<s>
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
is	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
historical	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
originally	O
developed	O
by	O
Ensemble	O
Studios	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Xbox	B-Protocol
Game	O
Studios	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
game	O
was	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
,	O
released	O
in	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
focused	O
on	O
events	O
in	O
Europe	O
,	O
Africa	O
and	O
Asia	O
,	O
spanning	O
from	O
the	O
Stone	O
Age	O
to	O
the	O
Iron	O
Age	O
;	O
the	O
expansion	O
game	O
explored	O
the	O
formation	O
and	O
expansion	O
of	O
the	O
Roman	O
Empire	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
sequel	O
,	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
,	O
was	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
Middle	O
Ages	O
,	O
while	O
its	O
expansion	O
focused	O
partially	O
on	O
the	O
Spanish	O
conquest	O
of	O
the	O
Aztec	B-Application
Empire	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
subsequent	O
three	O
games	O
of	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
explored	O
the	O
early	O
modern	O
period	O
,	O
when	O
Europe	O
was	O
colonizing	O
the	O
Americas	O
and	O
several	O
Asian	O
nations	O
were	O
on	O
the	O
decline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
installment	O
,	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
Online	I-Application
,	O
takes	O
a	O
different	O
approach	O
as	O
a	O
free-to-play	O
online	O
game	O
utilizing	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
Live	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
spin-off	O
game	O
,	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mythology	I-Application
,	O
was	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
period	O
as	O
the	O
original	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
,	O
but	O
focused	O
on	O
mythological	O
elements	O
of	O
Greek	O
,	O
Egyptian	O
,	O
and	O
Norse	O
mythology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
fourth	O
main	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
IV	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
October	O
28	O
,	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
series	I-Application
has	O
been	O
a	O
commercial	O
success	O
,	O
selling	O
over	O
25	O
million	O
copies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
have	O
credited	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
its	O
historical	O
theme	O
and	O
fair	O
play	O
;	O
the	B-Application
artificial	I-Application
intelligence	I-Application
(	O
AI	B-Application
)	O
players	O
have	O
fewer	O
advantages	O
than	O
in	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
competitors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
covers	O
the	O
events	O
between	O
the	O
Stone	O
Age	O
and	O
the	O
Classical	O
period	O
,	O
in	O
Europe	O
and	O
Asia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
expansion	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Rise	I-Application
of	I-Application
Rome	I-Application
,	O
follows	O
the	O
formation	O
and	O
rise	O
of	O
the	O
Roman	O
Empire	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
and	O
its	O
Nintendo	B-Application
DS	I-Application
spin-off	I-Application
follow	O
Europe	O
and	O
Asia	O
through	O
the	O
Middle	O
Ages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
expansion	O
pack	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Conquerors	I-Application
,	O
is	O
set	O
during	O
the	O
same	O
period	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
includes	O
scenarios	O
about	O
the	O
Spanish	O
conquest	O
of	O
the	O
Aztec	B-Application
Empire	O
,	O
El	O
Cid	O
,	O
and	O
Attila	O
the	O
Hun	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
and	O
its	O
first	O
expansion	O
,	O
The	B-Application
WarChiefs	I-Application
,	O
take	O
place	O
during	O
the	O
European	O
colonization	O
of	O
the	O
Americas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
second	O
expansion	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Asian	I-Application
Dynasties	I-Application
,	O
follows	O
the	O
rise	O
of	O
Asia	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
period	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
Online	I-Application
focuses	O
on	O
the	O
Greek	O
and	O
Egyptian	O
civilizations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
series	O
 '	O
spin-off	O
,	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mythology	I-Application
,	O
and	O
its	O
expansion	O
pack	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Titans	I-Application
,	O
are	O
set	O
during	O
the	O
Bronze	O
Age	O
,	O
but	O
focus	O
on	O
mythology	O
as	O
their	O
themes	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
history	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
,	O
released	O
on	O
October	O
15	O
,	O
1997	O
,	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
first	O
major	O
release	O
from	O
Ensemble	O
Studios	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
described	O
it	O
as	O
a	O
mix	O
of	O
Civilization	B-Application
and	O
Warcraft	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
expansion	O
pack	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Rise	I-Application
of	I-Application
