Ripley impersonation ("Get away from her, you b*tch!"), might want to opt for Alien Syndrome.

PC gamers could either take the high road or the low road, with intense action in the latest Combat Mission installment or a baseball game with Charlie Brown.

Get your checklists done; we're heading off to Diagon Alley for some shopping this week!

Final Fantasy II Anniversary Edition. Decades since its original release, this PSP remake clocks the 20th Anniversary of the FF franchise. With improved graphics and CG cinematics from the FF Origins release, this iteration of the much re-released classic will revisit the story of orphaned Firion, Maria, Guy, and Leon in their quest to overthrow the power-hungry emperor. FF fun-fact #18274: FFII is the first FF title to introduce the staple "Cid" character and the recurring chocobos.

• PSP - July 24
• US$ 29.99
• ESRB T (Teen)
• Square Enix

Check out this week's "On Shelves" list by clicking on the Full Article link below!

Buy: [Final Fantasy II Anniversary Edition (PSP)]
Buy: [Alien Syndrome (Wii)]
Buy: [Alien Syndrome (PSP)]

We've got some artwork for the upcoming Sid Meier game called Civilization Revolution. The master of strategy games takes his new title for a multi-platform run and we couldn't be more excited.

Firaxis Games is working with 2K Games to make all the platforms viable ones for Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution. At this point, they're relatively mum on details except for the announcement that it will ship for all platforms involved next spring.

Judging from these screens, the devs will maintain some elements of the previous games in the series such as growth and development of technology. Much speculation can be made as to how the controls will be for consoles and what kind of engine the game will employ. Civilizations Revolution is certainly a game to watch out for and we'll update you as soon as more info is on the table.
   

   

This could very well be a groundbreaking announcement for strategy fans on all platforms, or at least for fans of Sid Meier. It's just been announced that the Civilization series will be taking a step into new territory in the form of Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution, which will be made for the console and handheld platforms.

Firaxis Games will be developing Civilization Revolution, with 2K Games taking care of publishing the title.

If you're wondering what's going to be new with this game, look out:

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.

No word on where the game will be made playable, but there's a good chance we'll be seeing it on all the consoles. We'll have more on this when we hear of it. In the meantime, let us know how you think Civilization should be handled on the platform of your liking.