Microsoft Game Studios and Ensemble Studios have announced Age of Empires III, scheduled to ship in the second half of 2005. This will be the latest landmark release in a franchise that has sold a staggering 16 million units worldwide.
Age of Empires III will offer gamers the next level of realism, with advanced battle physics and enhanced visual detail. The new game picks up where Age of Empires II: Age of Kings left off, placing gamers in the position of a European power determined to explore, colonize and conquer the New World. This time period features stunning scenes, from towering European cathedrals to courageous tribes of Native Americans, and spectacular combat with Industrial Age units like rifled infantry, cavalry and tall ships bristling with cannons.
Age of Empires III will once again demonstrate Ensemble Studios' reputation for excellence and innovation in the real-time strategy (RTS) genre. The game sets a new standard for visual quality and will contain a stunning level of detail, never before seen in an RTS. Age of Empires III will also excite strategy gamers with new game-play elements, including the concept of a Home City, new civilizations, units, technologies and an immersive new single-player campaign that will span three generations.
