Sidney K. "Sid" Meier is a Canadian
programmerA game programmer is a software engineer, programmer, or computer scientist who primarily develops codebase for video games or related software, such as game development tools. Game programming has many specialized disciplines all of which fall under the umbrella term of "game programmer"...
and designer of several popular computer
strategy gameA strategy game or strategic game is a game in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome...
s, most notably
Civilization. He has won accolades for his contributions to the computer games industry. Meier is a Director of Creative Development for computer game developer
Firaxis GamesFiraxis Games is a computer game developer. It was founded in 1996 by Sid Meier, Jeff Briggs, and Brian Reynolds upon leaving MicroProse. The company focuses on strategy games and is based in Sparks, Maryland in the United States....
, which he co-founded with
Jeff BriggsDr. Jeffery L. Briggs is founder and former President and CEO of Firaxis Games, a video game developer based in Hunt Valley, Maryland, United States...
and Brian Reynolds in 1996.
Early life
Meier was born in
SarniaSarnia is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada . It is the largest city on Lake Huron and is located where the upper Great Lakes empty into the St. Clair River....
,
OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
,
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He graduated from the
University of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.
Career
Meier founded MicroProse together with
Bill StealeyJohn Wilbur 'Wild Bill' Stealey Sr. is a retired United States Air Force Lt. Colonel and Command Pilot and is currently CEO of iEntertainment Network. He is also an Air Force Academy Graduate....
in 1982. MicroProse initially developed flight simulator video games, such as
F-15 Strike Eagle and
F-19 Stealth FighterF-19 Stealth Fighter is a combat flight simulator released in 1988 and 1990 by MicroProse, featuring a fictional United States military aircraft...
. In 1987, the company released
Sid Meier's Pirates!Sid Meier's Pirates! is a video game created by Sid Meier and published and developed by MicroProse in 1987. It was the first game to include the name "Sid Meier" in its title as an effort by MicroProse to attract fans of Meier's earlier games, most of which were flight simulators...
, which also began a trend of placing Meier's name in the titles of his games. Meier later explained that the inclusion of his name was because of the dramatic departure in the design of
Pirates! compared to the company's earlier games. Stealey decided that it would improve the company's branding, believing that it would make those who purchased the flight simulators more likely to play
Pirates!. After the release of
F-19 Stealth Fighter, Meier decided to focus on developing strategy games. He later said, "Everything I thought was cool about a flight simulator had gone into that game." Inspired by
SimCitySimCity is a critically acclaimed city-building simulation video game, first released in 1989, and designed by Will Wright. SimCity was Maxis' first product, which has since been ported into various personal computers and game consoles, and spawned several sequels including SimCity 2000 in 1994,...
and
Empire!Empire! is a space combat and trading video game designed by Andrew Glaister and published by Firebird Software in 1986 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC.-Gameplay:...
, Meier created
Railroad TycoonSid Meier's Railroad Tycoon is a business simulation game. There are five versions; the original Railroad Tycoon , Railroad Tycoon Deluxe , Railroad Tycoon II , Railroad Tycoon 3 , and Sid Meier's Railroads! .Railroad Tycoon was written by game designer Sid Meier and published by MicroProse and...
and later the game series for which he is most widely recognized,
Civilization, although he designed only the first installment. Meier eventually left MicroProse and in 1996 founded
Firaxis GamesFiraxis Games is a computer game developer. It was founded in 1996 by Sid Meier, Jeff Briggs, and Brian Reynolds upon leaving MicroProse. The company focuses on strategy games and is based in Sparks, Maryland in the United States....
along with veteran designer and gaming executive
Jeff BriggsDr. Jeffery L. Briggs is founder and former President and CEO of Firaxis Games, a video game developer based in Hunt Valley, Maryland, United States...
. Today Firaxis makes strategy games, many of which are follow-ups to Meier titles, such as
Civilization VSid Meier's Civilization V is a turn-based strategy, 4X computer game developed by Firaxis, released on Microsoft Windows in September 2010 and on Mac OS X on November 23, 2010...
and
Pirates!Sid Meier's Pirates! is a 2004 strategy/action/adventure computer game developed by Firaxis Games and published by Atari. The game is a remake of Sid Meier's earlier 1987 game, also named Sid Meier's Pirates!. Overall, the gameplay remains similar to the original game, though it features a 3D game...
