0 K# u' |* s' m: ^; s' @2 \- h9 O! IThis summer marks a milestone for Civilization -- or, at least, a computer game going by that name. The local game studio Firaxis is taking aim at a new market with its venerable PC game franchise, called Civ for short: the Xbox and PlayStation crowd. 9 P. z7 ?, g; a" f0 \% V- y& y8 \/ G# J3 C9 k1 K
The Civ games, in which players take a young society and guide it to world domination through careful balancing of resources, diplomacy and firepower, are famously cerebral and complex. This is not a type of game that has been a hit on the Xbox or PlayStation, where the blockbusters tend to be more focused on action. Firaxis, based in Hunt Valley, Md., is hoping to change that with its upcoming title, Civilization Revolution, coming out next month. $ o- a+ h7 H. D: t$ t - I2 u& e% h5 F$ wThe video game industry is so young and growing so quickly that it always seems to be in a state of reinvention. This week, for example, Sony announced that a movie download service for its PlayStation 3 console will start this summer. The idea is that PlayStation 3 owners will be able to buy or rent video via the system's built-in wireless Internet connection. Microsoft has a similar online store already in operation for its Xbox 360 console.