The Wargamer's Readers Choice Awards are the premier awards for the commercial wargames industry. This year Panther Games won three awards.
"Wargame of the year voting was tight. 2006 was a good year for wargamers and a number of excellent titles were released. Taking the gold was an operational real-time wargame from Panther Games, Conquest of the Aegean. With exceptional AI, historical and hypothetical scenarios, and a sleek interface, wargamers favored it with the gold."
Full details at The Wargamer.
The War-Historical users group has awarded Conquest of the Aegean the Gold medal for Wargame of the Year 2006. In this year's annual poll COTA scooped over one third of all votes cast, making it a clear standout favourite.
Bill says "it is, in short, a towering achievement, and I commend it to wargamers with my highest endorsement"
"the game is a faithful, richly detailed, and utterly absorbing simulation that manages to replicate a myriad of complex and interconnected factors without ever lapsing into dogged pedantry. It is also, by thunder, a lot of fun! And this iteration significantly improves upon what was already one of the more brilliantly original game-designs in recent years."
Full review at The Wargamer
French magazine PC4WAR likes COTA!
PC Gamer UK is impressed!
Bovine Conspiracy is impressed!
“COTA Airborne Assault
Full review at Bovine Conspiracy
"A must buy" - the Armchair General!
"An outstanding game with much historical depth, mixed with ease of play and a wealth of scenarios. A must buy for anyone interested in the theater, or looking for the closest experience to an operational level commander outside of the military." - Lieutenant Colonel Bob Mackey, Ph.D., The Joint Staff, Joint Chiefs of Staff
Full review at Armchair General
The best operational level wargame just got better!
Panther Games is pleased to announce that Conquest of the Aegean is now officially Gold and will be available for purchase from Friday, June 9th 2006 onwards.
We at Panther Games have poured our hearts and souls into this game so you can enjoy the ultimate operational level game on this fascinating slice of WWII history. Can you stop the German Juggernaut at Thermopylae ? Or as the Axis player conduct the perfect Operation Hercules to capture the famed fortress island of Malta ? And was the Crete airborne operation really such a close call that could have gone either way ?
Conquest of the Aegean allows you to not only re-fight the battles that shaped the Mediterranean Front but also to explore the many alternatives and what-ifs that were available to both sides in a game that accurately models the choices the historical commanders had to make given the strengths and limitations of the actual forces involved.
Good Gaming !
Conquest of the Aegean enters final testing
After two years of development Conquest of the Aegean is in its final phase of testing.
Visit the COTA forums for all sorts of information on the game, including AAR's and detailed discussion of the new features.
The wait is almost over!
New Wargame From Panther Games and Matrix Games
Conquest of the Aegean covers the entire Greek Campaign, where German, Greek, Italian, British and Commonwealth forces fought to halt the oncoming blitzkrieg before the start of Operation Barbarossa. Also included is the follow-on airborne-led assault on Crete, which proved to be a gamble for the Germans, but a very successful one. This tough island campaign pulls no punches as both sides fight tooth and nail to achieve success by holding the critical airfields. Finally, the road not taken… Malta was a thorn in the Axis side in the Mediterranean for the entire war. Planes based on Malta proved crucial to protecting British supplies and hindering German and Italian supply routes. While plans were discussed to attack this bastion, they were never executed. Conquest of the Aegean gives you have the ability to give the green light to the attack on Malta and fight as either side to see how things might have turned out.
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In issue #101 of PCPowerplay Des McNicholas gives Highway To The Reich 85% and a PC PowerPlay Game of High Distinction award, making it the second-highest scoring game in this edition of the magazine.( More )
PCGamer calls Highway To The Reich "Bold and brilliant"..."Groundbreaking stuff"..."the most fluid and naturalistic operation wargame I've ever played".
Fixes and Improvements to AI and UI
Matrix Games and Panther Games are pleased to release the latest update for the award-winning Highway to the Reich wargame.
The new v.2.2.86 includes fixes and improvements to the AI and the interface as well as a scenario balance tweak for the “Molenhoek Counterattack” scenario and some minor changes to US Airborne Infantry Company and Battalion HQ establishments. The AI changes include a fix for order delay problems, the allocation of line support units to the front, an artillery Defend issue and some improved unit fatigue handling. The interface changes include a fix for a rare unit report crash and a waypoint deletion issue.
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News just in. Steve "Golf 33" Long is a father for the second time. His wife Claudia has just given birth to Isaac. At 4.25kg ( 9lb for the non metric amongst you ) he's no slouch. Mum and bub are doing fine.
ALL THE BEST to Claudia, Steve and little Isaac.
"Qualities : innovative game system, excellent playability, very well done simulation of command constraints, strong AI, enjoyable graphics and interface. 4 laurels."
