Civ V Shipping With Steamworks

[Telefrog]

The next hotly anticipated Civilization game from Sid Meier will ship with Steamworks as its native multiplayer component.

From the official press releas (http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20100506005969&newsLang=en)e:

2K Games and Valve today announced an agreement to power all PC versions of the highly anticipated Sid Meier’s Civilization V with many of Steamworks’ features and offer a special Digital Deluxe Edition via Steam. In addition, customers who pre-order the regular or Digital Deluxe editions of Sid Meier’s Civilization V on Steam will be rewarded with a free map pack when the game launches in fall 2010.

Sid Meier’s Civilization V players will enjoy the benefits of the Steamworks’ features included in all PC versions such as auto-updating, Steam Achievements, downloadable content, multiplayer matchmaking and more.

Sid Meier’s Civilization V Digital Deluxe Edition will expand players’ conquests with the new Babylonian civilization and their ruler, Nebuchadnezzar II (c. 630 – c. 561 B.C.). As King of Babylon, gamers will be able to expand their empire with advanced Babylonian Bowmen to rightfully earn the title of Nebuchadnezzar the Great. Sid Meier’s Civilization V Digital Deluxe Edition will also include an in-depth “Behind the Scenes at Firaxis with Civilization V” video feature, as well as the game’s epic soundtrack.

Gamers who pre-order any version of Sid Meier’s Civilization V from Steam will receive the downloadable bonus content, Cradle of Civilization Map Pack: Mesopotamia, for free when the game is available. The map pack will let players experience the traditional Western and Middle Eastern “Cradle of Civilization.” The pack will include the Fertile Crescent with the Nile River valley to the west and extending east down the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys to the Persian Gulf. Leaders will be able to explore new terrain, cultures and conquests.

For those who can’t wait for the immersive experience of Sid Meier’s Civilization V, 2K Games is proud to offer a Steam-wide sale on all previous Civilization titles for a limited time beginning today.

[Hotcod]

Win, pure and utter win.

[Telefrog]

I like Steamworks being used as the multiplayer component, but I am definitely NOT a fan of locking Babylonia out unless you buy the "deluxe" edition.

That is not win.

[Panthera]

I like Steamworks being used as the multiplayer component, but I am definitely NOT a fan of locking Babylonia out unless you buy the "deluxe" edition.

That is not win.

I came here to say exactly this. I'm fine with Steamworks, but yeah - it's silly for a strategy game to have lockouts like that.

[jpublic]

It's Civ 5. It's on Steam.

Well, that's $60 gone.

[Acidpoptart]

I like Steamworks being used as the multiplayer component, but I am definitely NOT a fan of locking Babylonia out unless you buy the "deluxe" edition.

That is not win.

Agreed. That is pretty damn lame. -1 point for Civ5.

[Xydarc]

I want this game very very much. However, I am a little sad that Impulse and Direct2Drive have been locked out of selling it.

[J Arcane]

Agreed. That is pretty damn lame. -1 point for Civ5.
Thankfully, it started with about 12,000, so I think it'll do alright.

[nabokovfan87]

I want this game very very much. However, I am a little sad that Impulse and Direct2Drive have been locked out of selling it.

Doesn't steam works mean that like hl2, orange box, etc. if you buy the game you have to add the cd-key to your steam account to be able to play if you buy the disc version? To me, not having to worry about backing up my saves is worth not having other digital download avenues.

[Telefrog]

Doesn't steam works mean that like hl2, orange box, etc. if you buy the game you have to add the cd-key to your steam account to be able to play if you buy the disc version? To me, not having to worry about backing up my saves is worth not having other digital download avenues.

Yes, we remember your idiotic stance on having no competition.

[nabokovfan87]

Ugh, honestly you would want to search through my documents/program files/app data and look for the correct save? How bout you take your anger out on gog, impulse, and d2d for not offering that service?

[Arphahat]

Let's not get personal. Also, I'll note that I don't see where it says that other digital distribution stores are locked out. Could it not be possible for them to still sell keys?

[Jackel]

Let's not get personal. Also, I'll note that I don't see where it says that other digital distribution stores are locked out. Could it not be possible for them to still sell keys?

Typically the other digital distributers have refused to offer games that only use Steamworks.

[Jujitsu]

Altough I will certanly like this game A LOT, I really dislike the idea of this game being released only on Steam.
Steam being the only digital distribution platform in the market, is in my opinion a very very bad thing, as it monopolizes the market.
Right now, with other digital distribution products making competition it's much healthier, if Steam was the only choice, it would only be bad for all of us.

[Telefrog]

Typically the other digital distributers have refused to offer games that only use Steamworks.

Correct. They do not like the way Steamworks requires the user to install and run the Steam storefront thereby taking away future customers.