Rome	I-Application
,	O
published	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
on	O
October	O
31	O
,	O
1998	O
,	O
introduced	O
new	O
features	O
and	O
four	O
new	O
civilizations	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
Romans	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
two	O
games	O
had	O
contained	O
many	O
software	B-Error_Name
bugs	I-Error_Name
,	O
patches	O
resolved	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
problems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
was	O
generally	O
well	O
received	O
,	O
despite	O
some	O
highly	O
negative	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Academy	O
of	O
Interactive	O
Arts	O
&	O
Sciences	O
named	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
the	O
1998	O
"	O
Computer	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Rise	I-Application
of	I-Application
Rome	I-Application
sold	O
one	O
million	O
units	O
in	O
2000	O
and	O
attained	O
80%	O
as	O
an	O
aggregate	O
score	O
from	O
GameRankings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2017	O
,	O
Adam	O
Isgreen	O
,	O
creative	O
director	O
of	O
Xbox	B-Protocol
Game	O
Studios	O
announced	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
:	O
Definitive	O
Edition	O
at	O
the	O
Electronic	O
Entertainment	O
Expo	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
will	O
feature	O
overhauled	O
graphics	O
with	O
support	O
for	O
4K	B-Architecture
resolution	I-Architecture
,	O
a	O
remastered	O
soundtrack	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
gameplay	O
improvements	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
planned	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
on	O
October	O
19	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
delayed	O
until	O
February	O
20	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
when	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
the	B-Application
Microsoft	I-Application
Store	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
30	O
,	O
2019	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
that	O
the	O
Definitive	O
Edition	O
would	O
be	O
coming	O
to	O
Steam	B-Application
in	O
the	O
future	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
Definitive	O
Editions	O
of	O
both	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
and	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
,	O
released	O
on	O
September	O
30	O
,	O
1999	O
,	O
used	O
the	O
Genie	O
game	O
engine	O
,	O
and	O
had	O
gameplay	O
similar	O
to	O
its	O
predecessor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Age	O
of	O
Kings	O
is	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
Middle	O
Ages	O
,	O
from	O
the	O
Dark	O
Ages	O
to	O
the	O
Imperial	B-Application
Age	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
August	O
24	O
,	O
2000	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
published	O
the	O
expansion	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Conquerors	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
added	O
new	O
units	O
and	O
five	O
new	O
civilizations	O
,	O
including	O
two	O
Mesoamerican	O
civilizations	O
:	O
the	O
Maya	O
and	O
the	O
Aztec	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
was	O
a	O
bigger	O
critical	O
success	O
than	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
games	O
,	O
with	O
Game	O
Rankings	O
and	O
Metacritic	O
scores	O
of	O
92%	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
agreed	O
that	O
The	B-Application
Conquerors	I-Application
expanded	O
well	O
on	O
The	B-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
,	O
though	O
issues	O
of	O
unbalanced	O
gameplay	O
were	O
raised	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
and	O
The	B-Application
Conquerors	I-Application
won	O
the	O
2000	O
and	O
2001	O
"	O
Computer	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
awards	O
from	O
the	O
Academy	O
of	O
Interactive	O
Arts	O
&	O
Sciences	O
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2013	O
,	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	O
HD	O
Edition	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
digital	O
distribution	O
platform	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
operating	I-Application
systems	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
HD	O
Edition	O
includes	O
both	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
and	O
the	O
expansion	O
The	B-Application
Conquerors	I-Application
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
updated	O
graphics	O
for	O
high-resolution	O
displays	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
a	O
fan-made	O
modpack	O
made	O
for	O
The	B-Application
Conquerors	I-Application
,	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	O
The	O
Forgotten	O
was	O
an	O
unofficial	O
expansion	O
that	O
added	O
a	O
new	O
campaign	O
,	O
playable	O
civilizations	O
,	O
maps	O
,	O
and	O
quality	O
of	O
service	O
updates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Forgotten	O
was	O
later	O
developed	O
into	O
an	O
official	O
expansion	O
with	O
SkyBox	O
Labs	O
and	O
Forgotten	O
Studios	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
November	O
2013	O
The	O
Forgotten	O
HD	O
was	O
released	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
exclusively	O
for	O
the	O
HD	O
Edition	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
