Anno 1602

Anno 1602 is a mix of simulation and strategy gaming where players create a realistic and lively world, modeling it to their liking. The player controls an unnamed European nation in 1602 AD that is looking to expand their power into the New World. As the game starts, the player will need to find a nearby island, colonize it, and start building up an economy. The US release contains all 6 scenarios (in addition to the tutorial and training game) that were included in the original European release, as well as 9 new scenarios, along with a "free play role". The ultimate goal of the game is to discover chains of islands, settle them, develop on them, and then trade with other players. Players can also trade with their own colonies, and various neutral CPU controlled players such as native tribesmen. Even though the game focuses heavily on an economic standpoint, on various occasions the player will be forced (or will bring it upon others) to defend their islands against possible enemies. The player can choose to play out one of the game's many scenarios or engage in a free form game. The game also features online and network play with up to 4 other players simultaneously. Because the network play is less sophisticated than that of modern games, lags and disconnections often occur. Despite this, Anno 1602 is still occasionally played by small groups of LAN PC gamers, or by players over the internet. The game is also playable via null modem connection.

Anno 1602 is designed to be as nationalistically neutral as possible. After entering a character name, the player is asked to pick one of four different colored banners to represent their country. The absence of different civilizations with different characteristics contrasts with other games such as The Settlers, and Age of Empires.

Unlike other games where technology plays a major role in one player defeating another, Anno 1602 instead makes technology upgrades more relevant in inner-colony affairs. Instead of buying upgrades to ships to perform better in huge naval battles, it is often the case that upgrades are made so that the ships can carry more cargo, and therefore make the colony more money. The majority of the buildings in the game also can / must be technologically upgraded throughout the game to please the colony's citizens, which produces more cash for the colony, with which the player can continue upgrading their nation and expand to other islands.

Anno 1602 is about discovery. As the colony grows and spreads, the player gains access to more and more building types and citizens construct bigger and more impressive housing for themselves. The player is required to reach a certain population level before access is gained to weapons factories. Once the player has the factories, a large number of buildings are needed to produce weapons, and additional buildings to construct units. After the buildings are constructed, the player must pay a constant flow of money to keep each building running. This "line of production", though difficult, has been incorporated into newer games such as Stronghold.

Anno 1602 allows for the creation of user-made maps, using the Scenario Builder. This tool is simpler and easier to learn than comparable editors used in more modern games, but it has fewer capabilities. This, along with instant "Random Maps", keeps many players coming back to Anno 1602.

Not all versions of Anno 1602 shipped with a map editor, therefore several fan-made editors were created.

File:Schladming_(1).JPGn town of Schladming.]]

Anno 1602 was conceived in April 1996 at Max Design,{{cite journal | author=Bigge, Christian | title=Das Ei des Kolumbus | date=September 1997 | journal=PC Action | language=de | pages=48, 49 }} a Schladming-based game developer founded in 1991.{{cite web | url=https://www.derstandard.de/story/2000087657379/rueckblick-auf-max-design-als-die-erfolgreichsten-games-noch-aus | title=Max Design: Als die erfolgreichsten Games aus Österreich kamen | date=October 7, 2018 | author=Koller, Daniel | work=Der Standard | access-date=December 10, 2018 | archive-date=December 14, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214070023/https://www.derstandard.de/story/2000087657379/rueckblick-auf-max-design-als-die-erfolgreichsten-games-noch-aus | url-status=live }} Following a period of financial turmoil in which the company neared bankruptcy, the team began Anno as a spiritual sequel to its earlier title 1869 – Hart am Wind!, a competitor of The Patrician.{{cite journal | author=Maueröder, Petra | title=Entdeckung | journal=PC Games | date=October 1997 | language=de | pages=88, 89 }} The team at Max Design numbered only four members:{{cite web | archive-url=https://archive.today/20181208054441/http://www.pcgames.de/Anno-1602-Spiel-18000/Specials/15-Jahre-Anno-von-Anno-1602-bis-Anno-Online-Interview-Serie-zum-Anno-Geburtstag-Folge-2-1062888/ | url=http://www.pcgames.de/Anno-1602-Spiel-18000/Specials/15-Jahre-Anno-von-Anno-1602-bis-Anno-Online-Interview-Serie-zum-Anno-Geburtstag-Folge-2-1062888/ | title=15 Jahre Anno – von Anno 1602 bis Anno Online | author=Fröhlich, Petra | date=March 29, 2013 | language=de | work=PC Games | archive-date=December 8, 2018 |url-status = live| access-date=December 12, 2018 }}{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181205005725/https://motherboard.vice.com/de/article/mbyg7q/die-gamer-die-noch-nach-20-jahren-von-anno-1602-besessen-sind | url=https://www.vice.com/de/article/die-gamer-die-noch-nach-20-jahren-von-anno-1602-besessen-sind/ | title=Warum Gamer auch nach 20 Jahren von 'Anno 1602' besessen sind | date=November 22, 2018 | author=Kogel, Dennis | work=Vice Motherboard | archive-date=December 5, 2018 | language=de |url-status = live}} designer Wilfried Reiter, brothers Martin and Albert Lasser and artist Ulli Koller. Anno 1602{{'}}s design occurred gradually.{{cite web | archive-url=https://archive.today/20181211013737/http://www.gamesaktuell.de/Anno-2070-Spiel-18006/Specials/Die-grosse-Anno-Historie-Von-Anno-1602-bis-Anno-2070-Was-macht-Anno-so-erfolgreich-818985/ | url=http://www.gamesaktuell.de/Anno-2070-Spiel-18006/Specials/Die-grosse-Anno-Historie-Von-Anno-1602-bis-Anno-2070-Was-macht-Anno-so-erfolgreich-818985/ | title=Die große Anno-Historie: Von Anno 1602 bis Anno 2070 | author=Falkenstern, Max | date=April 5, 2011 | work=Games Aktuell | language=de | archive-date=December 11, 2018 |url-status = live| access-date=December 11, 2018 }} From December 17-22, 2018, the game was given away to Uplay users for free on PC.{{cite web |last=Chalk |first=Andy |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/anno-1602-is-free-from-ubisoft/ |title=Anno 1602 is free from Ubisoft |website=PC Gamer |date=17 December 2018 |publisher=PC Gamer |access-date=2019-05-23 |archive-date=2019-05-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517130645/https://www.pcgamer.com/anno-1602-is-free-from-ubisoft/ |url-status=live }}

