Firaxis announces Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth

UPDATE 14/04 1PM: The official press release is out and Mac and Linux versions, developed by Aspyr, are confirmed.

There's a bit more information about the meat of the game, which begins by you selecting a leader, sponsor, spacecraft, cargo and colonists - and each decision directly impacts your starting conditions on the alien planet. You'll build outposts, find alien relics, tame new forms of life and encounter hostile new species. There's new tech, there are quests and all the latest PC graphical snazziness looks to be supported.

ORIGINAL STORY 12/04 5.30PM: Firaxis has announced its next game: Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth.

Beyond Earth is a new science fiction entry in the long-running Civilization series, and a spiritual successor to Sid Meier's own Alpha Centauri, published by EA in 1999.

In the game you lead your people on an expedition sent to find a new home away from Earth. You explore and colonise an alien planet and create a new civilisation in space.

Civilization: Beyond Earth is due out on PC in autumn 2014.