"You can buy sexier RTS games, but you won't find a more realistic one than Highway to the Reich. Its 2D presentation may not dazzle, but it's capable of revealing the gritty nature of warfare. If you ever wondered what an RTS could be like without the babysitting, the goofy science fiction plots, and the carpal tunnel syndrome, this is the game for you." -gamespy.com
"This is a very complex game and it's packed full of details such as the real historical weather conditions, fatigue of your troops that forces you to rest them before long engagements and plenty of stat screens that can be adjusted. More usefully perhaps is the ability to pause the action anytime you want, giving you the opportunity to direct orders at your own pace and if you get a bit tired of watching your troops slowly march from one part of the map to the other there's the chance to speed up the game too. Small additions you may think but the ability to pause the game can prove to be a godsend." - www.acegamez.co.uk
"Likewise, Airborne Assault: Highway to the Reich which covers all three landing zones and XXX Corps' attempt to link them, is an ambitious attempt at blending old and new in order to leapfrog the traditional boundaries of hex-based wargames." - wargamer.com
BUG Leading Croatian Computer Magazine has reviewed Highway To The Reich giving it 94%.
The review states:
Note: If any one knows what all that means, we would be glad to here from you!
Matrix Games and Panther Games are pleased to announce an agreement with Red Ant Enterprises (www.red-ant.com.au) to expand the distribution of the award-winning Highway to the Reich to wargamers in Australia and New Zealand.
Thanks to Red Ant Enterprises, Highway to the Reich will now be available from Electronic Boutique, Harvey Norman and other quality software stores throughout Australia and New Zealand.
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Includes New Features and Enhanced AI
Matrix Games and Panther Games have released the first update for the award-winning Highway to the Reich . This new version serves to provide additional features and enhanced gameplay for owners of Highway to the Reich and enhances support for the Battle HQ online gaming community.
More than twenty improvements have been made to the already acclaimed Highway to the Reich AI routines, which provide a challenging fight as the computer opponent and also model your subordinate commanders and unit behavior. Improvements made to unit establishment information and scenarios enhance historical accuracy. The new Battle HQ feature allows owners of Highway to the Reich to more easily find opponents online and seamlessly transition from creating a match up to playing the game.
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PC Gamer Magazine has reviewed Airborne Assault® - Highway To The Reich and given it a rating of 89%.
Panther is pleased to announce that we have started development of an Expansion pack for Airborne Assault: Highway to the Reich covering the fall of Crete.
This expansion pack will be available only via electronic download.
PC Gameworld.com has awarded Airborne Assault® - Highway to the Reich 86 out of 100 saying "This is truly a grognard's game...you will be refreshed and inspired."
Panther starts work on Airborne Assault: Battles from the Bulge.
StrategyInformer has reviewed Airborne Assault® - Highway to the Reich giving it 8.5. They say: "In summary, Airborne Assault: Highway to the Reich is an excellent wargame for the true enthusiast. It may be a bit daunting for the newbie but I can guarantee if you have the parts the pay off will be worth it. Highway to the Reich takes the idea of "combat command" and has made this the cornerstone of the product. In my opinion this game is as close as anyone who wasn't there in Monty's HQ in '44 will ever get to Market Garden, and as a "game" rides the line between entertainment and historical re-enactment with style and grace."
Gameraiders.com has given Airborne Assault® - Highway To The Reich a 7 out of 10 in their review. They say: "You can issue orders at any level, meaning you can send an order to one company, to a battalion (or group of companies) or to the regiment (group of battalions), etc. This system adds an extra element of strategy and, at the same removes excess micromanagement (Blizzard, Microsoft,… take note). The system works great and would be a nice enhancement to any RTS."
GameSpot has reviewed Airborne Assault® - Highway To The Reich giving it an overall score of 81% saying "It's hard to convey just how cool this system is, because not only does it eliminate the massive amount of micromanagement inherent in most wargames, but it does so in a way that makes it feel like you're really commanding forces in the field. The AI does a marvelous job of interpreting and carrying out your orders."
Loadedinc has reviewed Airborne Assault - Highway To The Reich scoring it 8 out of 10 and recommending it. They say: "Those of you with attention spans longer than a few seconds and who love play games such as Games Workshop, chess and other games of carefully planned strategic skill will love this, it's deep, involving and well worth a look."
Gamevortex.com has
GamersWanted.com has reviewed Airborne Assault - Highway To The Reich giving it a 9.7 for gameplay saying "Simple graphics allow for concentration on strategic gameplay. Extremely detailed units and effects give the most realistic strategy experience yet. Low requirements and HD space consumption."
