Age of Empires has been one of the most influential titles in the RTS genre for quite a lengthy amount of time, but in recent months it’s begun to surge up as an esport even stronger than before. This is partially because of a renewed interest in the franchise due to the announcement of an upcoming fourth installment and a Definitive Edition for the third in the series.
Of course, one of the greatest reasons is for the incredible success of the remake of the second title in the series, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. Since its release, Age of Empires II: DE has been stupendously popular, helping to throw fuel into the hype train as the franchise hits a revival of interest it hasn’t seen in quite some time.
❗ Did you miss the BIG NEWS? ❗
We are proud to officially announce the partnership between World's Edge and Capture Age! Today, we can confirm that Capture Age will be coming to Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition!
📜 READ MORE: https://t.co/6OcaW9J5H1 pic.twitter.com/gHLSSRAvkS
— Age of Empires (@AgeOfEmpires) May 3, 2020
As this revival continues on, though, improvements must be made! The development team behind the title announced yesterday that they’ll be partnering with Capture Age to help implement and improve observation, spectating, and capture tools for Age of Empires II: DE.
“Over the last three years, the Capture Age team has been developing a new way to watch Age of Empires,” the development team writes in their announcement. “As fans of the Age of Empires franchise, their knowledge and understanding of the game has forged a tool designed to display real-time information that engages viewers without detracting from gameplay.”
In the announcement, the team discusses that Capture Age’s tools have already been used to a great amount of effectiveness. They were present during the recent Hidden Cup 2 and Escape Champions League, as well as several other tournaments.
Unfortunately, the tool was originally delayed by being incompatible with DE upon release, forcing the team to completely redesign everything from the ground up. With this new partnership between World’s Edge and Capture Age, this redesign can be executed with proper resources to “complement and expand the viewer experience.”
Capture Age has been present for the last few esports events, with an overlay being used during the Red Bull Wololo and Hidden Cup 3 that just recently took place. This overlay helped to track player resources and population, as well as showing research in real-time without forcing observers to navigate to different views and menus, providing a much more seamless viewing experience.
The Capture Age tools will work as a standalone tool to provide a great amount of accessibility and features for players to utilize. As the partnership moves on, players should expect to see the functionality expand and improve.
