Age of Empires Online Announced

Dear Robot Entertainment,

The first thing I done when I got home from university today, was logon to RTSsanctuary, (formerly Agesanctuary.com) which is something I do everynight. Infact, i've helped run the network for the past six years and have been a follower of the Age series for approximately 10 years. I literally worshipped the game to the point of hagiography and checked this website everyday in anticipation of a new RTS 'Age of' franchise that the whole world has been waiting for. What I did not expect, was Robot Entertainment, the successors of Ensemble Studios, one of the greatest game producing studio of all time, to veer away from a genre that is trademark and has provided you with so much success over the years. As I began reading the news about it, I had to check my calender to make sure that April had passed. I was sure that this was an April fool's joke. To my disbelief, we were in August. I still hold on to the hope that this is a very belated joke.

Economically, this makes sense. The gaming world is changing. As the music world moved from classical to teachno/trance, the gaming world must adapt to the market also. This is done by maintaining RTS as the 'core' genre, but adopting MMO aspects to attract a growing demand. Problem is, the entire 'Age of' series has been built upon the very foundations of a loyal fan-base. I would have been under the impression that retention of such loyal fanbase would be paramount to any company and that a game can be built around such a community. However, this proposed game, I can predict, will alienate majority of that fanbase. The last game you guys brought out was Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasty in 2007. That's 3 years that fans have waited patiently for a game that was to never be. You open forums on the Robot Entertainment website for "wild speculation". May I ask, how many people were wildly speculating and drooling at the prospect of an RTS/MMO? One glimpse in those forums and all I can read are 'Age of Mythology 2!", "Age of Empires 4!" and "Age of Conquerors remake!". My question to you is why try to fix something that was never broken?

I'm sorry for ranting. I'm a huge fan of everything Ensemble Studios have done. But it's for that very reason - because I am proud of what the company has achieved over the years and am delighted to play any title they release, that I am disappointed. Please don't take this the wrong way, but as someone who has watched the company very closely over the years, I feel like Robot Entertainment have resigned themselves to Blizzard. What do I mean by this? I feel that Robot realise that Blizzard have the competitive gaming market. SC2 is one of the most hardcore strategy games on the market at the moment. World of Warcraft is also very big on esports. I feel as if you guys have just accepted that no amount of tweeking to one of your existing hardcore RTS games will match what Blizzard have competitively. As a result, you are just trying to differentiate your product to attract a less competitive market. In the process, however, you are threatening the loss of thousands and thousands of loyal fans.

I'm sorry to say, but my heart literally sank when reading this news. I am extremely disappointed. Especially knowing that this was the microsoft endorsed game. Meaning that 'Game 2.0' will unfortunately not be an 'Age of' game as Microsoft hold exclusive rights over the franchise. This game is only just starting to accept invites for it's beta. It's like waiting for the World Cup to come to Australia. Maybe...one day we might get it. It's something that millions of people would love to see, but it's chances just keep fading away further into the distance.

i am so disagree with i cant even start to explain (and yeah  i too played aoe 1 back in 1999). So what if they do blizard stuff so what if they do soemthing to get as much fans as they do ? and who says they wont eventualy release aoe 4 or aom 2 or at least w8 to see  this and then comment.

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!

but i have to do a question:

when robot will send a e-mail from the chosen one of the beta?????????

Robot, do copies as well!

PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for your help.

but all the links always end up sending the same file that I have problems installing the language of my operating system.

send mail to microsoft but I have no answer.

help me!

i think it looks great

To all the haters!.....

 yes it looks cartoony BUT thats gatta be something to look forward to... i never seen a great game with that lovely cartoon feel.. :) 

and, to top it off its comming from the greatest gaming minds known to mankind.. so shut up and deal with it you fu-ck face's!

so you and all the other haters can kiss my a@@! your not true fans!

*edit* just watched video preview thing.. and yes it looks kick a@@!!! so once more.. haters go fu-ck yourselves!

WTF O.O

it is gona be a great game and i cant wate for it

chang is good and in no refrinc to obama

AOC2 who never played? Who does not remember players like Archkmkm, Arch_Koven, Halen
This game is not just a strong economy with investments in warriors
fundamentally sound economy
they lose time lose the game economy
if not attack the enemy conseguice economy
not only with four civilizations, but 17
deinking any way to manage the economy of different types of warriors
different feature or one similar to another
Many asks us sometimes as a game with 10 years alive
with an average of five world championships, but with lack of money
but with an average of $ 10,000 for the players to championships?
How to explain this
with over 130,000 registered players in Voobly (current location of the game)
Aoc Game 3, with excellent graphics, but nevertheless, economically weak and based only upon the army
civilizations army micro few and with little thought to the game time
Based on late 19th century, why not join the two games and make the rich economy AOC4
With sales of economic workers with good graphics technologies more AOC2
with one more after the age of AOC2 Imperial Imperial Post Where does all that sophisticated AOC3
the warriors of each civilization to find some graphics for the more real AOC4 AOC2 even if the same elites that each civilization has the same thing AOC2
Who deploy the Portuguese in all this
Who deploy the Americans, as you want, but to create a game that goes for the player who is strong graphically
good game with handling the economy and, yes, of course, with the same advantages and disadvantages of ancient civilizations existed q
with the same force and army, as well as micro economic

I'm sure that would exhaust the 40 million copies in one month for those who played AOC2 never forgot how the real game AOE

I have found this article very exciting. Do you have any others on this topic? I am also sending it to my friend to enjoy your writing style. Thanks
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