Colonization

The game also left out Sweden, though this was much less obvious and controversial, as its colonization of the New World was very brief. Denmark, Russia, Scotland, and Courland also held colonies in the New World, but these efforts were far more obscure and their omission mostly went unnoticed by players.

Civilization IV: Colonization is a Firaxis remake of Colonization, using an upgraded Civilization IV engine. The game features original gameplay, 3D graphics, an updated AI, and multiplayer support. It was released for the PC on September 22, 2008.

The exclusion of Portugal from the game has generated criticism. It caused resentment in Portugal and Brazil and has been criticized by players from other countries because it was such an obvious omission from the colonization of the New World.

Colonization allows for some basic game modification, mostly in the form of altering text files that control certain aspects of the game. The primary file is "names.txt", which contains information such as square types and their output of natural resources, but also on the goods and their prices in Europe.

As slave labor was an important part of colonial American society, Sid Meier wanted to include it as part of the game. However, Microprose executives refused for fear of offending black people, a decision Meier was reportedly quite unhappy with.