Age of Empires
A series of historical real-time strategy games spanning multiple eras.
Age of Empires is a series of historical real-time strategy video games, originally developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Xbox Game Studios. The series has been a commercial success, selling over 25 million copies, and is noted for its focus on historical events across different time periods.
- first_release
- October 15, 1997
- developer
- Ensemble Studios
- publisher
- Xbox Game Studios
- genre
- Historical real-time strategy
- total_sales
- Over 25 million copies
- notable_titles
- Age of Empires, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, Age of Empires III, Age of Empires IV
Lore & Background
The first title in the series, Age of Empires, focused on events in Europe, Africa, and Asia, spanning from the Stone Age to the Iron Age; its expansion 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 the Aztec Empire. Age of Empires III and its two expansions explored the early modern period, when Europe was colonizing the Americas and several Asian nations were on the decline. Another 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.
Reader's Guide
The Age of Empires series is significant for its pioneering role in history-based real-time strategy gaming, blending elements of civilization building and military conquest. The original Age of Empires, released in 1997, was one of the first history-based RTS games and received mixed reviews but sold over three million units by 2000. Its expansion, The Rise of Rome, sold one million units. Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings achieved greater critical success with scores of 92% on Game Rankings and Metacritic, and won multiple awards. The series continued with Age of Empires III, which introduced new features like home cities and sold over two million copies. Definitive Editions of the first three games were released starting in 2018, featuring overhauled graphics and other improvements. The series' legacy includes influencing the RTS genre and maintaining a dedicated player base through expansions and remasters.
Did You Know?
- Age of Empires was one of the first history-based real-time strategy games made, utilizing the Genie game engine.
- The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences named Age of Empires the 1998 'Computer Strategy Game of the Year'.
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