By Quinton Miles

[i]Sid Meier’s Pirates![/i] has been shipped out to stores, according to a press release issued by Atari today. The game, which received much critical acclaim when released in 1987, helped set an industry standard with open ended gameplay and real time adventures. This time around, the new title uses an all-new engine and fresh 3D graphics.

“Pirates! is among the most popular and loved titles in gaming history and Sid and the team have far surpassed our expectations by delivering a game that has the highest quality graphics, new features, and enhanced gameplay that improve upon the award-winning original,” said Jeff Briggs, Firaxis Games founder, president and CEO.

“Firaxis Games and Atari are thrilled to offer this incredibly fun, action-adventure game to a new generation of gamers around the world.”

[i]Sid Meier’s Pirates![/i] is rated E for everyone and will retail at $49.99 for the PC.