Civilization IV Goes GOLD!

[BleedTheFreak]

I was wondering when this was going to happen, since it's supposed to be out end of October. Looks like they will just make it.

2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., and FIRAXIS Games, the world renowned video game developer, today announced that Sid Meier’s Civilization IV for PC has gone gold and is off to manufacturing. Sid Meier’s Civilization IV will ship to North American retail stores on October 25th.

The fourth title in the legendary series of turn based strategy games, Sid Meier’s Civilization IV expands on the beloved gameplay of its predecessors with countless new gameplay changes and improvements, including religion, great people and for the first time in the Civilization series, a full 3D engine.

For more information please visit www.CivIV.com (http://www.civiv.com/) or www.firaxis.com. (http://www.firaxis.com.)Press Release (http://biz.yahoo.com/bwml/051019/20051019005516.html?.v=1)

It does make you wonder, how "finished" will the end product be? Just a few weeks ago the build Gamespot was using had place holder art still in it, but I'm sure they got that all finished up by now, right?

Release Date: 10/25/2005 (PC (http://www.gametab.com/pc/civilization.iv/4116/))

[swegamer]

Swedish gaming mag Super PLAY have reviewed the game in the latest issue (116). Civ IV got the top mark (10/10).

In the same issue they managed to fuck up and review the new Matrix: Path of Neo. Appearently they hadn't seen the P as in "Preview code" and had treated the game is finished.

Sources say even the Watchowski brothers are upset :p

[brbdc]

As an avid fan of Civ series I have been checking out http://www.civfanatics.com/civ4/ for details. They have compiled alot of information on the new game and I gotta admit it looks very complete. Although I have not see any reviews, just previews, I pre-ordered my copy

[Kelegacy]

Fuck, I'm staying away from Civ IV like the plague. If I even sit down to one game of Civilization or Alpha Centauri these days, I suddenly age a few months/years. It's scary.

[Citizen Philip]

Hoo-ray! World of Warcraft you are on a time-out! I am very excited about this!

[ÜberJumper]

So fucking stoked for this. My wife's already pre-ordered her copy.

As for placeholder art being in place up to a couple of weeks ago, that stuff's easy to get in place assuming it's finished. The artist might have had that set of assets checked out for the build gamespot was using to ensure that he had similar art assets to check in.

[BleedTheFreak]

So fucking stoked for this. My wife's already pre-ordered her copy.

As for placeholder art being in place up to a couple of weeks ago, that stuff's easy to get in place assuming it's finished. The artist might have had that set of assets checked out for the build gamespot was using to ensure that he had similar art assets to check in.

Yeah, that all makes sense. Still, I smell a release day patch in the air... then again, that may be because it's getting to be the norm this month (i.e. Black and White 2, F.E.A.R., etc.)

I actually have to skip this one at launch, because I was weak and picked up both BnW2 AND FEAR, which are stellar titles and lots of fun. I'll just get it for Christmas (this and The Movies), because both those games can only age like fine wine, no reason to break the bank getting everythign at once. Right? RIGHT!? *panics*

[Acidpoptart]

Yeah, that all makes sense. Still, I smell a release day patch in the air... then again, that may be because it's getting to be the norm this month (i.e. Black and White 2, F.E.A.R., etc.)

I actually have to skip this one at launch, because I was weak and picked up both BnW2 AND FEAR, which are stellar titles and lots of fun. I'll just get it for Christmas (this and The Movies), because both those games can only age like fine wine, no reason to break the bank getting everythign at once. Right? RIGHT!? *panics*

But... but..but.... THE PREORDER EDITION! How can you resist its sexiness? I know I cant.... Someone save me from what I am going to be doing to my self. The next time anyone will see me, ill be much paler and I will likely be on academic probation. Sweet.

[Knightsaber]

Yeah, that all makes sense. Still, I smell a release day patch in the air... then again, that may be because it's getting to be the norm this month (i.e. Black and White 2, F.E.A.R., etc.)

I actually have to skip this one at launch, because I was weak and picked up both BnW2 AND FEAR, which are stellar titles and lots of fun. I'll just get it for Christmas (this and The Movies), because both those games can only age like fine wine, no reason to break the bank getting everythign at once. Right? RIGHT!? *panics*

*slaps around*

GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF MAN!

[BleedTheFreak]

*slaps around*

GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF MAN!

Whew. Thanks, man. I needed that!

[Demize99]

Man, I'm moving to europe any day now or I'd soooo have preordered this game. I'd just hate to have it show up in the states with me out of them.

That said, a gamespy follow up preview said that the build they played had finished the civpedia and UI artwork that was missing before.

"The interface was much more polished than we talked about in our last hands-on, complete with Leonard Nimoy narrating all of your civilization advances. The Civilopedia is now in the game, so you can read about all the technologies and units, and there are pop-up tool-tips everywhere so that nothing is a mystery."
http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/civilization-iv/657806p1.html

[doyama]

Is it just me or is the time frame from gonig gold to retail extremely agressive. I mean even assuming you have all the boxes done and jsut waiting for CD/DVDs to be pressed, it still takes time to create, package and most importantly ship them around the country. Wouldnt major retailers first consolidate shipments, then distribute them themselves to their own stores? I don't think Take2 would ship directly to my local EB store.

