Celebrating Sid Meier: February 2025 Book Recommendation

The Civilization series has been one of the most impactful video games that I have come across, and arguably one that has shaped me to become the person I am today. I started my Civ journey with Civ 5, from then on, I would have played every mainline Civ game to date (and by the way, the first two games are available to play online for free!) In preparation for the launch of Sid Meier's Civilization VII, I suppose I should revisit this book again, and offer my partial thoughts on this book.

The history of video games can be summarized in one theme: "How can we utilize the changing technological climate to create an immersive form of entertainment that can transform culture?". Much like movies, music, radio and others that came before it, the medium of video games has been shaped by many great individuals, including Shigeru Miyamoto, Gabe Newell, and Ed Boon. A lot of these industry visionaries contribute something to the medium, mostly through their works, examples include Masahiro Sakurai with Super Smash Bros, Ed Boon with Mortal Kombat, and Todd Howard with Fallout and the Elder Scrolls, but no other game director is as synonymous as Sid Meier and Civilization (but to be fair, his name is literally attached to the series). 

Sid Meier has made video games since 1981, but it was only until Sid Meier's Pirates! that he started putting his name on the game titles. Fun fact, it was under the suggestion of Robin Williams at an industry meeting, that Sid Meier should put his name on his titles, as a form of marketing. Back then, it was a smart idea to establish a trust household name in an industry that was very much in it's frontier stage, but it did work, any game with his name on it was a relative success, whether it be Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, or most importanly, Sid Meier's Civilization. But He is more than just a guy who slaps his name of video games, and as this book would suggest, he is rightfully the "godfather of computer gaming".

Anyways, now to the book. Sid Meier's Memoir!, despite what it's name might suggest, is not actually a memoir in a traditional sense, sure it covers aspects of his early life, but the book offers a very in-depth look into his professional career starting from his humble origins in computer technology. His work on video games would eventually turn from a hobby into a full time career with the founding of MicroProse in 1982. From then on, the book details the philosophy and design process of his gameography, presented chronologically. I think, my favourite design philosophy of his, is in regards to sequels: The 1/3rds rule, which is utilized heavily in the Civilization series. This is a rule that when designing a sequel to keep it mechanically different from it's predecessors, one-third of the game must be kept the same, one-third must be changed, and one-third must be new. The book is filled with so many interesting tidbits about each of his games, and for every one of them, he offers a valuable lesson that he had learned and discusses his works in a way that is really eye-opening. 

In the coming years, these video game legends would eventually be known for their contributions to the medium: Gabe Newell for his business acumen, Jerry Lawson for the creation of the cartridge, and Will Wright for pushing the boundries of sandbox. In this book, Sid Meier showcases his legacy in computer games and his philosophy of game design, and I think this is an important book that every passionate gamer should read, and even more so for those venturing into game developement. Overall, it is a 5 in my eyes, and something I would recommend.