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Age of Empires Online -- the next iteration of the famous franchise is kinda, um, FarmVille...
Age of Empires Online, the long-awaited update to one of the most famous RTS franchises, is coming, along with a truly massive deviation from its usual format. Yes, it's still an RTS; yes, there are still buildings and military and a campaign -- but that's where the similarities end!.
Age of Empires Online is actually closer to FarmVille than an Age of Empires title. Your city is saved online, accessible from anywhere (the game will be digitally distributed, so you can log in from anywhere). You will carry out quests, which will take the form of single- and multi-player cooperative missions. Of course there's in-game chat too, so you can talk to your friends while you play. Basically, it's a social MMO, but with 'real' RTS gameplay tacked on. Watch the video on its website to see some actual gameplay.
I'm not quite sure what to make of it all. The FAQ has tantalizing yet thoroughly useless hints at what to expect. There's no sign of what it will cost, but I presume it will be free, if it wants to compete with FarmVille. That opens another kettle of fish: as a full RTS, it must be cost inga lot more than other Flash-based MMOs to develop... how will they monetize it?
Age of Empires Online is slated for release sometime in 2011. You can try your chances, like me, and sign up for the Closed Beta, though! (The beta sign-up survey asks if you've played FarmVille and Mafia Wars, incidentally...)
Oh, and apparently this is a Windows PC exclusive -- I had so hoped for a mobile title to challenge Civilization for Facebook...
Comments
10
Subscribe to commentsguelthAug 17th 2010 1:48PM
Actually, this looks fun. I remember wasting months of my life on the others.
MxxConAug 17th 2010 2:33PM
Sebastian, you are totally wrong w/ the impression of this game.
i'm in the closed beta of the game and i can tell you this game has absolutely nothing in common w/ farmville.
this game is still very much good old school RTS that we all expect from 'age of empires'.
this is a proper rts with mmo bolted on rather than 'social' mmo with rts elements.
the quality of the game is that it's not going to be free. i don't know how much it'll cost or what kind of mayment structure it'll have, but this game is too good to be free.
And when they said 'PC exclusive', it usually means 'no consoles', not 'no mobile'.
Sebastian AnthonyAug 17th 2010 2:40PM
Hooray! I'm glad :)
They should show off a little more of the game so that it doesn't sound quite so like FarmVille.
I can always do a proper review if I get into the closed beta, too!
AlainAug 17th 2010 2:41PM
It might have a mobile component, but it'll be WP7-only ;)
SkepticAug 17th 2010 2:40PM
Guys, I've been playing the game for a while (through part of the alpha and the start of the beta.) Think AoE2 with a persistent home city where you get quests or can find multiplayer game. Trust me, it's more like AoE2 than it is Farmville.
AlainAug 17th 2010 2:39PM
The comparison to FarmVille seems downright unfair. After all, if farmville were saddled with GFWL, it would never have actually worked for enough people to get off the ground..
NemanjaTGGAug 17th 2010 3:57PM
I was the huge,huge,huge fan of AOE series but this looks like game for children with cartoon like building and those funny looking characters.I am very disappointed!
JamusAug 18th 2010 10:07AM
And I am guessing this will be another big push used to get more people using Silverlight.
leopardieAug 18th 2010 8:49PM
look forward to early release.
23754697Aug 18th 2010 8:50PM
Great game I should day, but lack of the original gameplay