History Channel drafting Rome: Total War

PC strategy games have been re-creating famous historical battles for years. However, it appears that only now are their graphics good enough for prime time--television, that is.

At least, that's the implication of a new deal between The History Channel and game developer Creative Assembly. Under the terms of the agreement, which was outlined last week in Wired, a new show on the cable network called Decisive Battles will feature Rome: Total War, Creative Assembly's forthcoming real-time strategy game.

Battles will use Rome: Total War's realistic armies to re-create several pivotal battles from the Roman era and beyond. The example given in the article was the Battle of Cannae, where the outnumbered Carthaginians surround and crush the superior Roman army.

According to the program's producers, Rome: Total War's ability to generate thousands of individual soldiers is an ideal tool to show how Carthaginian general Hannibal pulled off his upset victory. "These graphics are a great way to bring the ancient battles to life," Battles' executive producer Margaret Kim told Wired.

Surprisingly, Decisive Battles will not be the first time Rome: Total War has been the centerpiece of a TV show. Recently, the BBC ran a series called Time Commanders, which put novice nongamers in command of Rome: Total War-generated legions.