August	O
21	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Definitive	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2019	O
,	O
Adam	O
Isgreen	O
,	O
now	O
the	O
Franchise	O
Creative	O
Director	O
for	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
,	O
shared	O
more	O
information	O
regarding	O
the	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Definitive	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
at	O
the	O
Electronic	O
Entertainment	O
Expo	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
new	O
4K	B-Architecture
graphics	O
,	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
support	O
for	O
multiplayer	O
,	O
exclusive	O
achievements	O
,	O
four	O
new	O
civilizations	O
(	O
Bulgarians	O
,	O
Cumans	O
,	O
Lithuanians	O
,	O
Tatars	O
)	O
,	O
three	O
new	O
campaigns	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
spectator	O
mode	O
and	O
tournament	O
features	O
,	O
and	O
additional	O
quality	O
of	O
life	O
improvements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bert	O
Beeckman	O
,	O
co-founder	O
of	O
Forgotten	O
Empires	O
,	O
confirmed	O
on	O
June	O
12	O
that	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	O
HD	O
Edition	O
would	O
not	O
be	O
removed	O
from	O
sale	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Definitive	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
released	O
on	O
October	O
18	O
,	O
2005	O
,	O
was	O
built	O
on	O
an	O
improved	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mythology	I-Application
game	O
engine	O
with	O
the	O
most	O
significant	O
changes	O
being	O
the	O
updated	O
graphics	O
engine	O
and	O
the	O
inclusion	O
of	O
the	O
Havok	B-General_Concept
physics	I-General_Concept
middleware	B-General_Concept
engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
expansion	O
to	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
The	B-Application
WarChiefs	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
October	O
17	O
,	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
notable	O
was	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
the	B-Application
WarChief	I-Application
unit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
second	O
expansion	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Asian	I-Application
Dynasties	I-Application
,	O
went	O
on	O
sale	O
October	O
23	O
,	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
expanded	O
the	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
universe	O
into	O
Asia	O
,	O
and	O
introduced	O
three	O
new	O
civilizations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reception	O
towards	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
was	O
mixed	O
;	O
Game	O
Revolution	O
described	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
about	O
as	O
much	O
fun	O
"	O
as	O
a	O
history	O
textbook	O
,	O
while	O
GameZone	O
argued	O
it	O
was	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
looking	O
games	O
,	O
much	O
less	O
an	O
RTS	O
game	O
,	O
that	O
is	O
out	O
on	O
the	O
market	O
currently	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
WarChiefs	I-Application
failed	O
to	O
equal	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
its	O
predecessor	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
lower	O
score	O
on	O
both	O
Game	O
Rankings	O
and	O
Metacritic	O
,	O
and	O
The	O
Asian	O
Dynasties'''	O
score	O
was	O
lower	O
still	O
with	O
80%	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
collectors	O
 '	O
editions	O
of	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
included	O
a	O
hardcover	O
artbook	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
last	O
page	O
of	O
the	O
artbook	O
has	O
a	O
pictorial	O
depiction	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
;	O
the	O
Roman	O
numerals	O
below	O
each	O
panel	O
range	O
from	O
I	O
to	O
V	O
,	O
indicating	O
the	O
series	O
would	O
include	O
an	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
IV	I-Application
and	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
V	O
.	O
Ensemble	O
Studios	O
employee	O
Sandy	O
Petersen	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
image	O
"	O
was	O
total	O
speculation	O
on	O
 [ their ] 	O
part.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2008	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
they	O
were	O
closing	O
down	O
Ensemble	O
Studios	O
following	O
the	O
completion	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kevin	O
Unangst	O
,	O
director	O
of	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
denied	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
series	I-Application
,	O
telling	O
The	O
San	O
Francisco	O
Chronicle	O
"	O
we	O
're	O
very	O
excited	O
about	O
the	O
future	O
potential	O
for	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Edge	O
confirmed	O
,	O
in	O
an	O
interview	O
with	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
corporate	O
vice	O
president	O
of	O
interactive	O
entertainment	O
,	O
Shane	O
Kim	O
,	O
that	O
Microsoft	O
continued	O
to	O
own	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
and	O
that	O
they	O
had	O
plans	O
to	O
continue	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
announcement	O
of	O
remastered	O
editions	O
of	O
previous	O
games	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
Definitive	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
