Those who pay attention to our marvelously irregular podcast will know that I’m a one-trick pony when it comes to RTS games on PC. I played Age of Empires II nonstop for nearly ten years, so when Microsoft Game Studios announced that Age of Empires Online was in the works at Robot Entertainment (the successor to series creators Ensemble Studios), I danced for joy.
The press release is as follows:
With more than 20 million copies sold worldwide, the “Age of Empires” series redefined real-time strategy games for Windows-based PC players. Now, the timeless franchise once again invites players to experience its rich storyline in new ways. Developed by Robot Entertainment, “Age of Empires Online” will invite players to create a living, growing online world, shared with friends and friendly rivals around the globe. Begin the journey with your own Greek civilization, and watch as it progresses from a village to an empire. Embark on quests along the way, alone or with friends, and immerse yourself in epic tales, quirky characters, adventure, history and strategy. Together with the Games for Windows – LIVE service, “Age of Empires Online” delivers a rich, social experience that lets you play however you want – anywhere, anytime.
Marrying fresh features with iconic gameplay, “Age of Empires Online” offers something for long-time fans, newcomers and everyone in between. “Age of Empires Online” will feature:
* A persistent online capital city that lives and grows even when you’re offline
* Cooperative multiplayer quests, trading and a level-based system that lets you progress at your own pace
* Fun, approachable style and storylines
* Free-to-play experiences via Games for Windows – LIVEMore information, news and chances to join the beta program are available at http://www.ageofempiresonline.com.
To clarify the “free-to-play” angle of AoEO, MGS General Manager Dave Luehmann says, “it’s not a nickel and dimey microtransaction thing,” with an emphasis on separating the game from others in the free-to-play market that sometimes follow the practice of “what you don’t want to do in the game is what you pay for,” and also “that you pay to skip the parts you don’t like.” He further suggested, “I don’t like to pay for things I don’t like to do, that seems kind of backwards. So how about we produce things that people actually want?”
Jerome K. Jones, a designer at Robot Entertainment, offered an example: “So it would be like paying for an expansion pack. You won’t buy one thing at a time. You might buy an entire (civilization) or another region with a bunch of quests in it.”
We’re assured there’s about 25 hours of free Age goodness right now, though neither Robot nor Microsoft are entirely sure how they’ll be charging for additional content. We’ll see Age of Empires Online launch in the first half of 2011. Now to sharpen up on my skills…
This sounds pretty exciting! Can’t wait for more information to be released with details on gameplay, quests, and co-op. :D