Time for the Next Version - Sid Meier's Railroads

[Coconut Kid]

A link and then some short quotes:

http://www.express-world.co.uk/rt4/

"Take 2 Interactive (owner of Poptop) announced an involuntary merger between Poptop and their other studio, Firaxis Games. The new development studio will operate under the Firaxis name, with Sid Meier leading the studio."

"The next game in the Railroad Tycoon series, has been announced as "Sid Meier's Railroads!" due for release in Autumn 2006. The game is in development at the Firaxis Games studio, which now incorporates some elements of artists from Poptop Software. The game appears to be developed with the GameBryo graphics engine that powered Civ4 & Pirates."

http://ve3d.ign.com/  the official press release appeared there sometime (??)

2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., and the Company's world-renowned development studio Firaxis Games, today announced the next edition of the award-winning Railroad Tycoon franchise, Sid Meier's Railroads! for the PC.
The Golden Age of railroading is back with Sid Meier's Railroads! Combining the best of real-world and model railroads, Sid Meier's Railroads! puts you in charge of building your own railroad empire, running everything from steam-powered locomotives to more modern diesel and electric trains, managing cargo and your bottom line, all while engaging in corporate warfare against rival tycoons, slick entrepreneurs and robber barons.

"In addition to winning countless awards, the Railroad Tycoon franchise pioneered the simulation and strategy genres by introducing limitless gameplay," said Christoph Hartmann, Managing Director of 2K Games. "Building on the franchise, Sid Meier's Railroads! will deliver a simulation experience that caters to both strategy gamers and locomotive fans alike."

"We're thrilled to have the opportunity to bring this game back home," said Sid Meier, Director of Creative Development for Firaxis Games. "Railroads is near and dear to our hearts and we're looking forward to delivering the endlessly fun gameplay experience fans of our games have come to expect."

Cities and industries grow up around you as Sid Meier's Railroads! enables players to lay track and route trains, haul raw materials to market and carry manufactured goods throughout the land. Sid Meier's Railroads! introduces a large number of different single-player game scenarios and a variety of play modes including the "sand-box" modeling mode, real-time LAN and Internet play.

Sid Meier's Railroads! will be released for the PC this fall.


May we look forward to Sid Meier's Red Sun Republic which carries the original Tropico forward to its next generation? How foolish of me, of course not!

 

[s_stabeler]

actaully, there is a reason why railroad tycoon gets a new squel. the original railroad tycoon was made by sid meier, so it's basically hiom reclaiming the series, while i don't think tropico was. mind, it looks like sid meier's railroads! is going to be good ( what's with the exclamation marks, anyway?)

[Capitaligous]

I have a Question for Sid: why didn't he name it "Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon 4"?
 I seems to be accurate to go with the Railroad Tycoon name than to totally rename it.

[s_stabeler]

I guess becuse they just wanted a change, and it fits in with locomotion, and this seems to partially be a merger of the two lines... bascially, they just decided, and sid merier's railroad tycoon 4? too long, it'd take too much ink to pritn every time, and would probably be shortened quickly into a nickname, so they just shortened it first, plus, it is along the lines of Pirates!, and locomotion ( a compolete re-name of transport tycoon)

[Capitaligous]

May we look forward to Sid Meier's Red Sun Republic which carries the original Tropico forward to its next generation? How foolish of me, of course not!

 As said here, a couple years back, the new developer of Tropico 3 was still very unknown. 

  'Red Sun Republic'. Now that would be a complete renaming!