Age of Empires Online shuts down after 524M single-player quests and other stats

After more than 524 million single-player quests, 13 million multiplayer quests, 2 million arena matches and 2 billion Empire Points gained, Age of Empires Online will come to an end today.
Those interested in seeing the game's final hours can watch a livestream from the developers on Twitch, which will end around 7 p.m. ET when Age of Empires Online's servers shut down.

The massively multiplayer online strategy game launched for Windows PC in 2011. Developers Robot Entertainment and Gas Powered Games both oversaw the Microsoft Game Studios-published game's development. A post on the game's blog today thanked the developers and Age of Empires Online players.

"The most thanks, though, belong to you, the players of the game," the post reads. "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."

You can check out some stats for the game posted alongside the farewell post below.
News of the game's closure surfaced last August. Executive producer Kevin Perry announced in early 2013 that the game was entering a "support phase" devoid of active development. Perry said at GDC Europe 2013 that the game's lack of content doomed its freemium revenue model.

 

Source: Polygon

In the Pokémon universe, what do humans eat?

The world of Pokémon is one that starts to fall apart, or at least appear unsettling, if you think about it too hard: The entire series of games and anime is built upon humans capturing animals and keeping them cooped up in tiny plastic balls until they're ready to force the creatures to fight each other. And it turns out that the humans' exploitation of Pokémon likely goes further, according to Modern Farmer.

"Simply put, it is a fact that people eat Pokémon," says Modern Farmer. Evidence includes the hunting of Farfetch'd to near-extinction. There's also the fact that the tail of the dim-witted Slowpoke is a rare, highly valued commodity because it is "tasty" and "nutritious." In Pokémon Gold/Pokémon Silver, Team Rocket's practice of cutting off the tails and selling them is frowned upon, but by Pokémon X/Pokémon Y, a restaurant openly serves Azure Bay Slowpoke Tail.

"The menu at Restaurant Le Yeah," writes Modern Farmer, "suggests that Pokémon meat is an ethically questionable luxury, similar to shark fins [in real life]."

Check out Modern Farmer's full piece for more, including the PETA analog and the "farm-to-table conversation" in the Pokémon universe.

Source: Polygon

Evolve takes four E3 2014 Game Critics Awards

Evolve has picked up four E3 2014 Game Critics Awards including Best of Show, the awards organizers announced today. Evolve is a shooting game from Turtle Rock and 2K Games, pitting hunters against a monster in asynchronous arena action.

The awards, chosen by games journalists from 29 publications (including Polygon), also handed No Man's Sky three awards including Best Original Game and Special Commendation for Innovation. Here's the full list...

Best of Show:
Evolve
(Turtle Rock/2K Games for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)

Best Original Game:
No Man's Sky
(Hello Games for PlayStation 4)

Best Console Game:
Evolve
(Turtle Rock/2K Games for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)

Best Handheld/Mobile Game
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS
(Sora/Namco-Bandai/Nintendo for 3DS)

Best PC Game
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege
(Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)

Best Hardware/Peripheral
Oculus Rift
(Oculus VR)

Best Action Game
Evolve
(Turtle Rock/2K Games for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)

Best Action/Adventure Game
Batman: Arkham Knight
(Rocksteady/WBIE for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)

Best Role Playing Game
Dragon Age: Inquisition
(BioWare/EA for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)

Best Fighting Game
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
(Nintendo for Wii U)

Best Racing Game
The Crew
(Ivory Tower/Reflections/Ubisoft for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)

Best Sports Game
NHL 15
(EA Canada/EA Sports for PS3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)

Best Strategy Game
Civilization: Beyond Earth
(Firaxis/2K Games for Linux, OSX, OC)

Best Social/Casual/Family Game
Mario Maker
(Nintendo EAD/Nintendo for Wii U)

Best Online Multiplayer
Evolve
(Turtle Rock/2K Games for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)

Best Independent Game
No Man's Sky
(Hello Games for PlayStation 4)

Special Commendation for Innovation
No Man's Sky
(Hello Games for PlayStation 4)

Source: Polygon

Rhode Island's first 38 Studios settlement could gross $4.37M

The Rhode Island Commerce Corporation could earn $4.37 million from a proposed settlement between the RICC, Antonio Afonso, Jr. and the firm Moses Afonso Ryan Ltd. relating to the state's failed $75 million loan guarantee to video game developer 38 Studios.

Governor Lincoln Chaffee announced late last week that the settlement, which would be the state's first in the case, was filed in Rhode Island Superior Court and is awaiting the Court's approval. Moses Afonso Ryan was involved in the initial $75 million loan guarantee's approval.

The settlement would provide the RICC (formerly known as the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation) a $4.37 million payment, the full amount of the defendants' insurance coverage minus $200,000 earmarked to pay individual defendants' legal fees and $430,000 in defense costs. The original insurance policy was limited to $5 million.

