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Ubisoft announces free-to-play strategy title 'Castle Empire'
If you're keen on using your web browser less for watching videos of Zombies Ate My Neighbors speed runs and more for conquering the world, Ubisoft's ready to help you shift your aspirations. The publisher recently announced Castle Empire, a free-to-play, browser-based strategy title that went into beta in Europe under the title The Settlers Online. The game is currently in closed beta in North America. Unless you luck into a golden ticket, you'll have to stick a pin in your plan for global domination. You can check out a trailer for Castle Empire above, though it doesn't do much to show what the game itself looks like (it certainly doesn't look like an Esurance commercial). For a more accurate look at the game, check out the gallery below. %Gallery-128791%
See the pretty, sterile Anno 2070 debut teaser trailer
Anno 2070's first trailer feels so much like a pharmaceutical commercial that we keep waiting for the voice-over to tell us the side effects of playing the game. You know, beyond: sense of lost time.
Server error preventing Australians from playing The Settlers 7
Ubisoft's PC game DRM has done an excellent job of keeping people from playing its games. Sadly, the people barred from the games are the ones who actually purchase them. The latest issue to pop up involves the Australian release of The Settlers 7. Players are reporting that the game pops up a "Server not available" message after the initial loading screen, preventing the game from even starting. The culprit this time isn't exactly the always-on nature of the DRM: it's an issue with authenticating multiplayer profiles ... which, unfortunately, is done before the single-player game can start. Ubisoft released a new patch today, but apparently it's still not fixing the issue. However, users have reported that Ubisoft can resolve the issue if called. If you want to play Settlers 7 today, you may have to settle for talking to tech support about it. [Via GamePolitics]
Ensemble's Bruce Shelley working on The Settlers 7
As spotted by Joystiq's sister site Big Download in a recent gameplay trailer, ex-Ensemble Studios co-founder Bruce Shelley is working on Ubisoft's next installment in the Settlers series, The Settlers 7. Oh, what's that? You've never heard of the Settlers franchise? That's okay, we're right there with you. Popular in Europe (like Jerry Lewis, but less obnoxious), the city-building sim developed by Blue Byte Software will apparently get Shelley's input as a "game design consultant" -- and considering the pedigree that comes with Shelley, we have to imagine that, If you're into that kind of thing, it's time to start getting totally psyched. The game is currently in beta and will be headed to PCs in "late March."
Anno coming to US on Wii and DS as Dawn of Discovery
Ubisoft is bringing the Anno series of historical strategy games to Wii and DS in North America under the title Dawn of Discovery this summer. It's also coming to PC -- but another strategy game on PC isn't really that big a deal. Dawn of Discovery features city-building gameplay in a simulated 1404 AD. According to the game's premise, King George's sons William and Edward are sent out to settle new territories in order to gather resources for a drought-ridden homeland. As you build your society, you will gain access to new developments from neighboring cultures through developing trade routes around the world. The Wii version, which marks the first Wii release for the series, even features 2-player cooperative play. All three versions are due out this summer. %Gallery-45958% %Gallery-45959%
You don't know what you're missing: Ubisoft delays 'unannounced franchise' (Anno, too)
Reporting its sales for the fiscal half-year today, Ubisoft also announced two software delays. "In view of the good first-half trends and the positive outlook for the third quarter, Ubisoft has decided that Anno as well as the as-yet unannounced franchise which were previously scheduled to be released in 2008-09 will now bolster the line-up for 2009-10," reads a release schedule update from the report. To be clear, Anno and "Unannounced Franchise" are likely two unrelated projects -- the former a strategy game set in 1404 and the latter, well, that's anyone's guess. The vague articulation of the mystery delay leaves the details open to speculation. Is this a new franchise? Or a new entry in an existing franchise? We'll update when we've got clarification.
