Editing Civilization (video game) (section)

===Post-release===
''Civilization''{{'s}} critical success created a "golden period of MicroProse" where there was more potential for similar strategy games to succeed, according to Meier.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2016/02/18/civilization-25-years-66-versions-33m-copies-sold-1-billion-hours-played/ |title=Civilization: 25 years, 33M copies sold, 1 billion hours played, and 66 versions |first=Dean |last=Takahasi |date=February 18, 2016 |access-date=September 21, 2016 |work=[[Venture Beat]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826055444/http://venturebeat.com/2016/02/18/civilization-25-years-66-versions-33m-copies-sold-1-billion-hours-played/ |archive-date=August 26, 2016 }}</ref> This put stress on the company's direction and culture. Stealey wanted to continue to pursue the military-themed titles, while Meier wanted to continue his success with simulation games.<ref name="gamasutra"/> Shelley left MicroProse in 1992 and joined [[Ensemble Studios]], where he used his experience with ''Civilization'' to design the ''[[Age of Empires]]'' games.<ref name="vb shelley"/> Stealey had pushed MicroProse to develop console and arcade-based versions of their games, but this put the company into debt, and Stealey eventually sold the company to [[Spectrum HoloByte]] in 1993; Spectrum HoloByte kept MicroProse as a separate company on acquisition.<ref name="gamasutra"/>

Meier would continue and develop ''[[Civilization II]]'' along with [[Brian Reynolds (game designer)|Brian Reynolds]], who served in a similar role to Shelley as design assistant, as well as help from [[Jeff Briggs]] and Douglas Kaufman. This game was released in early 1996, and is considered the first sequel of any Sid Meier game.<ref name="gamasutra"/> Stealey eventually sold his shares in MicroProse and left the company, and Spectrum HoloByte opted to consolidate the two companies under the name MicroProse in 1996, eliminating numerous positions at MicroProse in the process. As a result, Meier, Briggs, and Reynolds all opted to leave the company and founded [[Firaxis]], which by 2005 became a subsidiary of [[Take-Two]]. After a number of acquisitions and legal actions, the ''Civilization'' brand (both as a board game and video game) is now owned by Take-Two, and Firaxis, under Meier's oversight, continues to develop games in the ''Civilization'' series.<ref name="gamasutra"/>