Looking back across the Civilization series, things have changed dramatically in the 25 years since the first game hit shelves and set the benchmark for what it means to be a ‘strategy game’. In that time we’ve seen Civ titles jump from 2D to 3D, introduce mods, online multiplayer and perhaps most importantly of all, hexagonal tiles. However, one thing has always remained a constant. One person has been there throughout this entire journey.
The game’s original designer and the man with his name on the box, Sid Meier.
Ahead of the release of Civilization 6 on Friday, I spoke to Meier about why he chose to hand over the reigns as lead designer after his first attempt. You can join us both in the video below.
25 years of Civilization: We talk with Sid Meier Watch on YouTube
In the past when publishing interviews in this style, we’ve seen that some commenters would prefer to read a transcript rather than watch a lengthy video. Ideally, we’d like to offer both options with every interview, but that’s not always the best use of our time. However, I think we can probably make an exception here. It is Sid Meier, after all.
So first of all, congratulations on 25 years of Civilization. That’s an incredible achievement.
Sid Meier: Thank you! We certainly didn’t imagine, back in the days of Civ 1, that we’d be around for 25 years. But it’s really a compliment to our fans and the community and the support they’ve given us. Yeah, I think we do feel it’s a special time to be able to release Civ 6. It’s just very cool. Very cool.
Back when you were working on Civ 1, did you always know it was something you’d want to iterate on? Did you know there’d even be a Civ 2 at that stage?
Sid Meier: The answer is no. When I finished Civ 1, I was pretty much exhausted and ready to do something different. That’s actually been the case with a lot of the Civ designers. You’ll see a new person come along and take the reigns and add their energy and their new ideas to it. So, one of the things that’s kind of unique about the Civ series is how, you know, I basically designed Civ 1 and then Brian Reynolds came and added his ideas to Civ 2, and then Jeff Briggs and Soren…