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Age of Empires Online beta access open for 48 hours

If you fancy checking out Age of Empires, the curious free-to-play online AoE, beta access is being granted to all for a brief period.
Alice O'Connor
8

A 48-hour "secret access" period is now open for Age of Empires Online, letting all and sundry into the beta test before it closes back up again. Microsoft revealed this in an official release, which is perhaps not the best way to keep a secret, all things considered.

Until 1:01am PST on Saturday, you can get into the beta by heading on over to the Games for Windows Marketplace and 'buying' the free beta client. You'll need the Games for Windows Live client to download and play. Once the 48 hours are up, beta access will be closed again but the beta itself will still continue to run.

Ages of Empires Online combines the classic AoE strategy series with a persistent social-y world. It was initially developed by Robot Entertainment, but work is now lead by Gas Powered Games. The full game's due to launch for free through GFWL later this year as part of Microsoft's half-hearted campaign to "step up" its PC gaming efforts.

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  • Shacknews legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
    reply
    May 5, 2011 10:50 AM

    Alice O'Connor posted a new article, Age of Empires Online beta access open for 48 hours.

    If you fancy checking out Age of Empires, the curious free-to-play online AoE, beta access is being granted to all for a brief period.

    • pgharavi legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      May 5, 2011 11:29 AM

      this does not work on my MBP.

    • Desmond4231 legacy 10 years
      reply
      May 5, 2011 12:26 PM

      I would try it if you didn't have to install that pos GFWL.

    • Madwacker legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      May 5, 2011 12:27 PM

      The departure on Robot's part of their beloved AoE to work on Orcs Must Die is a very curious one to me.

      • paketep legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
        reply
        May 5, 2011 12:31 PM

        Probably they couldn't stomach bastardizing their beloved franchise like this anymore.

    • Madwacker legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      May 5, 2011 12:59 PM

      Would be nice if the servers were up.... downloaded the latest build and went to play and it can't find the servers.

    • jsforbes legacy 10 years
      reply
      May 5, 2011 1:17 PM

      I installed the game but it's asking for a beta key which I do not have. What do I do?

    • mo13 legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      May 5, 2011 1:39 PM

      If you guys can get in on this it would really help the team out... and you're playing a game for free

      • Curike legacy 10 years
        reply
        May 5, 2011 4:13 PM

        Assuming it would work, then yes. But for some (most?) it doesn't, and if they're working on fixing it they might want to hurry considering it's only going to be up for 48 hours.

    • tw3kr legacy 10 years
      reply
      May 8, 2011 3:33 AM

      Been having fun with this. The gameplay is straight AoE2 with your tech tree managed in a persistent home city, kind of like AoE3. The online component comes from co-op play and a market where you can trade components, upgrades and blueprints. Definitely worth a try. Except for GFWL I haven't had any problems.

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