Microsoft unveils Age of Empires Online, Microsoft Flight

[Jos]

Besides announcing the first wave of Xbox Live games to arrive for Windows Phone 7 devices this holiday season, Microsoft also took the opportunity at GamesCon 2010 to revive some classic PC franchises. First up is Ensemble's popular Age of Empires series, which will return set in a persistent online world shared with friends and rivals around the globe, combining old school real-time strategy with massively multiplayer online game elements.

That means player-versus-player mode as well as cooperative multiplayer quests, trading, and a level-based system that lets you progress at your own pace. The free-to-play game is themed around Ancient Greece and features a more colorful, cartoony visual style compared to previous games in the series -- presumably to keep system requirements low.

Development is being handled by Robot Entertainment, which is staffed almost entirely by ex-Ensemble Studios developers, who in turn made all previous Age Of Empires titles before Microsoft shut them down in 2008. Go figure. Age Of Empires Online will launch exclusively for Microsoft's Games for Windows - Live platform some time in 2011, but you can already sign up for a chance enter the public beta set to begin later this year.

Continue reading...

Another classic making a comeback after being shut down early last year is the popular Microsoft Flight Simulator franchise. Not much has been revealed other than a short teaser trailer and a name: Microsoft Flight. We are not sure what the axing of the word "Simulator" from the title means for flight enthusiasts who cherished the series' realism and customizability, but it seems Microsoft may be aiming for a broader audience with this release.

According to the company's own words: "Microsoft Flight will bring a new perspective to the long-standing genre, welcoming everyone, including long-time fans, to experience the magic of flight."

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/40003-microsoft-unveils-age-of-empires-online-microsoft-flight.html

 

[TomSEA]

Man, I sunk some hours into the original Age of Empires. That was one hella fun series.

 

[lordbf1]

TomSEA said:
Man, I sunk some hours into the original Age of Empires. That was one hella fun series.

I am still playing it AOEII conquerors. I love it.

 

[RuskiSnajper]

ENSEMBLE WAS THE MOST TALENTED MOST HARDCORE OF DEVELOPERS IN THE 90' AND ONE OF THE 4 , (ID , 3DR , Westwood )

ENSEMBLE RIP

 

[Emin3nce]

"To keep system requirements low" ... uhm, the original games on the series aren't exactly running the crytek engine.

 

[Gars]

lordbf1 said:

TomSEA said:
Man, I sunk some hours into the original Age of Empires. That was one hella fun series.

I am still playing it AOEII conquerors. I love it.

same here
its sad that all my friends has stopped played and now the AI is the only option for me :-/

 

[Swanen]

Graphics in AOE online reminds me of The Settlers ?3?.

 

[gobbybobby]

''Robot Entertainment, which is staffed almost entirely by ex-Ensemble Studios '' So y they shut them down? I don't get it! Ensemble was a much better name than ''robot entertainment!''

 

[paulanthony]

if you wann a game i will give you a game we can swap ip address's just like the old days
wadda ya say bro?
wat civ you you play most ?, chinese are fast yeah?

 

[Guest]

Loved age of empires and even up to age of kings was fun. still have my cds and start-up aoe once in a while. That's a game that has replayability for sure. always greatfull to the dev who patched the hack on his own time, remember way back on the zone

everquest stole us away as the zone died ms never took care of the game.

still remember having my *** kicked by excellent players. nothing like a tool rush with axers or a later rush with priests remember jehad? villies...got crushed by those aswell lol!

was a great game, one of the greats.