Editing Civilization III (section)

==Reception==
===Sales===
In the United States, ''Civilization III'' entered [[NPD Intelect]]'s weekly computer game sales rankings at #1 for October 28–November 3, 2001. Its ''Collectors Edition'' [[Stock keeping unit|SKU]] claimed second during the period.<ref name=week1>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011213221904/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2824649,00.html | url=http://gamespot.com:80/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2824649,00.html | title=''Civilization III'' takes first and second place | author=Walker, Trey | date=November 14, 2001 | work=[[GameSpot]] | archive-date=December 13, 2001 | url-status=dead | access-date=July 4, 2019 }}</ref> Thanks to this debut, ''Civilization III'' became the country's fourth-best-selling computer title of October as a whole, with an average retail price of $49.<ref name=oct2001>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011202103635/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2828791,00.html | url=http://gamespot.com:80/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2828791,00.html | title=''Hot Date'' holds off ''Harry Potter'' | author=Walker, Trey | date=November 29, 2001 | archive-date=December 2, 2001 | work=[[GameSpot]] | url-status=dead | access-date=July 4, 2019 }}</ref> In its second week of availability, the game was pushed to #2 by ''[[Backyard Basketball]]'', and the ''Collectors Edition'' was absent from the top 10.<ref name=week2>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011123115511/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2826679,00.html | url=http://gamespot.com:80/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2826679,00.html | title=Humongous takes the lead | author=Walker, Trey | date=November 21, 2001 | work=[[GameSpot]] | archive-date=November 23, 2001 | url-status=dead | access-date=July 4, 2019 }}</ref> Firaxis's title remained in NPD's weekly top 10 from November 11–December 1,<ref name=oct2001 /><ref name=week4>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011207105347/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2830271,00.html | url=http://gamespot.com:80/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2830271,00.html | title=''Hot Date'' still hot | author=Walker, Trey | date=December 5, 2001 | work=[[GameSpot]] | archive-date=December 7, 2001 | url-status=dead | access-date=July 4, 2019 }}</ref><ref name=week5>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011214151701/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2832176,00.html | url=http://gamespot.com:80/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2832176,00.html | title=''Harry Potter'' beats ''Hot Date'' | author=Walker, Trey | date=December 12, 2001 | work=[[GameSpot]] | archive-date=December 14, 2001 | url-status=dead | access-date=July 4, 2019 }}</ref> and took sixth place for November as a whole.<ref name=nov2001>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020213013550/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2833845,00.html | url=http://gamespot.com:80/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2833845,00.html | title=''Hot Date'' rules November | author=Walker, Trey | date=December 19, 2001 | work=[[GameSpot]] | archive-date=February 13, 2002 | url-status=dead | access-date=July 4, 2019 }}</ref> After an absence,<ref name=nov2001 /><ref name=gone>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020105131539/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2835972,00.html | url=http://gamespot.com:80/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2835972,00.html | title=''Harry Potter'' on top again | author=Walker, Trey | work=[[GameSpot]] | archive-date=January 5, 2002 | date=January 3, 2002 | url-status=dead | access-date=July 4, 2019 }}</ref> it reappeared in the weekly top 10 twice during December and secured 11th for the month.<ref name=dec1>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020202043938/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2836292,00.html | url=http://gamespot.com:80/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2836292,00.html | title=EA takes three | author=Walker, Trey | work=[[GameSpot]] | date=January 4, 2002 | archive-date=February 2, 2002 | url-status=dead | access-date=July 4, 2019 }}</ref><ref name=dec2>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020111194504/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2837643,00.html | url=http://gamespot.com:80/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2837643,00.html | title=''Sims'' games dominate year-end PC game sales | author=Walker, Trey | date=January 9, 2002 | work=[[GameSpot]] | archive-date=January 11, 2002 | url-status=dead | access-date=July 4, 2019 }}</ref><ref name=dec2001>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020127002855/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2841779,00.html | url=http://gamespot.com:80/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2841779,00.html | title=''Harry Potter'' takes December | author=Walker, Trey | date=January 23, 2002 | work=[[GameSpot]] | archive-date=January 27, 2002 | url-status=dead | access-date=July 4, 2019 }}</ref> ''Civilization III'' finished 2001 with domestic sales of 294,789 units, for revenues of $13.5 million.<ref name=2001nyu>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040619191112/https://cat.nyu.edu/current/news/media/marklesimcity.pdf | url=https://cat.nyu.edu/current/news/media/marklesimcity.pdf | title=Markle Forum on Children and Media | author=Bradshaw, Lucy | author-link=Lucy Bradshaw (game developer) | date=January 31, 2002 | publisher=[[New York University]] | archive-date=June 19, 2004 | url-status=live }}</ref>