Anno 1602 was a commercial hit. In the German market, the title debuted in first place on Media Control's computer game sales rankings for the second half of April 1998,{{cite journal | title=Spiele-Charts | date=July 1998 | author=Staff | journal=PC Player | language=de | page=64 }} and held the position after six weeks on the charts.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980614022936/http://www.vud.de/charts/chart1.html | url=http://www.vud.de:80/charts/chart1.html | title=Charts: CD-ROM Spiele über DM 55,-- | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | archive-date=June 14, 1998 | language=de |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }} By that time, it had sold 200,000 units. Der Spiegel reported in June that this performance made Anno the title with "the best chance to become the German number one this year".{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222034043/http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-7907270.html| url=http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-7907270.html | title=Kiss 'n' Kill | date=June 8, 1998 | author=Staff | work=Der Spiegel | language=de | archive-date=December 22, 2010 |url-status = live}} The game subsequently received a "Platinum" award from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD),{{cite press release | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000713050154/http://www.vud.de/infopres/cebit98.htm | url=http://www.vud.de:80/infopres/cebit98.htm | title=Uhr TCM Hannover – ein glänzender Event auf der CebitHome | date=August 26, 1998 | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | archive-date=July 13, 2000 | language=de |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }} for sales of at least 200,000 units throughout the German-speaking world: Germany, Austria and Switzerland.{{cite press release | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030110014620/http://www.vud.de/presse/november2002.php3 | url=http://www.vud.de:80/presse/november2002.php3 | title=VUD Sales Awards: November 2002 | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | archive-date=January 10, 2003 | language=de |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }} Anno 1602{{'}}s streak at #1 ended in the latter half of June when Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines captured the spot,{{cite journal | title=Spiele-Charts | date=September 1998 | author=Staff | journal=PC Player | language=de | page=56 }} which it maintained for 16 weeks.{{cite journal | last=Hill | first=Mark | title=Oi!... Gonzo, What's Your Game?: Commandos 2 | journal=PC Zone | date=July 2001 | issue=104 | pages=44–47}} Sunflowers' game remained at second on the Media Control charts for the last two weeks of June, July, August and September.{{cite journal | title=Spiele-Charts | date=October 1998 | author=Staff | journal=PC Player | language=de | page=88 }}{{cite journal | title=Spiele-Charts | date=November 1998 | author=Staff | journal=PC Player | language=de | page=102 }}{{cite journal | title=Spiele-Charts | date=December 1998 | author=Staff | journal=PC Player | language=de | page=112 }}

File:CD-R.jpg, Anno 1602 succeeded in the German market partly because it shipped on extended-capacity CD-ROMs to impede "piracy".]]