Woodbridge , NJ , October 20th, 2003 - Matrix Games (http://www.matrixgames.com) is pleased to announce that Highway to the Reich™ by Panther Games (http://www.panthergames.com) has gone gold and will be shipping out to stores on November 17th.
Highway to the Reich™ is based on the critically acclaimed Airborne Assault® engine and covers the entire Market Garden operation, from the three separate landing zones to the drive by XXX Corps to unify them all before the German counterattack could succeed. The Airborne Assault® game engine revolutionizes wargaming. This design allows the player to choose how much to delegate to subordinates and what to handle personally, without the usual concern involved with leaving formations in the computer's hands.
Command like a real General, under real time pressures to achieve real objectives on a real map all within the fog of war. Issue orders to your powerful AI controlled subordinates or take total control of every unit. Fight the worlds most advanced AI opponent or match wits against your friends online or over a LAN.
Lead Parachute Regiments in daring assaults to seize vital bridges, send mighty Armored Divisions into the attack and wield entire Infantry Corps in a race against time. Reshape history in one of the many historical battles covering all major actions of the Market Garden operation or salvage victory from disaster in one of the hypothetical "what-if" encounters.
Create your own maps with our Map Maker utility. You can modify an existing scenario or design your own battle using the Scenario Maker utility.
Highway to the Reich™ features include:
More information can be found at http://www.panthergames.com and http://www.highwaytothereich.com.
Existing "Airborne Assault®: Red Devils over Arnhem™" customers will be offered a special Trade-in deal. Details will be provided closer to release date.
Airborne Assault®: Highway to the Reich In Development
Woodbridge, NJ, March 31st, 2003 - Matrix Games and Panther Games are pleased to announce a new partnership aimed at producing outstanding new wargames based on the critically acclaimed Airborne Assault® engine. In development currently is Airborne Assault®: Highway to the Reich covering all three battles from operation Market Garden. This will include the battles for Arnhem ( with the British 1st Abn Division, as covered in their first game Airborne Assault: Red Devils over Arnhem ), Nijmegen ( with the US 82nd Airborne Division ) and Eindhoven ( with the US 101st Abn Div ). This will be the first in this series to be published through Matrix Games.
“Panther Games’ new Airborne Assault®: Highway to the Reich will showcase one of the most outstanding yet relatively unknown wargames of the past few years,” said David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, "We’re excited to have a chance to work with the Panther Games team and to bring their revolutionary designs to wargamers around the world."
Dave O’Connor, President of Panther Games, stated, “Over the last year, Matrix Games has shown itself to be a leader in wargame development, distribution and publishing. Forging a relationship with the fast-growing Matrix Games team will help us to reach as large an audience as possible with our wargames without watering down our designs.”
The Airborne Assault®: Highway to the Reich system features a pausable real-time movement and combat system with a very strong AI. This design allows the player to choose how much to delegate to subordinates and what to handle personally, without the usual concern involved with leaving formations in the computer’s hands. Realistic command delays and supply procedures are integrated with meticulous order of battle and equipment research to allow the player to experience combat and command challenges that are remarkably true to history.
A whole host of new features and enhancements are being developed for Airborne Assault®: Highway to the Reich, including significant improvements to the graphics, interface, AI, scenario and map editors. Users will also be able to modify the map graphics. Full details are available from http://www.matrixgames.com/.
Battlefront.com and Panther Games Pty Ltd wish to announce the end of their publishing agreement. The sale of "Airborne Assault®: Red Devils over Arnhem" by Battlefront.com will be discontinued immediately, and there will be no further patches for this version. All orders which have been placed so far will be fulfilled as usual.
"We are both sad and happy to see Panther Games leave", said Martin Turewicz of Battlefront.com. "We are sad because it has been a pleasure working with the guys at Panther, and happy - for them - to go explore alternative ways of making and marketing their excellent games."
Panther Games likewise is thanking Battlefront.com for the tremendous support, professional attitude and friendly service. "We wish them the very best. It has been a pleasure to work with the Battlefront staff" said Panther Games President, Dave O'Connor. "And we look forward to their continued support in marketing AA:RD into western Europe."
Four Below Zero has Reviewed Airborne Assault® - Red Devils Over Arnhem saying "Superb Manual"..."Great Gameplay"..."Excellent AI"..."I really enjoyed Airborne Assault®" and "Airborne Assault® is a very good game that any "wargamer" should have in their collection". Awarding it their "Oasis Award" ( "An oasis of excellence amidst a desert of dross").
We are pleased to announce that a new Airborne Assault® Demo is available. The new Demo is based on the latest 1.2.46 game version and comes with an extra map and scenario. Now you can try out the demo for what GameSpot reviewer Tom Chick declared a must have game and command the US 82nd Airborne Division as it tries to breach the fortified German line at Singling.
