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Panzer General Online says to play its open beta, maggot
Ubisoft-published Panzer General Online, a browser-based turn-based strategy game, has advanced to the front lines and is now in open beta. Not to be confused with Sega's Panzer Dragoon series, Panzer General Online is inspired by historical battles of real-world armies. In the game, players create and build decks of cards to take into battle, though Skirmish 2.0, a new mode created for the open beta, can pre-build a deck for you if you'd prefer. Any soldiers willing and able can join ranks with Ubisoft and developer Blue Byte by heading to the game's official site and registering an account. [Image: Ubisoft]
Cult-favorite sim franchise Anno to build empires on iPad
The next entry in Ubisoft's long-running, empire building Anno franchise is titled Anno: Build An Empire and instead of following in line with its PC predecessors, it's coming to the iPad. "... Anno: Build an Empire requires strategic planning to ensure players are weighing the options and consequences of their city planning in order to create powerful, successful islands," reads Ubisoft's official description. "Taverns must be built to keep citizens happy and stress-free, churches will need to be built to satisfy the need for religion and homes will need to be built to keep citizens safe." So far that seems pretty typical of the series, though Ubisoft notes that the game has been built from the ground up for the iPad's touchscreen interface. Unfortunately lacking from Ubisoft's announcement is any word on when Anno: Build An Empire might debut, beyond the claim that it should be available "soon." There's likewise no price tag associated with this release, though we've attempted to contact Ubisoft for further clarification and will report back when and if we hear anything. [Image: Ubisoft]
Panzer General Online beta now underway, accepting applicants
Ubisoft has announced it's ramping up a closed beta session for Panzer General Online, the free-to-play browser entry in the long-running strategy series. If you want to enlist, head on over to the official site and sign up. Panzer General Online, currently in development at Blue Byte in collaboration with Funatics Software, uses a collectible card mechanic where players unlock cards that they then use to build up their own personalized armies. The single-player side focuses on historical WWII battles, while multiplayer features direct head-to-head competition. No launch official launch date has been set for Panzer General Online.
Anno Online sails into open beta
Ubisoft's Anno Online has opened the city gates for an open beta, granting all access to the free-to-play city building strategy game. Interested lords and ladies should set course to anno-online.com for access. New players logging in during the first week of the open beta will receive a "premium ship." Players who participated in the closed beta will receive several rewards. The greatest gift? Their data won't be wiped per the standard beta transition, so they can continue on. Based on Anno 1404 (previously known as Dawn of Discovery in the States), Anno Online has players build and develop a medieval city, support the population and develop trade routes. Anno Online will also add a guild system sometime this month for players to cooperate with friends.
Ubisoft fully acquires Anno developer
Ubisoft has fully purchased German developer Related Designs, best known for creating the Anno strategy series (Americans may remember Anno 1404 as Dawn of Discovery). The French publisher previously held a 30 percent share in the company, but bought the other 70 percent in an undisclosed cash transaction."Bringing the talented teams from Related Designs into the fold at Ubisoft is a mutually beneficial evolution of the relationship that we've had with this great studio for the past six years," said Odile Limpach, managing director at Ubisoft's Blue Byte studio (also in Germany). Ubisoft's Blue Byte (The Settlers) was handling publishing duties on the Anno series since Anno 1404 in 2009 C.E.
Anno 2070 Domination Mode mapped out by developers
Anno 2070's new multiplayer mode, Domination, allows two teams of five to fight for control of various points. Watch how it's done in the video above. Also, check out the size of that mic!
Silent Hunter Online wants you to join the wolfpack, taking beta participants
This teaser trailer from Gamescom 2012 for Ubisoft's free-to-play naval strategy game Silent Hunter Online invites players to launch torpedoes from submarines and join "the wolfpack" (but not the nWo). Developer Blue Byte is now accepting applicants for beta testing at the game's site.
