Civilization posts

We have a strong feeling that starting tomorrow, PC gaming news may be on the slow side until the first full week in January. Unlike some gaming web sites that shut down during this time period we will still be around. Indeed look for some cool features on Big Download starting next week.

• Here's a shocker: Someone has made a PC sex game using an Xbox 360 Kinect hack.
• Steam has new automatic updates for the Mac port of Civilization V and Flight Control HD.
• Crysis and Crysis 2's Nanosuit has won a design award in the real world.
• As promised, the beta test for the PC port of Monday Night Combat has begun for all pre-orders.
• A major new patch for Patrician IV has been released via the game's auto updater; here are the patch notes.

We have to admit it: we are total Civilization junkies. Stick us in front of any game with Civilization in the title or Civilization designers at the helm, and we'll love it. So it's absolutely no surprise that we love Civilization 5. After all, every game in the series has been well-received by both critics and consumers, and this latest iteration is no exception. While it goes without saying that we feel Civilization 5 is definitely worth a purchase, there are a slew of changes that both improve and detract from the experience. The result is a Civilization game that, while familiar and enjoyable, plays quite a bit differently from its predecessors. Unlike Civilization 4, it doesn't replace its forebears, but rather offers an alternate vision of what Civilization should be like.

Less than a week after the game was released, Civilization V has gotten its first patch for the latest game in the turn-based strategy game series. The patch, released via Steam, updates the title from developer Firaxis Games and publisher 2K Games.

In addition to a number of crash bugs that have been fixed, this first patch deals with some other issues such as some mod download and install fixes. It also records a player name correctly in the game's Hall of Fame if the name has some special characters. It also restarts the game in Windowed mode if it cannot start in a full screen mode.

Despite having a stellar main series, Civilization is hardly the only game of its kind. Even among the designers and devlopers of Firaxis there are multiple offshoots, with many later feeding concepts back into the main series. It's an interesting evolutionary process that makes each main Civilization game better - in different ways - through variation. One can't look back on the Civilization series and merely ignore the side games, otherwise one will miss many of the inspirations behind complex, entertaining features in the main series.

Civilization as a series is one of the great constants of PC gaming. Started almost two decades ago, it's been going strong the entire time. Every release in the main series has been, critically and commercially, a blockbuster. With Civilization V coming out, it's important to take a look back at the previous games in the series. After all, Civilization is a series built on the shoulders of both its predecessors and offshoots. Even though many of today's gamers weren't even born for the first few Civilization games, they still remain hallmarks of complex, yet accessible, game design.

Several months ago the creator of the popular Civilization IV mod Fall From Heaven announced that plans were underway to turn the fantasy-themed mod into a stand alone commercial game. Unfortunately it looks like those plans are now on hold. The game's official forums at Civilization Fanatics have now been updated with word that development of the Fall From Heaven game is now on hold.

As usual the issue was with money, with the creator Derek "Kael" Paxton stating, "There were 2 ways this project could have been financed, both fell through." The game itself was going to be called Fall From Heaven Tactics and would have let the player participate in "tactical level battles" in the game's universe. While the stand alone game is on hold it sounds like fans of the mod will get something with Paxton stating, "There will be more FfH projects." Perhaps a mod for Civilization V?

[Via Rock Paper Shotgun]

Today's the day a lot of gamers will be losing tons of work time as they play Sid Meier's Civilization V. The latest game in the turn based strategy series from developer Firaxis Games and publisher 2K Games shipped to stores today and was also released via Steam.

But we also know that some of you might lack the money to purchase the full game on your own. That's why we at Big Download want to give two of our readers a Steam code to download the Digital Deluxe version of Civilization V. Yes, soon two of you will be able to raise your civilization, fight off and take over other nations and blow stuff up with nukes. It's fun. :)

How do you win? It's very simple

• To enter, post a comment on this contest page.
• The comment must be left before 11:59 pm Eastern Time on Sunday, September 26
• You may enter only once.
• Two winners will be selected in a random drawing.
• The winners will be sent a Steam code to download the Digital Deluxe version of Sid Meier's Civilization V (valued at approximately $59.99)
• Click Here for complete Official Rules. You must be a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec) who is 18 years or older to enter this contest

Our thanks to 2K Games for providing the codes for this contest. Good luck to all who enter our latest giveaway.

As promised Sid Meier's Civilization V is now available in stores and also unlocked and available for people who pre-ordered via Steam. The latest in the turn-based strategy series from developer Firaxis Games and publisher 2K Games also comes with a playable demo on Steam as well. There's no word yet if there will be a stand alone demo for the game.

Installing Civilization V also lets the player participate in a special charity event. 2K Games is donating $250,000 to four education-based charities: Room to Read, Scholarship America, Building Schools for Africa and Central Asia Institute. People who purchase the game can determine how much of the money is given to each charity by selecting one of the four choices during the game's install process.

With the release of Civilization V now just one week away, folks may be wondering which pre-order offers for the turn-based strategy game sequel to grab. Thankfully the game's official web site has posted up a full list of which retailers are offering pre-order specials for the Firaxis Games-developed title.

WalMart pre-orders get The Americas map pack (shown above) while Amazon.com orders will get the Asian map pack. GameStop pre-orders will obtain the Mediterranean map pack and Steam pre-orders will get the Mesopotamia map pack. As we have previous reported. Direct2Drive pre-orders for Civilization V will get Civilization III for free along with a free scenario map pack. All of the pre-order map packs will be made available to everyone after the game is released as paid downloadable content.

Ubisoft's tricky RTS game R.U.S.E. found itself on top of Steam's top 10 best selling PC games list (based on revenue) for the past week. In second place comes Frictional Games' first person horror adventure came Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Civilization V is moving up the ladder ahead of its September 21 release date. It came in the number three spot on Steam's list. In a bit of a surprise, the Japanese import RPG game Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale came in fourth place. The full list is below.

1. R.U.S.E. - Eugen Systems/Ubisoft
2. Amnesia: The Dark Descent - Frictional Games
3. Sid Meier's Civilization V - Firaxis Games/2K Games
4. Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale - EasyGameStation
5. Mafia II: Jimmy's Vendetta DLC - 2K Czech/2K Games
6. Battlefield Bad Company 2 - Digital Illusions/EA
7. Mafia II - 2K Czeck/2K Games
8. Blood Bowl - Cyanide Studio/Focus Home Interactive
9. Worms Reloaded - Team17
10. Company of Heroes Complete Pack - Relic/THQ