Railroad Tycoon 3 update

Take-Two Interactive has today revealed that Railroad Tycoon 3, which was originally going to be released late last year, is in development at the company's internal PopTop Software studio and is now scheduled for release in the fall.

"The Railroad Tycoon series continues to evoke the passion people have for steam and modern-day locomotives, as well as the strategy gamer's desire for a significant challenge," said Kelly Sumner, president of Gathering. "Railroad Tycoon 3 builds on the popular features and successes of the franchise and will deliver one of the best Tycoon experiences in the market."

"We are proud to announce a successor to the series that is worthy of the Railroad Tycoon name," said Phil Steinmeyer, CEO of PopTop and lead designer of the game. "Railroad Tycoon 3 takes the franchise to the next level with a cutting-edge 3D engine that smoothly scales from 'eye in the sky' views of an entire continent down to superdetailed close-ups of beautifully modeled trains, buildings, and landscape."

In Railroad Tycoon 3, players will start out with a modest amount of money with which to make their fortune in the golden era of railroading. Players will be able to expand their railroad empire into major cities all over the world and, as the game progresses, will need to ensure that their railroad moves with the times, as locomotives such as the Planet and the Norris 4-2-0 are replaced by the likes of the 4-6-6-4 Challenger and, eventually, modern-day trains--including the Eurostar bullet train.

Railroad Tycoon 3 will feature 35 different types of cargo for players to haul and a realistic stock market that will cause their values to fluctuate. The stock exchange in the game will also cater to margin buying, short selling, hostile takeovers, and mergers, meaning that should they wish to do so players could actually make a lot of money by running their railroad into bankruptcy.

According to today's press release Railroad Tycoon 3 will feature multiplayer support, although no further details have been released at this time. We'll bring you more information on the game as soon as it becomes available.