Just trying to think logistically how its possible in such a short time frame.

[BleedTheFreak]

Is it just me or is the time frame from gonig gold to retail extremely agressive. I mean even assuming you have all the boxes done and jsut waiting for CD/DVDs to be pressed, it still takes time to create, package and most importantly ship them around the country. Wouldnt major retailers first consolidate shipments, then distribute them themselves to their own stores? I don't think Take2 would ship directly to my local EB store.

Just trying to think logistically how its possible in such a short time frame.

It's so strange to read this, since just a few years ago, maybe 3 or 4 years now (wow I'm getting old) games usually just took 1 or (normally) 2 weeks to go from Gold to shipping. Then (mostly this last year) it became normal for 3 weeks, and now it's like 4 weeks is the average. I don't know why this is, you'd think the process would be getting more and more streamlined?

Well, in the case of Civ IV it's probably like what Baldur's Gate (I) did, where they had everything done, boxes ready to go, and all they needed was that last disk (or the disk, not sure how many this will print on) and then everything could be shipped. Sounds like they reall mean to have this out before November! This could be good, but like I hinted at in my notes above, I get real nervous about the stability and balance of a game (especially a huge strategy-fest) that gets *pushed* out by the publishers to meet some abstract time-table. Hopefully I'm just being paranoid, I really want this one to be great, as I'm a fan of the series and thought (with all the patches and expansions) Civ III to be the best of the series.

[doyama]

Hmm I don't remember when going from Gold to retail took less than 2 weeks but my memory has definitely faded over time. Ahh the good old days of shareware :P

But it does seem like things are very last minute. The official Civ4 site only just came up recently. Though I guess they figure the usual pre-release marketing isn't necessary since Civ already has such a rabid and dedicated fan base. They know it'll be hard to get 'fresh blood' into the genre since turn based is 'so lame' as I have often heard from the yougins :P

I think someone suggested an RTS version would make it more interesting. I certainly hope turn based doesn't go the way of war games have which is pratically into obscurity. People say that Civ and its ilk are too complicated, and yet I pratically gave up on FFX because the mana sphere system seemed to me much more complicated and totally obtuse. :P

[Citizen Philip]

Is it just me or is the time frame from gonig gold to retail extremely agressive. I mean even assuming you have all the boxes done and jsut waiting for CD/DVDs to be pressed, it still takes time to create, package and most importantly ship them around the country. Wouldnt major retailers first consolidate shipments, then distribute them themselves to their own stores? I don't think Take2 would ship directly to my local EB store.

Just trying to think logistically how its possible in such a short time frame.

Publisher/Developer decides they have final copy. Gold copy. Gold copy is sent out to a replication plant and they start churning out copies. The artwork and manuals have been worked on by another team (which is why sometimes manuals include features incorrectly, as they were modifed/removed and screenshots that don't exsist). The newly minted CDs/DVDs and all the material meet up in some distrubition center with all of the packaging and they are married together. The boxes are stacked onto pallets/skids and then shipped to retail distribution warehouses, where the skids are broken down (sometimes) and then reshipped to more distribution warehouses or retail outlets.

Distribution takes longer than before because, A: you prolly don't want to farm out to more than 1 place to makes copies. B: the computer/video game market goes into the 100 000s, not like it was before.

[RMan]

If I even sit down to one game of Civilization or Alpha Centauri these days, I suddenly age a few months/years. It's scary.
Yea, I feel the same way, got a real love/hate relationship with the series because of it's time-sucking nature. I'll still be buying this one though, that's a given :).

[ElPresidente]

I finally recieved my final review code last night (its taken a while to get to me alas) and what I got was a product that was 99.99% finished. No bugs to speak of, maybe 4 incomplete entries in the Civopaedia... I don't think anyone needs to worry about the quality of the final product with the software having gone gold there's been plenty of time between the print of the code in my hand and this gold announcement for those minor things to be finished.

Is it good? Well I wont go into details but do expect a different Civ experience to the previous games. The essentials are still the same but there have been so many rule additions, removals and changes that Civ IV stands on its own two feet more than II or III. It is still Civ though... just this time with a different flavour... still tastes just as good.

I was most certainly stuck in the "Just one more turn" rut for about 5 hours last night. :D

[amusedtoe]

Put my money down Monday, unfortunately Call of Cthuhlu and console BF2 both come out the same day. :mad: Of course I'm moving less then a week later so I'll just pack in one more turn. Then I'll end up sitting on the floor in an empty apartment stark naked playing Civ4 unphased.

[Stormwatcher]

I'm THIS close to crying. I love Civ. I destroyed my arm and gave most of my sundays to civ. CIV IS GOD. BOW DOWN TO CIV.