Settlers 7 gets a helping hand

Ubisoft's and Blue Byte's {The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom} is getting a bit of extra assistance from a true veteran in the shape of Bruce Shelley as it closes in on release in March. Shelley, whose Ensemble Studios ({Age of Empires}, {Halo Wars}) was shut down last spring by owner Microsoft, has been a leading figure in the strategy genre ever since working on Sid Meier's Civilization and Railroad Tycoon at Microprose. Shelley will be credited as "game design consultant" on {The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom}.