Back in early April, Microsoft had announced that the real-time strategy title, Age of Mythology, is making a comeback, in the form of Age of Mythology: Extended Edition. It would feature various enhancements over its original release, such as improved visuals, full Steamworks integration, Twitch integration, and more.
Fast-forward to mid-May, and, when asked about a possible resurgence of a “now-marginalised” genre, the head of the Xbox brand, Phil Spencer, said “RTS on console.“
Today, Microsoft has announced that it has bought the rights to the Rise of Nations franchise, and that – surprise surprise! – an Extended Edition of the old-school RTS game is on its way to us.
Even though both the Extended Editions of Age of Mythology and Rise of Nations are available exclusively on the PC, connecting the dots here isn’t especially difficult – Microsoft is seemingly set to bring back the RTS genre, and if Spencer’s Twitter is any indication, the Xbox One might be the pioneer of this generation, as long as consoles are concerned.
Obviously, this isn’t an easy task, as managing an entire battlefield using a controller is way more difficult than using a mouse and keyboard configuration. But, if other entries are anything to go by – entries like Halo Wars, Red Alert 3, maybe even The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth II – this also isn’t an impossible task.
I’m not sure about the likes of Red Alert or The Lord of the Rings, but everyone knows that Age of Mythology is still a beloved franchise, and seeing a reboot on the Xbox One might not be that surprising. Of course, a Halo Wars 2 would be even less shocking, seeing as the first one was classified as decent by most, and even great by fans of the overall franchise. Now that Rise of Nations is also in Microsoft’s hands, maybe this Extended Edition is a test to see if the franchise is still a viable one.
What do you think? Would you like any of these RTS franchises – maybe even new ones? – to make a comeback on the Xbox One? Let us know in the poll, or in the comments-section, below.
