Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution is out in the PAL lands and reviews on the "accessible," console-centric interpretation of the epic franchise are coming in. The common thread running through many of the reviews (for better or worse) is that Revolution isn't a console port of the PC's excellent Civilization IV; a point the developers have been incessantly repeating since Revolution was first shown last year. The Xbox 360, PS3 and DS versions of Civ Rev will be available in North America July 8.

• Xbox World 360 (85/100): "Away from the main single-player campaign you'll find a number of scenarios to tackle, there's the promise of a free downloadable 'game of the week' and the Live multiplayer options are comprehensive. While far from as deep as the PC games, Revolution is a fine achievement, extremely accessible and great fun to play."
• Eurogamer (80/100): "Unfortunately, I'd be lying, as the many punches Civ Rev pulls means its exhilaration is so often followed by slight dissatisfaction. An 8 may not be enough to convince cynical minds to suck it and see, which is a terrible shame. This slick new Civilization may be more reduction than Revolution, but it's easily one of the most distinctive games on 360 and PS3."
• NZGamer (75/100): "For new players, it may be a stepping stone to true greatness. Fans of the older Civ games may enjoy it for nostalgia. It may also serve as a 'nicotine patch' for megalomaniacs; a healthier alternative to wasting whole days taking over the world. The serious Civ fans, however, should keep to their PCs: this one isn't for them."

In GameDaily's 10 Questions feature, Sid Meier explains what happened to the delayed Wii version of his upcoming console-based Civilization Revolution. Meier explains that the company is still trying to decide what to do about the Wii version, but says the console is fantastic and they have "no intentions of turning [their] backs on it."

With work now finished on the Xbox 360, PS3 and DS versions of Civ Rev, it appears the title is on track for a July 8 release. The Civ Rev demo is currently available on Xbox 360 and PS3 to try out the streamlined, yet surprisingly Civ-feeling, console game.

2K Games announced today that they'll release Civilization IV: Colonization sometime this autumn. Don't let the title fool you, the game is a stand-alone product (meaning it doesn't require Civ IV) and is an update of the classic strategy game, Colonization, by Sid Meier and Brian Reynolds back in the Microprose days.

Colonization has players leading one of four European nations trying to take over the New World. 2K Games says the title will feature "all-new graphics" -- although we can't tell much difference from Civ IV -- along with improved diplomacy. Considering it's a stand-alone product, we understand the Civ IV name was put in the title to sell more copies; however, we hope Colonization doesn't feel like a missing member from the "scenarios" available in Civ IV: Beyond the Sword., many of which could arguably have been stand-alone products.

Gamespot reports that a demo for console-centric Civilization Revolution will be available tomorrow on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The demo will fill about 1.08 gigglebytes of hard drive space and include both single and multiplayer demos. Players will have the option of playing as Cleopatra or Caesar up until 1250 AD in the turn-based strategy game.

The demo will become available tomorrow beginning at 5AM EST on Xbox Live and as part of the PSN update sometime during the afternoon. We're definitely looking forward to testing out the demo and seeing if our civilization will stand the test of time survive until 1250 AD. Civilization Revolution is currently scheduled to release on July 8 for Xbox 360, PS3 and DS.

[Via X3F, Thanks Jonah]

2K Games announced today that Sid Meier has been entered into the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008 as the industry's most award-winning developer. Currently working on Civilization Revolution, Meier's awards span a lengthy career so far, with his latest being the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2008 Game Developers Choice Awards.

Meier took the opportunity to thank the critics for their recognition over the years and to plug Civ Revolution in his statement. Speaking of which, buried at the bottom of the press release was the news that Civ Revolution has been delayed until July 8 from its expected June 3 release. Perhaps the delay will allow Meier some time to figure out where he'll store all the Revolution awards?

Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution now has a nice little official site in a corner of the internet to explore, expand, exploit and exterminate. The site for the "it's totally not a port" console version of Civilization provides general information about the game, along with a developer podcast explaining what makes Revolution different from the PC version.

The need to explain by the developers and 2K Games that Revolution is not a "dumbed down" version of Civilization is so pervasive that there's also a Q&A section on the site that tries to explain as much. Revolution will be available on Xbox 360, PS3 and DS on June 3 ... the Wii version is currently on hold.

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.

Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword (PC)

Please, make the addiction stop! Civilization IV: Warlords, the first expansion for Civ IV, made my "Best of the Rest" last year and Beyond the Sword tops this year's list. The funny thing is I'm not a Civ fanboy, nor am I even that great of a player (Full Disclosure: I still play on Noble level), but Civ IV is a game I can come back to over and over again. Beyond the Sword added much-needed mechanics for culture-prone and passive-aggressive players, with enhancements in espionage and other concepts "beyond the sword." Oh, and just to keep last year's tradition going: Firaxis (2K, Take-Two), please get the rights to Alpha Centauri back from EA and give us a sequel!

