Age of Empires
"Age of Empires", released on October 26, 1997, was the first game in the series, as well as the first major release from Ensemble Studios. It was one of the first history-based real-time strategy games made, utilizing the Genie game engine. GameSpot described it as a mix of "Civilization" and "". The game gives players a choice of 12 civilizations to develop from the Stone Age to the Iron Age. The expansion pack, "The Rise of Rome", published by Microsoft on October 31, 1998, introduced new features and four new civilizations, including the Romans. Although the two games had contained many software bugs, patches resolved many of the problems.
Age of Empires
"Age of Empires" focused on events in Europe, Africa and Asia, spanning from the Stone Age to the Iron Age; the expansion game explored the formation and expansion of the Roman Empire. The sequel, "", was set in the Middle Ages, while its expansion focused partially on the Spanish conquest of Mexico. The subsequent three games of "Age of Empires III" explored the early modern period, when Europe was colonizing the Americas and several Asian nations were on the decline. The newest installment, "Age of Empires Online", takes a different approach as a free-to-play online game utilizing Games for Windows Live. A spin-off game, "Age of Mythology", was set in the same period as the original "Age of Empires", but focused on mythological elements of Greek, Egyptian, and Norse mythology. A fourth main installment in the series, "Age of Empires IV", is under development.