''Civilization III'' sold 550,000 copies and earned $21.7 million in the United States by August 2006. At the time, this led ''[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]'' to declare it the country's 21st-best-selling computer game released since January 2000. Combined sales of all ''Civilization'' titles released during the 2000s totaled 2.5 million units by 2006.<ref name=edgesales>{{cite magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017165955/http://www.edge-online.com/features/top-100-pc-games-21st-century/ |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/top-100-pc-games-21st-century/ |title=The Top 100 PC Games of the 21st Century| author=''Edge'' Staff | date=August 25, 2006 |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |archive-date=October 17, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Internationally, ''Civilization III'' received a "Silver" sales award from the [[Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association]] (ELSPA),<ref name=silverelspa>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221154943/http://www.elspa.com/?i=3942 |url=http://www.elspa.com:80/?i=3942 |title=ELSPA Sales Awards: Silver |work=[[Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association]] |archive-date=February 21, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> indicating sales of at least 100,000 copies in the United Kingdom.<ref name=gamasutrasales>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918063107/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/112220/ELSPA_Wii_Fit_Mario_Kart_Reach_Diamond_Status_In_UK.php |url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/112220/ELSPA_Wii_Fit_Mario_Kart_Reach_Diamond_Status_In_UK.php |title=ELSPA: ''Wii Fit'', ''Mario Kart'' Reach Diamond Status In UK | author=Caoili, Eric | date=November 26, 2008 |work=[[Gamasutra]] |archive-date=September 18, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Reviews and awards===
{{Video game reviews
| GI = 8.5/10<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040924073039/http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200112/R03.0804.1616.14747.htm|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200112/R03.0804.1616.14747.htm|archive-date=September 24, 2004|work=[[GameInformer.com]]|url-status=dead|title=Civilization Giveth}}</ref>
| GameRev = A−<ref>[http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/pc/civilization_iii Civilization III review for the PC<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070305202400/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/pc/civilization_iii |date=2007-03-05 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA516033.html| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050822170903/http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA516033.html| url-status = dead| archive-date = 2005-08-22| title = Meet the Gamers| access-date = 2007-01-28| last = Squire| first = Kurt| author2 = Constance Steinkuehler| date = 2005-04-15| publisher = LibraryJournal.com}}</ref>
| GSpot = 9.2/10<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/civilization3/review.html|title=Civilization III for PC Review {{en dash}} PC Civilization III Review|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060221091221/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/civilization3/review.html|archive-date=February 21, 2006|work=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref>
| IGN = 9.3/10<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/162/162062p1.html|title=Civilization III Review|work=[[IGN]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021140929/http://www.ign.com/articles/2001/10/30/civilization-iii-3|archive-date=October 21, 2017|url-status=dead|date=October 29, 2001}}</ref>
| NGen = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="NG"/>
| PCGUS = 92%<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061018003238/http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/06/sid_meiers_civi.html|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/06/sid_meiers_civi.html|archive-date=October 18, 2006|work=[[PC Gamer]]|title=Sid Meier's Civilization III|author=Harms, William}}</ref>
|MC=90/100<ref name="MC">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/sid-meiers-civilization-iii/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=Sid Meier's Civilization III for PC Reviews |publisher=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=March 25, 2017}}</ref>
}}

Jeff Lundrigan reviewed the PC version of the game for ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'', rating it five stars out of five, and stated that "Given that ''Civ II'' was as close to perfect as any game has ever been, it's arguable that it wasn't possible to change it so much as add to it."<ref name="NG">{{cite magazine|last=Lundrigan|first=Jeff|title=Finals|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|volume=5|issue=1|publisher=[[Future US|Imagine Media]]|date=January 2002|page=90}}</ref>

Upon release, the reaction to ''Civilization III'' was very positive.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}} It won several "Game of the Year" awards, such as the "[[D.I.C.E. Award for Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year|PC Strategy]]" award from the [[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences|AIAS]]' [[5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards]] (along with nominations for "Computer Game of the Year" and "[[D.I.C.E. Award for Game of the Year|Game of the Year]]").<ref>{{cite web |title=2002 PC Strategy Game of the year |url=https://www.interactive.org/awards/award_category_details.asp?idAward=2002&idGameAwardType=118 |website=Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences}}</ref> The editors of ''[[Computer Games Magazine]]'' named ''Civilization III'' the best strategy title and best overall computer game of 2001. They commented, "It's the best ''Civilization'' yet, and that's saying something."<ref name="cgm11th">{{cite journal | author=Staff | journal=[[Computer Games Magazine]] | title=11th Annual ''Computer Games'' Awards |date=March 2002 | issue=136 | pages=50–56 }}</ref> Nonetheless, the initial release of the game was slightly marred by [[computer bug|bug]]s and glitches. The first [[patch (computing)|patch]] came very soon after the game's initial release and other patches were released subsequently, improving gameplay significantly.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}} The patches also added certain features, such as the group movement command. There were complaints about the addition of features and bug fixes after initial release.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}

The editors of ''[[PC Gamer US]]'' awarded ''Civilization III'' their 2001 "Best Turn-Based Strategy Game" prize, and wrote that it "manages to recapture all that was great about its predecessors and color them with a few great new strokes—''without'' pantsing up what was so great about them in the first place."<ref name=pcgamerusawards2002>{{cite journal |date=March 2002 | title=The Eighth Annual ''PC Gamer'' Awards | volume=9 | number=3 | pages=32, 33, 36, 36, 37, 40, 42 | journal=[[PC Gamer US]] | author=Staff }}</ref> ''Civilization III'' was a nominee for ''[[Computer Gaming World]]''{{'}}s 2001 "Best Strategy Game" award, which ultimately went to ''[[Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns]]''. The editors wrote, "''Civilization III'' was another fantastic candidate. Many feel it's the best game so far in the series and is the new benchmark for turn-based strategy games."<ref name=cgwpremier2001>{{cite magazine | author=((Editors of ''Computer Gaming World'')) | magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | title=Games of the Year; The Very Best of a (Sometimes) Great Year in Gaming |date=April 2002 | issue=213 | pages=69–73, 76–84 }}</ref>