The Settlers back in sixth installment

Ubisoft has blown the lid off a sixth game in it's Settlers series, The Settlers: Rise of an Empire which is due to release in September.

So... it's back to the medieval era in a sim-strategy that finds players dealing with the daily lives of settlers, gathering resources, dabbling with economics and building an empire. Ubisoft explains that the primary objective in Rise of an Empire is "to create large, lively medieval towns," and through empire expansion you can aspire to ascend to the throne of the kingdom. Or something.

Anyway, features from previous installments in the series that have proved popular have been retained for this sixth game, the wants and needs of series fans also influencing the content of the sequel. "The result," says Ubisoft, "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."