on	O
August	O
21	O
,	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
30	O
,	O
2019	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
revealed	O
that	O
the	O
Definitive	O
Edition	O
would	O
come	O
to	O
Steam	B-Application
in	O
the	O
future	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
Definitive	O
Editions	O
of	O
both	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
and	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
August	O
28	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
at	O
Gamescom	O
2020	O
that	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
Definitive	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
would	O
release	O
officially	O
on	O
October	O
15	O
,	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Betas	O
ran	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
and	O
the	B-Application
Microsoft	I-Application
Store	I-Application
,	O
with	O
each	O
beta	O
session	O
including	O
a	O
small	O
piece	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
August	O
21	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
IV	I-Application
,	O
developed	O
by	O
Relic	O
Entertainment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
's	O
Executive	O
Vice-President	O
of	O
Gaming	O
,	O
Phil	O
Spencer	O
,	O
confirmed	O
on	O
June	O
11	O
,	O
2019	O
,	O
that	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
IV	I-Application
was	O
still	O
in	O
development	O
,	O
with	O
more	O
information	O
coming	O
later	O
in	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
14	O
,	O
2019	O
,	O
gameplay	O
footage	O
of	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
IV	I-Application
was	O
shown	O
at	O
the	O
X019	O
event	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
IV	I-Application
was	O
officially	O
released	O
on	O
October	O
28	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
with	O
eight	O
civilizations	O
available	O
at	O
launch	O
:	O
the	O
Abbasid	O
Dynasty	O
,	O
the	O
Chinese	O
,	O
the	O
Delhi	O
Sultanate	O
,	O
the	O
English	O
,	O
the	O
French	O
,	O
the	O
Holy	O
Roman	O
Empire	O
,	O
the	O
Mongols	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Rus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
title	O
revisits	O
the	O
Middle	O
Ages	O
and	O
incorporates	O
several	O
features	O
and	O
mechanics	O
of	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
that	O
were	O
changed	O
or	O
removed	O
in	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
campaign	O
in	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mythology	I-Application
tells	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
an	O
Atlantean	B-Application
,	O
Arkantos	O
,	O
and	O
his	O
quest	O
to	O
find	O
why	O
his	O
people	O
are	O
out	O
of	O
favor	O
with	O
Poseidon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
published	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
October	O
30	O
,	O
2002	O
,	O
and	O
its	O
expansion	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Titans	I-Application
,	O
on	O
October	O
21	O
,	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Titans	I-Application
featured	O
the	O
Atlanteans	O
as	O
a	O
new	O
civilization	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
campaign	O
is	O
shorter	O
than	O
previous	O
expansions	O
,	O
and	O
centers	O
on	O
Kastor	O
,	O
son	O
of	O
Arkantos	O
,	O
who	O
falls	O
for	O
the	O
lies	O
of	O
the	B-Application
titans	I-Application
and	O
frees	O
them	O
from	O
Tartarus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mythology	I-Application
sold	O
more	O
than	O
one	O
million	O
units	O
in	O
four	O
months	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Titans	I-Application
failed	O
to	O
equal	O
the	O
sales	O
success	O
of	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mythology	I-Application
,	O
although	O
critics	O
rated	O
it	O
highly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Backbone	O
Entertainment	O
developed	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
as	O
a	O
turn-based	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
similar	O
to	O
other	O
turn-based	O
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Advance	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
,	O
but	O
with	O
a	O
gameplay	O
based	O
on	O
its	O
PC	B-Device
counterpart	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
scored	O
80%	O
on	O
Game	O
Rankings	O
and	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Konami	O
brought	O
a	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
title	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
around	O
five	O
years	O
earlier	O
than	O
the	O
DS	B-Device
version	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
little	O
promotion	O
,	O
and	O
sold	O
poorly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
August	O
16	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
Online	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
a	O
free-to-play	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
Live	I-Application
online	O
game	O
,	O
it	O
developed	O
in	O
collaboration	O
with	O
Robot	O
Entertainment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
featured	O
Free-to-play	O
experiences	O
via	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
LIVE	I-Application
as	O
well	O
as	O
:	O
A	O
persistent	O
online	O
capital	O
city	O
that	O
lives	O
and	O
grows	O
even	O
when	O
you	O
're	O
offline	O
,	O
Cooperative	O
multiplayer	O
quests	O
,	O
trading	O
and	O
a	O
level-based	O
system	O
that	O
lets	O
you	O
progress	O
at	O
your	O
own	O
pace	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
April	O
13	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
:	I-Application
World	I-Application
Domination	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
KLab	O
Games	O
for	O
the	O
iOS	B-Application
,	O
Android	B-Application
and	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
August	O
25	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
:	I-Application
Castle	I-Application
Siege	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
a	O
touch-based	B-Device
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Smoking	O
Gun	O
Interactive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
September	O
17	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
Windows	B-Application
PC	I-Application
and	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	O
phases	O
of	O
the	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
games	O
were	O
similar	O
in	O
several	O
ways	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
research	O
was	O
not	O
in	O
depth	O
,	O
which	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
designer	O
Bruce	O
Shelley	O
,	O
is	O
"	O
a	O
good	O
idea	O
for	O
most	O
entertainment	O
products.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Shelley	O
also	O
remarked	O
the	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
games	O
were	O
not	O
about	O
history	O
in	O
itself	O
,	O
but	O
rather	O
"	O
about	O
the	O
human	O
experience	O
;	O
"	O
they	O
focused	O
not	O
simply	O
on	O
what	O
humans	O
had	O
done	O
but	O
on	O
what	O
they	O
could	O
do	O
in	O
the	O
future	O
such	O
as	O
"	O
going	O
into	O
space.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Ensemble	O
Studios	O
developed	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mythology	I-Application
in	O
a	O
different	O
way	O
than	O
the	O
previous	O
two	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
artificial	I-Application
intelligence	I-Application
(	O
AI	B-Application
)	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
series	I-Application
has	O
been	O
developed	O
and	O
improved	O
regularly	O
by	O
designers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
AI	B-Application
specialist	O
Dave	O
Pottinger	O
noted	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
gave	O
the	O
AI	B-Application
in	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
a	O
very	O
high	O
priority	O
,	O
and	O
spent	O
over	O
a	O
year	O
working	O
on	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
AI	B-Application
in	O
the	O
game	O
relies	O
on	O
tactics	O
and	O
strategies	O
to	O
win	O
,	O
instead	O
of	O
"	O
cheating	O
"	O
by	O
giving	O
bonus	O
resources	O
to	O
itself	O
,	O
or	O
tweaking	O
its	O
units	O
to	O
be	O
stronger	O
than	O
normal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pottinger	O
later	O
noted	O
that	O
the	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
series	I-Application
team	O
took	O
great	O
pride	O
in	O
their	O
AI	B-Application
playing	O
a	O
"	O
fair	O
game	O
"	O
and	O
did	O
n't	O
know	O
what	O
the	O
player	O
was	O
doing	O
and	O
had	O
to	O
play	O
by	O
the	O
same	O
rules	O
as	O
its	O
human	O
opponents.Age	O
of	O
Empires	O
allows	O
players	O
to	O
choose	O
to	O
play	O
either	O
along	O
specialized	O
,	O
story-backed	O
conditions	O
or	O
as	O
individual	O
battles	O
against	O
the	O
AI	B-Application
(	O
and	O
other	O
players	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Choosing	O
to	O
battle	O
against	O
the	O
AI	B-Application
–	O
rather	O
than	O
following	O
the	O
storyline	O
–	O
allows	O
the	O
AI	B-Application
to	O
adapt	O
to	O
players	O
 '	O
strategies	O
and	O
even	O
remember	O
which	O
games	O
it	O
won	O
and	O
lost	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
AI	B-Application
eventually	O
overcomes	O
players	O
 '	O
strategies	O
and	O
easily	O
destroys	O
their	O
villages	O
after	O
several	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
instance	O
,	O
in	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
this	O
is	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
playing	O
a	O
"	O
Skirmish.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
allows	O
players	O
to	O
refine	O
their	O
strategies	O
further	O
against	O
the	O
AI	B-Application
by	O
"	O
Building	O
a	O
Deck	O
,	O
"	O
which	O
allows	O
players	O
to	O
replace	O
"	O
Home	O
City	O
"	O
shipments	O
with	O
improved	O
alternatives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Conquerors	I-Application
the	O
AI	B-Application
was	O
given	O
a	O
high	O
priority	O
,	O
the	O
result	O
being	O
the	O
"	O
smart	O
villager	O
"	O
feature	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
included	O
in	O
subsequent	O
games	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
building	O
a	O
structure	O
that	O
stores	O
or	O
produces	O
resources	O
,	O
smart	O
villagers	O
would	O
proceed	O
to	O
collect	O
resources	O
related	O
to	O
the	O
structure	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
crops	O
from	O
farms	O
or	O
ore	O
from	O
exposed	O
deposits.Age	O
of	O
Mythology	O
:	O
The	O
Titans	O
lets	O
players	O
use	O
an	O
AI	B-Application
debugger	B-Application
when	O
