Firaxis releases Sid Meier’s Pirates again!

Sid Meier’s Pirates!™ is among the most popular and loved titles in gaming history. Originally released in 1987, Pirates! received unprecedented critical acclaim for crossing multiple game genres to offer unique, unrivaled gameplay options. Pirates! set the industry standard for innovative game design with its unique blend of open-ended role-playing, real-time adventures and thrilling action sequences.

Since its initial release, Pirates! has sold more than a million units worldwide, and received numerous awards:

Action Game of the Year - Computer Gaming World Magazine
Historical Game of the Year - Compute Magazine
Best Fantasy/Role Playing Game - Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design

Having been inducted into the Hall of Fame by both Computer Gaming World and Gamespy, and voted one of the top 20 all-time games by Computer Gaming World Magazine, Pirates! is recognized as one of the greatest games ever created.

The New Sid Meier’s Pirates!

Now it’s time for Sid Meier and Firaxis Games to bring this exquisitely rich, action-adventure game into the 21st century. An entirely new game engine will deliver updated gameplay, stunning new features, spectacular 3D graphics and enhanced surround sound, so players can fully experience the intrigue, adventure and danger of life as a pirate on the Spanish Main.

In Pirates! you take the leading role of a Pirate Captain in the 17th century Caribbean amassing fortune and fame in an attempt to seize your rightful place as one of the most revered (and feared!) pirates in history. Test your skills as a sea captain exploring the high seas and exotic ports in a richly detailed 3D world. Overtake the enemy and seize valuable booty. Exchange plank-shattering broadsides in fierce naval battles, and engage in duels with worthy opposing captains.

As your reputation and skills grow, so will the size and quality of your crew, and your ability to take on larger enemy ships, raid and plunder heavily fortified ports, and locate ancient treasure. There’s a whole cast of interesting and dangerous characters to meet, mysteries to solve, exotic island destinations to discover, and powerful alliances to forge!

The new Pirates! carries on with the great gameplay and design simplicity tradition of the award-winning original while adding more challenging and exciting battle options, and deeper and more varied role-playing experience, including multiple paths to a wealthy, happy retirement. This and many other features and additions make this gaming classic one of the most highly anticipated releases of this century!

FIRAXIS Games, home of legendary designer Sid Meier, creates fun, intelligent computer games that live in the imaginations of people the world over. Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, FIRAXIS has created such critically acclaimed games as Sid Meier's Gettysburg!, Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, Sid Meier’s Alien Crossfire and Sid Meier’s Antietam!. The company recently developed the highly anticipated Sid Meier’s Civilization III (published by Infogrames) and Sid Meier’s SimGolf (published by Electronic Arts), and has just released Sid Meier’s Civilization III: Play The World, the multiplayer expansion pack to the greatest strategy game of all time. For more information on FIRAXIS Games visit www.firaxis.com