Here's Brad Wardell's take on the Civ V announcement:

Well clearly I won't be modding or getting Civ V now.

[nabokovfan87]

Typically the other digital distributers have refused to offer games that only use Steamworks.

Let me make this as simple so you all can see how steam isn't doing it wrong, and I am not doing this to defend anyone but to show how company xxxx has there head in the sand.

Xbox has trophies, steam added them, now all xbox games on steam get trophies. If steam has a save your save functionality then every other place that has digitial distribution could add that into their client as well, and map command a from steam to command b from impulse/gog/d2d or whatever. Just because steam offers something other don't shouldn't be a knock against a company trying to innovate the digital distribution platform, knock the ones not keeping up.

[Doogie2K]

How common is Cloud saving in Steam games at this point, though? The only one I have currently on my computer is Torchlight...

[GigaFuzz]

How common is Cloud saving in Steam games at this point, though? The only one I have currently on my computer is Torchlight...

Trine, and I think Modern Warfare 2 as well. Not many though.

[Doogie2K]

Trine, and I think Modern Warfare 2 as well. Not many though.

Oh right, Trine does, too. I thought I had two cloud logos, but couldn't think of the other one.

[nabokovfan87]

How common is Cloud saving in Steam games at this point, though? The only one I have currently on my computer is Torchlight...

Here is a url that searches steam and lists all the steam cloud games, of which:

http://store.steampowered.com/search/?adv=0&term=&category1=&developer=&publisher=&category2=23&genre=&priceLow=&priceHigh=

Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter/The Second Encounter
Just Cause 2
COD4:MW2
Beat Hazard
L4D/L4D2
Lead and Gold: Gangs of the west
Metro 2033
Nuclear dawn
Shatter
Rocket Knight
Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom
Simplz Zoo
Sol Survivor
AvP (new one)
Torchlight
Toki Tori
Galcon Fusion
Zero Gear
Bob Came in Pieces
Madballs in Babo: Invasion
Trine
Everyday Genius
Zombie Bowl-a-rama
Dream Killer
Zeno Clash
Nation Red (badass game)
Quantz
Texas Cheat'em
Bionic Commando
AA3
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

So thats 33 titles.

[Doogie2K]

...out of 2,461.

It's a start, anyway, and a lot of that is because of the scads of old games they've added in the alst couple of years. I imagine it'll be a more prominent feature going forward.

[Stoke]

Pumped about CivV but disappointed in Steamworks since I prefer Impulse. Really disappointed with the delux stuff. It says "Digital Delux," and I'm thinking that that's probably because this is a Steam announcement, but I really hope that comes with the boxed copy as well. I'd hate to miss out on a civilization because I prefer to own the box/manual.

[Telefrog]

Pumped about CivV but disappointed in Steamworks since I prefer Impulse. Really disappointed with the delux stuff. It says "Digital Delux," and I'm thinking that that's probably because this is a Steam announcement, but I really hope that comes with the boxed copy as well. I'd hate to miss out on a civilization because I prefer to own the box/manual.

They've already confirmed that the "Deluxe" stuff will only be available on Steam. :(

[Stoke]

They've already confirmed that the "Deluxe" stuff will only be available on Steam. :(

Damnit. Hopefully there will be mods to replace it soon after launch.

[jeffbax]

Now the curious thing is, will the Civ5 for Mac be Steam Play compatible? Usually it comes later from a porting house, which makes me think it wouldn't be, at least not initially.

[nabokovfan87]

Now the curious thing is, will the Civ5 for Mac be Steam Play compatible? Usually it comes later from a porting house, which makes me think it wouldn't be, at least not initially.

On steam anything with a mac version is labeled as "steam play". They arent like pther places where they make you buy the pc and then the mac version, if you have one you get the other when it becomes available.

[Doogie2K]

Now the curious thing is, will the Civ5 for Mac be Steam Play compatible? Usually it comes later from a porting house, which makes me think it wouldn't be, at least not initially.

Civ IV (http://store.steampowered.com/sub/4323/) is labelled Steam Play, so it should be.

[jeffbax]

On steam anything with a mac version is labeled as "steam play". They arent like pther places where they make you buy the pc and then the mac version, if you have one you get the other when it becomes available.

That's cause they are all games that are either

1) Old
2) Came out at the start with Mac and PC support

When Civ V hits, it will likely not hit Mac until months later and the PC version (and Steam version) is much cheaper. The Mac version would come at full price. We do not know for sure what this means for the Steam version. Will it only be "Steam Play" after a while? Will the PC price go back up when the Mac one hits? Will by some strange piece of luck the PC and Mac version come out at the same time?

There are quite a few unknowns with how this affects the regular Mac game release.
Civ IV (http://store.steampowered.com/sub/4323/) is labelled Steam Play, so it should be.
See above, Civ IV was out for a long time on Mac and PC when Steam came out.