Empire: Total War release dated

Sega and Creative Assembly have now finally announced a definite release date for the latest game in the Total War series - Empire: Total War.

According to Sega, the strategy epic will be available to buy in American and Canadian stores on March 3rd, with a Steam release for the rest of the world on the main day. The game will then become available in stores across the rest of the globe, as well as on Steam for US users, a day later.

Empire: Total War is a more modern take on the Total War series, moving the action away from the times of Ancient Rome and Medieval Europe to the battlefields of the 18th Century. The game will cover the industrial revolution and War of Independence in full, with plenty of sails, steamboats and strategy for everyone.

According to Creative Assembly the developers have seen unprecedented interest in this latest game in the series, mainly due to the fact that the 18th Century has long been the most requested historical period for the game to be set in.

The news of the PC exclusive release comes not long after a short delay from Sega too, so it's glad to see the game is back on track for a Q1 2009 release.

For more information on what you can expect to see in the game, check out our hands-on preview with Empire: Total War from just before Christmas - then let us hear your thoughts in the forums.