ANNO-ther Incredible Game From Empire-Building Masters Sunflowers

Thursday 24th August, Basingstoke UK/ Leading Empire-building experts Sunflowers today announced the release date for ANNO 1701. With more than 4.4 million copies sold worldwide, the ANNO series is one of the most successful games franchises of all time. The third in the critically acclaimed series, ANNO 1701, will be launched for PC at the end of October 2006, exclusively distributed throughout the UK by Koch Media under it's premium Deep Silver label.

With a thriving community still playing both previous titles in the best-selling series, and still readily available at retail, the ANNO series has remained at the forefront of strategic evolution. This next instalment boasts extensive community input, forged from player-research on a scale never before seen in an empire building simulation. In multiplayer mode, up to four players can colonise the island world simultaneously. Every aspect of the game has been analysed and improved by those who play it the most, making it more involving and more accessible than ever before.

A new, intuitive interface allows players to manipulate the environment and their units with ease. A dynamic, detailed graphical engine removes the need for much of the statistical representation common to building games and provides players with instant feedback on the effects of their choices; and it's in this regard that the ANNO series really excels. With more units and buildings than any of its predecessors, ANNO 1701 offers players an unrivalled opportunity to build their civilisation in the manner they see fit.

For all its innovations, however, ANNO 1701 remains faithful to its roots, following the same gameplay principles and creating the same unique and engaging ANNO experience that made its predecessors so successful.

For further information, please visit www.anno1701.com

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About Sunflowers

Sunflowers is a leading producer of computer games and, with 4.4 million copies sold in the ANNO series, has marketed the two most successful games of all time in German-speaking countries. The factors influencing the success of the Heusenstamm-based company originally formed in 1993 include creativity, innovative strength and flexibility, coupled with an uncompromising claim to quality and highly developed process management. In order to guarantee the high quality of the company's own products, the entire added-value chain from planning to marketing comes from a single source. The games are sold internationally by exclusive partners. Sunflowers products also appeal to novices and occasional players and develop step-by-step from a niche to the mass market. Company founders Adi Boiko and Wilhelm Hamrozi and their co-workers are motivated by a passion for what they do and the responsibility for the success of their own products as well as the development of the gaming industry overall. For more information on Sunflowers, go to www.sunflowers.de

About Deep Silver

Deep Silver is Koch Media's premium games label. Deep Silver has been collaborating with international developers and publishers since 2002 to publish creative and innovative computer and video games. The multi-award-winning X2 and the daring Singles have already put Deep Silver at the top of the charts. Pipeline projects include co-publishing titles with Sunflowers (ANNO 1701, ParaWorld) and JoWooD (SpellForce 2, Gothic 3, etc). www.deepsilver.com

About Koch Media UK

Founded in 1994, Koch Media UK develops, publishes and distributes a diverse mix of titles for home console gaming systems, personal computers and the Internet. Based in Basingstoke, the company has distribution contracts with a number of software publishers, including Nintendo. For publishers not in the UK, Koch Media exclusively markets, sells and distributes titles. Under its own brands of Deep Silver and Europress, Koch Media develops and publishes its own range of gaming and educational and lifestyle software. For more information on Koch Media and its products, visit www.kochmedia.co.uk