Strategy Informer  

Chris Taylor, the crazy man behind Total Annihilation, has said Age of Empires Online is a "huge shift" for PC gaming and a signal of "where it's going."

Age of Empires Online is a free-to-play title, and they think of it as an "MMO with real-time strategy." While it's "easy to get into," it's hard to master.


Remember those Cavedog days, PC gamer? "This game is in the big leagues,” said Chris Taylor, Gas Powered Games' big boss (or ACU if you will). “If you’re wondering where PC gaming is going next, this is where it’s going. It’s a huge shift.”

Players can fire up Age of Empires Online and play as either the Greek or Egyptian civilizations. To have a permanent city though will cost you $20 with new civilizations around the sort of price and decorative buildings going for around the $4.99 mark.

"We think of it as an MMO with real-time strategy,” said Danan Davis, executive producer. “It’s going to be easy to get into, but hard to master. We keep adding layers of depth, but you can play at the level that suits you. There are many ways to customize it.”

Development of the game has been going for two years and Microsoft have a glint of hope in their eye it will pull in some major cash. It's been in beta form for the past 12 months with over 180,000 players. Age of Empires saw rapid decline in the eyes of PC gamers.

“I’m glad we arrived here, since it’s a long time since our industry has been this exciting,” Taylor said. “We think this game will be one of the best value propositions out there in free-to-play games.” The veteran PC strategy series sure has come a long way.

Do you play Age of Empires Online, videogamer? Is it PC gaming's future?

Source: IndustryGamers

Related games: Age of Empires Online (PC)