The official English web site for Disciples 3: Renaissance just went live a day or two ago. See link.

At the moment, it appears to be confirmed that it will available through Steam. Whether it will be distributed retail by Kalypso, I do not know. The minimum requirements do include a DVD so one would think so. The Disciples franchise is now wholly owned by Akella of Moscow who have put a tremendous amount of time, effort, and money into the production of Disciples III: Renaissance. (Strategy First is no longer involved.)

It is hard to tell from the information now available whether the new Disciples III is good or not so good. One "well known" fan of the series has freely voiced his displeasure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFQ9Sz3qqKc

Now this next video review is a serious and very well done review from someone who has been playing the Russian version which has been out for quite some time. As a fan of the Disciples series he seems to reflect appreciation of the game mixed with some disappointments.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5V4m81X35Q&feature=related

It seems to me unfair to complain that Disciples III: Renaissance is not the full 3D equivalent of Disciples II Complete which now comes with all the expansion packs and patches that took years to develop. This initial release is Akella's renaissance of the series and it will grow and develop with time. The Mountain Clans and The Undead will be in expansion packs probably. On the positive side we do get the Elves with Renaissance! Lead me to them! And the Warrior, the Guildmaster, and the Mage are fully intact.

Just my IMHO, the combat system from Disciples and Disciples 2 could not be retained without seeming hopelessly retro. HoMM and King's Bounty were on the right track, I do not think it is mere copying from them. It is the best combat system with the technology now available. If they have done away with some of the more tedious features of the Disciples and Disciples 2 combat that is all right with me!

Single player only is fine with me; and what I prefer. Your mileage may vary.

Now I am writing this in the hope that others will contribute any information they have or may come across in these final weeks leading up to the release. And your opinions on the Disciples series in general whatever they may be.

I have posted only recently that I had no interest in any game coming out this year other than Elemental: War of Magic. But I didn't know then that Disciples 3: Renaissance was about to be released. The Disciples series has always held a special fascination for me, and a special place in my heart. It seems to me as much a work of art as a game.

Disciples 3 Recommended System

OS: Windows XP / Vista.
AMD 4800+ or Intel Core 2 Duo 2600
1 Gb RAM
ATI Radeon 1900 or NVidia 7600 (DirectX compatible), 256 megabytes
HDD: 4 GB
Windows compatible sound card
DVD ROM

Warning! I found one review in Russian from AG that I translated via Google. The review was negative, mentioning among many other problems "constipated elves and demons!" The responses below are so far negative overall. It would be wise to wait for professional reviews from the major English reviewers before making a purchase decision.

Demo: Timo of Kalypso says they are working on an English Demo of Disciples III. Likely on Steam, possibly other places.