(this post appears in VVV as well since i wanted to "tell all the people")
According to the friday edition of the USA Today newspaper (available on the web too) the success of the Rome-Total War series has prompted ES/Microsoft to revive the series. The release is targeted for Christmas of this year with a beta to be available in October. It'll tenatively be titled "Age of Empires-Enemies of Rome". New civs will include Pontic (as in Mithrades the Great), Celtic, Syrian, Nubian, Germanic, and Slavs. There are two new units that I thought were most intrigueing. First was an upgraded Legionaire that will automatically use a javelin attack when in missile range, then switch to gladius (short sword) for melee action. The other is the "Slavic Marauder" which is a mounted unit that functions as a horse archer, then with a click, transforms into Heavy Cavalry. I can't wait for the beta.
Lab