Accruing 360,000 domestic sales by September, Anno 1602 was the German market's best-selling game during the first nine months of 1998. PC Games{{'}} Petra Maueröder wrote that Germany was "plagued by the Anno 1602 fever" in the half-year following its release, while Max Falkenstern likened it to a "pandemic" in {{Interlanguage link|Games Aktuell|de|vertical-align=sup}}. The game's sales for the period resulted in a 300% increase in Sunflowers' year-over-year revenue, to DM 20 million. Remarking on this success at the time, Eva Müller and Hans-Peter Canibol of Focus noted that Sunflowers had become "one of the few German companies that [has] asserted itself in the American-dominated [computer game] market". Sunflowers forecast sales of 600,000 units for Anno by the end of 1998, based on its performance earlier in the year.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206015705/https://www.focus.de/finanzen/news/unterhaltung-die-spassmaschine_aid_174129.html | url=https://www.focus.de/finanzen/news/unterhaltung-die-spassmaschine_aid_174129.html | title=Die Spaßmaschine | date=November 23, 1998 |author1=Müller, Eva |author2=Canibol, Hans-Peter | issue=48 | work=Focus | archive-date=December 6, 2018 | language=de |url-status = live}} The game claimed second on Media Control's charts during the last two weeks of October, below Need for Speed 3,{{cite journal | title=Spiele-Charts | date=January 1999 | author=Staff | journal=PC Player | language=de | page=96 }} and then dropped to #3 for the second halves of November and December.{{cite journal | title=Spiele-Charts | date=February 1999 | author=Staff | journal=PC Player | language=de | page=58 }}{{cite journal | title=Spiele-Charts | date=March 1999 | author=Staff | journal=PC Player | language=de | page=50 }} Sales had risen to 400,000 units after six months of availability,{{cite journal | title=Schatzinseln | date=December 1998 | author=Maueröder, Petra | journal=PC Games | pages=139–141 | language=de }} and Anno 1602 ultimately became the German market's best-selling computer game of 1998.{{cite journal | title=News; Bestseller '98 | author=Staff | journal=PC Games | date=March 1999 | page=20 | language=de }} At the 1999 Milia festival in Cannes, it took home a "Gold" prize for revenues above €15 million in the European Union during the previous year.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990830171428/http://www.gamespot.com/milia/0212/ecc/index.html | url=http://www.gamespot.com:80/milia/0212/ecc/index.html | title=Milia News; ECCSELL Awards Name Winners | author=Staff | work=GameSpot | date=February 12, 1999 | archive-date=August 30, 1999 |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }}

The high sales of Anno 1602 in German-speaking countries derived partly from Sunflowers' copy protection scheme, according to PC Games. Although the game launched as a direct competitor of StarCraft,{{cite web | archive-url=https://archive.today/20181206054435/http://www.pcgames.de/Spielemarkt-Thema-117280/Specials/DRM-Copy-Control-SecuROM-und-Co-PC-Games-Special-ueber-Kopierschuetze-660961/ | url=http://www.pcgames.de/Spielemarkt-Thema-117280/Specials/DRM-Copy-Control-SecuROM-und-Co-PC-Games-Special-ueber-Kopierschuetze-660961/ | title=Der Kopierschutz - eine Geschichte voller Missverständnisse? | author=Staff | date=September 22, 2008 | work=PC Games | archive-date=December 6, 2018 | language=de |url-status = live| access-date=December 8, 2018 }} it significantly outsold that title in the region by the end of 1998, despite the latter's success worldwide. Petra Maueröder reported that, because StarCraft had shipped without copy protection in Germany, its piracy rate there reached nine illegal copies for every legal version sold.{{cite journal | author=Maueröder, Petra | title=Feedback; Craft-Werk | date=January 1999 | journal=PC Games | language=de | pages=212–214, 216 }} Conversely, Sunflowers attempted to combat pirates by making Anno 1602 "one of the first games" printed on extended-capacity CD-ROMs, a writer for PC Games noted. These exceeded the storage limits of standard discs,{{cite book | author1=Thompson, Robert Bruce | author2=Thompson, Barbara Fritchman | title=Repairing and Upgrading Your PC | edition=First | date=March 12, 2006 | chapter=Chapter 8: Optical Drives | isbn=059600866X | publisher=Maker Media | page=[https://archive.org/details/repairingupgradi00robe/page/241 241] | chapter-url-access=registration | chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/repairingupgradi00robe/page/241 }} which made Anno 1602 incompatible with most consumer CD-Rs and burners of the time. The effort resulted in faulty disc shipments, a common issue for extended-capacity CDs, but was ultimately judged by PC Games as "a complete success, despite the availability of cracks".

