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{{Infobox Biography |
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| subject_name = Sid Meier--> |
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− | Sidney K. "Sid" Meier (born February 24, 1954) is a Canadian programmer and designer of several popular computer strategy games, most notably Civilization. He has won accolades for his contributions to the computer games industry. Meier is a Director of Creative Development for computer game developer Firaxis Games, which he co-founded with Jeff Briggs and [[Brian Reynolds]] in 1996. |
+ | '''Sidney K. "Sid" Meier''' (born February 24, 1954) is a Canadian programmer and designer of several popular computer strategy games, most notably ''Civilization''. He has won accolades for his contributions to the computer games industry. Meier is a Director of Creative Development for computer game developer Firaxis Games, which he co-founded with Jeff Briggs and [[Brian Reynolds]] in 1996. |
==Career== |
==Career== |
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− | Sid Meier founded [[MicroProse]] together with [ |
+ | Sid Meier founded [[MicroProse]] together with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Stealey Bill Stealey] in 1982. At MicroProse, Meier developed the game series for which he is most widely recognized, ''[[Civilization (original game)|Civilization]]''. Meier eventually left MicroProse and in 1996 founded [[Firaxis Games]] along with veteran gaming executive [[Jeff Briggs]]. Today Firaxis makes strategy games, many of which are follow-ups to classic Meier titles, such as ''[[Civilization IV]]'' and ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_Meier%27s_Pirates! Pirates!]''.[[File:Sid_Meir_conference.jpg|thumb|Sid Meier at the 2010 Game Developers Conference]] |
− | In 1999, Meier became the second person to be inducted into the [[wikipedia:Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame|Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame]]. The first to receive that honor was [ |
+ | In 1999, Meier became the second person to be inducted into the [[wikipedia:Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame|Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame]]. The first to receive that honor was [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigeru_Miyamoto Shigeru Miyamoto] from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo Nintendo]. |
− | Sid Meier is not always the main designer on titles that carry his name. For instance, [[Brian Reynolds]] has been credited as the primary designer behind ''[[Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri]]'' and ''Sid Meier's [[Colonization]]''[http://archive.gamespy.com/e32002/special/reynolds/][http://www.gamespot.com/features/sidlegacy/colon.html], while [[Soren Johnson]] held that role |
+ | Sid Meier is not always the main designer on titles that carry his name. For instance, [[Brian Reynolds]] has been credited as the primary designer behind ''[[Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri]]'' and ''Sid Meier's [[Colonization]]''[http://archive.gamespy.com/e32002/special/reynolds/][http://www.gamespot.com/features/sidlegacy/colon.html], while [[Soren Johnson]] held that role in ''Sid Meier's [[Civilization IV]]''. Currently Meier's role appears to be that of a creative director, simultaneously contributing to multiple projects. |
Meier worked with a team on a dinosaur themed game starting early 2000, but announced in an online development diary on 24 January 2001 that the game had been shelved. Despite trying various approaches, including turn-based and real-time gameplay, he said he found no way to make the concept fun enough. In August 2005, Meier said ''"We've been nonstop busy making other games over the past several years, so the dinosaur game remains on the shelf. However, I do love the idea of a dinosaur game and would like to revisit it when I have some time."''[http://www.firaxis.com/community/asksid_archive.php?n_id=1] |
Meier worked with a team on a dinosaur themed game starting early 2000, but announced in an online development diary on 24 January 2001 that the game had been shelved. Despite trying various approaches, including turn-based and real-time gameplay, he said he found no way to make the concept fun enough. In August 2005, Meier said ''"We've been nonstop busy making other games over the past several years, so the dinosaur game remains on the shelf. However, I do love the idea of a dinosaur game and would like to revisit it when I have some time."''[http://www.firaxis.com/community/asksid_archive.php?n_id=1] |
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− | Meier currently lives in [[wikipedia:Hunt Valley, Maryland|Hunt Valley, Maryland]] with his wife, Susan, and son, Ryan. |
+ | Meier currently lives in [[wikipedia:Hunt Valley, Maryland|Hunt Valley, Maryland]] with his wife, Susan, and son, Ryan. |
==Trivia== |
==Trivia== |
