This is the briefest of tweets of all time- but it might set off a round of unprecedented speculations and discussions. When asked on Twitter by a fan if a strategy game would be coming to the Xbox One, Xbox head honcho Phil Spencer replied with a monosyllabic ‘Yes.’

To those who are initiated with Microsoft’s catalog of classic franchises, this can be potentially a very big deal- you see, Microsoft has some of the most beloved strategy games of all time, from the Age of Empires franchise to Rise of Nations. They have been teasing a return of those franchises for some time now, and this might be referring to a new Age of Empires, for example, coming to Xbox One.

Now, of course, there is an argument to be made that you don’t want to see a classic RTS franchise on a console at all- and while I can understand how the prospect of the first new Age of Empires game in over a decade being made for consoles would be distasteful to some, I personally think that, if handled right, it could herald a return to form for the franchise.

Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more coverage.

Sci-fi co-op strategy RPG The Red Solstice, a Kickstarter project inspired by StarCraft and Dawn of War, has managed to garner $26,578 of its total $50,000 goal. It currently has 12 days left in its campaign and developer Ironward Studio has announced it is adding a single-player campaign along with a new mode: Fortification. Check out videos for the mode below in which CEO Hrvoje Horvatek explains the mechanics behind Fortification below.

The Red Solstice currently has a demo available for those wondering what the fuss is about – hit up the Kickstarter link above to try it out. Ironward is also promising alpha access to all of its backers for 24 hours on April 13th so there’s even more reason to get in on the sci-fi strategy/RPG experience.

What do you make of Ironward’s The Red Solstice and will you help fund its Kickstarter campaign? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

The PC probably has the strongest library of all the gaming systems ever created, and that is probably because it’s been here the longest- ever since we can remember, the PC has been one of the active gaming systems. Even now, the PC shows no signs of stopping, getting unforgettable games every single year.

But the PC has never been stronger as it has been, from the beginning till now, in the strategy department. More specifically, the Real Time Strategy department. With games like Age of Empires, Rise of Nations, StarCraft and a ton of others, the RTS genre is the system’s forte. It’s very hard, however, to choose between all these wonderful games.

We have compiled a list of fifteen of the best Real Time Strategy Games ever on the PC. Now remember, before going all ballistic and yelling “HEY, YOU DIDN’T INCLUDE THAT GAME!!!!!”, check to see if that game really is an RTS. Also, the games listed below have been listed in no particular oder according to rank or preference. They’re just randomly listed.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War has to be one of the most polished and refined RTS’s of all time. With a solid multiplayer component, really fun skirmish mode, classic RTS gameplay, and amazing production values, with brilliant sound and presentation, Dawn of War immediately became a favourite of all those who liked the RTS genre upon its release. While it did not have a very engrossing campaign, its multiplayer component and its rock solid gameplay built upon the perfect RTS gameplay style more than made up for almost all flaws.

Sacrifice

Sacrifice is not a typical RTS. First of all, it has a third person perspective, not a top-down view. Then, it focuses a hell lot on micromanagement, so much so, that you feel like you could do with a third hand. Also, the game lacks tactical perspective- there’s not a lot of strategy involved in the game. Sacrifice was, however, a benchmark in the history of not just the RTS genre, but the strategy genre in general. It had a rich world filled with memorable characters, wonder graphics and animations, great attention paid to detail… it was a technical wonder. And while it had several issues with the gameplay department, in the large scheme of things, you almost started feeling as if those flaws weren’t all the big anyway. That’s how good Sacrifice was.

Sins of a Solar Empire

Sins of a Solar Empire is a perfect example of how to blend two genres- 4X and RTS- in the same game. Relying heavily on strategizing and being tactical, Sins is a thinking man’s game. It’s not for the brash and the impatient. In a nutshell, it’s the perfect treat for any RTS fan. The seemless zooming, the user-friendly Empire Tree and UI, and amazing multiplayer component, long-drawn thought provoking battles, and the fact that the game can be played on older and newer PCs alike make this a must-buy for all RTS fans.

]]> https://gamingbolt.com/top-15-pc-real-time-strategy-games-of-all-time/feed 81 18009 https://gamingbolt.com/tactics-ogre-remake-for-the-psp https://gamingbolt.com/tactics-ogre-remake-for-the-psp#respond Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:46:56 +0000 http://gamingbolt.com/2010/07/21/tactics-ogre-remake-for-the-psp/ It has been confirmed by Famitsu (thanks a ton, 1UP) that Square Enix will be remaking the classic and the much beloved strategy SNES game Tactics Ogre on the PSP, and this time, it’ll be known as Tactics Ogre: Wheel of Fate (not Time, people, Fate). While retaining the core feeling anf look of the ’95 classic, it will be remade in 3D this time around, while allowing players to move the camera around to get a better look at the action.

Don’t expect much change in the gameplay though. The game will now allow 30 troops on screen, as opposed to 20 in the SNES version, and we will have new features and several new classes for the skill system, but otherwise, the core gameplay will remain largely unchanged. Obviously, we hope Square tweaks to meet the requirements of current generation gamers… or maybe an old school strategy game would be perfect… let’s wait and watch. According to designer Matsuno, the game will have new story angles, character developments (who knows, maybe even new characters) and new side stories.

Director Hiroshi Minagawa, designer Yasumi Matsuno, character designers Akihiro Yoshida and Tsubasa Masao, and Hitoshi Sakimoto and Iwata Masaji of the music department will be joinging the team to remake the game they made fifteen years back.

No release date has yet been announced, and Square hasn’t confirmed if Wheel of Fate will be getting a western release. The original SNES version never got released outside of Japan, so we sure hope this one DOES get released. PLEASE, SQUARE, WE WANT SOMETHING GOOD TO PLAY ON OUR PSPs!!!