We’re sure that gamers at one point in time have tried their hand at Microsoft’s Age of Empires RTS game. The game itself is rather iconic and was one of the more popular RTS games when it was first introduced. Later in 2011, Microsoft introduced Age of Empires Online which was essentially an MMO version of the game.

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The game retained its RTS-like gameplay, but introduced MMO-like elements, such as having your empire remain as it was even when you went offline. It also featured trading that allowed players to craft materials and trade them with other players for something that they need. Unfortunately it looks like the age of Age of Empires Online (pun intended) has come to an end as Microsoft has officially shut down the game’s servers.

According to an entry on the official Age of Empires blog, “The most thanks, though, belong to you, the players of the game. It has been a pleasure and an honor serving you all. Thank you for the time you have spent with us, exploring all these little worlds together and conquering them for the glory of your Alliance and your Empire. Thank you especially for the times you spent with each other, in PVP matches, in co-op quests, and in the forums and the rest of the internet. Thank you for playing.”

Microsoft also released some stats from the game during its inception to the time it closed, as you can see in the image above. Based on the numbers, it seems that there have been over 500 million single player quests undertaken, 13 million multiplayer quests, 2 million arena matches, and over 2 billion EP gained. So gamers, anyone a little sad at the game’s closure?

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