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− | * Sid Meier's likeness is used in ''Sid Meier's Civilization'' and ''Sid Meier's [[Civilization III]]'' for the game's science [[File:Sid.png|thumb|Sid Meier]] |
+ | * Sid Meier's likeness is used in ''Sid Meier's Civilization'' and ''Sid Meier's [[Civilization III]]'' for the game's science adviser.[[File:Sid.png|thumb|Sid Meier]] |
* The gameplay tutorial in ''[[Civilization IV]]'' is presented by a character modelled after Sid Meier and voiced by the man himself. |
* The gameplay tutorial in ''[[Civilization IV]]'' is presented by a character modelled after Sid Meier and voiced by the man himself. |
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− | * Several of Sid Meier's most acclaimed games were inspired by board games designed by [[ |
+ | * Several of Sid Meier's most acclaimed games were inspired by board games designed by [[Francis Tresham]] of Hartland Trefoil Ltd. The earliest editions of ''[[Railroad Tycoon]]'' and ''Civilization'' contained acknowledgements of these inspirations: Railroad Tycoon was inspired by a rail building board game "1829" by Tresham (the start of the "18xx" series), and ''Civilization'' by [[Civilization (1980)|a board game of the same name]] also by Tresham. Tresham also designed a board game called "Spanish Main" which could have been an inspiration for ''Pirates!'', but there seems to be no written evidence for that. In 1998, MicroProse purchased Hartland Trefoil Ltd., eliminating any risk of copyright conflicts. |
− | * There is a Hidden Faction named Firaxis in ''[[Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri]]'' and the leader is Sid Meier, unlockable by opening a file with the faction editor |
+ | * There is a Hidden Faction named Firaxis in ''[[Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri]]'' and the leader is Sid Meier, unlockable by opening a file with the faction editor. |
− | == |
+ | ==Games== |
Games that have been developed by Meier span three decades. Some of the more notable titles are listed below in chronological order. |
Games that have been developed by Meier span three decades. Some of the more notable titles are listed below in chronological order. |
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− | *''[[Spitfire Ace]]'' (1982) |
+ | *''[[Spitfire Ace]]'' (1982) - Sid's first game, which he made while playing a major role in the game creation stage. |
*''[[HellCat Ace]]'' (1982) |
*''[[HellCat Ace]]'' (1982) |
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*''[[Floyd of the Jungle]]'' (1982) |
*''[[Floyd of the Jungle]]'' (1982) |
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*''[[Solo Flight]]'' (1984) |
*''[[Solo Flight]]'' (1984) |
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*''[[Kennedy Approach]]'' (1985) |
*''[[Kennedy Approach]]'' (1985) |
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− | *''[[F-15 Strike Eagle (computer game)|F-15 Strike Eagle]]'' (1985) |
+ | *''[[F-15 Strike Eagle (computer game)|F-15 Strike Eagle]]'' (1985) - One of the first combat flight simulators. |
− | *''[[Silent Service (video game)|Silent Service]]'' (1985) |
+ | *''[[Silent Service (video game)|Silent Service]]'' (1985) - A [[World War II]] [[submarine]] [[simulation game]], and Meier's first foray out of flight sims. |
*''[[Sid Meier's Pirates!]]'' (1987) |
*''[[Sid Meier's Pirates!]]'' (1987) |
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*''[[F-19 Stealth Fighter]]'' (1988) |
*''[[F-19 Stealth Fighter]]'' (1988) |
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*''[[F-15 Strike Eagle II]]'' (1989) |
*''[[F-15 Strike Eagle II]]'' (1989) |
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*''[[Covert Action]]'' (1990) |
*''[[Covert Action]]'' (1990) |
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− | *''[[Railroad Tycoon]]'' (1990) |
+ | *''[[Railroad Tycoon]]'' (1990) - An economic simulation game that paints the early development of railroads in the United States and Europe, a time when competition between railroad companies was very fierce. With the release of ''Sid Meier's Railroads!'', this series now has four installments. |
− | *''[[Civilization (original game)|Civilization]]'' (1991) |
+ | *''[[Civilization (original game)|Civilization]]'' (1991) - Meier's most successful game to date. It has lived through several versions (see below) and sold over 6 million copies. This game is a turn-based strategy game. |
+ | *''[[Pirates! Gold (1993)|Pirates! Gold]]'' (1993) - A game where the player takes the role of a pirate in the Caribbean. The player can choose a famous expedition to play, and enter cities, search for treasures, duel with other pirates and navigate the high seas. |
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− | *''[[Pirates! Gold (1993)|Pirates! Gold]]'' (1993) |
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− | *''[[Colonization (computer game)|Colonization]]'' (1994) |
