A version of Microsoft's popular strategy game "Age of Empires" is being developed for iOS and Android devices marking Microsoft's first real foray into adapting popular gaming titles for mobile devices.
Although the company has released a few games to mobile devices, none of them pack the same popular brand name as "Age of Empires." With Windows 8 phones lagging in the mobile market, Microsoft gets a great deal of its revenue from the Xbox and its gaming industry. The hope is that "Empires" will be the first of many popular titles adapted to fit the small screen, taking Microsoft, as well as other potential developers in the gaming industry, to a whole new level.
A company called KLab will develop the mobile version of the game in English before the end of March according to a spokesperson for the company. PC World reports the company has said the new game in development will have a social component added onto it.
"Age of Empires" is a turn-based strategy game with seven games and three spin-off titles under its franchise belt. It's sold 22 million titles globally and has had various titles in development for 15 years according to KLab. The game is currnelty available on PC, online, Xbox and a ported Nintedo DS handheld variation.
When "Age of Empires" is released for Android and iOS in 2014, it will be as a "freemium" game. This means the game will be free to play but there will be additional charges for in-game items and content.
According to Reuters, many analysts have said this strategy could work well with other game makers such as Nintendo. The company, who is most popular for the Wii U and DS game systems, could make a great deal of money if they released version of their most popular titles like "Super Mario" or "Mario Kart." Unfortunately for fans of those titles, Nintendo has confirmed no plans to move into the mobile gaming market.
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