. In 1996 he was awarded US Patent 5,496,962 for a "System for Real-Time Music Composition and Synthesis" used in a product called "
CPU BachC.P.U. Bach is an interactive music-generating program designed by Sid Meier and Jeff Briggs for the 3DO. It can create Baroque music in the style of Bach for various keyboard, wind, or string instruments and in a variety of forms...
".
Meier is not always the main designer on titles that carry his name. For instance, Brian Reynolds has been credited as the primary designer behind
Sid Meier's Civilization IISid Meier's Civilization II is a turn-based strategy computer game designed by Brian Reynolds, Douglas Caspian-Kaufman and Jeff Briggs. Although it is a sequel to Sid Meier's Civilization, neither Sid Meier nor Bruce Shelley was involved in its development.Civilization II was first released in...
,
Sid Meier's Alpha CentauriSid Meier's Alpha Centauri is the critically acclaimed science fiction 4X turn-based strategy video game sequel to the Civilization series. Sid Meier, designer of Civilization, and Brian Reynolds, designer of Civilization II, developed Alpha Centauri after they left MicroProse to join the newly...
, and
Sid Meier's Colonization, while
Jeff BriggsDr. Jeffery L. Briggs is founder and former President and CEO of Firaxis Games, a video game developer based in Hunt Valley, Maryland, United States...
designed
Sid Meier's Civilization IIISid Meier's Civilization III, commonly shortened to Civ III or Civ 3, is the third installment of the Sid Meier's Civilization turn-based strategy computer game series. It was preceded by Civilization II and followed by Civilization IV. The game offers very sophisticated gameplay in terms of both...
,
Soren JohnsonSoren Johnson is a video game designer and programmer. He was employed by Firaxis Games from 2000 to 2007, where he co-designed several of their most popular games. Prior to his work at Firaxis, he obtained a BA in history and a master's degree in computer science from Stanford University...
led
Sid Meier's Civilization IVSid Meier's Civilization IV is a turn-based strategy, 4X computer game released in 2005 and developed by lead designer Soren Johnson under the direction of Sid Meier and Meier's studio Firaxis Games. It is the fourth installment of the Civilization series...
and Jon Shafer
Sid Meier's Civilization VSid Meier's Civilization V is a turn-based strategy, 4X computer game developed by Firaxis, released on Microsoft Windows in September 2010 and on Mac OS X on November 23, 2010...
. Currently Meier's role appears to be that of a creative director, simultaneously contributing to multiple projects.
Meier worked with a team on a
dinosaurDinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
themed game starting early 2000, but announced in an online development diary on January 24, 2001 that the game had been shelved. Despite trying various approaches, including turn-based and
real-timeReal-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
gameplay, he said he found no way to make the concept fun enough. In August 2005, Meier said, "We've been nonstop busy making other games over the past several years, so the dinosaur game remains on the shelf. However, I do love the idea of a dinosaur game and would like to revisit it when I have some time."
Awards
In 1999, Meier became the second person to be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame. The first to receive that honor was
Shigeru Miyamotois a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
from
Nintendois a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
.
In 2008, Meier received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2008 Game Developer's Conference.
Meier has been ranked 2nd in IGN's list of Top 100 Game Creators of All Time.
The people search company
PeekYouPeekYou is a people search engine that indexes people and their links on the web. The name "PeekYou" is explained as a contraction of People and Seek. Founded in April 2006 by Michael Hussey , PeekYou claims to have indexed over 250 million people, mostly in the US and Canada...
claims Meier has the largest digital footprint of any game developer.
Personal life
Meier currently lives in
Hunt Valley, MarylandHunt Valley is an affluent unincorporated community in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It lies just north of the city of Baltimore, along Highway 145 off Interstate 83. Loch Raven Reservoir...
with his wife, Susan, and son, Ryan.
He met his wife at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in
CockeysvilleCockeysville is a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 19,388 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, where they both sing in the choir.
