'Civilization' for Facebook due this summer

As if Facebook weren't a big enough time suck, one of the most addictive titles in the video game industry is set to invade the social network.

"Civilization World," which has been development for years and in closed beta testing for months, may finally go live to the general public this summer, says developer Sid Meier.

The founder of Firaxis Software tells CNN that bringing the game, where players strive for world domination, to Facebook has been one of its most dramatic stretches to date – but seemed a natural way to re-imagine the game.

"What was really intriguing to us was being able to emphasize cooperative game play, which was something that really hadn't been a major part of 'Civilization' up to now," he said. "A lot of our design in 'Civ World' was taking advantage and using these opportunities for players to work together -- teamwork, communication, planning. Those are all the things that become really important to 'Civ World.'"

While it's nice to finally have some idea of when to expect the game, don't mark it in ink on your calendar just yet. First announced in October 2009, "CivWorld" was originally slated to go into beta testing last June – but the deadline came and went without an acknowledgement.