RTL Playtainment just announced The Guild (Die Gilde) for Nintendo DS. In the long list of recent or upcoming strategy games for the DS, including Final Fantasy Tactics A2, Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution, Spore and Fire Emblem DS, this game is a bit of an oddity. The Guild originally was a PC series and tried to simulate the economics and political workings of a medieval city. In the PC Game, you can grow from dish washer to tycoon -- in one or more of many medieval professions like thief, guard, priest, innkeeper or smith. The game is limited by your character's lifespan, but you can found a dynasty and pass your riches on to the next generation. While the PC version's focus clearly is on economy and trading, it sports intrigues, manufacturing goods, real-time skirmishes and more.

From the first information available, The Guild DS does not have as wide a scope: There are five type of wares (like beer or bread) which have to be traded in various cities of medieval Germany. Let's hope that RTL Playtainment doesn't dumb down the original game idea too much -- "Playtainment" is the casual games label of RTL Games. Also, it is not clear whether the game will be published in an English version (we've just translated the German title Die Gilde). The game is scheduled for a first quarter 2009 release.