Dive into Anno 2070's 'Deep Ocean' this October
Anno 2070's under the sea expansion pack "Deep Ocean" will be available October 4 for $29.99.Announced earlier this year, the downloadable add-on will allow for a underwater geothermal plant, a new Tech Monument and a new population class of "Genius" for the Tech faction. Deep Ocean also includes over 150 new quests, along with co-op features.Did our "under the sea" get you humming The Little Mermaid this time?%Gallery-153875%
Anno 2070 dives deep to extract expansion this fall
Anno 2070 will go under the sea this autumn with the "Deep Ocean" expansion. The pack will allow for an underwater geothermal plant, a "hostile takeover" without the use of military, a new population class of "Genius" for the Tech faction and several other additions.The futurisitic update of the commerce and ecological strategy simulation has been receiving generally positive reviews since its launch late last year. It's too bad then that news about the game has circled around complications from Ubisoft's DRM.Also, let us know if that carefully placed "under the sea" earlier triggered a brain hack forcing you to start humming the song from The Little Mermaid.%Gallery-153875%
Anno 2070 DRM grudgingly altered as little as possible
It's hard to watch Ubisoft's abusive relationship with PC gamers, but here's another example of the publisher delivering a box of chocolates to the hospital room. Economics and ecology simulator Anno 2070 has some pretty strict DRM, allowing only three installs per copy, which is restrictive but not unusual for the publisher. The crazy part occurred when Guru3D discovered that changing graphics cards on the PC counted as an installation.The situation hit DEFCON "facepalm" when Rock Paper Shotgun followed up with the publisher to ask if the bug would be fixed, to which Ubisoft responded that the DRM was working as intended. The publisher continued, "On the rare occasion when a customer does need additional activations, Ubisoft customer service is available to quickly resolve the situation, and we encourage those customers to contact us directly so that we can ensure they are able to continue to enjoy their game."Anno 2070 developer BlueByte has since gotten in contact with Guru3D to say it has removed the graphics hardware from "the hash used to identify the PC." Customers who legally purchased the game can now switch graphics cards as many times as they want, putting them in parity with those who pirated the game.
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.
Ubisoft puts Anno 2070 on its calendar for anno 2011
Having released Dawn of Discovery in 2009, German developer Related Designs is producing a follow-up to its city building / strategy game which shifts the timeline several centuries forward. Co-developed by The Settlers studio Blue Byte, Anno 2070 is due out on PC this year, promising some twists on the core mechanics of its predecessors as the result of its near-future setting. Ubisoft says that the results of global climate change depicted in-game will require players to take advantage of "architectural breakthroughs" in order to grow their nations. By setting the title in the future, "the development team wasn't restricted by historical boundaries and was able to dream bigger than ever before." You'd think eco-disasters would have put the kibosh on industrialization, but in fact, players will get to side with either the "pave the planet" Tycoons or the "the greener the better" Ecos from the outset. A third faction, one that can't be bothered to separate the recycling or install compact fluorescent light bulbs, was deemed too apathetic to make the cut.%Gallery-120362%
Ubisoft announces Fit in Six for Wii and PS3
Already outed by the ESRB, Ubisoft has officially announced its upcoming fitness title, Fit in Six. Slated to arrive on Wii and PS3 this March, Fit in Six focuses on six different areas of fitness: core body, upper body, lower body, cardio, balance and flexibility. The PS3 version utilizes PlayStation Move, while the Wii version -- like the Wii's Your Shape -- will require a special USB camera. The camera will be bundled with the game, or if you happen to have one already, standalone copies will be available as well. The PS3 version includes a few extra features, notably support for DLC and the ability to import your own music for use in workouts. Fit in Six even includes a system to analyze a user's music, choosing the most appropriate tracks for each workout. Stretch that index finger and click past the break for a trailer.%Gallery-114598%
New Settlers 7 multiplayer maps added to UbiShop
Are you and your globe-conquering friends losing that competitive edge over Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom's catalog of expansive multiplayer arenas? Today, Ubisoft added three new competitive maps for the game to its online storefront: Tempest Taiga, Fiery Chasm and the Battle of Tanholm.
Settlers 7 still plagued by DRM problems two weeks after launch
We love the anticipation that builds up in the weeks leading up to the launch of a new game in one of our favorite franchises. That's why we think Ubisoft has stumbled upon a really clever marketing technique with its real-time strategy PC title, Settlers 7, which many users (about 50 pages worth on this forum thread) are still unable to access two weeks after the game launched due to problems with Ubisoft's DRM authentication servers. A Ubisoft rep commented on the issues to Eurogamer, explaining, "our technical teams have made progress but we are not yet able to say that the issue is completely resolved." Hey guys, take your time. Just keep letting that anticipation build up in your player base. Once they're finally able to play, we're sure they'll thank you for the extended expectancy.
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."
