This news from Ubisoft is fresh from Australia, mates.

Ubisoft, one of the world's leading producers, publishers and distributors of interactive entertainment, today officially announced that The Settlers® - RISE OF An Empire, Blue Byte's sixth game in this popular strategic simulation series, will be released in September 2007.

In this game, the player builds lively, bustling towns in a medieval world. Everything is visible, lovingly animated and realistic. Each settler has his or her own daily routine, with a range of different actions and behaviours that can be observed by the player at all times. This enables him to get the best out of his Settlers, build up a flourishing economy, tend to his settlers' needs, and protect his empire against danger from the outside. By expanding his empire, the player can aspire to becoming a legendary king or queen.

The most popular features of the predecessors in the series have been retained, and many of the fans desires and wishes were incorporated into the new game to create a very special Settlers atmosphere. The result is a realistic medieval world, captured in intricate detail. The game features an immersive, yet transparent economic system based on the resources, wares and goods produced by the settlers in their various trades and occupations.

Chaos Swordsman via games.ign.com »