Ubisoft and Its Blue Byte Studio Unveil the New Settlers ®

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Ubisoft and Its Blue Byte Studio Unveil the New Settlers ® UBISOFT AND ITS BLUE BYTE STUDIO ® UNVEIL THE NEW SETTLERS Sensational graphics, enhanced strategy gameplay œUbisoft settles for nothing less in the next installment of The Settlers series Paris, FRANCE œ March 29, 2004 œ Ubisoft, one of the world‘s largest videogame publishers, today announced its development plan for the latest installment in the award- winning series The Settlers ®. Developed by its German studio, Blue Byte, the new episode of the popular strategic simulation game will be released at the end of this year. The first four parts of the famous series have already sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. The latest Settlers game takes the franchise and pushes it to the next level. Fans will enjoy fully animated 3D technology and enhanced gameplay features, but still be able to relive the experience that makes the Settlers series such a big hit. The game will take the player to a medieval setting, to re-conquer the kingdom currently under the domination of an evil tyrant. —We wanted to offer an original gaming experience with the new Settlers game,“ said Benedikt Grindel producer of the Ubisoft-studio Blue Byte —After the release of Settlers IV, we looked at other directions for the Settlers franchise. After listening to feedback from Settlers fans, we believe we succeeded in renewing the franchise by adding many new gameplay and design elements while keeping the essence of Settlers.“ The use of full 3D technology has given more scope for animation in the world of Settlers and allowed for developments in strategy-gameplay. Among other very experienced designers, Bruce Milligan, contributed to this new Settlers. The American worked with the world-famous designers Sid Meier, Bruce Shelley, and Brian Reynolds and lent his creative style to successful strategy titles in the past. Odile Limpach, Managing Director of Ubisoft in Germany and the Ubisoft studio Blue Byte commented, —This highly awaited game from the cult series will excite existing fans and newcomers alike. The creativity and quality that Blue Byte has put into the game is second-to-none œ a commitment central to all Ubisoft Development studios.“ More information to come on www.TheSettlers.com The END © 2004 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries. © 2004 Blue Byte Software. All rights reserved. Settlers® is a registered trademarks of Blue Byte Software. Blue Byte Software Inc. is a company of Ubi Soft Entertainment SA About Ubisoft: Ubisoft is an international producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products. A leading company in the multimedia industry, Ubisoft‘s strong and diversified lineup has grown considerably, as has Ubisoft itself. As well as steadfastly continuing to partner with several high-profile companies, Ubisoft has also confirmed its presence on the global market by developing its own exceptional properties. Founded in 1986 in France, Ubisoft is now present on every continent, both through offices in 21 different countries including the United States, Morocco, Germany and China and through sales of products in over 50 countries. The group is dedicated to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers around the world. Ubisoft generated a turnover of 453 million euros for the 2002/2003 fiscal year, up 23% over the previous fiscal year. To learn more, visit www.ubi.com About the Ubisoft Studio "BLUE BYTE“ Blue Byte is one of the pioneers of the German gaming industry. The company was founded in 1988 and since then concentrated on the development of entertainment software. Blue Byte is responsible for two of the most famous series in the history of PC-games in Germany: The Settlers®-series and the Battle Isle™-Saga. The Settlers œ a highly acclaimed strategic simulation game - was sold more than 5 million times worldwide. In the summer of 2003, the series celebrated its 10th anniversary. Blue Byte is also behind Game, Net & Match!, the first tennis simulation playable via the Internet. Today, Blue Byte is a 100% subsidiary of Ubisoft and, as a development studio, produces the current episodes of the series The Settlers®. Further information is available at www.ubisoft.de or www.bluebyte.de . Press Contact Name E-mail Phone .
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