Anno 1701 on mobile promises revolutionary PC link-up

Plenty of pundits have written over the years predicting mobile games that hook up with your PC or console games to enable you to play them when you're away from your desk or sofa. And now the (ironically historically-based) RTS Anno 1701 is making their conjecture come true.

Anno 1701 mobile will be launched on 26th October, the same time as the PC version of the game, and you'll be able to connect the mobile version up with the PC version so that points scored on your mobile will be transferred to your PC installation.

How will it work in practice? Well, stepping back, Anno 1701 on mobile is a rounds-based strategy game set 300 years ago. You're charged by your ruler to explore islands, mine raw materials and ensure a decent lifestyle for the settlers under your jurisdiction, all the while fending off colonists from rival world powers.

The game is similar on PC, but you won't be able to take your entire PC game onto mobile (not surprisingly). Rather, you'll be able to transfer the points (coins) that you've gained through mobile play to your PC version of the game, where you can exchange them for goods.

Data is exchanged between the PC and the mobile phone via WAP and the internet. Players without WAP and an internet-compatible mobile phone can use a special code to transfer points from the mobile game to the PC one.

Both titles are fully-fledged (and fully-priced!) games in their own right – the interlinking is just the icing on the cake.

In terms of the mobile game, the feature list is further fleshed out with three difficulty levels, up to three opponents, special events such as earthquakes and volcanoes, three mini-games, video sequences on compatible phones, and an arcade mode that enables you to practice the mini-games and collect coins for the PC game.

As fans of the likes of Townsmen 3 on mobile, we're looking forward to seeing how Anno 1701 mobile compares, let alone getting to play with the future...