Sid Meier's Civilization is a computer game created by Sid Meier for MicroProse in 1991. The game's objective is to develop a great empire from the ground up or in other words: "...to build an empire that would stand the test of time". The game begins in 4000 BC, and the players attempt to expand and develop their empires through the ages until modern and near-future times. It is also known simply as Civilization, or abbreviated to Civ or Civ I. It is generally acknowledged to be a pioneer in the genre of turn-based strategy games.