We are pleased to announce the release of Patch 2 (v1.2.46) for Airborne Assault® - Red Devils Over Arnhem. This patch includes the new beta MapMaker application. With the MapMaker and the previously released ScenMaker, users now have complete freedom to design their own battles for the AA engine, including non-Market Garden battles covering the actions on the entire Western Front 1944-1945!
Also released in conjunction with Patch 2 and available for separate download are three AA Expansion Packs, each containing a map with one or more scenarios.
Look for these at the new AA DEPOT page.
Finish game magazine Pelit-lehti has Reviewed Airborne Assault® - Red Devils Over Arnhem awarding it 89 points.
PC Arena has Reviewed Airborne Assault® - Red Devils Over Arnhem saying "This is one of the best wargames I have ever played. War gaming is a very small market and this game really stands out. Highly recommended." - Timothy W. Long.
Computer Games Magazine has Reviewed Airborne Assault® - Red Devils Over Arnhem saying "What`s amazing about Airborne Assault is it`s style of play...". and " Yes folks, developer Panther Games has finally delivered a friendly AI worthy of the term intelligence..." - Scott Udell. Read the full review in the October edition.
Military Gamer Online has Reviewed Airborne Assault® - Red Devils Over Arnhem saying "both the gamer and the historian will be gratified. Game play innovation and accuracy abound in Airborne Assault®".
Sporting a veritable host of new additions, enhancements and fixes, we are thrilled to announce the new Airborne Assault® 1.1.45 update is now ready for your gaming pleasure.
Grab the new update.
Check out the full list of additions and changes.
CV-Games has Reviewed Airborne Assault® - Red Devils Over Arnhem saying "Airborne Assault® Delivers!" and "All the elements of a great wargame are there".
Look for the review of Airborne Assault® - Red Devils Over Arnhem in the October issue of PC Gamer magazine.
The Gamers Hall has Reviewed Airborne Assault® - Red Devils Over Arnhem saying Airborne Assault® provides an "an exciting atmosphere" and has given it their Silver Award.
The Gamers' Temple has Reviewed Airborne Assault® - Red Devils Over Arnhem saying "Airborne Assault® has taken a different approach and broken out of the long and unbroken rut forged by most other computer war games. The result is interesting and original, and alone enough of a reason for seasoned grognards to give the game a look".
GameSpy.com has Reviewed Airborne Assault® - Red Devils Over Arnhem calling it "A top-notch effort, Airborne Assault® is not only detailed, realistic, challenging, and fun, but innovative to boot" - Mark H Walker.
Wargamer.com has Reviewed Airborne Assault® - Red Devils Over Arnhem and has praised Airborne Assaul®t, saying "Airborne Assault®, while a very serious game, was a joy to play" and "The artificial intelligence has to rank up there among the best in a computer wargame and it never ceased to be challenging". Finishing up with "This is how computer wargaming should be done" - Allan Parent.
GameSpot has Reviewed Airborne Assault® - Red Devils Over Arnhem and given it an 8.1 saying "This is a must-have for anyone who wants to see how the genre can move beyond the conventions of turn-based, chit-based wargaming. - Tom Chick".
Panther Games and Battlefront.com are pleased to announce that Airborne Assault® - Red Devils Over Arnhem is now shipping!
Airborne Assault® - Red Devils Over Arnhem is complete and Battlefront.com have commenced taking pre-orders! Visit the Airborne Assault® Pre-Order page to reserve your copy now!
Airborne Assault® - Red Devils Over Arnhem goes Gold! A Demo built on the Gold codebase is now available. Pre-Orders are to be taken by battlefront.com starting 1st of June with deliveries expected to start around the 15th of June.
Battlefront.com and Panther Games proudly announce the release of the Beta Demo of Airborne Assault® - Red Devils Over Arnhem.
Panther Games have just signed a Publishing Agreement with Battlefront.com. Under the agreement Battlefront.com will publish Panther's new game "Airborne Assault®: Red Devils Over Arnhem". "This is a win-win situation." said Panther Games President Dave O'Connor. "We get the best on-line wargame publisher to market our product and Battlefront.com get the best operational level real-time wargame to add to their portfolio of top class wargames. The end user will really benefit from this association". If you want the best in wargames just go to www.battlefront.com.
Today Panther announced a new real-time, operational, multi-player wargame "Airborne Assault®: Red Devils Over Arnhem". Take command of the British Airborne forces (the red devils) as they struggle to seize control of the strategic Rhine river crossing at the Dutch town of Arnhem in September 1944 or rally the desperate German forces as they try to repel the airborne invaders.