Anno 1602 became one of the construction and management simulations that "dominated the German sales charts for years", according to Der Spiegel{{'}}s Frank Patalong.{{cite web | archive-url=https://archive.today/20181130165401/http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/anno-1503-wuselige-zeitreise-a-220745.html | url=http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/anno-1503-wuselige-zeitreise-a-220745.html | title=Wuselige Zeitreise | date=January 11, 2002| author=Patalong, Frank | work=Der Spiegel | archive-date=November 30, 2018 |url-status = live| language=de }} By the end of January 1999, it had spent 38 weeks on Media Control's bestsellers list, ranking fourth that month.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990209014933/http://www.vud.de/charts/chart1.html | url=http://www.vud.de:80/charts/chart1.html | title=CD-ROM Spiele über DM 55,--; Stand 2. Hälfte Januar 1999 | archive-date=February 9, 1999 | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | language=de |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }} It soon became the first computer game to earn the VUD's "Double-Platinum" award, for 400,000 sales in German-speaking countries.{{cite press release | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000312030559/http://www.vud.de/infopres/PM-180299.htm | url=http://www.vud.de:80/infopres/PM-180299.htm | title=Erste Doppel-Platin Auszeichnungen durch den VUD | date=February 18, 1999 | location=Paderborn | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | language=de | archive-date=March 12, 2000 |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }} By May, Anno 1602 had sold through 600,000 units in the German market and—together with its expansion pack New Islands, New Adventures—one million copies across Europe. PC Games declared it the German-speaking world's most successful computer title from April 1998–July 1999,{{cite journal | title=1-2-3-Hits von KcKane | date=December 1999 | author=Maueröder, Petra | journal=PC Games | pages=208–212 | language=de }} and, as of September, the region's biggest computer game hit of all time.{{cite journal | author=Staff | title=Electronic Arts; Palettenwiese C&C 3 | journal=PC Games | date=September 1999 | page=27 | language=de }} It continued to appear in Media Control's sales rankings through the latter half of September 1999, when it charted in 26th place and secured its 70th consecutive week in the top rankings.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991008181740/http://www.vud.de/charts/chart1.html | url=http://www.vud.de:80/charts/chart1.html | title=CD-ROM Spiele über DM 55,--; Stand 2. Hälfte September 1999 | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | archive-date=October 8, 1999 | language=de |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }} Sales surpassed 650,000 units by October; New Islands had sold above 200,000 units by that date.{{cite press release | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010215112839/http://www.sunflowers.de/german/news/061099/index.shtml | url=http://www.sunflowers.de:80/german/news/061099/index.shtml | title=Mit der Königs-Edition setzt SUNFLOWERS ANNO 1602 die Krone auf! | publisher=Sunflowers Interactive | date=October 6, 1999 | archive-date=February 15, 2001 | language=de |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }}

In the second part of October 1999, Anno 1602: Königs-Edition debuted at #4 on Media Control's charts.{{cite journal | title=Aktuell; Spiele-Charts | date=January 2000 | author=Staff | journal=PC Player | language=de | page=32 }} Announced in August for a fall launch, the SKU bundled Anno 1602 and New Islands with unique bonus missions.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181208023249/https://www.golem.de/9908/4163.html | url=https://www.golem.de/9908/4163.html | title=Anno 1602 Königs-Edition angekündigt | date=August 17, 1999 | author=Klaß, Christian | work=Golem.de | archive-date=December 8, 2018 | language=de |url-status = live}} The new version had spent 10 weeks in the rankings by the end of 1999, including a seventh-place finish for December.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000521212124/http://www.vud.de/charts/chart1.html | url=http://www.vud.de:80/charts/chart1.html | title=CD-ROM Spiele über DM 55,--; Stand 2. Hälfte Dezember 1999 | archive-date=May 21, 2000 | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | language=de |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }} It continued to chart in Media Control's top 10 during 2000: the Königs-Edition reached #4 for the month of February and remained at 11th by August,{{cite journal | title=Aktuell; Spiele-Charts | date=May 2000 | author=Staff | journal=PC Player | language=de | page=32 }} having spent 12 months in the top 30.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001024100349/http://www.vud.de/charts/pcg55.php3 | url=http://www.vud.de:80/charts/pcg55.php3 | title=Stand: September 2000 | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | archive-date=October 24, 2000 | language=de |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }} The following month, Infogrames Germany announced Anno{{'}}s re-release as a "Soft Price" budget title, with its cost reduced to DM 40. The Soft Price edition took #6 in October and November 2000 on Media Control's charts for budget-priced games,{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001209003400/http://www.vud.de/charts/pck55.php3 | url=http://www.vud.de:80/charts/pck55.php3 | title=Stand: November 2000 | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | archive-date=December 9, 2000 | language=de |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }} and stayed in the top 15 for February and March 2001.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010429024045/http://www.vud.de/charts/pck55.php3 | url=http://www.vud.de:80/charts/pck55.php3 | title=Zeitraum: März 2001 | archive-date=April 29, 2001 | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | language=de |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }} Anno 1602{{'}}s sales had risen above one million units in German-speaking countries by September 2000,{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209043041/http://www.mediabiz.de/games/news/preisguenstig-wie-anno-dazumal/83548/2113?printScreen=1| url=http://www.mediabiz.de/games/news/preisguenstig-wie-anno-dazumal/83548/2113?printScreen=1| title=Preisgünstig wie "Anno" dazumal | date=September 27, 2000 | work=GamesMarkt | author=Staff | archive-date=December 9, 2018 | language=de |url-status = live}} and by April 2001 had surpassed 1.5 million units worldwide.{{cite web | archive-url=https://archive.today/20181207080514/http://www.pcgames.de/Anno-1503-Aufbruch-in-eine-neue-Welt-Spiel-17999/News/Anno-1503-exklusiv-bei-Electronic-Arts-7205/ | url=http://www.pcgames.de/Anno-1503-Aufbruch-in-eine-neue-Welt-Spiel-17999/News/Anno-1503-exklusiv-bei-Electronic-Arts-7205/ | title=Anno 1503 exklusiv bei Electronic Arts | author=Staff | date=April 3, 2001 | work=PC Games | language=de | archive-date=December 7, 2018 |url-status = live| access-date=December 9, 2018 }} Global sales increased to 1.7 million copies by October 2001, of which the Königs-Edition accounted for 170,000 units. The SKU was re-released that month under Electronic Arts' "Classics" label, again at a budget price,{{cite press release | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021108152512/http://www.sunflowers.de/german/news/20011008/index.shtml | url=http://www.sunflowers.de:80/german/news/20011008/index.shtml | title=ANNO 1602 Königs-Edition zum sensationellen Preis | date=October 8, 2001 | publisher=Sunflowers Interactive | language=de | archive-date=November 8, 2002 |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }} and it debuted in 11th place on Media Control's budget charts for November.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011224032919/http://www.vud.de/charts/pck55.php3 | url=http://www.vud.de:80/charts/pck55.php3 | title=Zeitraum: November 2001 | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | archive-date=December 24, 2001 | language=de |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }}

