Akella gets some Diciples from StrategyFirst

by: Chuck - posted: 9/4/2008 11:37:00 PM

Akella announced today that they have purchased the rights for the Disciples series from Strategy First and will be publishing Disciples III later this year.  It's a bold move for the Russian company and they get a brand that's nearly a decade old.  I'm interested to see if the new publisher impacts anything with the development of the game.

Akella has signed an agreement with Strategy First, the result of which will be acquisition of Disciples trade mark upon fulfillment of contract. Previously, Akella, together with the studio .Dat, has led the development of "Disciples 3: Renaissance".

Dmitry Arkhipov, Vice-President of Development for Akella says:
"Working on such a well known brand is big responsibility for us. We are confident that our new project, "Disciples III," will meet the expectations of the legendary series fans. We are going to develop the Disciples brand, invest in it heavily, and produce a really good game in best traditions of the series".

Stewart Braybrook, the executive director of Strategy First says:
"We are satisfied with the signed agreement. We have received a fair offer from Akella. Upon fulfillment of the contract conditions, The Disciples brand will be transferred into very capable and reliable hands. We are confident that Akella has the capabilities and resources for further development of the "Disciples" series.

The Disciples series started in 1999. The very first game was a step-by-step strategy involving RPG elements which set itself apart from its competitors with its unique genre style, atmosphere, and game mechanics.

"Disciples III: Renaissance" is the next title in the award winning Disciples series, representing a leap forward in the evolution of the turn-based RPG/strategy genre.

Advances in game play and the addition of new elements make Disciples III: Renaissance richer and much more appealing. The game scenario reveals a collision course of four races that are totally different from one another. Each race demonstrates its own unique characteristics and units. Many units from previous releases made a successful migration to "Disciples III: Renaissance". The visual design follows the ominous style of the Disciples world, and now all of the game environments and individual units are in a visually stunning real-time 3D.

Watch the latest trailer from the upcoming game “Disciples III″. A new trailer released by Akella is showing the Elves Town Flythrough. Visit the serene land of the elves! The video is available on GameTrailers.com both in Standard and in Hi-Definition resolutions.

I would be glad to provide you with the 146 Mb original .avi on ftp. Please send me your request at tolkachev@akella.com !

If there is any information on Akella’s present game development that you would be interested in hearing about I would very much like to know about it.