PS3 Fanboy

There will be a Civilization Revolution demo out this Thursday as part of this week's regularly scheduled PSN update. Since the title has been pushed back to July 8 instead of coming out on its original June 3 release, the folks at Firaxis and 2K Games thought it would be a good idea to give you something to play while waiting the extra month. The demo has two forces, Rome and Egypt. It also comes packed in with a tutorial for those new to the turn-based strategy game.

This demo sounds a lot like the one we've played previously, so perhaps you might want to read our hands-on impression to get ready for this Thursday. Also, if you're really interested in Civilization Revolution, then you better watch our video interview with the creator himself, Sid Meier.

Also at New York Comic Con this weekend, we headed over to 2K Games booth and tested out Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution. We went straight ahead into a single player game. Out of the 16 civilizations in the game, two were playable on the demo: Romans and Egyptians. We decided to take on the role of the powerful Roman Empire.

When we first kicked things off we noticed right away that the streamlined interface was an intuitive system; we easily shot straight into the natural flow of the game. Things go much faster in Civilization Revolution as compared to the traditional PC games as a lot of commands have been simplified. For example, workers are not controlled individually and automatically carry out preset commands. This is good as it cuts out tedious and repetitious actions within turns and lets you focus more on moving military units and defending your empire.

The official website for the upcoming console game Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution is now up and running. Civ enthusiasts might want to check it out; the site has a lot of new information on all sixteen civilizations, specifically on their rulers and the unique bonuses each civilization will receive. One interesting news bit is that each civilization not only gets one bonus throughout gameplay, but will get a different bonus as the game progresses into a new age. This brings better balance to more ancient civs in the latter stages of the game and vice versa.

Another revealed detail about the game is the confirmation of downloadable content such as multi-player maps and scenarios for the PlayStation Network. Also there are unlockable maps, scenarios, and mods to be found offline as well.

If you're a big fan of the Civilization series, but too much of a traditionalist to accept having the next game on a console, then you're missing out. Revolution looks likes it's going to be a worthy addition to the series; it's visually on par with Civilization IV and from what we're hearing thus far, it sounds like it's improving on the tried-and-tested formula. If you're interested in seeing more on the game, check out the official website.

Click for high-resolution image.

Sid Meier's Civilization series is one of the most renown turn-based nation-building sims on the PC, but the next title in the franchise won't be going to the platform of its roots. Instead, the latest game, Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution, will be hitting up the PlayStation 3 and other systems. If you want to play the next Civ game it's time to get a PS3; you'll have to get one soon because Civilization Revolution is expected to make its way to retailers by June 3, 2008.

It's not the first time for a Civilization game to make the crossover to the console arena, but Civilization Revolution is the first to be made solely for it. Firaxis built the game from scratch, and have given the control schemes a streamlined interface in order to make Civilization Revolution more console-friendly.

For those unfamiliar with the Civilization series, the goal of each game is to choose a civilization, build it up, and eventually conquer the world either through brutal warfare or cultural influence. To see how it all actually goes down, check out the new screenshots down below.

2K Games, courtesy of Take-Two Interactive, dropped a Civ bomb today, announcing their publishing deal for Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution for both PS3 and Xbox 360. As of yet, no announced plans for a PC release. That's because consoles rule and PC's drool. (/Humor) In all seriousness, this endeavor should pose quite a challenge, as the console audience is vastly different in control and appeal (especially considering the plethora of trigger-happy preteens from FPS overload).

This marks the first time Sid Meier actually has a hand in producing a Civilization console release, which we hope will bear significance on its quality and polish. Sixteen civilizations will be available for player control with real-time interaction with leaders and advisors, packed with "extensive multiplayer capabilities" featuring "integrated video and voice chat." No screenshots as of yet, but that should change as the sands of time bear down on us.

According to Sid Meier, "Civilization Revolution is the game I've always wanted to make! 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." We guess he wasn't kidding when he professed his love for Sony. Welcome to the party, Sid. Glad you came aboard.

[Via Joystiq]

[Update: Added the newly-released trailer, embedded for your enjoyment.]

The PlayStation 3 has been garnering some surprising defenders these days, and we can now add another developer the list. In an interview posted on PlayStation.com, legendary game designer Sid Meier exposed at length about his love for the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation brand in general. According to the article, Meier owns a PlayStation 2, a PSP, and a PlayStation 3 and actively uses them all (with Resistance being one of his recent favorite titles). Most interestingly though is that he feels that with the arrival of the PlayStation 3, it's time for him and Firaxis (his development group) to move into console gaming.

While Meier has dabbled in console gaming before, most famously with Pirates! and it's recent sequel, this appears to be a major paradigm shift for him. He explains his reasoning behind the shift a little more in-depth:
"Computers no longer have the edge on set-top systems. The technology is there; the audience is ready for deeper and more gripping experiences; and the bar's formally been raised in terms of enthusiasts' expectations. I hate to use the word convergence, but I don't know how else to describe the situation... The timing couldn't be more perfect."

Now, before people take to the streets and start screaming about how Civilization couldn't work with a controller, keep in mind that he has not specified at all what his next-gen projects are. Also keep in mind that the PlayStation 3 supports bluetooth keyboards/mice as well as the obvious USB support. So if Civilization did come out for the PS3, there's no reason to automatically assume he would 'dumb it down' for consoles. Still, it's much more likely that we'll see entirely new games released, though you can pretty much be guaranteed sure they'll carry at least a shred of the classic tactical style gameplay he's known for.