1980s
| Game |
Release year |
Notes |
| Spitfire Ace Spitfire Ace is a flying combat video game for several 1980s home computer systems. It was one of the first video games designed and programmed by noted game industry figure Sid Meier. It was developed for Atari 400/800 , Commodore 64 and DOS . The Atari version was written by Meier and the game...
|
1982 |
The first project in which Sid played a major role in the game creation stage. |
| HellCat Ace |
1982 |
|
| Floyd of the Jungle |
1982 |
|
NATO CommanderNATO Commander is a commercial computer strategy game designed by Sid Meier and released in 1983 by MicroProse. The game ran on 8-bit home computers of its day such as the Atari 8-bit family, Apple II and Commodore 64....
|
1984 |
|
| Solo Flight |
1984 |
|
Kennedy ApproachKennedy Approach was an air traffic control simulation computer game released in 1985 by MicroProse.-Game play:The player assumes the role of a controller in a Terminal Control Center, giving instructions to aircraft so that they can safely land, as well as take off and enter their correct flight...
|
1985 |
|
| F-15 Strike Eagle |
1985 |
One of the first combat flight simulators. |
Silent ServiceSilent Service is a 1985 submarine simulator computer game. It was designed by Sid Meier and published by MicroProse for various 8-bit home computers, and in 1987 for 16-bit systems like the Commodore Amiga...
|
1985 |
A World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... submarineA submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability... simulation gameVehicle simulation games are a genre of video games which attempt to provide the player with a realistic interpretation of operating various kinds of vehicles. This includes automobiles, aircraft, watercraft, spacecraft, military vehicles, and a variety of other vehicles... , and Meier's first foray out of flight sims. |
| Crusade in Europe |
1985 |
|
| Decision in the Desert |
1985 |
|
| Conflict in Vietnam |
1986 |
|
| Gunship Gunship is an AH-64 Apache helicopter simulation that was released by Microprose in 1986. Its platforms include DOS, Atari ST, Amiga, Commodore 64, MSX and ZX Spectrum. The game was later ported onto the Sega Mega Drive by U.S. Gold in 1993...
|
1986 |
|
Sid Meier's Pirates!Sid Meier's Pirates! is a video game created by Sid Meier and published and developed by MicroProse in 1987. It was the first game to include the name "Sid Meier" in its title as an effort by MicroProse to attract fans of Meier's earlier games, most of which were flight simulators...
|
1987 |
|
| Red Storm Rising Red Storm Rising is a computer game based on Tom Clancy's novel Red Storm Rising and released in 1988 by MicroProse. The player is put in charge of an American SSN submarine in the Norwegian Sea Theater with the overall role of a hunter killer performing various missions in the context of the...
|
1988 |
Naval warfare game based on the novelRed Storm Rising is a 1986 techno-thriller novel by Tom Clancy and Larry Bond about a Third World War in Europe between NATO and Warsaw Pact forces, set around the mid-1980s... by Tom ClancyThomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...
|
F-19 Stealth FighterF-19 Stealth Fighter is a combat flight simulator released in 1988 and 1990 by MicroProse, featuring a fictional United States military aircraft...
|
1988 |
|
F-15 Strike Eagle IIF-15 Strike Eagle II is an F-15 Strike Eagle combat flight simulator released in 1989 by MicroProse and is the sequel of F-15 Strike Eagle. It was followed in 1992 by F-15 Strike Eagle III, the final game of the series....
|
1989 |
|
| Sword of the Samurai |
1989 |
|
1990s
| Game |
Release year |
Notes |
Covert ActionCovert Action is an action and strategy computer game designed by Sid Meier. It was released in 1990 by MicroProse, a publisher of several of Meier's early games...
|
1990 |
|
Sid Meier's Railroad TycoonSid Meier's Railroad Tycoon is a business simulation game. There are five versions; the original Railroad Tycoon , Railroad Tycoon Deluxe , Railroad Tycoon II , Railroad Tycoon 3 , and Sid Meier's Railroads! .Railroad Tycoon was written by game designer Sid Meier and published by MicroProse and...
|
1990 |
A business simulation game that paints the early development of railroads in the United States and EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... , a time when competition between railroad companies was very fierce. With the release of Sid Meier's Railroads!, this series now has four installments. |
| Sid Meier's Civilization |
1991 |
Meier's most successful game franchise to date. It has lived through several versions (see below) and sold over 6 million copies. This game is a turn-based strategy game. |
| Pirates! Gold |
1993 |
|
| C.P.U. Bach |
1993 |
3DO Console exclusive interactive music-generating program. |
| Sid Meier's Colonization |
1994 |
A turn-based strategy game themed on the early European colonization of the New WorldThe New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle... , starting in 1492 and lasting until the age of independence in 1850. To achieve victory in this game, the player must declare independence, and win in a revolutionary war against their mother country in EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... (France, England, NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... , or Spain). |
| Sid Meier's Civilization II Sid Meier's Civilization II is a turn-based strategy computer game designed by Brian Reynolds, Douglas Caspian-Kaufman and Jeff Briggs. Although it is a sequel to Sid Meier's Civilization, neither Sid Meier nor Bruce Shelley was involved in its development.Civilization II was first released in...
