Hamburg  - Game makers usually try to bring their new titles onto the market during the times when people are likely to spend the most time at their computers - when the days are short. This year seems to be throwing tradition to the wind, though.

Genuine highlights are showing up at a time when most people would prefer to be hitting the beaches. Blockbusters for this spring and summer include The Sims 3 and Anno 1404. But those are hardly the only choices: the Gothic sequel, Mafia 2 and Starcraft 2 are also all on deck.

Anno remains one of the most successful ideas ever to come from a German software development house. The underlying principle of the series has remained unchanged in ten years: the gamer is tasked with colonizing an island and building up an attractive and successful medieval-style metropolis. Anno 1404 from Ubisoft doesn't change the formula much, either. But the graphics are better, some of the game elements have been slightly reworked, and this time the Orient serves as the backdrop.

If any series can claim even more success than Anno, the Sims would certainly qualify. Many consider this family of games to be the best-selling ever. The newest generation, The Sims 3, was originally announced for a March release but was pushed off until June. Here, too, it's primarily the fine details that have been changed. This includes tweaks to the virtual life simulator that enables more depth of personality for the created characters.

Two additional big-name role playing game sequels are also expected for this summer: Arcania: A Gothic Tale is considered an official successor to the Gothic series, even if the title was not in fact produced by the original series creator. That studio is Pyranha Bytes, which is for its part working on a different upcoming role- playing game. And while that title doesn't have Gothic in its title, fans can look forward to the typical Gothic feel.

There is a complicated history at work here: Pyranha Bytes produced the first two Gothic installments, which in the interim have achieved a legendary status. While there were many bugs in the programs, the playing world was captivating. Gothic 3 was riddled with bugs, though, but ultimately didn't have enough atmosphere to carry the day.

A fight followed, and publisher Jowood received the rights to the name. That's why Spellbound, a different development company, was commissioned to produce Arcania: A Gothic Tale, with the effort to bear the series' nameless hero into the future. Pyranha Bytes, for its part, has created Risen, which early reports in industry journals claim has a Gothic feel to it, even if the name is different.

There are also highlights on the way that are not set in the Middle Ages. Take 2 has announced Max Payne 3, the newest part of the saga about a cop named Max Payne. The developer is Rockstar Games. Max Payne creator Remedy has been working for years on Alan Wake. It involves the story of writer Alan Wake and is cast as a psycho-thriller.

Mafia is another title whose mere mention turns heads. The original game stood out for its powerful capturing of the atmosphere of 1930s America. Mafia 2 will play out in the period following the end of the Second World War.

Strategy fans can look forward to some refreshment from the summer sun, too: Starcraft 2 is slated for this year as well. A word of caution, though: Blizzard is known for pushing off its new titles. Once it arrives, though, it's likely to provide an extremely refined strategy game in space. It will appear in three installments, each putting the gamer in the role of a different race. After all, even if they've dispensed with tradition, the publishers still have a nose for business. (dpa)