XL Games is developing Civilization Online, an upcoming free-to-play MMO for the PC that will use the CryEngine 3 game engine. Contrary to the original Civilization games, this online version will not... Civilization MMO to use CryEngine 3 (video)
I don't get it, did they learn nothing from the SimCity disaster? Forcing random online players to try and not only interact but interact cooperatively while each one has very independent ideas what their city should be and look like doesn't work and leads to a poor experience.
Moving my tanks across an entire continent on railroad in Civ 1 made me proclaim it to be the greatest game ever. Having to spend a population point + my build time for a settler pissed me off in Civ 2, but after a while I proclaimed it the greatest game ever. Civ 3's enhanced graphics and improved interface made me want to have Sid voted for president. Civ 4 and it's expansions claimed many, many days of my life which I happily gave in return for the experiences had playing (greatest game ever). Civ 5 saw the exit of Sid from most of the design and implementation, and a year passed before they even started on most of the bugs from the retail release (we'll just call that a long beta period that we paid for). Worst Civ experience out of the box ever. Civ online can suck it.