Civilization Revolution 'never' coming to PC

by Alexander Sliwinski { Mar 18th 2008 at 10:30AM }

2K Games continues to emphasize that the console-centric Civilization Revolution is a totally different branch from the PC's Civilization franchise by telling MTV's Multiplayer that Revolution will "never" come to PC. It's a similar thing to what we were told at E3 last year when we got our first chance to see Revolution.

Jason Bergman, a producer for 2K Games, tells MTV that the game was designed from the ground up to be played with a gamepad. Since the game was announced, many PS3 owners have asked if the game will support a mouse and keyboard. Bergman says, "The answer is no ... The game has not been designed for that [controller]." He highlights again that Revolution is not a port, but an entirely new game. We kinda feel bad for the guy, it sounds like he's been repeating the same defense for the title over and over again since last July.

Tags: 2k games, 2k-games, 2kgames, civilization, civilization revolut..., civilization-revolut..., CivilizationRevolut..., civilizationrevolution, meier, sid-meier

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Nate @ Mar 18th 2008 10:55AM

More games need to take advantage of the PS3's mouse and keyboard support! At least make it an option, it can't be that hard to tack on. Point and click, it's not really that different from a gamepad to the game.

But I guess the whole point was to make it fun to play with the gamepad, I just wonder how well it'll actually work that way.

JonFitt @ Mar 18th 2008 10:56AM

So the Games For Windows initiative doesn't specify that games should work with a gamepad, becuase I could have sworn it did.

Screw this game then. If you're going to exclude your regular fan base because you can't be arsed to sort out the controls then you're on your own.

Good luck selling Civ to the console-knuckle-draggers!
(I kid. I kid... a bit :p )

eugene @ Mar 18th 2008 10:59AM

Feh, I'll be at my local Fry's bright and early on release date to pick up my copy. Can't wait.

Jeb @ Mar 18th 2008 11:10AM

Agreed. I'll be picking this up on day one as well. I love the series on PC, but when I'm gaming on my 360 I just want to sit back on the couch and relax - not lean over a mouse and keyboard.

Wii60 @ Mar 18th 2008 11:44AM

I'll do the same, but I do have my concerns, being a fan since civ II, I don't see how it will work.

Still, Sid Meier hasn't steered me wrong yet.

Co @ Mar 18th 2008 11:01AM

So then undelay the damn thing fro Wii and make it use the Classic/GC controller set up!

Jerk Face @ Mar 18th 2008 11:13AM

So is this game coming out for the PC?

Marc @ Mar 18th 2008 11:19AM

I'm pretty sure it is.

Bleu @ Mar 18th 2008 11:35AM

This game looks great and I support 2k in whatever they do so I will be purchasing this game.

Deck @ Mar 18th 2008 11:40AM

This game has huge potential. I am anticipating the release!

It does seem like he has had to answer the same questions over and over. I must say it is probably because every is hesitant of this game being "console only" because the past in the series which a brilliant, are all on the PC. People are afraid of change! But in this regard, that fact that its been built entirely for the console, is great.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Mar 18th 2008 11:56AM

This should have never been canned on the wii. The wiimote was designed with games like this in mind.

Mr Khan @ Mar 18th 2008 1:06PM

Agree. Its not like this game is heavy on any kind of anything, really, the power is in the code, not the need to burn resources

I still wonder at the idiocy of that move

pudds @ Mar 18th 2008 12:10PM

Suck!

Deezul @ Mar 18th 2008 12:19PM

Hey PS3 owners - there's this new device that WILL allow you to use the keyboard and mouse. It's called a COMPUTER. You want to play console games, you use a CONSOLE controller. Weird how that works...

Kujel @ Mar 18th 2008 12:37PM

Why would anyone want to use a mouse and keyboard for gaming? Sure it's good for surfing the web and online chatting but not gaming. The M/KB just doesn't sit in your hands as nicely as a gamepad. BTW who really cares if the Wii version was delayed just buy the 360 version, the gameplay will be the same but the graphics will better.

SeriousKriss @ Mar 18th 2008 1:02PM

The keyboard allows for more accesssible keys, and the mouse for more precise pointing, so it's better suited for complex games, or games that require fast & precise aiming. In any case, you can use just about any kind of input device on PC thanks to JoyToKey, you're not limited by the hardware.

Kujel @ Mar 18th 2008 2:43PM

I've yet to find a game that handles better on PC over gamepad, so I'm sticking with the superior control scheme!!!

Jeff @ Mar 18th 2008 3:18PM

My razer mouse is more comfortable than any gamepad. A tiny bit better than the 360 controller, imho, and infinitely better than Sony and Nintendo's garbage.

I think my friend summed it up pretty well. He used to PC game, but started console-gaming once his computer stopped maxing games out (took like 5 years).

You just feel more into it when playing with mouse and keyboard. Aiming is more precise; you can focus on other aspects of the game more because movement/aiming isn't as difficult as with a controller.

For casual games, I prefer a gamepad. But guess what? That's why I have a 360 controller for windows. Works great for Audiosurf, Lost Planet, Gears of War.

