In its earnings report yesterday, Take-Two Interactive revealed that one of its most anticipated PC games, Sid Meier’s Civilization IV, would arrive several weeks earlier than planned. Today, Take-Two subsidiary 2K Games reconfirmed that Civ IV will arrive in October 2005, rather than mid-November as previously expected.

　　Were that not enough to get god-game fans' mouse fingers a-twitchin', 2K Games also announced a preorder incentive program. Anyone who preorders Civilization IV in North America will receive the inventively named Sid Meier's Civilization IV Pre-Order Edition. But what the Pre-Order Edition lacks in innovative nomenclature it makes up for in substance, as it will include a CD soundtrack, a keyboard template, a tech tree poster, and a spiral-bound manual--all in collector's edition packaging (pictured).

　　As for what's inside the box, Civilization IV expands on the empire-building, culture-crafting, technology-discovering concepts that made Civilization III one of 2001's most acclaimed games. However, Civ IV will introduce new features, such as an expanded theology system, and it will feature an all-new 3D graphics engine.

　　To do more research on Civilization IV, peruse GameSpot's previous coverage.