Sid Meier

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Sid Meier
Born	1954
Occupation	Game designer
Spouse	Susan Meier
Children	Ryan Meier

Sidney K. Meier (born 1954 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American programmer and designer of some of the most commercially and critically successful computer strategy games of all time. Meier has won several accolades for both his contributions to the computer games industry and for the titles that have gained huge commercial successes. Sid 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.

Contents 1 Career 2 References to Sid Meier in games 3 Games 4 References 5 See also 6 External links

[edit] 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, although he was not the game designer of any of the Civilization games except the first installment. Meier eventually left MicroProse and in 1996 founded Firaxis Games along with veteran designer and 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.

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 Civilization 2, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, and Sid Meier's Colonization,^[1][2] while Jeff Briggs designed Civilization III and Soren Johnson led 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 January 24, 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]

In January 2008, CMP Game Group announced that Meier would be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2008 Game Developer's Conference.

Meier currently lives in Hunt Valley, Maryland with his wife, Susan, and son, Ryan. He met his wife at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cockeysville, where they both sing in the choir.^[4]

[edit] References to Sid Meier in games

• Sid Meier's likeness is used in Sid Meier's Civilization and Sid Meier's Civilization III for the game's science advisor.
• The gameplay tutorial in Civilization IV is presented by a character modeled after Sid Meier and voiced by the man himself. In Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword he performs the narration for the six new technologies.
• In Civilization IV, Sid Meier is "leader" of the barbarians.
• Civilization III has the hardest difficulty listed as 'Sid'.
• 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.
• There is a hidden faction named Firaxians in Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire and the leader is Sid Meier or Brian Reynolds, unlockable by opening a file with the faction editor.
• In the baseball video game Major League Baseball 2K7, there is a fielding coach named Sid Meier.
• In Sid Meier's Pirates!, he can be seen on some occasions instead of the mysterious trader in the corner of the tavern.

[edit] Games

Games that have been developed by Meier span three decades. Some of the more notable titles are listed below in chronological order.

Spitfire Ace (1982) — The first project in which Sid played a major role in the game creation stage. HellCat Ace (1982) Floyd of the Jungle (1982) NATO Commander (1984) Solo Flight (1984) Kennedy Approach (1985) F-15 Strike Eagle (1985) — one of the first combat flight simulators Silent Service (1985), a World War II submarine simulation game, and Meier's first foray out of flight sims. Sid Meier's Pirates! (1987) F-19 Stealth Fighter (1988) F-15 Strike Eagle II (1989) Covert Action (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 (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) 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, The Netherlands, or Spain). Civilization II (1996) Follow-up to Sid Meier's successful Civilization; Brian Reynolds was lead designer on the game. Magic: The Gathering (1997) This would be the last game that Sid Meier worked on for MicroProse.

Sid Meier's Gettysburg! (1997) Sid Meier's first real-time tactical game. Sid Meier's Antietam! (1998) Sid Meier's Gettysburg and Antietam are part of his Civil War set. 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 SimGolf (2000) A golfing simulation in which the player built their own golf course and played it, against computer players, co-created by Maxis, the creator of the enormously popular family simulation game. Not to be confused with Maxis' 1996 title SimGolf. Civilization III (2001), Jeff Briggs designed the third installment of the series, with improved rules, graphics and gameplay. New features include expanded Diplomacy much like Alpha Centauri, and also introduces "Culture" as a tool of domination, and "Strategic Resources" required for trade and to produce certain units. Sales of this installment makes the Civilization series the best selling PC series to date. Sid Meier's Pirates! (2004), follow-up to the acclaimed Pirates! game from 1987, updating the graphics and featuring some entirely new gameplay elements and an all new ballroom dancing segment. Civilization IV, Designed by Soren Johnson and released October 25, 2005. A full 3D engine replaces the isometric maps of Civilization II and III. This installment makes "Religion" (present in earlier versions only as a means of population pacification and control) a tool of domination, alongside the Culture and Diplomacy elements from previous incarnations. Sid Meier's Railroads!, released October 17, 2006. 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 Revolution, announced on June 28, 2007. A seventh generation console edition of Civilization. Sid Meier's Civilization IV: War of Two Cities, releasing in Q1, 2008. One of three Sid Meier properties to be launched by Oasys Mobile, this new Sid Meier property takes the major civilizations and pits them against one another in a real time one on one battle to take over the opponents major city. The game is being developed by Floodgate Entertainment. Sid Meier's Pirates Mobile, releasing in Q1, 2008. The game is being developed and published by Oasys Mobile and was lead by one of the original programmers for Pirates! Gold. Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon Mobile, releasing in Q1, 2008. Developed by Blue Heat and published by Oasys Mobile. This version is based on the Sid Meier classic game series, the mobile version allows players to build their own transportation empire. |

[edit] References

1. ^ Interview with Brian Reynolds from GameSpy
2. ^ "The Sid Meier Legacy: Sid Meier's Colonization" from GameSpot
3. ^ Firaxis Games: Community: Ask Sid from Firaxis' official website
4. ^ "Game Boy" article about Meier from Baltimore magazine (Typeset version in PDF)

[edit] See also

• Will Wright

[edit] External links

• Sid Meier's biography and his games history at Firaxis.com
• Sid Meier at MobyGames
• Sid Meier at the Internet Movie Database
• "The Sid Meier Legacy" from GameSpot

Persondata
NAME	Meier, Sid
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Meier, Sidney K
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Game programmer and designer
DATE OF BIRTH	1954
PLACE OF BIRTH	Detroit, U.S.
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH