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Age of Empires Online ventures north with the Celts

Matt Daniel — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Trailers, Video, Previews, News items, Free-to-play, MMORTS, Age of Empires Online

Age of Empires Online has been bringing free-to-play RTS action to the masses since August of last year, but so far players have had access to just three civilizations: Greek, Egyptian, and Persian. All of that is about to change, though, so ready your shillelaghs as the Celts join the battle. This new civilization, which seems to draw inspiration predominantly from Irish and Scottish folklore, will bring players a variety of new units and strategies with which to drive the opposition to its knees. Whether you're wreaking havoc with the speedy Woad Raiders or sacrificing a deer with the druidic Augur, the Celts will certainly bring new twists to any playstyle.

And of course, a new civilization also means new quests. The Celts' quests will have players battling it out in the frigid north, where the icy weather will slowly sap the health of any unit caught in the elements. The Celts will also introduce stealth missions, such as infiltrating an enemy fortress without waking the sleeping guards. To see the new civilization in action, just click past the cut for a bagpipe-filled teaser video, then head on over to the game's official site to get in on the action for yourself. Sláinte!

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Age of Empires Online ventures north with the Celts originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Empires Online readying skirmish mode, new booster pack

Jef Reahard — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, MMORTS, Age of Empires Online

Age of Empires Online is getting a skirmish mode courtesy of the upcoming Skirmish Hall booster pack. The new gameplay will allow players to team up and fight AI opponents in pursuit of experience and loot.

Skirmish mode will pit you and a friend (or computer ally) against four computer-controlled enemies, and each AI can take on a variety of different playstyles. Each style is represented by a unique leader, and there are eight of these to choose from.

Also of note is the fact that skirmish mode unlocks all of the game's units regardless of your overall level. If you want to preview some powerful Age of Empires units that are hidden away behind hours of advancement gameplay, skirmish mode is the way to go. Check out the skirmish mode trailer after the break for more details.

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Age of Empires Online readying skirmish mode, new booster pack originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MV Guide: December 12-18, 2011

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Massively Meta, Livestream, Miscellaneous, MV Guide

MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively TV.

Every week, the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of titles to take a look at. During our streamed events, you can participate in the live chat, ask questions to learn about the game, and simply spend some time with Massively staff and readers. (Of course, streaming is subject to the whims of outside forces like server-side gremlins once in a while.)

You'll notice a hefty lineup, some new faces, and some special events in this week's MV Guide. Joining us will be some brand-new members of the MV TV livestream team, so make sure you stop in while they're live and give them a welcome!

Follow along after the jump to see what's on this week's schedule.

Continue reading MV Guide: December 12-18, 2011

MV Guide: December 12-18, 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EverQuest II goes fully free-to-play: Our chat with Dave Georgeson

Karen Bryan — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Classes, Expansions, Game mechanics, Interviews, Previews, Free-to-play

Earlier in the fall, Massively's EverQuest II column, The Tattered Notebook, took a look at the differences between the live servers and the free-to-play server and speculated on the possibility of making all servers free-to-play. As it turns out, we no longer need to speculate because SOE has officially announced that EverQuest II will make the full transition to free-to-play in early December. Just in time for the release of the newest expansion, Age of Discovery, all servers will now share the same subscription plans, Marketplace, and forums. Last week, Executive Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson took time to share with us the details of the free-to-play transition as well as highlight some of the new features coming with the expansion. Read on for a look at what's to come for EQII.

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EverQuest II goes fully free-to-play: Our chat with Dave Georgeson originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Empires Online introduces Season Pass, details pricing

Matt Daniel — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, Business models, Economy, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, MMORTS

Microsoft has released more information on the pricing plans that will soon be available to players of Age of Empires Online, the newest installment in the RTS series that launched just today. On top of the previously established Premium Civilization packs (weighing in at $20 each), the Defense of Crete booster ($9.99), and Empire Extras ($4.99), players will also be able to purchase a Season Pass.

The Season Pass grants players a 30% discount on all cash shop items for six months. The Season Pass itself is reported to set players back a hefty $99.99, so it will likely only be useful for the most hardcore of Age of Empires Online players. But if you're planning on buying up every bit of content the company drops, it may save you a few bucks. In addition to the Season Pass, Microsoft also announced that players who buy the Greek and Egyptian civilizations will receive the Defense of Crete booster for free. For more information on the just-launched online RTS, check out Joystiq's hands-on impressions of the game.

Age of Empires Online introduces Season Pass, details pricing originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Age of Empires Online monthly content updates in the works

Jef Reahard — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, MMORTS

Launch day is coming up fast for Age of Empires Online, and August 16th can't come fast enough for fans of MMORTS titles. In addition to the game's official kickoff, players can also look forward to new Greek and Egyptian civilizations and the Defense of Crete booster pack. If that's not enough, a new Microsoft press release has announced that Age of Empires Online will be "adding new premium content monthly to further expand your gameplay options in a persistent and evolving world."

Said expanding will take the form of two new civilizations and a new booster pack that will be added to the game by the end of 2011. First up is the Celtic civilization, and these masters of metalwork and crafting will help you earn new gear and rewards. Next are the Persians, and players will take control of units including Immortals, mounted archers, and attack elephants.

Finally, the Skirmish Hall booster pack allows players to control the battlefield by customizing their starting age, forces, resources, difficulty levels, and the number of enemies.

New Age of Empires Online monthly content updates in the works originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Empires Online dev diary is all about the goods

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game mechanics, Previews, Free-to-play, MMORTS, Dev Diaries

Using tongue-in-cheek stick puppets, the folks at Age of Empires Online have emerged to give us a quick overview of the gear system in a new dev diary. Yes, even empire-building titles rely on good ol' fashioned MMO gear to equip armies.

Once attached to an army, gear changes the appearance and stats of your troops. The more rare the gear, the tougher they become. Gear can be found, purchased, and crafted as you may expect. You have to purchase the civilization with real-world money in order to be able to equip the very best items, however.

And if you're curious about Age of Empires Online's pricing structure, ShackNews has the full skinny. Some of the purchases are merely cosmetic, although it looks like there's bad news for those looking to avoid a "pay to win" scenario: "Unfortunately, Microsoft's approach to monetising Age of Empires Online seems to be one of placing non-paying players at a significant disadvantage."

Age of Empires Online is slated for an August 16th launch. You can watch the dev diary on gear for a chuckle or two after the jump!

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Age of Empires Online dev diary is all about the goods originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Empires Online launching August 16th

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, Free-to-play, MMORTS

There are just a couple of months yet until you can conquer the world from the comfort of your bedroom, but that's no excuse to let your hygiene slip. Microsoft Game Studios announced that Age of Empires Online will be released on August 16th with two initial civilizations: the Greeks and Egyptians.

As the latest in the long-running civilization sim franchise, Age of Empires Online will allow players to build up persistent towns, establish trade between other players, work on crafting and quests, and even go to war when needed.

While the initial core gameplay will be available for free, Microsoft hopes that players will get so hooked that they'll gladly purchase Age of Empires Online "Premium Content Packs" to enhance their experience. These packs will include new civilizations and game modes. 1UP reports that in addition to the typical digital download, Microsoft will be shipping out retail boxes in order to snag a larger audience -- although these boxes will merely contain instructions how to download the game.

Gallery: Age of Empires Online

Age of Empires Online launching August 16th originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Empires Online to launch this fall

Matt Daniel — Mon, 09 May 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Launches, News items, Free-to-play, Casual, MMORTS

Eurogamer reports today that Microsoft Game Studios' Age of Empires Online is slated for a fall release. The freemium RTS game is currently in open beta and will be releasing in both digital download and retail box forms. While the game itself will be free-to-play, there will be a cash store that sells a variety of upgrades for players to purchase. These include vanity items that allow players to give their capital cities a unique bit of flair, new civilizations for the player to control (the game launches with only two: Greek and Egyptian), and upgrade packs such as the "pro premium civilization" upgrade pack, which will provide players with a level 20 civilization and is described as being "geared towards hardcore RTS gamers." The exact release date and pricing will be announced at the end of the month.

If you're interested in giving the game a spin prior to its official release or just want to find out more about the upcoming title, you can head over to the Age of Empires Online official site, have a look around, and sign up for the beta.

Age of Empires Online to launch this fall originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 May 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft reveals 48-hour 'secret access' to Age of Empires Online beta

Jef Reahard — Thu, 05 May 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Historical, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, MMORTS

Yearning for an early look at Age of Empires Online? If so, Microsoft Game Studios has some good news for you. Starting today, you can jump into a 48-hour secret access beta signup session simply by registering for a Windows Live ID (or logging in if you already have one).

This is your last chance to get in on some Age of Empires beta action before MGS closes it to the public, so hurry and visit the signup link before Saturday, May 7th. You'll be able to download the beta client immediately and get started testing shortly thereafter. If you missed our beta key giveaway a couple of weeks ago, don't miss what could be your last opportunity to take part in the upcoming MMORTS' testing phase!

