release had been pushed back to early 2001. The game was released in Germany in February, but suffered from numerous bugs, leading to a negative reaction from fans and criticism of both the game and Blue Byte in the German gaming press. According to German magazine PC Games, 76% of players experienced technical difficulties with the release version of the game. Co-designer Thorsten Mutschall later admitted it had not been ready for release in February and should have been held back for additional playtesting and programming. "Innovation leap" (2001-2004) Despite the problems with its release, The Settlers IV sold well, and Blue Byte pressed on with the series. In June 2001, they revealed the next game, The Settlers: Heritage of Kings, would be a milestone in several senses - it would be the first to use 3D graphics and it would be released simultaneously for Microsoft Windows and the console market. Ultimately, the PlayStation 2 and GameCube versions never materialised. Speaking to PC Games in February 2002, the game's project manager and the series' new producer, Benedikt Grindel, explained that after The Settlers IV was criticised for being too similar to The Settlers III, Blue Byte made the decision that the next game should represent a "real innovation leap". He also explained that for the first time, a Settlers game was being developed with an eye to the international market, particularly North America, as the series had traditionally sold poorly outside Europe. He later said that "we wanted to make a game that worked everywhere". Early in development, the designers decided the future of the series was not necessarily to be found in employing more races, more goods, more complex economic processes, and larger maps, but instead in streamlining the gameplay and building a set of "complex but not complicated" game mechanics. Blue Byte explained the design philosophy was to "focus more on the settlers – the characters – themselves and reduce the importance of the delivery of goods". In December 2004, with the game being criticised for not "feeling" like a Settlers title, Blue Byte addressed the differences between it and the previous games, stating that "it was important to us that The Settlers series developed, and that's why there are some changes when compared to The Settlers III and IV, such as the new graphical style, the 3D presentation, a more event-driven storyline, and the introduction of heroes".