Age of Empires - Wikipedia. Age of Empires is a series of personal computer games originally developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Studios.

The first title of the series was Age of Empires, released in 1. Since then, seven titles and three spin- offs have been released.

The titles are historical real- time strategy games. Age of Empires focused on events in Europe, Africa and Asia, spanning from the Stone Age to the Iron Age; the expansion game explored the formation and expansion of the Roman Empire. The sequel, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, was set in the Middle Ages, while its expansion focused partially on the Spanish conquest of Mexico. The subsequent three games of Age of Empires III explored the early modern period, when Europe was colonizing the Americas and several Asian nations were on the decline. The newest installment, Age of Empires Online, takes a different approach as a free- to- play online game utilizing Games for Windows Live. A spin- off game, Age of Mythology, was set in the same period as the original Age of Empires, but focused on mythological elements of Greek, Egyptian, and Norse mythology. At Gamescom 2. 01.

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Microsoft announced the fourth installment of the series, Age of Empires IV as well as Definitive Editions for Age of Empires II and Age of Empires III. The Age of Empires series has been a commercial success, selling over 2. Critics have credited part of the success of the series to its historical theme and fair play; the artificial intelligence (AI) players fight with fewer advantages than in many of the series' competitors.[2]The games in the series focus on historical events throughout time.

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Age of Empires covers the events between the Stone Age and the Classical period, in Europe and Asia. Its expansion, The Rise of Rome, follows the formation and rise of the Roman Empire. The Age of Kings and its Nintendo DS spin- off follow Europe and Asia through the Middle Ages. The Age of Kings' expansion pack, The Conquerors, is set during the same period, but also includes scenarios about the Spanish conquest of Mexico, El Cid, and Attila the Hun. Age of Empires III and its first expansion, The War. Chiefs, take place during the European colonization of the Americas. Its second expansion, The Asian Dynasties, follows the rise of Asia in the same period.

Age of Empires Online focuses on the Greek and Egyptian civilizations. The series' spin- off, Age of Mythology, and its expansion pack, The Titans, are set during the Bronze Age, but focus on mythology as their themes, rather than history. Main series[edit]Age of Empires[edit]Age of Empires, released on October 2. Ensemble Studios.[4] It was one of the first history- based real- time strategy games made,[5] utilizing the Geniegame engine. Watch L.A. Slasher Online Mic more. Game. Spot described it as a mix of Civilization and Warcraft.[6] The game gives players a choice of 1. Stone Age to the Iron Age. The expansion pack, The Rise of Rome, published by Microsoft on October 3.

Romans. Although the two games had contained many software bugs, patches resolved many of the problems.[7][8]Age of Empires was generally well received, despite some highly negative reviews. Game. Spot criticized a confused design, while Computer and Video Games praised the game as strong in single and multiplayer.[9] The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences named Age of Empires the 1.

Computer Strategy Game of the Year."[1. For several years, the game remained high on the sales charts, with over three million units sold by 2. The Rise of Rome sold one million units in 2. Game. Rankings.[1. In June 2. 01. 7, Adam Isgreen, creative director of Microsoft Studios announced Age of Empires: Definitive Edition at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2. It will feature overhauled graphics with support for 4.

K resolution, a remastered soundtrack, and other gameplay improvements, and was planned to be released on October 1. On October 1. 3, it was announced that the release date of the Definitive Edition would be postponed until early 2. Age of Empires II[edit]Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, released on September 3. Genie game engine, and had gameplay similar to its predecessor.[1.

Age of Kings is set in the Middle Ages, from the Dark Ages to the Imperial Age. It allows players to choose one of 1. Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.[1.

On August 2. 4, 2. Microsoft published the expansion, The Conquerors. It added new units and five new civilizations, including two Mesoamerican civilizations; the Maya and the Aztec.[1. The Age of Kings was a bigger critical success than the first two games, with Game Rankings and Metacritic scores of 9. Microsoft shipped out more than two million copies to retailers, and the game received numerous awards and accolades.[2. Critics agreed that The Conquerors expanded well on The Age of Kings, though issues of unbalanced gameplay were raised.[2.

The Age of Kings and The Conquerors won the 2. Computer Strategy Game of the Year" awards from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, respectively.[2. In April 2. 01. 3, Age of Empires II: HD Edition was released on the Steamdigital distribution platform for Windows operating systems. The HD Edition includes both the original game and the expansion The Conquerors, as well as updated graphics for high- resolution displays.[2. In November 2. 01.

The Forgotten was released by Microsoft exclusively for the HD Edition.[2. A third expansion named The African Kingdoms was released by Microsoft in November 2. HD Edition.[2. 7] A fourth expansion entitled Rise of the Rajas was released on 1.

December 2. 01. 6.[2. On August 2. 1, 2. Microsoft announced Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.[2. Age of Empires III[edit]Age of Empires III, released on October 1.

Age of Mythology game engine with the most significant changes being the updated graphics engine and the inclusion of the Havok physicsmiddleware engine.[3. The game is set in the period between 1. European nations. The game introduced a large number of features, such as home cities. Described by Ensemble Studios as "an important support system to your efforts in the New World," home cities helped provide the player with resources, equipment, troops, and upgrades.

They could be used across multiple games, and upgraded after each battle; it was compared to a role- playing game character by Ensemble Studios.[3. The first expansion to Age of Empires III, The War. Chiefs, was released October 1.

Most gameplay changes in the expansion pack were small, but it introduced three new civilizations, with a focus on Native Americans.[3. Most notable was the introduction of the War. Chief unit.[3. 4] The second expansion, The Asian Dynasties, went on sale October 2. It was a jointly developed product; Big Huge Games helped Ensemble Studios develop the game, with Brian Reynolds joining Bruce Shelley as lead designer.

The game expanded the Age of Empires III universe into Asia, and introduced three new civilizations.[3. Reception towards Age of Empires III was mixed; Game Revolution described it as "about as much fun" as a history textbook, while Game. Zone argued it was "one of the best looking games, much less an RTS game, that is out on the market currently".[3. It sold more than two million copies, and won the Game.

Spy "real- time strategy game of the year" award.[3. The War. Chiefs failed to equal the success of its predecessor, with a lower score on both Game Rankings and Metacritic, and The Asian Dynasties' score was lower still with 8.