|
1996 |
Follow-up to Sid Meier's successful Civilization; Brian Reynolds was lead designer on the game. |
Magic: The GatheringMagic: The Gathering is a computer game published by MicroProse in April 1997 based on the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering....
|
1997 |
This would be the last game that Sid Meier worked on for MicroProse. |
Sid Meier's Gettysburg!Sid Meier's Gettysburg! is a real-time tactical computer game designed by Sid Meier, the co-founder of Firaxis Games, that was released in 1997 by Electronic Arts. In 1998, Gettysburg won the Origins Award for Best Strategy Computer Game of 1997...
|
1997 |
Sid Meier's first real-time tactical game. |
| Sid Meier's Antietam! Sid Meier's Antietam! is a real-time tactics computer game designed by Sid Meier, the co-founder of Firaxis Games, then was released in December 1999 by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel of Sid Meier's Gettysburg!...
|
1998 |
Sid Meier's Gettysburg and Antietam are part of his Civil War set. |
Sid Meier's Alpha CentauriSid Meier's Alpha Centauri is the critically acclaimed science fiction 4X turn-based strategy video game sequel to the Civilization series. Sid Meier, designer of Civilization, and Brian Reynolds, designer of Civilization II, developed Alpha Centauri after they left MicroProse to join the newly...
|
1999 |
Brian Reynolds was lead designer on this adaptation of Civilization to an outer space theme. Alpha Centauri is set in a futuristic setting on an alien world, with ideological factions substituting for civilizations. This is a much more versatile version of Civilization, featuring economics and unique military customization, as well as diplomacyDiplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states... . |
2000s
| Game |
Release year |
Notes |
Sid Meier's Civilization IIISid Meier's Civilization III, commonly shortened to Civ III or Civ 3, is the third installment of the Sid Meier's Civilization turn-based strategy computer game series. It was preceded by Civilization II and followed by Civilization IV. The game offers very sophisticated gameplay in terms of both...
|
2001 |
Jeff Briggs Dr. Jeffery L. Briggs is founder and former President and CEO of Firaxis Games, a video game developer based in Hunt Valley, Maryland, United States... designed the third installment of the series, with more complex rules, graphics and gameplay. New features include expanded diplomacy (much like Alpha Centauri); the introduction of "culture" as a tool for domination; and "strategic resources" required for trade and to produce certain units. Sales of this installment made the Civilization series the best selling PC series to date. |
| Sid Meier's SimGolf Sid Meier's Sim Golf is a computer game created by Sid Meier, Firaxis, and Maxis in 2002. In the game, players must successfully design golf courses and play them with their default professional golfer, Gary Golf...
|
2002 |
A golfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes.... ing simulation in which the player built their own golf courseA golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes... and played it against computer players. The game was co-created by MaxisMaxis is an American company founded as an independent video game developer in 1987. It is currently a subsidiary of Electronic Arts . Maxis is the creator of one of the best-selling computer games of all time, The Sims and its first sequel, The Sims 2... . Not to be confused with Maxis' 1996 title SimGolfSimGolf is a computer game created by Maxis in 1996. The game allows players to design their own golf-courses and play them, much akin to how SimCity 2000 can be used to create cities to play in Streets of SimCity and SimCopter.... . |
| Sid Meier's Pirates! |
2004 |
Follow-up to the acclaimed Pirates! game from 1987, updating the graphics and featuring some entirely new gameplay elements and an all new ballroom dancing segment. |
Sid Meier's Civilization IVSid Meier's Civilization IV is a turn-based strategy, 4X computer game released in 2005 and developed by lead designer Soren Johnson under the direction of Sid Meier and Meier's studio Firaxis Games. It is the fourth installment of the Civilization series...