According to The Associated Press, a hearing on the matter is scheduled for July 7.
"The proposed settlement is a step in the right direction, and I hope this is the beginning of a positive resolution to the 38 Studios saga," Governor Chafee said.

In the proposed settlement, the defendants do not acknowledge liability of wrongdoing and maintain their position that they have committed no wrongdoing.
"The settlement agreement states that the RICC and the settling defendants are mindful of the inherent uncertainty of litigation, and the financial costs associated with the ongoing prosecution and/or defense of same," the Governor's statement reads.

The RICC backed a $75 million loan guarantee for 38 Studios in 2010, but the Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning developer declared bankruptcy in 2012. The state filed suit against members of 38 Studios and the RICC in late 2012, claiming that it was not fully made aware of the loan guarantee's risks. Since the studio's bankruptcy, lawmakers have debated the merits of repaying or defaulting on the debt incurred.

You can follow along with the continuing developments between former members of 38 Studios, the RICC and Rhode Island in Polygon's StoryStream.

Source: Polygon
 

'Tomb Raider: The Ten Thousand Immortals' novel continues reboot's story Oct. 20

The sequel to 2013's Tomb Raider won't be out until late 2015, but this fall, the original game's story will continue in a novel called Tomb Raider: The Ten Thousand Immortals, publisher BradyGames announced recently.

Tomb Raider: The Ten Thousand Immortals will pick up Lara Croft's tale immediately following her harrowing adventure on Yamatai in Crystal Dynamics' well-received reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise. Croft's best friend, Sam, is dying from a toxic overdose of some kind, and it's up to her to save his life. She hears of an ancient artifact that, legend has it, could heal her friend — and explain the supernatural nature of Yamatai. Croft sets out on a globe-spanning race against time, as well as a shadowy organization that will stop at nothing to find the relic first.

According to Brady Games, authors Dan Abnett and Nik Vincent wrote the novel's story in conjunction with Crystal Dynamics, and the book will become part of the current Tomb Raider canon. Tomb Raider: The Ten Thousand Immortals is scheduled to be available Oct. 20; you can pre-order the book from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million and others.

Crystal Dynamics announced its own sequel to Tomb Raider during E3 2014. Called Rise of the Tomb Raider, the action game is set for release in holiday 2015 on PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One.

Source: Polygon

Pokémon now has a dedicated iTunes channel for cartoons, music and apps

Pokémon fans now have access to a one-stop channel on iTunes for all things related to the franchise, The Pokémon Company International announced this morning.

Available now, iTunes.com/Pokémon features official Pokemon content including episodes of the cartoon TV show, Pokémon-related apps like the Pokémon TV and Pokédex apps, and a listing of soundtracks from the Pokémon games. Content available through the Pokémon channel is also playable across all iOS devices.

To kick off the launch of iTunes.com/Pokémon, the four-part cartoon special Pokémon Origins as well as episodes from the latest series, Pokémon the Series: XY, are available today. New episodes of XY will be added to the store on a weekly basis.

The Pokémon Company also recently announced that the series is getting its own orchestral concert tour. For more details on who The Pokémon Company is, check out our recent in-depth look at the corporation.

Source: Polygon

Atari turns Asteroids into Hashteroids for Denny's

Two weeks ago, Atari Interactive revealed its plan for emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy as an "interactive entertainment production company." Today it announced its first product under that new model: three "remixed" video games for the diner chain Denny's.
Hashteroids. Take-Out. Centi-Pup.

The three are spinoffs of the Asteroids, Breakout and Centipede franchises that Atari Interactive, which has gone through a litany of ownership changes and reorganizations over the past 30 years, still controls. The games will be featured not on their own but in the mobile app that Denny's itself publishes.

Atari released the following descriptions of the three games in a news release this morning.

Hashteroids — You're aboard the SS Denny's Condiment Transport ship and the mission is clear: deliver 40 tons of condiments to the 4th planet in sector 7d.
Centipup — Once upon a time, a young boy named Danny came across a bottle of syrup and with just a slight squeeze the bottle's sticky contents had the power to turn anyone or anything into a fried egg.
Take-out — A wall made entirely of delicious Denny's breakfast items appears blocking all the take-out orders from their rightful owners. The only way to feed customers is to break down that wall!

"Transforming our classic and beloved games into a retro, remixed promotion will be a natural way to expose our brand to a new generation and resonate with our long-time fans in a fun and unique way," Fred Chesnais, the chief executive officer of Atari, Inc., said in a prepared statement.

In an interview with Polygon last week, Todd Shallbetter, the chief operating officer for Atari, outlined a licensing strategy that involved taking familiar Atari-owned titles to real-money gambling and social casinos in Europe. Atari is contemplating and other broader ventures including online television, wearable devices or even making its own branded smart devices.

Atari, with offices in New York and Paris, has about 15 employees.

Source: Polygon