Of all the webcomics made for Firaxis' Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword, Tim Buckley of Ctrl+Alt+Del had his pair of comics voted most popular by a closer-than-usual margin. The strips played on historical anachronisms and World Wonder rule sets. We're really hoping voters didn't choose the strip for the Buttsylvania line.

Second place goes to Dueling Analogs' Steve Napierski (our favorite), and third place to Scott Kurtz of PVP Online. Thanks to everyone who voted, and since we're returning to our usual routine next week, be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomics you stumble upon this week (and last week, too).

Here at Joystiq, we pride ourselves on being like that father who always made his kids compete for his affection. Except these aren't our kids, so it's even crueler. Firaxis joined forces with a handful of webcomics to create strips based on Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword. So it's with an evil but loving grin that we throw all the participating webcomics we could find (if we missed one, let us know and we'll throw our hands in the air say "oops!") and have our beloved readers vote on who did the best job with the source material.

	Fashion Faux Pas
	Technological gaps
	Deal or no Deal (also: there can only be one)
	"We've got pointy sticks."
	Self-referential three-parter (Zero, One, Two)
	Starving, indeed

While talking with Firaxis about Civilization: Beyond the Sword and its space scenarios, it had to be asked whether we'll ever see the return of Alpha Centauri and its cast of characters bent on controlling the living planet. Producers from Firaxis and some representatives from 2K weren't opposed to the idea.

Yes, Brian Reynolds (Big Huge Games), who designed the original game with Sid Meier has moved on and then there is the tricky issue that EA owns the rights. However, the Firaxis crew said if EA wouldn't be opposed to giving that up, there might be an opportunity for a sequel. It's the best and only chance for Firaxis to ever return gamers to Alpha Centauri. One producer for Firaxis turned around and said, "We could make 'Sid Meier's Space-something,' we have a great group to do that, but it just wouldn't be the same." No, it really wouldn't. Come on EA, it's not like you're doing anything with the series, work out a deal.

Firaxis flat out says that Civilization IV's expansion, Beyond the Sword, is so huge, that it's actually more like Civilization IV.V (4.5). Much of the information was already known. The regular game looks fine, they're adding more non-military options and corporations in the game have a similar effect as religion. They also introduce spys which act in a similar way to diplomats in the original Civilization.

What they did show off which was interesting was the scenarios. Unlike the previous Civ expansion Warlords, Beyond the Sword has a whole outer space scenario with completely new graphics and a alien-style game called Afterworld. The expansion comes with many different scenarios that don't really change the game as much as they are completely different games just using the Civ engine as a springboard..

The actual Civ IV game looks like it's going to get some fresh air by allowing players to start later in the game if they want to experience the new content which is designed to make the end of the game more exciting and not feel like you're just pushing through it. Let's face it, most people know whether they can win or lose by the time the B.C. to A.D. switch happens. Beyond the Sword is expected to give peaceful players (an ironic) fighting chance to win the game. The game will release July 23 and it just looks like anybody still playing Civ IV might find the game worth getting, especially if it cleans up the end of the game.

The saga of Civilization coming to consoles and portables via Civilization Revolution has been marred by one particularly vexing question, namely: which consoles and portables is it actually coming to? When the game was first announced a few weeks ago, 2K's press release ambiguously said it was coming to "next generation consoles and handhelds" in Spring 2008. Then word broke that it might not be coming to Wii. Now, a new press release on 2K Games' E3 lineup lists a Wii version of the game coming in Fall 2008, well after Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and DS versions in Spring 2008. A PSP version was not listed in the release.

What in the name of all civilization is going on? A spokesperson for 2K Games said a PSP version has not been announced and could not confirm either way whether one was in development. As for the Wii version, the spokesperson confirmed that it is coming but had no comment on why it would be so late. Who knows how many more system permutations will be speculated before the game finally comes out.

Watch out for the 2K Games lineup for this week's E3 2007; it's mighty massive. Despite the appearance of an already-released title (The Darkness), Irrational's BioShock will more than make way with Big Brother demanding your full attention ... or else. The lineup, and attached release dates:

• BioShock (Xbox 360; August 21)
  
• Civilization Revolution (Xbox 360, PS3, and DS in Spring 2008; Wii in Fall 2008)
  
• The Darkness (Xbox 360, PS3)
  
• All-Pro Footbal 2K8 (Xbox 360, PS3; July 2007)
  
• NHL 2K8 (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2; Fall 2007)

Those holding out to see (or have us see, rather) Manhunt 2 need not worry, as this does not include 2K parent publisher Take Two's E3 lineup.

Just a few hours after the good news hit, Take 2 has released a trailer for the upcoming Civilization Revolution game our handheld and console systems are already salivating for. Ok, so no actual gameplay is shown, just a bunch of orchestral music, pre-rendered cut scenes, and marketing speak reminding us why Civilization is one of the coolest franchises we've ever played. But come on ... this is Civilization. On your DS. On your Xbox 360. How great is that?