Anno 1602 had sold 2 million times by December 2001,{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102141322/http://www.mediabiz.de/games/news/anno-1602-ab-januar-bei-ak-tronic/105965 | url=http://www.mediabiz.de/games/news/anno-1602-ab-januar-bei-ak-tronic/105965 | title="Anno 1602" ab Januar bei ak tronic | date=December 7, 2001 | work=GamesMarkt | author=Staff | language=de | archive-date=January 2, 2010 |url-status = live}} including "well over a million" in the German-speaking world, according to Sunflowers.{{cite press release | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021115145118/http://www.sunflowers.de/german/news/20011205/index.shtml | url=http://www.sunflowers.de:80/german/news/20011205/index.shtml | title=ANNO 1602 - Die Erfolgsstory geht weiter | date=December 5, 2001 | publisher=Sunflowers Interactive | archive-date=November 15, 2002 | language=de |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }} That month, the company revealed a new partnership with "ak tronic", a rack jobber known for its budget-priced "Pyramid" displays in German stores.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102141317/http://www.mediabiz.de/games/news/ak-tronic-zieht-bilanz/77602| url=http://www.mediabiz.de/games/news/ak-tronic-zieht-bilanz/77602 | title=ak tronic zieht Bilanz | date=May 5, 2000 | work=GamesMarkt | author=Staff | language=de | archive-date=January 2, 2010 |url-status = live}}{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209055045/http://beta.gamesmarkt.de/details/104379 | url=http://beta.gamesmarkt.de/details/104379 | title=ak tronic-"Pyramide" auf Tour | date=November 9, 2001 | work=GamesMarkt | language=de | author=Staff | archive-date=December 9, 2018 |url-status = live}} This type of budget line formed a significant part of the German game market, and journalist {{Interlanguage link|Jörg Langer|de|vertical-align=sup}} later called it a key to Anno{{'}}s high lifetime sales.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629064626/http://www.joergspielt.de/budgetspiele/ | url=http://www.joergspielt.de/budgetspiele/ | title=Budgetspiele: Rückgrat der Spiele-Industrie | date=June 22, 2007 | work=Jörg Spielt | author=Langer, Jörg | author-link=:de:Jörg Langer | archive-date=June 29, 2007 | language=de |url-status = dead}} Under the agreement, ak tronic included budget-priced (€10) copies of Anno 1602 in its Pyramid displays, starting with a shipment of 250,000 units in January 2002. Peter Schroer of ak tronic forecast 500,000 sales for Anno{{'}}s Pyramid edition by the end of 2002. In the German market, the new release proceeded to sell 50,000 units in its first month on shelves,{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209055110/http://beta.gamesmarkt.de/details/109045 | url=http://beta.gamesmarkt.de/details/109045 | title="Anno 1602" weiterhin auf Erfolgsspur | date=February 12, 2002 | author=Pototzki, Tim | work=GamesMarkt | archive-date=December 9, 2018 | language=de |url-status = live}} and it rose to #1 on Media Control's budget charts in February 2002. Taking second in March,{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020404073851/http://www.vud.de/charts/pck55.php3 | url=http://www.vud.de:80/charts/pck55.php3 | title=Zeitraum: März 2002 | archive-date=April 4, 2002 | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | language=de |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }} it finished with top-10 placements in June, July,{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020819012544/http://www.vud.de/charts/pck55.php3 | url=http://www.vud.de:80/charts/pck55.php3 | title=Zeitraum: Juli 2002 | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | archive-date=August 19, 2002 | language=de |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }}{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181208063651/http://www.mediabiz.de/news/warcraft-iii-orcs-uebernehmen-mc-chartsfuehrung/118540?printScreen=1 | url=http://www.mediabiz.de/news/warcraft-iii-orcs-uebernehmen-mc-chartsfuehrung/118540?printScreen=1 | title="Warcraft III": Orcs übernehmen MC-Chartsführung | date=August 5, 2002 | work=GamesMarkt | author=Staff | archive-date=December 8, 2018 | language=de | url-status=dead | access-date=December 10, 2018 }} August, September,{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021020045847/http://www.vud.de/charts/pck55.php3 | url=http://www.vud.de:80/charts/pck55.php3 | title=Zeitraum: September 2002 | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | archive-date=October 20, 2002 | language=de |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }} October and November.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021218073007/http://www.vud.de/charts/pck55.php3 | url=http://www.vud.de:80/charts/pck55.php3 | title=Zeitraum: November 2002 | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | archive-date=December 18, 2002 | language=de |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }} Media Control named it Germany's best-selling budget computer game (€28<) of the year, while its sequel Anno 1503 took first place for 2002 among full-price titles.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030624042120/http://www.golem.de/0302/23980.html | url=http://www.golem.de:80/0302/23980.html | title=Anno 1602 und Anno 1503 dominieren Software-Jahres-Charts | date=February 14, 2003 | author=Wiesner, Thorsten | work=Golem.de | archive-date=June 24, 2003 | language=de |url-status = live| access-date=May 22, 2019 }}

