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  1. #1

    Age of Empires 2 HD Edition announced!



    The trailer says everything anyone would need to know about this.

    *runs around screaming like the kid who got this for his 12th birthday!*

    Edit:

    http://store.steampowered.com/app/221380/

    10% off until launch!

    In Age of Empires II: HD Edition, fans of the original game and new players alike will fall in love with the classic Age of Empires II experience. Explore all the original single player campaigns from both Age of Kings and The Conquerors expansion, choose from 18 civilizations spanning over a thousand years of history, and head online to challenge other Steam players in your quest for world domination throughout the ages. Originally developed by Ensemble Studios and reimagined in high definition by Hidden Path Entertainment, Microsoft Studios is proud to bring Age of Empires II: HD Edition to Steam!
    Developed by Ensemble Studios in 1998, and reimagined in high definition by Hidden Path Entertainment, Microsoft Studios is proud to announce Age of Empires II: HD Edition; available to gamers around the world exclusively via Steamworks on April 9, 2013*.

    In Age of Empires II: HD Edition, fans of the original game and new players alike will fall in love with the classic Age of Empires experience. Explore all the original single player campaigns from both The Age of Kings and The Conquerors expansion, choose from 18 civilizations spanning over a thousand years of history, and head online to challenge other Steam players in your quest for world domination throughout the ages.

    Key Highlights:
    Re-mastered for high resolution displays 1080p+
    Enhanced visual engine with improved terrain textures, water, fire and ambient lighting effects
    New Steamworks features: Achievements, Leaderboards, Matchmaking and Cloud support.
    Share user created content with Steam Workshop support

    Minimum System Requirements:
    Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 Pro
    Steam
    900x600 minimum display resolution
    Direct X 9.0c+ GPU
    1.2GHz CPU
    1GB RAM
    2GB HDD

    *Yes, you did read that right, the game isn't available until April 9th - but *YOU* can unlock it early. Pre-purchase your copy today and get the game on April 5, four days sooner!
    Want to pre-purchase a bundle? That's totally possible - we've got three options for you:
    Want the game, no fuss no muss? Pre-purchase now!
    Pre-purchase AOEII: HD Edition for 10% off and get the game on April 5th.
    Bundle 2 is for those looking to conquer the ages with friends!
    Pre-purchase AOEII: HD Edition 4 Pack - $59.99 (Buy 3, get the 4th free!)
    Bundle 3 lets you experience the Age of Empires Legacy!
    3) Pre-purchase Age of Empires Legacy Bundle - $27.99 (Receive Age of Empires III and both expansions at time of purchase and Age of Empires II: HD Edition will unlock automatically as soon as it becomes available!)


    Want even more details? Cool! We've got them for you!
    Relive the memories! Age of Empires II: HD Editions plays just like the classic, but with experiences you’ve come to expect from modern games.

    For those of you who love to geek out over the details:
    Returning existing beloved features:
    9 Single Player Campaigns
    18 Civilizations from the original Age of Empires II and the Age of Empires II: The Conquerors expansion
    Available Language Localizations:
    Game Audio & Text Localizations available for the following languages: French, Italian, German, Spanish, Simplified Chinese and Korean.
    (Text only localization available in Portuguese (Brazil), Dutch, Russian and Japanese)

    New for Age of Empires II: HD Edition:
    Enhanced Graphics with Classic Feel
    1080p+ high resolution support
    Updated lighting effects and improved fire & water effects
    32bit terrain
    Multi-monitor support
    Windowed mode
    New Steam Features, including:
    SteamWorks Multiplayer
    Up to 8 Players
    Quick-match Matchmaking
    Game Lobby Browser
    Invite your Steam friends to custom games
    Leaderboards
    Steam Workshop Support (Edit and upload custom game types, scenarios & more!)
    Achievements
    Community Features
    In-game Launcher for news and community updates
    Community events, forums and support
    Got more questions? Check out our nifty FAQ here:
    http://ageofempiresonline.com/en/articles/blog-20130308