|
2005 |
Designed by Soren Johnson Soren Johnson is a video game designer and programmer. He was employed by Firaxis Games from 2000 to 2007, where he co-designed several of their most popular games. Prior to his work at Firaxis, he obtained a BA in history and a master's degree in computer science from Stanford University... . A full 3D engine replaces the isometricIsometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings... maps of Civilization II and III. This installment makes "Religion" (present in earlier versions only as a means of population pacification and control) a tool of domination, alongside the Culture and Diplomacy elements from previous incarnations. |
Sid Meier's Railroads!Sid Meier's Railroads! is a business simulation game developed by Sid Meier on the Gamebryo game engine that was released in October 2006 and is the sequel to Railroad Tycoon 3. Although Sid Meier created the original Railroad Tycoon, subsequent versions were developed by PopTop Software...
|
2006 |
When Take 2 shut down PopTop Software PopTop Software was an American video game developer. It was known as the publisher of several strategy games including Railroad Tycoon II and the Caribbean island simulation Tropico . They are not to be confused with PopCap Games, which is a casual game developer.-History:PopTop Software was... and folded it into Firaxis, Meier once again became responsible for the Railroad Tycoon series, and this is billed as the sequel to Railroad Tycoon 3Railroad Tycoon 3 is a computer game in the Railroad Tycoon series, released in 2003.-New features:The game interface is in full 3D, with free camera movement... . |
Sid Meier's Civilization RevolutionCivilization Revolution is a 2008 iteration of Civilization developed by Firaxis with Sid Meier as designer for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, and iOS. A Wii version was originally expected but was put on indefinite hold...
|
2008 |
A seventh generation console edition of Civilization. This is the only Civilization title available for seventh generation consoles. |
| Sid Meier's Civilization IV: War of Two Cities |
|
One of three Sid Meier properties to be launched by Oasys MobileOasys Mobile is a leading mobile game developer and publisher. Oasys develops top-ranked franchise games and applications based on brands such as Mattel, Sid Meier's Civilization IV, Railroad Tycoon, Pirates!, Phil Hellmuth, AROD and Hooters Calendar... , this Sid Meier property takes the major civilizations and pits them against one another in a real time one on one battle to take over the opponent's major city. The game was developed by Floodgate EntertainmentFloodgate Entertainment is a Boston-based video game developer, founded by Paul Neurath in 2000. Many of the company's employees are former Looking Glass Studios employees.... . |
| Sid Meier's Pirates! Mobile |
|
The game was developed and published by Oasys Mobile and was led by one of the original programmers for Pirates! Gold. |
Sid Meier's Railroad TycoonSid Meier's Railroad Tycoon is a business simulation game. There are five versions; the original Railroad Tycoon , Railroad Tycoon Deluxe , Railroad Tycoon II , Railroad Tycoon 3 , and Sid Meier's Railroads! .Railroad Tycoon was written by game designer Sid Meier and published by MicroProse and... Mobile |
|
Developed by Blue Heat and published by Oasys Mobile. This version is based on the Sid Meier classic game series; the mobile version allows players to build their own transportation empire. |
Sid Meier's Civilization IV: ColonizationSid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization is a remake of the 1994 turn-based strategy game Sid Meier's Colonization. Players control settlers from one of four European nations, Spain, England, France, or the Netherlands, that are trying to conquer/colonize the New World in the time period between...
|
2008 |
A 2008 remake of the 1994 ColonizationSid Meier's Colonization is a computer game by Brian Reynolds and Sid Meier released by MicroProse in 1994. It is a turn-based strategy game themed on the early European colonization of the New World, starting in 1492 and lasting until 1850... , and a standalone game based on the Civilization IV engine. |
2010s
| Game |
Release year |
Notes |
| Sid Meier's Civilization V Sid Meier's Civilization V is a turn-based strategy, 4X computer game developed by Firaxis, released on Microsoft Windows in September 2010 and on Mac OS X on November 23, 2010...
|
2010 |
Jon Shafer Jon Shafer was the lead designer and principal programmer of the video game Civilization V at Firaxis Games. He currently works at Stardock Corporation.-Background:... was the lead designer of the game. New features include Social Policy (which replaces "Civics" system), unit stacking change, City-States and fully animated leaders. |
| Sid Meier's CivWorld |
2011 |
A massively multiplayer online gameA massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on... released for FacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as... . |
External links