3. Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings. 11 best-selling strategy games ever
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- Developer: Ensemble Studios
- Year: 1999
- Estimated number of copies sold: 6 million (HD version), approx. 2 million (first edition), almost 3 million (remaster)
Another series responsible for the "golden age" of RTS, is Age of Empires. The standard resource gathering, city building, developing technology and commanding armies until one of the nations destroy others or build a wonder – this formula was perfected here. Age of Empires 2 was received very warmly, gaining recognition from players and critics alike. Among others, the game was praised for small details, such as units of each civilization voiced in their languages, and many improvements to the gameplay. In 1999, it has been awarded numerous "best strategy" or "best RTS" awards and was nominated for the game of the year.
Unfortunately, determining the number of copies sold is somewhat difficult in this case. Already in the first months after the premiere, at least 2 million boxes reached players, and over time, their number increased. In 2013, a refreshed HD version was released, and six years later a remaster called Definitive Edition was released. So if the results of HD (6 milion) and the standard versions are counted into one, we received 9 million sold copies. The Definitive Edition adds another 3 million, creating a whopping 11 million. It is worth mentioning, that during the lockdown Age of Empires 2 received a serious influx of new players.
The whole series stands at 25 million copies sold.
