View this article at: http://www.macnn.com/articles/06/06/08/civilization.iv.goes.beta/ Thursday, Jun 08, 2006 11:55am Civilization IV goes beta Sid Meier's Civilization IV for Mac has hit beta status, and is scheduled to ship later this month. Civilization IV features multiplayer support over LAN, the internet, and "Play-By-Email" for competing or cooperating with live players. A 3D world brings dozens of fully animated units and customizable armies, as well as cities and wonders. Key features of Civilization IV include fast-paced game play for a more streamlined experience, greater accessibility via an easy-to-use interface, a flexible tech tree allowing players more strategic choices for developing civilizations through unique paths, and more. Designed from the ground up for "modability," the game includes a powerful map editor with XML and Python support. Civilization IV is slated for shipment in June for $50, and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.