Way back in 1991, PC publisher Microprose released Sid Meier's Civilization, and some fans still haven't slept since. The game is widely considered to be one of the greatest PC games of all time. Now with three sequels plus expansions for each, multiple ports, and even a rather fine board game under the series' belt, 2K and Firaxis are taking the franchise where no original Civ title has gone before - the console. Shoddy PC to console ports aside, Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution is the first game in the series to be built from the ground up with game consoles in mind.

Will this new direction bring all-night Civ sessions to the console crowd, or should it be put to bed early? Get the verdict from the reviewing public, after the jump.

We've got a winner! Reader Christopher G. is the two hundredth and thirty-second entry in our Civilization Revolution contest, bagging a copy of the game. So, Christopher G. shoot us an email at tipsATkotakuDOTdom to claim your loot. Everyone else, thank you for playing and hit the jump for Christopher G's answers:

Win A Copy of Civilization Revolution!

Win A Copy of Civilization Revolution

Variety Troubled By Sid Meier's Next Game

Sid Meier, how can you still be making games about colonization?

Variety reporter Ben Fritz knows that Sid Meier made a Colonization game back in the day. And he knows that the new one, the upcoming Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Colonization, won't quite force you to sail to a new land so you can kill all the natives and screw them with the exchange rate.

But he's troubled. He's spent a good amount of time on his blog to show that he's thought this through. Colonization was and is racist and appalling, he states. He doesn't call for a ban. He's a First Amendment guy. But he does call for a reaction.

Goddamit, am I the only one who think it's morally disturbing to make a game that celebrates COLONIZATION?

Bonus reader challenge: Reply to this post, pro or con, without using the old conversation-stopper: "It's just a game."

Civilization IV: Colonization... Wow that looks offensive [Variety's The Cut Scene Blog]

Trying to shoehorn an RTS like Command & Conquer onto a console is one thing, but Civilization? The fanciest bottle of good booze on PC strategy gaming's top shelf? It's an impossible task, some will say. Or one that even if it is possible, just shouldn't be done. Under any circumstances. Lest the ensuing offspring (see Civ II on the PS1) be such a crime of nature, such an abomination, that the good Lord himself descend from the heavens and strike down all involved in its creation.

That's what die-hard, myopic fans of the PC series will tell you, at any rate. And as one of those myself - having lost what must be thousands of hours to the series over the years – when a copy of Civilization Revolution for the PlayStation 3 turned up at my door, I greeted it with not just a signature, but a healthy dose of scepticism.

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The promised demo of Battlefield : Bad Company is now live on Xbox Live, alongside a demo of Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution, giving gamers a lovely choice between creating and destroying. The Bad Company demo comes in both single and multiplayer flavors, with the single player giving you a taste of story-driven sandbox gameplay, while the multiplayer portion lets the more competitive among us battle it out in the objective based Gold Rush mode of the game.

The Civilization Revolution demo also contains both multiplayer and single player gameplay, and while I am no expert I am going to go out on a limb and say there is some civilization building going on.

Both demos weigh in on the hefty side, with Battlefield at 1.5 GB and Civ at a slightly more modest 1.25 GB. Enjoy!

Demo: Battlefield: Bad Company [Xbox Live's Major Nelson]
Demo Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution [Same Guy]

Hey, You Get A Civilization Revolution Demo This Week

And for once, it's a demo I'm genuinely looking forward to. No, really! I've still no idea how this is actually going to play. The PC version of Civ, I can see it in my sleep, but the nuts and bolts of a console version intrigue me. And a ton of other people, which is probably why 2K have announced that they'll be releasing the demo on both PS3 and 360 this Thursday. The 360 version will roll out globally, while the PS3 one is North America-only for the moment.

Civ Revolution demo upends XBLA, PSN [GameSpot]

Sid Meier Is The Most Award-Winning Developer Ever!

Does an entry in the Guinness World Records count as an award? If so, chalk up another one for Sid Meier, who has just entered the 2008 Gamer's Edition of that prestigious publication as the game industry's most award-winning creator. Among his many achievements are numerous awards for the Civilization series, induction into the Computer Museum of America's and Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Halls of Fame, and a commemorative star on the Walk of Game. How does it feel?

“I’m fortunate to be able to do what I love and am grateful for all of the wonderful recognition I’ve received over the years,” said Sid Meier. “It is every kid’s dream to make it into the Guinness World Records and I’m thrilled to be a part of the prestigious book. I’m thankful to the many game critics who have enjoyed our games and hope they are as excited about our upcoming Civilization Revolution title as I am.”

And there, my friends, is why great men are great. They are never too proud to slip in a little marketing. Go read some more marketing in the official press release, while I apply some watercolor photoshop filter love to this great, great man.

Sid Meier Appearing At New York Comic Con

Sid Meier's world building game Civilization is returning soon with a new title, Civilization: Revolution. CR is the first of the Civ franchise to be presented on now-gen consoles and it sports some fancy new graphics, closer cameras, new character models and more detailed maps and battles. After my time with the multiplayer mode a few weeks back, I'm really looking forward to checking it our when it hits on June 3.

For those interested in such micromanaging pursuits can check out everything the game has to offer on Civilization: Revolution's newly launched website. It's a nicely put together site and has a decent amount of places for you to explore including videos, screenshots, forums and all the information on Civilization: Revolution you could want.

Civilization: Revolution Official Site [2K]

Ladies and gentlemen, for your viewing pleasure, I present a slew of screens from my hands-on time with Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. There are some multiplayer shots in here as well as images from the single player mode including many of the character designs.

The Sid Meier Q&A

"One thing that stands in my mind...we got an inquiry from the Wall Street journal asking about succinctly captured tax policy," Sid Meier relates to a packed audience of GDC attendees, referring to the most surprising response to his games. "It's just a slider."

Huge laughs from the audience. Damn there are a lot of dorks in the audience...present company included. Through the hour-long interview, Meier divulged all sorts of not-so-secret secrets, admitting his geek fetish of still programming his own titles. Here were some of our favorite things he said, organized for your easy digestion...

Civilization's first original foray onto consoles is just a few short month's away, as 2K Games announces the official release date for Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution. Beginning June 3rd, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo DS owners will finally get a taste of what PC gamers have been going crazy about for over 17 years. Designed from the ground up with consoles in mind, Revolution promises fast-paced action and easy to pick up gameplay while still maintaining the Sid Meier-style addictive feel of its PC predecessors. In honor of the release date, 2K has released a slew of screenshots in both DS and Xbox 360 flavors, and you know how much we love our slews.