Moreover, RTS just don't work with a gamepad. Unless its dumbed down as hell, you need lots of keys and easy movement/unit selection.

Kujel @ Mar 18th 2008 4:12PM

Jeff what the hell are you talking about a M/KB is way more uncomfortable then any gamepad (other then the BSX ones they're equally shitty), as for precision you must just not be able to handle it, I never have trouble with my gamepads.
As to your view of RTSs by dumbed down you mean removing needless polygons that waste system resources then your correct any other aspects remain intact, in fact they're more fun on console. I only buy the console version of games, if it's not available for one of my consoles then I just download it from a torrent site (but mostly only when I don't have the money to buy any new games).

JonFitt @ Mar 18th 2008 5:27PM

As for precision, you're wrong, but there's a reason why you wouldn't know it:
Console FPSs are generally slower and have a ton of auto-aim. Teh l33t Halo-snipaz don't actually have to be that good to get lots of headshots, it's incredibly forgiving, because the developers are aware that you just can't be as accurate on a gamepad. Try using a 360 gamepad on a PC shooter and you'll see.

Kujel @ Mar 18th 2008 8:18PM

JonFitt gamepads are just as if not more precise and no they don't add auto aim. Every time I tried a PC FPS with the gamepad I found it way easier but the M/KB fucked me over. There's more then one reason the consoles are quickly lapping PCs in sales (software and hardware) and the gamepad is most definitely one of them.

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ Mar 18th 2008 10:26PM

I've yet to find a game that handles better on PC over gamepad, so I'm sticking with the superior control scheme!!!

=> One word: Starcraft.

(seriously though, different control schemes for different game designs: game controllers allow you to slouch on a couch in front of a big screen, whereas keyboard+mouse forces you into a more engaging and active stance by sitting up in front of a computer monitor, hence why competitive Counterstrike fans are more attached to keyboard+mouse setups)

Joeshie @ Mar 18th 2008 11:19PM

Kujel, you're an idiot.

I will prove to you that the mouse is a more precise method of controlling.

First, a mouse has more DPI than a controller does. Since you probably have no idea what that is, DPI stands for Dots Per Inch. For a mouse, DPI is essentially the measurement of sensitivity. The more DPI it has, the more sensitive it will become.

Now, lets compare a mouse to an analog input. For an analog, you have around an inch which you change the placement of your stick. For a mouse, you have as much space as you want to change the placement of your stick, but for arguments sake, one usually uses around a few inches to work with.

What does this all mean? It means that in order to my reticle on the screen from point A to point B, I can move my mouse in a fashion that will allow for a smaller margin of error. If I move my mouse a tenth of an inch too far, it won't matter as much as if I moved my analog a tenth of an inch too far. Basically, the mouse's higher DPI and higher allowable range of movement allows the user to move from point A to point B with a higher allowable range of error.

But don't take my word for it, just look at history. FPS games on PC have generally always been much faster paced than console FPS because the reticle on consoles is harder to control. When Epic was designing UT3, they slowed down the pace for the console versions in relation to the PC version. The creators of Shadowrun, who spent a tremendous amount of time balancing out their FPS for console and PC users to play each other, even admitted that the mouse was a more precise method of aiming. Console games have also featured methods of dealing with a console controllers less than accurate aim by adding features such as auto-aim and aim assist.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you can't enjoy an FPS with a controller, but trying to say that using an analog controller is just as easy as a mouse in a FPS game is absurd.

I'm not even going to go into why a mouse AND keyboard is vastly superior for RTS play.

SeriousKriss @ Mar 18th 2008 12:57PM

Heh, they're not stupid. We all saw how the dumbed down Sim City Societies was received by the PC community. A dumbed down version of Civ would probably fail as well.

Korova @ Mar 18th 2008 1:50PM

Duh.

This game has a million PC variants. This is the console variant.

Complaining about this not coming to PC is like complaining that Mickey Mouse chess set is never going to be made of stone - only plastic. It doesnt stop you from playing chess.

QED: duh.

JonFitt @ Mar 18th 2008 6:00PM

Well quite literally it *will* stop lots of Civ fans from playing, and also, I would like to see the reaction we'd get if Final Fantasy 14 or GTA 5 is announced as a PC only game 'never' to be released on consoles.

JonFitt @ Mar 18th 2008 6:04PM

or maybe it'll be like Battlefield: Modern Combat and we can be content that the PC version is just better in every way?

Jeff @ Mar 18th 2008 2:22PM

Good.

Not all games work well on PC, and an RTS designed for consoles would feel nerfed and terrible.

Better not to release a console-centric game on PC than to release it and complain when no one buys it.

BigD145 @ Mar 18th 2008 4:41PM

I'll stick to my modable civ 4.

stewie930 @ Mar 18th 2008 6:12PM

Why would PC Gamers even want this game? It's essentially a dumbed down Civilization.

It looks like its coming along great. I think its cool to see that they might actually be able to pull it off on a console. But it's not a PC game, and it never was going to be a PC game.

Just wait for Civilization 5.