Age of Empires Online

Age of Empires Online is the next evolution in the best-selling real-time strategy (RTS) franchise Age of Empires. Developed by Microsoft Game Studios for the Games for Windows – LIVE platform, Age of Empires Online invites players to create a living, growing online world, shared with friends and friendly rivals around the world. Marrying fresh features with classic RTS gameplay, Age of Empires Online pays tribute to the original game while incorporating a new look, feel, and approach that appeals to long-time fans, newcomers, and everyone in between.

The following features are free to play:

• Familiar Age of Empires gameplay, and downloadable to any PC for free!

• The greatest ancient civilizations, including Greeks and Egyptians.

• Constantly new, exciting, and evolving content.

• Quest, battle, chat, and trade with other players.

• Build and show off your own custom Capital City.

• Enjoy historical settings with gorgeous visuals and a cool new art style.

Premium content packs offer dozens of hours of new gameplay, entirely new features, and an enhanced multiplayer experience. You’ll be able to buy whichever packs you like and mix and match your purchases so you pay for the features and content you like.

• Premium civilization packs offer an enhanced experience for your favorite civilization, including new gear, advisors, workshops, and PVP features.

• Booster packs offer specific new features or storylines.

• Empire Extras offer new items and historically themed architectural pieces for players interested in the ultimate level of customization for their Capital City.

A Premium Civ Pack will add the following to your experience:

• Rare and epic gear: Unlock gear that makes your units more powerful, with unique designs to make your armies stand out in battle.

• Advisors: In the Advisor Hall, you can unlock unique units, such as armored elephants and civilization powers.

• Tech Tree: Experience the full Tech Tree with fantastic end-game Star Techs. For example, generate resources from your Market, have your troops bandage themselves, or make your people immune to conversion in battle.

• Player vs. Player: Set parameters for the gameplay you want and invite your friends to play,

• Additional Inventory slots: More than double your inventory space.

• More Workshops: Drastically improve your capital’s production with more workshops to create all the materials you need for crafting.

• Craft Halls: Learn unit enhancements from additional Craft Halls and use them to your advantage in the game. You get seven to choose from, including the Military College, which enhances infantry; the Hunting Lodge, which enhances archers and missile units; and the Cavalry Hall, which enhances mounted units.

• Empire Points: Get the ability to spend Empire Points on the best loot in the game. Empire Points reward you for having multiple civilizations.

• In-game stores: Earn in-game currency from the stores in your Capital City.

*Content subject to change

These packs will allow you to purchase extra game content. A couple examples of Booster Pack content are new game modes or story based packs. There are also no prerequisites with our Booster Packs. You will not have had to have bought a Premium Civ Pack to use them or have purchased a previous Booster Pack.

Empire Extras have cool and decorative items in them that you can customize your city with. They’ll contain things such as fountains, shrubbery, statues, etc. Again, there are no prerequisites to buy these packs.

When you purchase a Premium Civ pack, you still have to earn all the gear you want to use. It’s not automatically in your inventory. We’ve been careful to ensure that people cannot buy their way to top gear. If you’ve been playing on a free civ, have gear that you’ve earned but have been unable to use, then choose to buy a Premium Civ pack – all the gear you’ve earned will stay in your inventory and unlock.

We will not have microtransactions in Age of Empires Online. Instead we will be offering content in premium content packs. For more information regarding this please check out our blog: http://www.ageofempiresonline.com/Articles/Blogs-2-11-2011.aspx#fold

No, there are no subscription fees to play Age of Empires Online.

Age of Empires Online will be a digital download and available at www.ageofempiresonline.com. In addition to purchasing online, you can purchase at retail. Click here for more information.

• Processor: Dual Core, 2Ghz or higher
• Video card: 128 MB Shader 2 supported card or higher
• Memory: Win XP SP3/Vista Home Basic – 1GB; Vista Premium, Ultimate/Windows 7 (32 bit) – 1.5GB; Windows 7 (64 bit) – 2.5GB
• Hard drive space: 5 GB required for downloads
• Internet: Broadband internet required

Age of Empires Online will be available worldwide via Games for Windows – LIVE in English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish.

Age of Empires Online will be exclusive to the Windows PC and Games for Windows – LIVE.

When we looked at continuing this franchise, we looked at how people are playing games today, and the social and connected experiences that people increasingly crave. It’s about being able to connect to the entertainment we want, and share it with the people we care about—nearly anywhere. By building Age of Empires Online with Games for Windows – LIVE at the core, we create a rich social gaming experience. With Age of Empires Online, we’ve married the best of traditional Age gameplay with the connectivity of LIVE and with fresh features that broaden the appeal to brand-new audiences.

Yes, we will have achievements!

You will have to have an internet connection to play. With Games for Windows – LIVE at the core, Age of Empires Online requires an Internet connection to enjoy the game at its full potential.

Age of Empires Online and all add-on content will be distributed online exclusively via Games for Windows – LIVE, and Steam.

We will launch with the Egyptian and Greek civilizations. We will be adding additional civilizations to the game in the future.

The campaigns in Age of Empires Online are based on historical periods that provide rich settings for storytelling. Our primary focus is on making the game an enjoyable experience for our users. History provides the setting; from there, you make your own story.

Your Capital City serves as your home base and main source of your civilization. Because it lives online, your Capital City continues to gather resources even when you aren’t logged in. Other players are also able to visit your city while you’re offline and purchase items from your stores. Your Capital City will determine your civilizations capabilities throughout the game as well as will be fully customizable!

Quests are a core part of the Age of Empires Online gameplay, allowing you to display your skills and earn rewards for use in your Capital City. Quests make use of the full range of gameplay, including cooperative and single-player missions, and more, allowing you to build your skills and empire through story-driven missions.

No, there is no penalty for not playing. Your city can not be attacked and you will not lose levels if you don’t play for a period of time.