I just got out of a market research study here in Chicago where we were given a preview of the upcoming AOE 3 game. They showed us screenshots and clips. They asked us what we liked about the game and what we didn't like, and what we would be interested in seeing implemented. It was pretty sweet, we got a sneak preview of an awesome game and were paid $125 each! Here are some specifics:
The game will take place during the period of European settlement of the Americas. (Discovery of the Americas until just before the US civil war.)
It will feature 3D graphics and lots of detail. (Men getting blown across the battlefield by canons, trees falling on houses, etc.)
Currently, the civilizations are all European. You do not get to play as Native Americans, but you do get to interact with them through alliances. There are several different tribes you can ally with, all with their own units and abilities. We told them that they should make it so we actually get to play as the Native Americans, instead of only as the Europeans.
The game will have a much more global scope. A map of the Americas shows which specific territories you control, and you can attack from these territories to adjacent ones held by enemies. When you choose a territory to attack, it goes to that specific territory where you build buildings and control units just as in other RTS games.
You interact a lot with what is called your "Home City" back in Europe. You send resources back, and in return get better upgrades (like the ability to train new units). These upgrades carry over into subsequent games (i.e., when you go on to attack another territory). Basically, you don't have to research the whole tech tree each time you move to a different territory.
All of us critiquing the game agreed that it looks really good, but would be better with more civs and territories. The guy said the game will probably be released in about a year. He was not from Microsoft, but from a market research company that is doing field testing for Microsoft. Basically, they want gamers' opinions so they know what we want and how to make the games better."
