Age of Empires Online

Age of Empires Online (often abbreviated to AoE Online or AoEO), is a free-to-play history-based real-time strategy video game released on August 16th, 2011 and digitally distributed.

Features

 * Classic Age of Empires Gameplay: familiar gameplay that made the franchise successful, with an updated art style and uplifting tone. Classic game elements of empire creation and resource management in a vibrant historical setting.
 * New social experiences within the game, including live chat, gifting and trading of content, and cooperative multiplayer quests.
 * Capital City : empire creation from out of nothing by leveling up, crafting items, and constructing buildings.
 * Continually evolving online world where new content, civilizations, and quests are introduced.
 * Games for Windows – LIVE Integration
 * Games for Windows – LIVE Integration

Civilization

 * There are currently six playable civilizations in the game (in order of release):
 * Greeks
 * Egyptians
 * Persians
 * Celts
 * Babylonians
 * Norse

Development
Age of Empires Online (under the working title Project Spartan or Project S), was first under development by Robot Entertainment, a company of former Ensemble Studios employees. Robot Entertainment created the core game and the first two civilizations (Egyptian and Greek ). It was the first game developed by the company.

On February 24, 2010 it was announced that development of the game would be passed on to Gas Powered Games in the future under the Microsoft Game Studios brand.It is the first and only Age of Empires game to incorporate Windows LIVE.

Business Model
Age of Empires Online is a Free-to-Play game with Premium Content ("Freemium" game). All of the game content may be enjoyed without paying. However, some of the game content is locked and can only be purchased with Empire points. Empire points can be earned progressively by playing the game (major Quests, leveling-up a Civilization , participating in the Alliance Wars ) or can be purchased via Steam or Windows Live points.

The following content is available for purchase with Empire points :
 * Premium civilizations (enhanced version of the free civilizations - details )
 * Pro civilizations (example : Persian, Babylonian )
 * Vanity gear for units and Capital city