Firefly Studios announces that the recently annunced HD versions of Stronghold, Stronghold Crusader, and Stronghold Crusader Extreme will be offered as free upgrades to owners of the original versions of those castle simulations. The HD versions will go on sale tomorrow, and word is they will be accompanied by a patch tomorrow to implement the improved graphics in existing copies:

The new patch will update the classic castle building games from Firefly Studios with high definition graphics and the ability to view an entire battlefield on a single screen. These medieval strategy games have been remastered to support resolutions up to 2560x1600, up from the previous cap of 1024x768. Also featured is the new HD battlefield view, which allows players to zoom out and play in real-time with the entire map on one screen. Players can advance on the castle gates while flanking the enemy from behind, feign retreat and lead their foes into a deadly trap or just sit back and watch the destruction unfold.