RTS Games in E-Sports are dominated by Blizzard. AoE: IV is Microsoft's opportunity to change that

Age of Empires IV IV - Discussion
1

Microsoft Execs, Devs, Finance, Marketing, and the rest of the #! (sha-bang, joke for the nerds) and kit and caboodle, I’m talking to all of you.

If you are a Microsoft employee and aren’t in a position of power an initiative, bring it up to your management, team members, and the rest of your colleagues with assertive passion.

Up to the present, there hasn’t been a single contender for the unrelenting control Blizzard has had over real-time strategy games in Professional E-Sports for two decades as of 2018. I’m sure most of you reading this already know, but I’ll fill in those not in-the-know. The E-Sports Industry is rapidly maturing and the 2017 estimated revenue surpassed $1bn. The 2017 Global Gaming Industry’s revenue is estimated to have grown $7.1bn to $116bn.

Here is a screenshot of the estimated prize money paid out for all strategy games:

There’s plenty of time for drastic changes in the roadmap for Age of Empires IV, which provides ample opportunity for you to increase profits by filling gaps in the competitive genre whilst capturing new and existing players, turn the heads of your competitors by coming out of left field, and all while earning the respect of the entire industry and community.

Here’s your chance to take decisive action. If you somehow read all of this and didn’t understand where I’m coming from or what I’m talking about, then that’s your sign to do something about it.
It’s ultimately going to come down to strong leadership with a thorough understanding of the task at hand to start now. This entails the creation of a team with those leaders and individuals with industry insight, with experience, soft and hard skills covering many spectrums.

I’m giving you the golden spoon and handing it over. Are you going to take it?

Heck, I just decided if you don’t currently have the resources to fill that team and need the leadership, I’m passionate enough about this industry impacting chance to take the reins and career transition. I’m reaching out directly shortly after my lunch.

Talk soon!**

2

Unfortunately the AOE series was a dwarf in Esports compared to Starcraft and warcraft.

The reason is that Blizzard did invest heavily in starting up a pro scene and they are still doing a great job.

I really hope that there will be an esports budget of at least 1million for one year for aoe4. I also hope that Intel extreme masters series will adopt aoe4.

However they need very good shoutcasters as well, just money isn’t enough. I will keep looking starcraft, just because of the funny shoutcasters as well as some of the greatest and most creative players to watch.

Another thing aoe4 will need in order to make it a real Esport is balance. Not only between civs, but also between unit types (don’t want to see the same army types all the time), balancing the ages (don’t want all games to end in age 2 or 3) and economy vs military (don’t want 100% booming games or 100% rush/cheese).

Right now there is still some Esports happening (aoe3 and aoeo) in the following channels on twitch:

ESOCTV
ESOCTV2

There are tournament games being published on youtube almost every day:

Some of those tournaments even have pricemoney up to 1500 dollars.

It is all done by amateurs (very good gamers though), with a very good heart for esports. They made me play aoe3 again.

3

But Age of Empires is a historical Scenario, means no aliens or magic to make an E-Sport title out of it.

4

you dont need aliens and magic to be a competitive esport title? where even is the connection? im confused.

anyways, very good post and i totally agree.

5

world of tanks strategy??? :s
plus, it will be bigger for blizard, they are scouting about either starcraft 3 or warcraft 4…
but i dont thing thats the problem, i think its the low population on strategy in general compared to other mods becouse people want cream cheese

@Huge5000RTSFan said:
But Age of Empires is a historical Scenario, means no aliens or magic to make an E-Sport title out of it.

Thats why they can balance things so easy and no one does biased complaints (well, they do but its not the same)

6

AOE used to be designed as War and destroy. But this concept is already nothing new and most of others are same kind. In this RTS market, we don`t see any of defend and build as their concept.
As E-Sports, RTS is mostly playing for surviver. Destroy others and win as last stand.

On the other hand, Defend and build will be defferent from that.
Compitition target as E-Sports will be breadth of territory on the map.
It means explore the map and build fort, then you have to defend this from others or take enemys fort away by war. Also after the war, player doest have to destroy the fort, but Occupied them and use as his basement.
How wide you can expand your territory will be the winnig part.

It comes more realistic than other RTS games.
And with this way of playing, most of the players can stay in a game until game end.
Also, dominant is not gonna be a stayble winner in the game, Alliance can be tool to take the situation back.
Reversal part is always remaing by this.

More to say, as single performance who not play as E-Spots but play against AI, this will help them to build their own Empire as sand box game.
The war against AI will be just like disaster in this option.
This is also good thing about defend and build system.
If you destroy all the enemy away, the game will end at this point.
But as long as enemies remains in the game, you can keep the game forever.
For sand box system, this condition will be required for their satisfaction of creation.
As traditional AOE system, trade with other empire will more workable as well.

If this sand box option exist in the game, AOE will have Great Mods communities at Online like simcities or cities skyline.

To use both target E-sports play and solo game play, Defend and Build will help AOE to bring up new image of RTS games.
Also, Hero or General as RPG part, not only one or few but many upto thier population, will help to have fan to play for Solo game part.

Pls think about this difference,
RTS til now is designed as Chess game, but we should have Go as new type of RTS game play.
or if the revarsal situation remaing as I explained, the game could be like Monopoly tactics.

7

We will see what happens, let them make the game first :slight_smile:

8

Can anyone tell if Age of Empires 4 will be on Windouws 7 and 8?

9

@BeetleRock20367 said:
Can anyone tell if Age of Empires 4 will be on Windouws 7 and 8?

There have been no announcements, but it would be surprising if it were.