Publisher:	Capcom
Developer:	Capcom
Released:	01 Jan 1970
Genre
Platform

Capcom recently confirmed its intention to bring Catan to Japanese PlayStation 2 owners this summer. Based on the board game The Settlers of Catan, players travel to the imaginary island of Catan where adversaries vie for control of the land’s limited resources.

Taking advantage of the newly released PlayStation 2 Broadband adaptor, Japanese gamers will be able to download the client software for free and then quickly and easily set up challenges with up to three other players. Capcom Japan is currently offering a trial service and is aiming to provide a full service this summer. While it is the intention to make this online version of Catan available to European gamers in the near future, a release date has yet to be confirmed.

Winning games will earn players credits which can then be used to purchase and download items. These include new playing maps, new AI characters and the option to change the look of your avatar. Improving the appearance of a player’s avatar will instantly allow challengers to recognise the level and status of that player. Catan’s distinctive character and maps were designed by Susumu Matsushita, who was also responsible for character design for another Capcom release – Maximo.