+ | *''[[Colonization (computer game)|Colonization]]'' (1994) - A turn-based strategy game themed on the early European colonization of the [[New World]], starting in 1492 and lasting until the age of independence in 1850. To achieve victory in this game, the player must declare independence, and win in a revolutionary war against their mother country in [[Europe]] ([[France]], [[England]], [[Netherlands|The Netherlands]], or [[Spain]]). |
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*''[[Sid Meier's Gettysburg!]]'' (1997) |
*''[[Sid Meier's Gettysburg!]]'' (1997) |
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− | *''[[Sid Meier's Antietam!]]'' (1998) Sid Meier's Gettysburg and Antietam are part of his Civil War set. |
+ | *''[[Sid Meier's Antietam!]]'' (1998) - ''Sid Meier's Gettysburg!'' and ''Antietam!'' are part of his Civil War set. |
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− | *''[[Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri]]'' (1999) [[Brian Reynolds]] was lead designer on this adaptation of ''Civilization'' to an outer space theme. ''Alpha Centauri'' is set in a futuristic setting on an alien world, with ideological factions substituting for civilizations. This is a much more versatile version of ''Civilization'', featuring [[economics]] and unique military customization, as well as [[diplomacy]]. |
+ | *''[[Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri]]'' (1999) - [[Brian Reynolds]] was lead designer on this adaptation of ''Civilization'' to an outer space theme. ''Alpha Centauri'' is set in a futuristic setting on an alien world, with ideological factions substituting for civilizations. This is a much more versatile version of ''Civilization'', featuring [[economics]] and unique military customization, as well as [[diplomacy]]. |
− | * ''[[Civilization III]]'' (2001) |
+ | * ''[[Civilization III]]'' (2001) - The third installment of the series, with improved rules, graphics and gameplay. This is a turn-based strategy game allowing you to go from the Ancient Times to Modern Times. It features diplomacy much like that of Meier's other game, ''Alpha Centauri'', and also introduces Culture. This installment makes the ''Civilization'' series the best selling PC series to date. |
− | * ''[[Sid Meier's SimGolf|SimGolf]]'' (2002) |
+ | * ''[[Sid Meier's SimGolf|SimGolf]]'' (2002) - A joint project with the [[wikipedia:Simulation video game|Sim-masters]] at [[Maxis]] |
− | * ''[ |
+ | * ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_Meier%27s_Pirates! Sid Meier's Pirates!]'' (2004) - Follow-up to the acclaimed ''[[Pirates game|Pirates!]]'' game from 1987, updating the graphics and featuring some entirely new gameplay elements and an all new ballroom dancing segment. |
− | * |
+ | *''[[Civilization IV]]'' - Released [[25 October]] 2005. ''Civilization IV'' was the newest game in the ''Civilization'' series. A full [[3D engine]] replaces the [[Isometric projection|isometric]] maps of ''Civilization II'' and ''III''. This installment adds the concept of [[Religion]] to the game, building upon both the [[Culture]] and Diplomacy elements from previous incarnations. |
− | *''[[Sid Meier's Railroads!]]'' |
+ | *''[[Sid Meier's Railroads!]]'' - Released 2006-10-17. When [[Take 2]] shut down [[PopTop Software]] and folded it into [[Firaxis]], Meier once again became responsible for the ''Railroad Tycoon'' series, and this is billed as the sequel to ''[[Railroad Tycoon 3]]''. |
− | *[[Civilization V]] is the |
+ | *''[[Civilization V]]'' is the latest released game in the official ''Civilization'' series (not counting [[CivWorld]]). It received good reception. However, the main complaints against the game were the removal of the [[Religion (Civ4)|Religion]] (which was reintroduced in an [[Gods & Kings|expansion pack]]) and [[Civics]] systems incorporated into the [[Civilization 4|previous installment]], and a less than satisfactory AI. |
+ | *''[[Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth]]'' will be the newest game in the official ''Civilization'' series (under development). It has been available since the fall of 2014. |
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+ | ==Videos== |
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+ | [[File:How Sid Meier Almost Made Civilization a Real-Time Strategy Game - War Stories - Ars Technica|thumb|center|300px|Sid Meier's interview on the production of ''Civilization'']] |
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− | {{wikiquote}} |
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* [http://www.firaxis.com/company/bios.php?bioid=56 Sid Meier's biography and his games history at Firaxis.com] |
* [http://www.firaxis.com/company/bios.php?bioid=56 Sid Meier's biography and his games history at Firaxis.com] |
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− | * {{moby developer|id=3|name=Sid Meier}} |
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− | * {{imdb name|id=1027075|name=Sid Meier}} |