Microsoft reveals 48-hour 'secret access' to Age of Empires Online beta originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 May 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Snag an Age of Empires Online beta key!

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Free-to-play, MMORTS, Promotions

If you're an old school Age of Empires player, then you have fond memories of harvesting bushes for berries, scooting your peasants inside the town hall during an attack, and spreading your civilized society by the pointy end of your swords. Those good ol' memories are being made new in Gas Powered Games' Age of Empires Online, which is heading our way good and fast.

Assuming that the thought of creating a civilization from scratch to dominate your enemies pleases your sensibilities, you can now grab a free beta key from Curse. Simply nab a key while they last, then head on over to the Age of Empires Online site to redeem it and download the beta client.

We're looking forward to hearing how this MMORTS plays, so if you get in, make sure to give us your fair assessment!

Snag an Age of Empires Online beta key! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Empires Online posts first dev diary video

Krystalle Voecks — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Video, New titles, Previews, News items, Browser, MMORTS, Dev Diaries

Cross an RTS game over to an MMO? Madness! Well, OK, maybe it's not madness at all, but this new video dev blog from the team behind Age of Empires Online is pretty crazy! In it, we're treated to an interesting look behind the scenes of this upcoming MMORTS title under production at Gas Powered Games. However, as we learn from CEO Chris Taylor, Producer Dex Manely, and Marketing Manager Justin Kirby, there's a lot of brainstorming and work that goes on when it comes to creating interesting video dev blogs for a game.

With fun, stylized graphics, vividly colored environments, tons of action and a pedigree spanning several different popular titles, Age of Empires Online looks like it has a good start. For now, check out the video embedded behind the break, and if the game seems like your idea of fun, head over to the Age of Empires Online site to get signed up for a chance to beta test.

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Age of Empires Online posts first dev diary video originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Empires Online gameplay, microtransactions detailed

Jef Reahard — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Historical, Business models, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous

New details on Microsoft's Age of Empires Online have surfaced at Gamasutra, with much of the information centered on the game's free-to-play business model and associated microtransaction offerings. The game will feature a Premium Civilization upgrade that unlocks all of a civilization's abilities simultaneously, as well as booster packs that add gameplay types, quests, and appearance customization items to the mix.

Age of Empires Online will launch with Greek and Eqyptian civilizations, and will be the first entry in the long-running series to feature persistent gameplay (i.e., your city will evolve and earn resources even when you're logged off). The game also boasts PvP functionality as well as cooperative play on the vast majority of its quests.

You can learn more about the game, as well as sign up for beta, at the official website.

Age of Empires Online gameplay, microtransactions detailed originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Empires Online promises not to nickle-and-dime players

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, New titles, MMORTS

Love it, hate it or meeky accept it, the terms "freemium" and "free-to-play" come with a lot of baggage these days, sometimes to the point of overshadowing the game itself. When Age of Empires fans heard that Microsoft was going to be releasing an online version of the hit RTS series, some of the fans' enthusiasm was tempered by the word that it would adopt the popular freemium business model.

Microsoft Game Studio's Dave Luehmann was on hand at Gamescom to assure players that the company isn't out to nickle-and-dime fans to skip parts of the game they don't like. Joystiq reports that they won't be adopting the same strategy as other F2P models. "I don't like to pay for things I don't like to do, that seems kind of backwards," Luehmann said. "So how about we produce things that people actually want?"

Instead of purchasing a lot of little items, the studio will simply put up large chunks of content as one-time purchases. These might include a new civilization or an area containing a plethora of quests. Microsoft is still feeling out a fair price point for the additional content, but it pointed to the fact that Age of Empires Online will ship with more than 25 hours of completely free entertainment to enjoy.

Age of Empires Online promises not to nickle-and-dime players originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft announces Age of Empires Online

Jef Reahard — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 01:30:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, News items

The first bit of interesting MMO news from Gamescom 2010 belongs to Microsoft, as the software giant has announced the latest entry in the venerable Age of Empires franchise. Age of Empires Online will offer players the chance to take their city-building adventures to the next level via a persistent online capital that grows even when its owner is offline.

The new title also features co-op multiplayer questing, trading, and a leveling mechanic in addition to story-based gameplay. Age of Empires Online will also feature free online gameplay via the Games for Windows platform, as well as a new graphical style that represents something of a stylistic departure from past titles in the series.

Interested in what the new title looks like? Check out our gallery of gameplay screenshots below, and be sure to watch the trailer here!

Gallery: Age of Empires Online

Microsoft announces Age of Empires Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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