Age of Empires turns 25 and fans are shaping the franchise

It’s been 25 years since a small Dallas studio reshaped the ancient world through the perspective of a real-time strategy game. the age of empires echo Read the monk Since then in our homes: Parents believed their children were learning history; The children thought they were playing secretly. Veteran players know this They were both right.

still the age of empires You haven’t always received the love you have today. The rise of Xbox has brought PC gaming to Microsoft’s back seat: like communities Impact zoneThey were left to fend for themselves. In a very concrete way, it was the passion of these geeks that led to the renewed interest from Microsoft and the release of the franchise. last entry2021 The era of empires IV.

All games continue to receive updates or DLCs. the age of empires games Made for Xbox and mobile devicesComplete with cross-play so console players can get their hands on the classic RTS game And Play with other PC enthusiasts. Furthermore, age of legends He finally gets a definitive version. fourth age Grow upPlus, with the Anniversary Edition culminating in a year of updates designed to appeal to gamers who found it a little scaled down at launch. Impact zone It is now a real-time strategic pride point and a shining gem on Microsoft’s list.

The 25th of October after Watch the anniversary event– and amused a surprisingly skilled group of lute-wielding poets performing popular music from the series – he spoke with Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, and Michael Mann, president of Studio of World’s Edge, of the past and the future. of the franchise.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Wired: It’s the 25th anniversary of the age of empiresAnd, I know, Phil, you’ve been at Microsoft for over 30 years. I’ve seen this evolution in the franchise. But I think there was definitely a gap, both in terms of real-time strategy and the age of empiresAnd Where things weren’t going well. There was a time when Microsoft was like, Age And is the real-time strategy genre over? So the second part is, when and what does the rules of the game change? When I thought, Wow, is it worth paying attention again?

Phil Spencer: So it’s a good idea to make it. I mean the thing we saw in it Age It wasn’t about genre, to be honest, and more about how the community continues to play. The games were still available for purchase and we just saw a vibrant community of people playing. And we haven’t been actively involved with the community like Xbox. When the Xbox started, I’d say, grudgingly, we moved away from the PC to focus more on the console, which meant perks like flight simulator And Age[…]The companies were left to fend for themselves. As we developed our game strategy, watching players play on any screen, we started looking at the franchises in our portfolio where the communities were active and large enough and really engaged in the game and interacting with each other. And the Age It was there as one of those perks.

So we had the opportunity to find a good partner. and back to Age with leftovers [Entertainment]As a partner who knows the genre, we saw it as a great opportunity for us to meet the community they really were in, with their love. Age. I would say the same about the ads around AgeCome to the console just trying to show the community that we confess their love for the age of empiresWhat this means for many people, and I am proud that we can now step forward and do our part as intellectual property owners and franchisees.

Michele Mann: I would also like to congratulate Ensemble Studios, they created the franchise 25 years ago. I know World’s Edge is enjoying the party too. But I also want to get in touch and say that Tony Goodman, Bruce Shelley, all of these people did an amazing job 25 years ago creating this franchise that we are ambassadors of for the future.