IGN has posted the first online Age of Empires 3 Q&A, asking Ensemble's Greg Street and Dave Pottinger about the strategy game sequel. Topics include the setting, the eight civilizations, the campaign mode, gameplay changes, game engine and multiplayer. Several fine looking screenshots are included as well.

We considered a lot of time periods for Age of Empires III but ultimately kept coming back to the one we chose. For starters, we knew the fan expectation was to move chronologically through time. We think it makes a good arc in the overall "Age of" franchise and leaves room for future titles without having to go backwards in time. The colonial time period is a good fit for an Age game. Although military technology has advanced, the fundamentals of combat haven't changed from the Age of Kings time period the way they would, say for WWI. That is, the game starts with a lot of units familiar from Age of Kings, like Pikemen and Crossbows. Even in the later part of the game, where there are lots of gunpowder units on the battlefield, cavalry still fight hand-to-hand with swords. Other aspects of the time period work well with our gameplay, such as exploring an unknown map, starting a new town, eventually coming into contact with other players, and having to resolve differences (usually by force). That is pretty much the story of colonization and conquest of the New World in a nutshell.

Planet Age of Mythology has some info about Age of Empires III: Age of Discovery, which is featured in the latest issue of PC Gamer. The game begins in 1500 A.D. and follows American history up through 1850. The game uses the Havocs physics engine and multiplayer will feature 8 civilizations. An official announcement by Ensemble Studios is expected soon.

The Ensemble Studios website has been updated with new teaser text, as we're getting closer to an announcement from the Age of Empires developer. Previously just saying "The Wait is Almost Over", the new line "2300 BC - Sargon 1 unifies Sumeria" seeminly indicates Age of Empires 3 will span several ages. Thanks badman.

The Wait Is Almost Over is a new splash screen on the Ensemble Studios website, seemingly indicating that the new Age of Empires game will be announced soon. The game was first mentioned by a Polish publisher back in October, and it's also featured in the latest issue of Computer Gaming World.