    Here's a quick overview of some of the more common questions we've seen since announcing the game. More information will be coming in the weeks leading up to the game's release!
    Does Age of Empires 2: HD Edition support Steam cloud saves?
    Yes!
    I have the original Age of Empires 2. Can I play multiplayer matches with my friends who have the new HD version?
    Age of Empires 2: HD Edition uses a different multiplayer service than the original version, so cross-platform matchmaking is not possible. You will need to have the same version as your friend in order to play together.
    Can I play the game over LAN?
    You can play single player while Steam is in offline mode, but will still need internet access to connect to Steam for multiplayer capability.
    Can I redeem my cd key from the original Age of Empires 2 to get the new HD version?
    At this time, such cd key activation is not available. You can only get Age of Empires 2: HD Edition via direct purchase from Steam or by purchasing a Steam key from an authorized retailer.
    Will this game be available on Mac or Linux?
    There are no plans for a Mac or Linux version at this time.
    Will the game be available in my region?
    Age of Empires II: HD Edition will be available in any region that Steam currently supports.
    How do I use Steam Workshop?
    Steam Workshop can be accessed from the game launcher as well as from the in-game menu. With Steam Workshop, you can share, download, and build user-created content for the game.
    Is there DRM?
    Age of Empires 2: HD Edition uses only the Steam service for license management. Games for Windows LIVE is not required.
    Is this still the same Age of Empires that I know and love?
    Absolutely! All of the gameplay remains the same, we have merely updated the game to run on current operating systems, with HD graphics. (You remember those cheat codes? Yeah, those still work too!) The game now scales to fit your monitor, and even offers multi-monitor support for even higher resolutions!
    Have there been any changes made to the gameplay?
    No, it's still the same classic Age of Empires II experience.
    What are the minimum system requirements to play the game?
    Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 Pro
    Steam Software Platform
    900x600 minimum resolution display
    Direct X 9 Capable GPU
    1.2GHz CPU
    1GB RAM
    2GB HDD
    http://forums.ageofempiresonline.com...ad.aspx#350618
    Last edited by Nerraw; 2013-03-09 at 07:10 PM.

  2. #2
    I'm just glad I'll be able to get it on Steam. I lost my original copy years ago. And the *cough* other *cough* ones I've been running since have had serious trouble on my Windows 7.

  3. #3
    I can't wait for this! This give me hope we will see a Rise of Nation HD in the near future.

  4. #4
    Deleted
    This looks like it was made around the time they built the pyramids..

    I get it, apparently it was a huge hit back in the day but I think it's just lazy cash crab. They should make a sequel or a remake instead of tying a corpse to a pole to make it look alive again.

  5. #5
    WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

    DREAMS HAVE COME TRUE.

    And online will actually be easy and convinient...

    I have a raging erection and am happy in the pants upon hearing this news.
    "English doesn't so much borrow words from other languages as follows them into a dark alley, hits them over the head and goes through their pockets for loose vocabulary."

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Lizbeth View Post
    This looks like it was made around the time they built the pyramids..

    I get it, apparently it was a huge hit back in the day but I think it's just lazy cash crab. They should make a sequel or a remake instead of tying a corpse to a pole to make it look alive again.
    AoE2 has a following greater than your wildest imagination if you really mean what you say here. It's still widely considered to be the best Age of-game ever, and among some of the RTS overall as well. A LOT of people are wanting this to happen.

  7. #7
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Zaeed Massani View Post
    AoE2 has a following greater than your wildest imagination if you really mean what you say here. It's still widely considered to be the best Age of-game ever, and among some of the RTS overall as well. A LOT of people are wanting this to happen.
    Then I'm even more right. If the game is so good, why not make a modern remake or a sequel instead of just releasing that. I wouldn't have anything against it if it was free or fan made but taking an ancient game, making it run on modern computers and then selling it is just so lazy.