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* [http://www.gamespot.com/features/sidlegacy/ The Sid Meier Legacy] |
* [http://www.gamespot.com/features/sidlegacy/ The Sid Meier Legacy] |
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+ | * [http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,3/ Sid Meier's profile on MobyGames] |
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+ | * [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1027075/ Sid Meier's IMDb page] |
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+ | * [https://rawg.io/creators/sid-meier Sid Meier at RAWG] |
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[[Category:Living people|Meier, Sid]] |
[[Category:Living people|Meier, Sid]] |
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[[Category:MicroProse|Meier, Sid]] |
[[Category:MicroProse|Meier, Sid]] |
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[[Category:Computer and video game designers|Meier, Sid]] |
[[Category:Computer and video game designers|Meier, Sid]] |
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[[Category:Game programmers|Meier, Sid]] |
[[Category:Game programmers|Meier, Sid]] |
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+ | [[Category:Voice actors (Civ4)]] |
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+ | [[Category:Narrators]] |
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+ | [[Category:1954 births]] |
Revision as of 03:15, 16 March 2020
Sidney K. "Sid" Meier (born February 24, 1954) is a Canadian programmer and designer of several popular computer strategy games, most notably Civilization. He has won accolades for his contributions to the computer games industry. Meier is a Director of Creative Development for computer game developer Firaxis Games, which he co-founded with Jeff Briggs and Brian Reynolds in 1996.
Career
Sid Meier founded MicroProse together with Bill Stealey in 1982. At MicroProse, Meier developed the game series for which he is most widely recognized, Civilization. Meier eventually left MicroProse and in 1996 founded Firaxis Games along with veteran gaming executive Jeff Briggs. Today Firaxis makes strategy games, many of which are follow-ups to classic Meier titles, such as Civilization IV and Pirates!.
In 1999, Meier became the second person to be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame. The first to receive that honor was Shigeru Miyamoto from Nintendo.
Sid Meier is not always the main designer on titles that carry his name. For instance, Brian Reynolds has been credited as the primary designer behind Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri and Sid Meier's Colonization[1][2], while Soren Johnson held that role in Sid Meier's Civilization IV. Currently Meier's role appears to be that of a creative director, simultaneously contributing to multiple projects.
Meier worked with a team on a dinosaur themed game starting early 2000, but announced in an online development diary on 24 January 2001 that the game had been shelved. Despite trying various approaches, including turn-based and real-time gameplay, he said he found no way to make the concept fun enough. In August 2005, Meier said "We've been nonstop busy making other games over the past several years, so the dinosaur game remains on the shelf. However, I do love the idea of a dinosaur game and would like to revisit it when I have some time."[3]
Meier currently lives in Hunt Valley, Maryland with his wife, Susan, and son, Ryan.
Trivia
- Sid Meier's likeness is used in Sid Meier's Civilization and Sid Meier's Civilization III for the game's science adviser.
- The gameplay tutorial in Civilization IV is presented by a character modelled after Sid Meier and voiced by the man himself.
- Several of Sid Meier's most acclaimed games were inspired by board games designed by Francis Tresham of Hartland Trefoil Ltd. The earliest editions of Railroad Tycoon and Civilization contained acknowledgements of these inspirations: Railroad Tycoon was inspired by a rail building board game "1829" by Tresham (the start of the "18xx" series), and Civilization by a board game of the same name also by Tresham. Tresham also designed a board game called "Spanish Main" which could have been an inspiration for Pirates!, but there seems to be no written evidence for that. In 1998, MicroProse purchased Hartland Trefoil Ltd., eliminating any risk of copyright conflicts.
- There is a Hidden Faction named Firaxis in Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri and the leader is Sid Meier, unlockable by opening a file with the faction editor.
Games
Games that have been developed by Meier span three decades. Some of the more notable titles are listed below in chronological order.
|
|
Videos
External links
- Sid Meier's biography and his games history at Firaxis.com
- The Sid Meier Legacy
- Sid Meier's profile on MobyGames
- Sid Meier's IMDb page
- Sid Meier at RAWG
This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors). |