creating	O
custom	O
scenarios	O
;	O
players	O
can	O
change	O
the	O
settings	O
of	O
computer	B-Application
players	I-Application
and	O
make	O
them	O
act	O
according	O
to	O
certain	O
patterns	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
More	O
basic	O
changes	O
to	O
the	O
AI	B-Application
had	O
previously	O
been	O
available	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
first	O
two	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
graphics	O
and	O
visuals	O
of	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
improved	O
with	O
each	O
successive	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
the	O
original	O
release	O
to	O
the	O
second	O
,	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
,	O
noteworthy	O
improvements	O
gained	O
praise	O
from	O
several	O
critics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mythology	I-Application
the	O
praise	O
continued	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
fourth	O
release	O
,	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
garnered	O
even	O
more	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
praised	O
the	O
improved	O
graphics	O
in	O
the	O
second	O
release	O
,	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
the	O
improved	O
graphics	O
,	O
Allgame	O
complained	O
that	O
units	O
in	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
were	O
at	O
times	O
difficult	O
to	O
distinguish	O
from	O
one	O
another	O
,	O
a	O
point	O
numerous	O
reviewers	O
agreed	O
on	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
graphics	O
continued	O
to	O
improve	O
in	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mythology	I-Application
and	O
was	O
praised	O
by	O
a	O
majority	O
of	O
reviewers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Revolution	O
agreed	O
,	O
and	O
PC	B-Device
Gamer	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
graphics	O
in	O
the	O
third	O
release	O
"	O
are	O
packed	O
with	O
detail.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
trend	O
in	O
improved	O
graphics	O
continued	O
well	O
into	O
the	O
next	O
release	O
,	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
much	O
to	O
the	O
delight	O
of	O
reviewers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
1UP.com	O
described	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
as	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
beautiful	O
games	O
you	O
will	O
put	O
on	O
your	O
computer	O
for	O
the	O
foreseeable	O
future.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
builds	O
on	O
and	O
introduces	O
new	O
features	O
to	O
the	O
prior	O
release	O
,	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mythology	I-Application
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
inclusion	O
of	O
the	O
award-winning	O
Havok	B-General_Concept
physics	I-General_Concept
simulation	O
middleware	B-General_Concept
game	O
engine	O
for	O
the	O
Windows	O
version	O
and	O
PhysX	O
for	O
the	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
X	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpy	O
awarded	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
the	O
"	O
Best	O
Graphics	O
"	O
award	O
at	O
GameSpy	O
's	O
"	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
2005.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
created	O
the	O
original	O
music	O
in	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
with	O
sounds	O
of	O
instruments	O
from	O
the	O
periods	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rippy	O
said	O
that	O
sound	O
development	O
on	O
The	B-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
was	O
easy	O
,	O
since	O
there	O
was	O
knowledge	O
of	O
the	O
instruments	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
Middle	O
Ages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mythology	I-Application
,	O
an	O
orchestral	O
instrumentation	O
was	O
used	O
,	O
instead	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
McMullan	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
also	O
collected	O
large	O
numbers	O
of	O
audio	O
recordings	O
from	O
zoos	B-Application
,	O
and	O
created	O
"	O
a	O
massive	O
sound	O
library	O
of	O
 [ their ] 	O
own	O
material.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
music	O
of	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
was	O
similar	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
,	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
team	O
used	O
more	O
historical	O
instruments	O
;	O
Rippy	O
noted	O
the	O
team	O
used	O
instruments	O
such	O
as	O
"	O
bagpipes	O
and	O
field	O
drums	O
"	O
to	O
give	O
it	O
a	O
realistic	O
feel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ensemble	O
Studios	O
worked	O
together	O
with	O
Big	O
Huge	O
Games	O
to	O
develop	O
The	B-Application
Asian	I-Application
Dynasties	I-Application
,	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
IIIs	O
second	O
expansion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
reason	O
for	O
them	O
doing	O
so	O
was	O
compatible	O
schedules	O
:	O
Ensemble	O
Studios	O
was	O
busy	O
with	O
other	O
projects	O
—	O
particularly	O
Halo	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
—	O
while	O
Big	O
Huge	O
Games	O
 '	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
team	O
had	O
few	O
projects	O
at	O
that	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