By April 2003, Anno 1602 remained the German market's biggest-ever computer game hit. Its Pyramid edition secured top-10 positions on Media Control's budget charts for the first three months of that year.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030317164047/http://www.vud.de/charts/pck55.php3 | url=http://www.vud.de:80/charts/pck55.php3 | title=Zeitraum: Februar 2003 | archive-date=March 17, 2003 | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | language=de |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }}{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030417164431/http://www.vud.de/charts/pck55.php3 | url=http://www.vud.de:80/charts/pck55.php3 | title=Zeitraum: März 2003 | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | language=de | archive-date=April 17, 2003 |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }} After an 11th-place finish in June, the Pyramid edition had spent 17 consecutive months in Media Control's top 20.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030802235301/http://www.vud.de/charts/pck55.php3 | url=http://www.vud.de:80/charts/pck55.php3 | title=Zeitraum: Juni 2003 | archive-date=August 2, 2003 | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | language=de |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }} Anno 1602{{'}}s global sales climbed to 2.7 million units by September 2004.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181201000519/https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/anno-3,1348388.html | url=https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/anno-3,1348388.html | title=Anno 3 | date=September 9, 2004 | work=GameStar | archive-date=December 1, 2018 | author=Staff |url-status = live| language=de }} In 2007, Jörg Langer wrote that the Pyramid edition alone had contributed roughly 750,000 sales to the game's lifetime total.

