Today, in honor of the launch of Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword, the biggest Civ expansion pack ever, 2K Games and Firaxis have partnered with several celebrity web comic creators popular in the gaming community to create and showcase comics and animated shorts set within the Sid Meier’s Civilization universe.



As the game that launched the “God Game” strategy genre, Civilization has allowed players to direct great armies in battles and bring warring factions together in dazzling feats of diplomacy. Every player experiences the ultimate thrill of being in command and leading a nation. Yet, we’ve always wondered what it would be like to hear from the units and characters inside the game – to give them a voice. What if life inside a game of Civilization was real – real, at least, to the characters inside the game’s universe? What would the units inside a game say to each other? What would they say about you – the game’s “God” – and the decisions you make and strategies you employ?



To celebrate the release of Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword, 2K Games and Firaxis Games have challenged several of the most beloved creators of “web comics” to give a voice to the characters in Civ through a series of comics called Civilization Daydreams. Starting on July 24 and ending August 10, 2007, these Civilization-themed web comics from the artists behind 8-Bit Theater, Control-Alt-Delete, Dueling Analogs, GUComics, MyExtraLife and PvPOnline, as well as animated shorts from the executive producer and collaborators behind the Over the Hedge comic and animated film, will debut on a combination of the comic creator websites and Civ fansites including Apolyton Civilization Site | Comprehensive Civilization-Related Coverage Since 1998, Civilization Fanatics' Center: Fanatical Coverage of the Civilization Series and planetcivilization.gamespy.com. The kick-off comic drawn by Woody Hearn of GUComics can be found at Sid Meier's Civilization Daydreams, which will also be updated weekly with all of the Civilization Daydreams comics and animated shorts.



And it doesn’t stop there! We know Civ fans have great imaginations, so if you have your own Civilization Daydream that you’d like to enter into the Civilization Daydreams Fan Art and Comic Contest, check out the rules and entry form at Sid Meier's Civilization Daydreams. Five winners will each win an Xbox 360® Wireless game controller and Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series sound card while five runner-ups will receive an Xbox 360® Wireless Gaming Receiver. The winning submissions will then be displayed at Sid Meier's Civilization Daydreams