2K Games announced that Sid Meier’s Civilization V turn-based strategy game is now shipping to retail outlets across North America.

According to the statement, Sid Meier’s Civilization V is available for the PC for $49.99, the Digital Deluxe Edition for $59.99 and the Special Edition for $99.99.

For more information visit: www.civilization5.com

Unedited press release follows:

The Flagship of Turn-Based Strategy Games Returns in Sid Meier’s Civilization® V – Available Today

Latest entry in the award-winning franchise arrives today with a wealth of enhancements and new features ready to conquer your PC; playable demo available now for download

NEW YORK–2K Games announced today that Sid Meier’s Civilization® V is available today at retail outlets across North America. Developed by 2K’s world-renowned Firaxis Games studio for the PC, the latest addition to the franchise that popularized the addictive “just one more turn” gameplay is back and the critics have spoken: it’s bigger and better than ever.

“We couldn’t be more excited about Civilization V,” said Sid Meier, director of creative development at Firaxis Games. “The response we’ve received from long-time fans of the series has been incredibly positive and very rewarding. It’s a tricky endeavor making a new version of a game folks still love to play, and I think our terrific team at Firaxis has made something that will deliver another great Civ experience to players around the world.”

Here are a few of the things that the industry’s top critics are saying about Civilization V:

* “If anything is going to rear a new generation of strategy gamers like the very first Civilization did for me, it’s this.”—Game Informer, 9.75 out of 10
* “Civ V is the best representation of the series and certainly the most accessible for new and old players alike.”—G4TV, 5 out of 5 Stars
* “Indisputably the best-looking turn-based strategy game ever made.”—PC Gamer, 93%, Editor’s Choice Award
* “Civilization V is one of the best turn-based strategy games I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing.”—IGN.com, 9.0 out of 10, Editor’s Choice Award
* “Civilization V is the most intuitive version of the epic strategy series yet.”—Joystiq, 5 out of 5 Stars
* “Civ V is the pinnacle of the franchise to date.”—Destructoid, 9.5 out of 10
* “All in all, Civilization V is an amazing game.”—Shacknews
* “My favorite Civilization to date.”—The Escapist, 5 out of 5 Stars

“They said it couldn’t be done, but the talented team at Firaxis Games has managed to make a game that tops Sid Meier’s Civilization IV, their previous magnum opus,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “A beautiful new engine, many enhancements to the combat and a streamlined interface make Sid Meier’s Civilization V both the deepest and most accessible Civ game ever.”

Civilization V takes this definitive strategy game series in new directions with the introduction of hexagonal tiles allowing for deeper strategy, more realistic gameplay and stunning organic landscapes for players to explore as they expand their empire. The brand new engine delivers a spectacular visual experience that brings players closer to the Civ world than ever, featuring fully animated leaders interacting with players from a screen-filling diplomatic scene and speaking in their native language for the first time. Wars between empires feel massive, as armies dominate the landscape and combat is more exciting and intense than ever before. The addition of ranged bombardment allows players to fire weapons from behind the front lines, challenging them to develop clever new strategies to guarantee victory on the battlefield. In addition to the new gameplay features debuting in Civilization V, an extensive suite of community, modding and multiplayer elements will also be available.

Sid Meier’s Civilization V is rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) by the ESRB and is available today on the PC for $49.99. A playable demo is now available to download for free. Additionally, the Sid Meier’s Civilization V Digital Deluxe Edition is available at participating digital distribution sites for $59.99, and the Sid Meier’s Civilization V Special Edition is available at select outlets for $99.99. For more information please visit www.civilization5.com.

2K Games is a division of 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

About Firaxis Games
Firaxis Games™ is one of the world’s premier game development studios, and home of legendary designer Sid Meier. Firaxis has developed some of the most successful and award-winning computer and video games on the market today including: Sid Meier’s Civilization® Revolution™ for console, iPhone®, iPod Touch®, iPad® and Nintendo DS, 2005 PC Game of the Year – Sid Meier’s Civilization IV®, the expansions Civilization IV: Warlords®, Civilization IV: Beyond The Sword™, and Civilization IV: Colonization™, the blockbuster Sid Meier’s Civilization® III series, Sid Meier’s Pirates!® (PC, Xbox® and PSP®), Sid Meier’s SimGolf™ and Sid Meier’s Railroads!™. Firaxis legacy titles include the Sid Meier’s Civil War Series! ™ (Gettysburg!, Antietam!, and South Mountain), and the Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri® series. In 2005, Firaxis Games was acquired by Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., joining its 2K publishing label. The company has just released Sid Meier’s Civilization® V for the PC to great critical acclaim and is currently developing Sid Meier’s Civilization® Network™ for Facebook.

About Take-Two Interactive Software
Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a global developer, marketer and publisher of interactive entertainment software games for the PC, PlayStation®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii™, Nintendo DS™, iPhone™, iPod® touch and iPad®. The Company publishes and develops products through its wholly owned labels Rockstar Games and 2K, which publishes its titles under 2K Games, 2K Sports and 2K Play. The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at www.take2games.com.