According to Heiko Klinge of GameStar, a significant number of Anno buyers fell outside the standard demographic for German computer games.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206001924/https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/anno-historie-die-geschichte-der-aufbau-reihe,2562562.html| url=https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/anno-historie-die-geschichte-der-aufbau-reihe,2562562.html | title=Anno-Historie - Die Geschichte der Aufbau-Reihe | date=December 1, 2011 | author=Klinge, Heiko | work=GameStar | archive-date=February 6, 2018 | language=de |url-status = live}} By 2000, Sunflowers noted a high "proportion of inexperienced players and women in the Anno fan base", which it attributed to the game's design goal of "play without stress".{{cite press release | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021115150217/http://www.sunflowers.de/german/news/27092000/index.shtml | url=http://www.sunflowers.de:80/german/news/27092000/index.shtml | title=ANNO 1602 zum sensationell günstigen Soft Price | date=September 27, 2000 | language=de | location=Langen | publisher=Sunflowers Interactive | archive-date=November 15, 2002 |url-status = dead| access-date=May 22, 2019 }} Klinge echoed this theory. Der Spiegel similarly reported Anno{{'}}s wide appeal among both casual and hardcore players, and the magazine's Carsten Görig argued that "many can agree on Anno because Anno is a phenomenon".{{cite web | archive-url=https://archive.today/20181203004331/http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/spiel-anno-1701-sky-du-mont-wird-hardcoregamer-a-444903.html | url=http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/spiel-anno-1701-sky-du-mont-wird-hardcoregamer-a-444903.html | title=Sky Du Mont wird Hardcoregamer | author=Görig, Carsten | work=Der Spiegel | date=October 27, 2006 | archive-date=December 3, 2018 | language=de |url-status = live| access-date=December 9, 2018 }} Der Spiegel{{'}}s Richard Löwenstein cited Anno as an early computer game to draw female players; he claimed in 2002 that approximately 25% of its buyers were women.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414043825/http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/deadline-xmas-geschenktipps-fuer-pc-und-videospieler-a-226967.html | url=http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/deadline-xmas-geschenktipps-fuer-pc-und-videospieler-a-226967.html | title=Deadline Xmas: Geschenktipps für PC- und Videospieler | author=Löwenstein, Richard | date=December 13, 2002 | work=Der Spiegel | archive-date=April 14, 2015 | language=de |url-status = live}} In 2011, Klinge likewise called the game's number of female players "an absolute novelty" before The Sims, and reported that women made up nearly 50% of Anno 1602 customers.

Anno 1602{{'}}s success was primarily contained to the German market;{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181210041217/http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/das-beispiel-far-cry-spiele-entwicklungsland-deutschland-a-292545.html | url=http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/das-beispiel-far-cry-spiele-entwicklungsland-deutschland-a-292545.html | title=Spiele - Entwicklungsland Deutschland | date=March 26, 2004 | author=Löwenstein, Richard | work=Der Spiegel | language=de | archive-date=December 10, 2018 |url-status = live}} GameStar reported that, like Gothic, it failed to make an "international breakthrough". Sunflowers president Adi Boiko remarked: "When we wanted to distribute Anno 1602 internationally, we encountered enormous prejudices that a game from Germany couldn't be anything special".{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181210052243/http://www.mediabiz.de/games/news/im-gespraech-adi-boiko-praesident-sunflowers/111049 | url=http://www.mediabiz.de/games/news/im-gespraech-adi-boiko-praesident-sunflowers/111049 | title=Im Gespräch: Adi Boiko, Präsident Sunflowers | author=Staff | date=March 21, 2002 | work=GamesMarkt | archive-date=December 10, 2018 | language=de |url-status = live}} Of Anno 1602{{'}}s 2.5 million worldwide sales by late 2002, the German market accounted for 1.7 million.{{cite news | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181204050451/https://www.welt.de/print-welt/article419783/Deutsche-Spiele-Industrie-setzt-auf-Historie.html | url=https://www.welt.de/print-welt/article419783/Deutsche-Spiele-Industrie-setzt-auf-Historie.html | title=Deutsche Spiele-Industrie setzt auf Historie | date=November 5, 2002 | author=Staff | work=Die Welt | language=de | archive-date=December 4, 2018 |url-status = live}} The title's limited crossover in other markets was common among German games,{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904161932/http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-26856154.html | url=http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-26856154.html | title=Weltenbau mit Mausklicks | date=April 14, 2003 | work=Der Spiegel | author=Schmitt, Stefan | archive-date=September 4, 2014 | language=de |url-status = live}}{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181204043255/https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/kampf-ums-ueberleben,1339775.html |url=https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/kampf-ums-ueberleben,1339775.html | title=Kampf ums Überleben | date=January 1, 2003 | author=Staff | work=GameStar | archive-date=December 4, 2018 | language=de |url-status = live}}{{cite web | archive-url=https://archive.today/20181210053047/http://www.gamesaktuell.de/Sacred-Spiel-31275/Specials/Made-in-Germany-717467/ | url=http://www.gamesaktuell.de/Sacred-Spiel-31275/Specials/Made-in-Germany-717467/ | title=Made in Germany | date=June 1, 2005 | author=Gebauer, Jochen | work=Games Aktuell | archive-date=December 10, 2018 | language=de |url-status = live| access-date=December 10, 2018 }} particularly in Anno{{'}}s genre of construction and management, despite the outsize popularity of such titles in the German-speaking world. Der Spiegel{{'}}s Frank Patalong argued that games like Anno 1602 were a "specifically German phenomenon: nowhere else in the world are [these] simulations as successful as here at home". Stefan Schmitt of Der Spiegel and Jochen Gebauer of Games Aktuell wrote that such games were especially disliked in the United States, and a writer for GameStar stated that no Anno title had been a hit in that market by mid-2006.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181203004848/https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/deutsche-spiele-im-ausland,1462953.html | url=https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/deutsche-spiele-im-ausland,1462953.html | title=Deutsche Spiele im Ausland | date=July 19, 2006 | author=Staff | language=de | work=GameStar | archive-date=December 3, 2018 |url-status = live}} Boiko noted that it was "very difficult for us to find a good distributor" in the United States, which led to Anno 1602{{'}}s delayed release and lack of marketing there. However, he was pleased with its 200,000 sales in the country by early 2002. This number rose to 250,000 units by that November.{{cite web |url=http://archive.gamespy.com/devdiary/november02/1503-6/index.shtml |title=Dev Diaries; 1503 A.D. - The New World: Volume 6 |author=Duhr, Wolfgang |date=November 16, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040706022710/http://archive.gamespy.com/devdiary/november02/1503-6/index.shtml |archive-date=July 6, 2004|work=GameSpy|url-status = dead}}

