Release date confirmed

[Loppan Torkel]

Sooner than expected.

2K Games Conquers PCs with the Release of Sid Meier’s Civilization® V on September 21, 2010 in North America

New York, NY – June 11, 2010 – 2K Games announced today that Sid Meier’s Civilization® V will be available in North America on September 21, 2010 and internationally on September 24, 2010 for Windows PC. Sid Meier’s Civilization® V is currently in development at Firaxis Games. The Sid Meier’s Civilization franchise has been recognized as one of the greatest PC game franchises of all time, captivating millions of gamers around the world.

Sid Meier’s Civilization V reinvigorates the classic turn-based strategy genre with an astonishing new engine built from the ground-up for this flagship edition of the Civilization franchise. Players are introduced to a heightened tactical combat system; vast, realistic landscapes to explore; deeper diplomatic interactions; and an array of expanded features that deliver a fully immersive experience providing hours of entertainment as players build and defend their empire on their quest to become the greatest ruler the world has ever known. Additionally, the new in-game community hub allows Civ fans to share content and compete against each other without leaving the game, marking a new era that will forever change the “one more turn” addiction of the franchise.

Sid Meier’s Civilization V will be viewable by invitation during E3 2010 at 2K’s booth (South Hall, #2823). Sid Meier's Civilization V is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information on Sid Meier's Civilization V, please visit www.civilization5.com.

2K Games is a division of 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

 

[Mercade]

Excellent find! Where was this posted, btw? Can you add a link?

 

[Svip]

Why is there a North America release date and an international release date if it is released via Steam? I usually thought the reason for releasing afterwards in Europe was distribution issues and such.

 

[CoolLizy]

Why is there a North America release date and an international release date if it is released via Steam? I usually thought the reason for releasing afterwards in Europe was distribution issues and such.

Even though they're releasing it through Steam, there's still going to be boxed copies.

 

[Ahriman]

And Steam sometimes does staggered regional distribution too; its all at the discretion of the publisher.

 

[mjs0]

...
vast, realistic landscapes to explore;
...

I am very encouraged by this choice of words.
Perhaps the maps will be larger than some had been fearing.

 

[Junuxx]

whoo!

 

[2K Greg]

Excellent find! Where was this posted, btw? Can you add a link?

It's here on the official website:
http://www.civilization5.com/#/news/releasedate

 

[jabberwalkee_]

Oh no....right in the middle of Semester. My law studies are doomed!

 

[Mercade]

It's here on the official website:
http://www.civilization5.com/#/news/releasedate

Oh, duh. I read that yesterday but totally didn't pick up on it. Good news.

 

[CTH]

2K greg: any comment on why the release date is different depending on where you are? It is digital after all...

 

[Avs]

2K greg: any comment on why the release date is different depending on where you are? It is digital after all...

Publishers have to secure distribution rights in different countries. Every region and country has its own laws. This is no different from Australia charging more $ for each game than the rest of the world. Or why Germany bans gore in games like Left 4 Dead.

You'll notice this is normal for 90% of all games out there, even all the big title games. Why was the iPad delayed for a month in Europe and Japan? Same reasons, and it also is good practice to check supply/demand so you don't go overcapacity on production. Anyways, I doubt 2K will give you the real reasons why.

Civ5 is not 100% digital either. Steam is subject to the publisher. The publisher is subject to international law. International law is specific to each country as well, so for some games it varies from country to country. As US is one of the most developed game industries, its generally the first places to get any game release (unless the product is developed in Japan or elsewhere).

Edit: The release date was mentioned for September 21st 2010, since February 2010. I found it strange that all the interviews said September 2010 when that information has been out there ever since the first tidbits of news came rolling in through 1UP.com and IGN and Gamespot previews. It was also mentioned here once. Or maybe I was the only one who knew about this.

 

[tom2050]

I'm going to have to sleep overnight in the parking lot of the store of my choice to make sure I get a brand new fresh copy (which is part of the fun!). I would digital download, but Steam has twisted my Valve in the wrong way.

 

[Decius]

Great to see a release date, and it is sooner than I had expected.
Next, I'm looking forward to some information about what hardware we will need/want to run the game.

 

[Sparthage]

Well, I can kiss school goodbye. Now I can prep my tent for the night before.

 

[Gamemaster77]

Well, I can kiss school goodbye. Now I can prep my tent for the night before.

Get a little fire going, mabye a harmonics, couple friends...

 

[CTH]

Publishers have to secure distribution rights in different countries. Every region and country has its own laws. This is no different from Australia charging more $ for each game than the rest of the world. Or why Germany bans gore in games like Left 4 Dead.

You'll notice this is normal for 90% of all games out there, even all the big title games. Why was the iPad delayed for a month in Europe and Japan? Same reasons, and it also is good practice to check supply/demand so you don't go overcapacity on production. Anyways, I doubt 2K will give you the real reasons why.

Civ5 is not 100% digital either. Steam is subject to the publisher. The publisher is subject to international law. International law is specific to each country as well, so for some games it varies from country to country. As US is one of the most developed game industries, its generally the first places to get any game release (unless the product is developed in Japan or elsewhere).

Edit: The release date was mentioned for September 21st 2010, since February 2010. I found it strange that all the interviews said September 2010 when that information has been out there ever since the first tidbits of news came rolling in through 1UP.com and IGN and Gamespot previews. It was also mentioned here once. Or maybe I was the only one who knew about this.

Most blizzard games has been world wide release at the same time (at least since Diablo 2 and I am not so sure about WoW), starcraft 2 will be world wide, and all has been physical distributed. Overproduction is something that wont really affect the digital distribution that steam is. And distribution rights, well if they managed to get the exact same date in the whole world except the US, I dont think that it would be impossible to release it world wide at the same time. I can understand that the shipping to stores could take some time and that localization could take some time to, but for the people that want to buy it on steam and want a English edition I cant see any reason to why they cant buy it at the same time as the US.

And they have one good reason to have a world wide release, piracy... if the fastest way to get the game is to buy it, it will be less people illegally downloading it. (I estimate it taking around 24 hours between a US release and a cracked version), another reason would be that we Europeans would be happier

 

[Mercade]

21 September 2010 is a Tuesday.
24 September 2010 is a Friday.
To not disrupt your working week, a release date on Friday isn't so bad
Maybe now we'll also see more stores offering pre-orders with a release date confirmed.

 

[StittsvilleJame]

Why is there a "North American" release date and an "International release date"?
Doesn't North America have multiple countries in it, and therefore, is also international?
How many "Ameros" is it going to cost?

September is good though.

 

[Svip]

Why is there a "North American" release date and an "International release date"?
Doesn't North America have multiple countries in it, and therefore, is also international?
How many "Ameros" is it going to cost?

September is good though.

North America usually refers to Canada and the United States in this sense. From a lot of publishing and distribution purposes, companies sees Canada and the United States as 'one entry', its laws are usually pretty close to one another for licencing and such. International, for these firms, often refer to what is not the United States and Canada.