, ▁the ▁publish er ▁showed ▁the ▁game ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁Electron ic ▁Entertainment ▁Ex po ▁( E 3 ). ▁Sierra ▁ultimately ▁released ▁Civil ▁War ▁General ▁on ▁August ▁ 2 4 , ▁with ▁a ▁list ▁price ▁of ▁$ 5 9 . 9 5 . ▁By ▁December , ▁the ▁team ▁had ▁released ▁a ▁download able ▁" Sc enario ▁Pack " ▁for ▁the ▁game ; ▁a ▁second ▁pack ▁was ▁launched ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁Sales ▁Civil ▁War ▁General ▁was ▁a ▁commercial ▁success ; ▁according ▁to ▁Sierra ' s ▁Inter Action , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁best - s elling ▁w arg ame ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁The ▁game ▁deb uted ▁at ▁# 1 4 ▁on ▁N PD ▁Sof Tr ends ' ▁computer ▁reference ▁software ▁sales ▁chart ▁for ▁August ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁and ▁rose ▁to ▁e ighth ▁place ▁the ▁following ▁month , ▁at ▁an ▁average ▁ret ail ▁price ▁of ▁$ 5 1 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁Civil ▁War ▁General ▁secured ▁first ▁place ▁on ▁Sof Tr ends ' ▁reference ▁software ▁rank ings ▁for ▁January , ▁with ▁an ▁average ▁price ▁of ▁$ 1 7 . ▁It ▁remained ▁at ▁# 1 ▁from ▁February ▁through ▁August , ▁before ▁dro pping ▁to ▁# 3 ▁in ▁September . ▁By ▁June , ▁its ▁average ▁price ▁had ▁fallen ▁to ▁$ 1 0 . ▁The ▁game ▁held ▁a ▁position ▁in ▁N PD ' s ▁top ▁ 4 ▁for ▁reference ▁software ▁throughout ▁the ▁rest ▁of