X3: Albion Prelude promises to bridge the Old and New X Universes. It plays out in a time between the old and the new with the X universe in flux, and prepares players for things to come in X Rebirth.

The basic plot is that the X universe is undergoing a period of massive change. What started as a conflict of interest between the Earth and the races of the X Universe has now escalated into a full scale war. Albion Prelude lets you play your part in a war scenario bigger than anything the X Universe has ever seen before.

War is the backdrop for a bigger story as corporations vie for power and by so doing drive the X Universe in an unexpected direction. This hinges around a technological breakthrough that allows massive accelerators, forming highways in space that results in an expanded economy.

However, these highways, that are a key feature of X Rebirth, are not fully ready. They are being built as you participate in the power struggles that feed their construction.

X3: Albion Prelude (Official Site) includes a host of new features including a new plot that throws you into this power struggle between corporations, more than 30 new ships and stations, new Stock Exchange feature and advanced investment strategies, improved graphics quality setting for high end machines, improved UI introducing charts to visualize economic developments and support for head tracking.

X3: Albion Prelude will be released on December 15th on Steam for direct download in English, German, and French languages (voice) and Italian (text only). There is also a free Download for Owners of the X: Superbox and if you buy the X: Superbox, or already own it, X3: Albion Prelude will be available as a free download via Steam.

Owners of X3: Terran Conflict aren't left out either as they will be available at an add-on price of just USD 9.99. Also, for players new to the X Series, X3: Terran Conflict and X3: Albion Prelude will be available as a package for USD 19.99. This is rounded off by a standalone version of X3: Albion Prelude available from the MAC App store soon for USD 19.99