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Tech

Build a City on the Moon in 'Anno 2205'

Fulfill Newt Gingrich's moon colony dreams.

Woah there, space cowboy, hold your horses. I know you're all excited to colonize Mars, but before we haul our civilization to that very distant planet, perhaps you should practice on a nearby desolate rock? That's right, that big cheese wheel in the sky, the Moon, is all up for grabs (unless you ask Jenaro Gajardo Vera who would likely tell you otherwise). Yesterday, during Ubisoft's E3 keynote, the company revealed that its long running Anno series will be going off-planet in Anno 2205.

While it has a stronger following outside of North America, the Anno games debuted in 1998 with Anno 1602. The franchise of civ building games shied away from touching the contemporary until 2011, when it leapfrogged from 1701 to 2070. North Americans should try getting their hands on Dawn of Discovery, a localized Wii game and Anno spin-off that is bundles of fun and will likely teach you the importance of strategic firefighter placement. Don't slouch on those firefighters.

The trailer for Anno 2205 begins on Earth, in a distant but familiar city, sound bites of airway chatter that seems to know our time on this planet is overstayed. Cut to another familiar place, but one far in both space and time. An engineer roves around in a vehicle, kicking up space dust and driving towards what seems to be a lit and thriving city on the cold dark Moon. Pan out to see constellations of other metropolises, lighting up the rock in our sky to look reminiscent of the rock we stand on. Ubisoft promises that Anno's new engine will be able to handle worlds five times the size of any previously. And on the Moon, so that's two big improvements.