| Age of Empires III | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Ensemble Studios |
| Publisher(s) |
|
| Designer(s) | Bruce Shelley[2] |
| Programmer(s) | Dave Pottinger |
| Composer(s) | Stephen Rippy |
| Series | Age of Empires |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows OS X Windows Mobile N-Gage Java (J2ME) |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Real-time strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Age of Empires III is a real-time strategy video game developed by Microsoft Corporation's Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The Mac version was ported over and developed and published by Destineer's MacSoft. The PC version was released on October 18, 2005, in North America and November 4, 2005, in Europe, while the Mac version was released on November 21, 2006, in North America and September 29, 2006, in Europe. An N-Gage version of the game developed by Glu Mobile was released on April 28, 2009.[3][4][5] It is the third game of the Age of Empires series and the sequel to Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings. A remaster titled Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition was released on October 15, 2020.[6] Its successor, Age of Empires IV, was released October 28, 2021 for Windows.
The game portrays the European colonization of the Americas, between approximately 1492 and 1876 AD. There are fourteen civilizations to play within the game. Age of Empires III has made several innovations in the series, in particular with the addition of the "Home City", which combines real-time strategy and role-playing features. Two expansion packs have been released: the first, Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs, was released on October 17, 2006, and introduced three Native American civilizations; the second, Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties, was released on October 23, 2007, and included three Asian civilizations.
Age of Empires III has sold over two million copies as of May 2008. As well as receiving favorable reviews, it has garnered awards, including GameSpy's "Best RTS game of 2005", and was one of the best-selling games of 2005.[7] In 2007, Age of Empires III was the seventh best-selling computer game, with over 313,000 copies sold that year.[8]
The original, unexpanded version of the game is set to be delisted, becoming unavailable for purchase, on October 30, 2024. While offline gameplay will continue, multiplayer servers will be taken down due to outdated technology. The Definitive Edition will remain available.[9]
- ^ "AGE OF EMPIRES III FOR MAC SHIPS TO STORES". destineerstudios.com. November 27, 2006. Archived from the original on May 11, 2008.
- ^ "57. Bruce Shelley". ign.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
- ^ ikona (April 28, 2009). "Age of Empires III Marches onto N-Gage". N-Gage. Archived from the original on September 2, 2009. Retrieved May 1, 2009.
- ^ "Glu Mobile Reveals North American Lineup of Games for the First Quarter of 2009". Glu Mobile Inc. January 22, 2009. Archived from the original on July 3, 2009. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
- ^ ikona (January 22, 2009). "Age of Empires III for N-Gage". N-gage. Archived from the original on February 5, 2009. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
- ^ Age DE Team (August 27, 2020). "Pre-Order Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition NOW; Play it on October 15!". Archived from the original on August 29, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
- ^ ""Age of Empires III" Expands Into the Eastern World This Fall". Age Community. May 18, 2007. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
- ^ "2007 sales figures". GameDaily. January 25, 2008. Archived from the original on January 29, 2008. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "After 17 years, one of the greatest RTS games in PC history is being pulled offline forever". PCGamesN. October 10, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.