Let’s just get this out of the way right now. I have a little bit of a platonic man crush on Sid Meier. His Civilization strategy games pretty much single-handedly started the whole concept of the “God Game” and, man, don’t even get me started on my unhealthy obsession with Pirates! (the classic PC game, not the filthy pillagers).

It comes as no surprise then that I was overjoyed to see a press release this morning from 2K announcing that they will be publishing Sid Meier’s very first game on the “next” generation of consoles and handhelds (when will people finally stop using the term “next” generation – it confuses me).

The new game, dramatically entitled Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution, is pegged for a spring 2008 release and sounds like it will continue the tried and true gameplay of past Civilization games by offering a robust (and assumed ridiculously addictive) single-player campaign giving the players the opportunity to create a world-encompassing empire, one time period at a time. This new addition to the series also promises extensive multiplayer modes, video and voice chat, and that much sought after “next” (argh!) generation shine!

No word yet on what specific systems this will be released for, but I would bet money on an Xbox360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo DS version as obvious candidates.

While I am always a little dubious of how RTS games will control on a home console, the fact that dreamboat Sid Meier is taking the reigns as lead designer gives me all the confidence in the world. It also helps that he seems to be extra excited about this new iteration in the successful series, saying that “Civilization Revolution is the game I have always wanted to make.” To put it mildly, yay!

Check out the gallery below for some very early artwork and hit the jump for the full, action-packed press release.

2K Announces Civilization® Revolution™ – Sid Meier's First Game for Next Generation Consoles

Legendary designer Sid Meier builds the Civilization® experience from the ground up for consoles

New York, NY – June 28, 2007 – 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today that it will publish Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution , the first next generation game designed by world famous game designer Sid Meier. Slated for a spring 2008 release for next generation consoles and handhelds, Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution is being developed by Firaxis Games™, 2K's world-renowned development studio. 

Sid Meier put computer gaming on the map when he delivered Civilization to the gaming world, launching the "God Game" genre and creating one of the most award-winning and addictive strategy series of all time, including Sid Meier's Civilization IV™, the Gamespy and GameSpot 2005 Game of the Year. Driven by sheer passion for the game concept, Meier is now handcrafting a brand-new Civilization experience designed and built from scratch for next gen consoles and handhelds.

"Civilization Revolution is the game I've always wanted to make!" said Sid Meier, Director of Creative Development at Firaxis Games. "We are excited to take advantage of the power of next generation consoles and the ingenuity of handhelds, to create a great and unique strategy game for newcomers to the series, as well as the millions of fans around the world who enjoy Civilization on the PC."

In Civilization, players strive to become ruler of the world by establishing and leading a civilization from the dawn of man into the space age - waging war, conducting diplomacy, discovering technologies, going head-to-head with some of history's greatest leaders, and building the most powerful empire the world has ever known.

Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution is a watershed game, offering players a chance to experience the epic empire-building world of Civilization in an all new accessible, visually immersive, and action-packed world specifically designed for the console and handheld gamer. Delivering Civilization's renowned epic single-player campaigns featuring vast re-playability and unmatched addictive gameplay as well as revolutionary features like real-time interaction with leaders and advisors, extensive multiplayer capabilities and integrated video and voice chat, it will completely transport the Civilization series to a level of gameplay that fans have never seen before.

"Civilization is one of the world's top selling PC game series with more than 8 million units sold, and continues to be recognized as one of the greatest franchises ever created," said Christoph Hartmann , president of 2K. "We are excited to have Sid Meier getting back to his roots as the game's Lead Designer to carry on its legacy with Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution."

Some of the key features that will resonate with fans of strategy games and the Civilization franchise include 16 civilizations to master and lead to victory, an array of famous historical leaders to play as or compete against, and accessible maps and streamlined time scale for quicker games, intense combat, and constant action. In online multiplayer mode, players will compete for world conquest and glory among their peers as they battle in teams, head-to-head or epic free-for-all matches. In addition, auto-matching, ranked games, leaderboards, achievements, downloadable extra content and integrated video and voice chat make the online play more versatile and fun than any previous version of Civilization and will allow players to see where they stand against the competition. Finally, the position of ruler of the world can be settled online.

Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution will be released in spring 2008 for next generation consoles and handhelds. For more information please visit http://www.civilization.com/.