  8. #8
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Lizbeth View Post
    Then I'm even more right. If the game is so good, why not make a modern remake or a sequel instead of just releasing that. I wouldn't have anything against it if it was free or fan made but taking an ancient game, making it run on modern computers and then selling it is just so lazy.
    Does the fact that they did exactly that - Age of Empires III- and it wasn't considered as good as the second one make you more or less right? The fact is "HD" remakes are a different animal from new games and are often out sourced to another company and are priced in the lower price bracket so I hardly think this is going stop or delay the next entry in the franchise.

  9. #9
    Pit Lord Thulvaso's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lizbeth View Post
    This looks like it was made around the time they built the pyramids..

    I get it, apparently it was a huge hit back in the day but I think it's just lazy cash crab. They should make a sequel or a remake instead of tying a corpse to a pole to make it look alive again.
    It's more of a fan service things, Age of Empires II is still a great game, I guess this way they can sort compatibility with newer versions of Windows ans updating the graphics along the way.

  10. #10
    Might have to pick this up if the price is right, loved playing this.

  11. #11
    Praise the lords!

  12. #12
    Herald of the Titans Darksoldierr's Avatar
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    For free i would take it anytime, for price? No. There is already an unoffical expansion pack which introduces another nations, which also balances the multiplayer, patches for wide screen etc. Feels like money grabbing.
    Time is on our side
    Brutal Gladiator Enhancement Shaman *rawr*

  13. #13
    Deleted
    awesome! i probably wont pay £13 or what ever it is for it though. i still actively play AOE2 quite often, brilliant game. i lost my disc ages ago though, so i cant use map editor, only lets me play skirmishes :P there are already mods available to download that upgrade the graphics of the game, so im not sure if this is needed or worth the money.

  14. #14
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Lizbeth View Post
    This looks like it was made around the time they built the pyramids..

    I get it, apparently it was a huge hit back in the day but I think it's just lazy cash crab. They should make a sequel or a remake instead of tying a corpse to a pole to make it look alive again.
    I have to agree unfortunately. When it was stated HD, I expected some more realistic units and buildings and terrain. But it's not really any of that. Yea, the textures are a bit more fine, but there's not a huge difference. It still looks exactly like a game made around that time. I loved AoE2, but this just seems to make it just for the cash grab indeed. Unless it's free, then well done to them.

    Now if they remade it with actual better textures, then sure, I might be up for it.

  15. #15
    If they changed the engine drastically, they'd also completely mess up the original gameplay.

  16. #16
    Warchief Wass's Avatar
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    Showing my support for this. Don't hate on this!

    Going to be playing this, oh yes. I still got my original CDs. Looking forward to kick some butt in multiplayer with this.
    Quote Originally Posted by Dyra View Post
    Because what they are atm are plait tugging, sniffing, glaring, prissy, clothes obsessed bitches who I would quite cheerfully drown.
    I often post from my mobile device, typos in my posts are 99% likely to be because of that.
    All I would ever want and need is a hug.

  17. #17
    I already pre-ordered it.

  18. #18
    AoE II was my favourite RTS for aaaaages. So many hours played...

    I'll probably wait till it's under $10 on sale to buy though.

  19. #19
    A bit expensive but shiiieeeeeet, this is Age of Empires 2 man!
    "Loss of blood... My only weakness!"
    ~ Warlord Khan, Magicka

    Anyway, if you don't already see where I'm going with this, allow me to spell it out: the only meaningful MMORPG "endgame" -- i.e., something novel to do after the progression process is over -- is that of the sandbox.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Grable View Post
    A bit expensive but shiiieeeeeet, this is Age of Empires 2 man!
    19€ is much for a game that is remade in HD(1920x1080 resolutions) and not just scaled up like a silly goose? Also it is now optimized for Win7/8, I can't play my AoE2 on my Windows 7, it just crashes, tried searching online but nothing worked.

    This is the best Strategy game in the existence, it's been what, 14 years since its release? Many, MANY people grew up playing this game, I told my raid about this(25m) last night just as raid ended, a lot of people were excited.

    Also as a nice bonus, the HD edition contains the expansion too

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