Civilization coming to Facebook in 2010

The Civilization series was so time-consuming, its creators set up a parody addiction support group, Civilization Anonymous. Another particularly effective computer-based time killer is the social network Facebook, whose myriad applications and games have consumed countless numbers of potential work hours.

Now, it appears the aforementioned two black holes of free time may soon join forces. In a Facebook post, Civilization creator and Firiaxis director of creative development Sid Meier announced that his studio and 2K Games are bringing a free-to-play version of the series to the social network.

"I wanted to let you know we'll soon be looking for beta testers to help us develop a unique new way to play Civilization," said Meier. "Ever since we finished Civilization Revolution last year, I've been looking at ways of expanding the Civ gameplay experience to include solo, competitive, and cooperative play to take advantage of the uniqueness of social networks. We're calling this project Civilization Network and the full game will be available next year on Facebook."

According to Meier, Civilization Network will heavily feature multiplayer participation, with Facebook friends sharing technology and coordinating strategy in battles. Players' friends will be able to participate in elections and help decide resource management, as well as assist in espionage or the construction of Wonders of the World.