{{empty section|date=June 2025}}

{{Video game reviews

| PCGUK = 81%{{cite web |url=http://www.pcgamer.co.uk:80/games/gamefile_review_page.asp?item_id=73 |title=Timeless |author=Weston, Jason |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020313111442/http://www.pcgamer.co.uk/games/gamefile_review_page.asp?item_id=73 |archive-date=March 13, 2002|publisher=PC Gamer UK|url-status = dead}}

| PCZone = 80 out of 100{{cite web |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com:80/article.php?id=2722 |title=Anno 1602 |author=Anderson, Chris |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202184424/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=2722 |archive-date=December 2, 2008|publisher=PC Zone|url-status = dead}}

}}

{{-}}

{{Video game reviews

| GR = 74%{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/196502-1602-ad/index.html |title=1602 A.D. for PC |website=GameRankings |publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date=April 17, 2019 |archive-date=April 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417181444/https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/196502-1602-ad/index.html |url-status=live }}

| CGM = {{rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web |url=http://www.cgonline.com:80/reviews/1602ad-01-r1.html |title=1602 AD |author=Bitterman, Tom |date=March 14, 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040815171514/http://www.cgonline.com/reviews/1602ad-01-r1.html |archive-date=August 15, 2004| work=Computer Games Magazine|url-status = dead}}

| CGW = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{cite magazine| author=Kapalka, Jason |title=Doomed to Repeat the Past|date=May 2000 | magazine=Computer Gaming World |issue=190 |page=110 }}

| PCGUS = 57%{{cite web |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/06/1602_ad.html |title=1602 A.D. |author=Trotter, William R. | author-link=William R. Trotter |work=PC Gamer US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061017235441/http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/06/1602_ad.html |archive-date=October 17, 2006|url-status = dead}}

| rev1 = The Electric Playground

| rev1Score = 7/10{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001206131100/http://www.elecplay.com/review_2098.html| url=http://www.elecplay.com/review_2098.html | title=Reviews; 1602 A.D. | date=February 21, 2000 | author=Hudak, Chris | work=The Electric Playground | archive-date=December 6, 2000 |url-status = dead}}

}}

{{-}}

Anno 1602 began the Anno series. In 2018, PC Games named it one of the most influential games ever released.{{cite web |url=http://www.pcgames.de/Spiele-Thema-239104/Specials/PC-Rennspiele-Wirtschaftssimulation-1246570/ |title=Die einflussreichsten PC-Spiele: Teil 4 - Rennspiele und Wirtschaftssimulationen |date=6 January 2018 |access-date=2018-12-11 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20181211035437/http://www.pcgames.de/Spiele-Thema-239104/Specials/PC-Rennspiele-Wirtschaftssimulation-1246570/ |archive-date=2018-12-11 |url-status = live}}

• Unknown Horizons
• Video gaming in Germany

{{Notelist}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://anno.uk.ubi.com/pc/history1602.php Official Anno 1602 site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090917115008/http://anno.uk.ubi.com/pc/history1602.php |date=2009-09-17 }}
• {{moby game|id=/1602-ad|name=Anno 1602}}
• "[https://web.archive.org/web/20080503065433/http://www.wargamer.com/reviews/1602/page1.asp The WarGamer review]"

{{Max Design}}

{{Anno series}}

Category:1998 video games

Category:Age of Discovery video games

Category:Anno (series)

Category:City-building games

Category:GT Interactive games

Category:Max Design games

Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games

Category:Multiplayer null modem games

Category:Real-time strategy video games

Category:Video games developed in Austria

Category:Video games set in the 1600s

Category:Video games with isometric graphics

Category:Windows games

Category:Windows-only games

Category:Sunflowers Interactive games