The Penny Arcade Expo turned the city of Boston into a center of gaming culture for three days, and Firaxis was there to give the public their first live look at Civilization V. Civilization fans from around the world signed up for the demo time slots, or were treated to special VIP-only sessions to see the game, and the response was tremendous! No sooner did the expo hall open each day than a line formed around the 2K Games booth with people eager to register to see Civilization V.
The line to get into the Civilization V demo wrapped around two sides of the booth!
The demonstration began with an overview of the world map and how the change from square to hexagonal tiles allows for a very organic-looking and inviting world. From there, the demo covered improved accessibility of the user interface and the role of advisors in providing gameplay advice to new and returning Civ players. Then a later save was loaded, showing how the civilization might progress over time. A scout met the Japanese civilization, and the audience met Oda Nobunaga for the first time. The demonstration also covered how city-states can drive diplomacy between major civilizations, and how both culture and gold can drive the growth of a civilization. The demonstration ended with a quick display of military power, showing off the new combat system for Civilization V, including ranged combat and the besieging of cities.
The atmosphere of PAX was positive and enthusiastic for the whole weekend. This was a gamers’ convention, put on by fans of gaming, and as we were leaving Boston to come back to Firaxis, we wished we could have had “one more turn” of PAX.
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