series	I-Application
has	O
been	O
a	O
commercial	O
success	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Gamasutra	O
,	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
had	O
sold	O
more	O
than	O
three	O
million	O
copies	O
,	O
and	O
The	B-Application
Rise	I-Application
of	I-Application
Rome	I-Application
sold	O
one	O
million	O
copies	O
as	O
of	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Around	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
that	O
they	O
shipped	O
over	O
two	O
million	O
copies	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2003	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
the	O
sales	O
of	O
one	O
million	O
copies	O
for	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mythology	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
2004	O
—	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
—	O
the	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
franchise	O
had	O
sold	O
over	O
15	O
million	O
copies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
18	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
Ensemble	O
Studios	O
announced	O
that	O
two	O
million	O
copies	O
of	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
had	O
been	O
sold	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
have	O
consistently	O
scored	O
highly	O
on	O
video	O
game	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
websites	O
GameRankings	O
and	O
Metacritic	O
,	O
which	O
collect	O
data	O
from	O
numerous	O
review	O
websites	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
noted	O
in	O
the	O
adjacent	O
table	O
,	O
the	O
highest	O
rating	O
game	O
is	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
,	O
receiving	O
a	O
92%	O
score	O
from	O
both	O
sites	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
have	O
credited	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
for	O
influencing	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
(	O
RTS	O
)	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Rise	B-Application
of	I-Application
Nations	I-Application
,	O
Empire	B-Application
Earth	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Cossacks	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Star	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
:	I-Application
Galactic	I-Application
Battlegrounds	I-Application
was	O
also	O
influenced	O
by	O
the	O
series	O
:	O
it	O
utilized	O
the	O
Genie	O
game	O
engine	O
,	O
as	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
and	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
had	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
considered	O
by	O
critics	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
very	O
close	O
replica	O
to	O
the	O
games	O
;	O
IGN	O
began	O
their	O
review	O
with	O
the	O
statement	O
"	O
I	O
love	O
Age	O
of	O
Star	O
Wars	O
,	O
I	O
mean	O
Star	O
Empires	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
and	O
GameSpot	O
wrote	O
that	O
"	O
fundamentals	O
of	O
the	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
engine	O
are	O
so	O
intact	O
in	O
Star	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
:	I-Application
Galactic	I-Application
Battlegrounds	I-Application
that	O
veterans	O
of	O
that	O
game	O
can	O
jump	O
right	O
in.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Mark	O
Bozon	O
of	O
IGN	O
wrote	O
in	O
his	O
review	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
,	O
"	O
The	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
series	I-Application
has	O
been	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
innovative	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
games	O
for	O
PC	B-Device
in	O
the	O
last	O
decade	O
or	O
so.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Gamenikki	O
called	O
Ensemble	O
Studios	O
"	O
the	O
developer	O
that	O
started	O
it	O
all	O
"	O
when	O
they	O
talked	O
about	O
how	O
much	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
had	O
done	O
to	O
advance	O
the	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shelley	O
has	O
acknowledged	O
the	O
success	O
and	O
innovation	O
of	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
helped	O
to	O
ensure	O
Ensemble	O
survive	O
its	O
early	O
periods	O
since	O
startup	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2005	O
,	O
Shelley	O
complained	O
of	O
critics	O
holding	O
an	O
"	O
innovation	O
bias	O
"	O
against	O
the	O
series	O
;	O
citing	O
the	O
60%	O
score	O
from	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
,	O
he	O
said	O
that	O
despite	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
III	I-Application
being	O
"	O
perhaps	O
the	O
best	O
selling	O
PC	B-Device
game	O
in	O
the	O
world	O
"	O
,	O
reviewers	O
expected	O
"	O
something	O
really	O
new	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
rated	O
it	O
harshly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bungie	O
chose	O
Ensemble	O
Studios	O
to	O
develop	O
Halo	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
,	O
an	O
RTS	O
game	O
based	O
on	O
their	O
Halo	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
said	O
that	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
reasons	O
they	O
chose	O
to	O
work	O
with	O
Ensemble	O
was	O
because	O
of	O
the	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
series	I-Application
.	O
</s>
