View source for Empire Earth

{{Short description|Video game series}}
{{About|the video game series|the first entry in the series|Empire Earth (video game)|the mobile adaptation|Empire Earth (mobile game)|}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox video game series
| title                = Empire Earth
| image                = 
| platforms            = [[Microsoft Windows]]
| caption              = 
| developer            = [[Stainless Steel Studios]], [[Mad Doc Software]]
| publisher            = [[Sierra Entertainment]],<ref name="mobygames" /> [[Rebellion Developments]], [[Vivendi Games]]<ref name="mobygames" />
| genre                = [[Real-time strategy]]
| spinoffs             = 
| first release version  = ''[[Empire Earth (video game)|Empire Earth]]''
| first release date     = 2001
| latest release version = ''[[Empire Earth III]]''
| latest release date    = 2007
}}

'''''Empire Earth''''' is a series of [[real-time strategy]] [[video game]]s developed by [[Stainless Steel Studios]] and [[Mad Doc Software]], and published by [[Sierra Entertainment]]. The games in the series are historical RTS games that are similar to ''[[Age of Empires]]''.<ref name="gamespotreview">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/empireearth/review.html|title=Gamespot rating|website=[[GameSpot]]|first=Greg|last=Kasavin|access-date=2006-12-30}}</ref> [[Rick Goodman]], who designed ''Empire Earth'' and ''[[Empires: Dawn of the Modern World]]'', was one of the lead designers of ''Age of Empires''. The games use the [[Titan (game engine)|Titan]] and [[Titan 2.0]] engine, which was sold after Stainless Steel Studios closed.

==Chronology==
{{Video game timeline
| 2001  = ''[[Empire Earth (video game)|Empire Earth]]''
| 2002  = ''[[Empire Earth: The Art of Conquest|The Art of Conquest]]''
| 2005a = ''[[Empire Earth II]]''
| 2005b = ''[[Empire Earth (mobile game)]]''
| 2006  = ''[[Empire Earth II: The Art of Supremacy|The Art of Supremacy]]''
| 2007  = ''[[Empire Earth III]]''
}}

The first game of the series, ''[[Empire Earth (video game)|Empire Earth]]'', was released in 2001. It was developed by Stainless Steel Studios, and published by Sierra Entertainment. The game was praised for its in-depth gameplay and received positive critical acclaim. The 2 million unit sales were enough to spawn an expansion pack and several sequels to the game. The game had 14 epochs in it, which totaled 500,000 years. The game also included 21 nations, from every age and location. It consisted of 4 campaign mode missions which consisted of historic moments based on Ancient Greece and Macedon, England's constant wars with the French including the Norman Conquests of England, the Germans in World War I and II, and a fantasy future scenario involving Russia and their conquest of the world.

Initially released in 2002, ''[[Empire Earth: The Art of Conquest]]'' was an expansion pack for the first ''Empire Earth''. The expansion pack added several new campaigns and features to the game but was received negatively because there were many small bugs that were never addressed by [[Mad Doc Software]].{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} The expansion pack was released before the release of ''Empires: Dawn of the Modern World''.

''Empires: Dawn of the Modern World'' was not technically the sequel to ''Empire Earth'', but it was released in 2003 and sometimes referenced as the [[spiritual sequel]] to ''Empire Earth''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r21660.htm|title=Empires: Dawn of the Modern World|access-date=2007-04-15|date=2003-11-12|website=GameZone|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614142557/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r21660.htm|archive-date=2007-06-14|url-status=dead}}</ref> The game was also designed by [[Rick Goodman]] and the SSSI team and had many throwbacks to the first ''Empire Earth''. ''Empires: Dawn of the Modern World'' was much more condensed, with only 1,000 years and only nine civilizations. Even so, the game received positive acclaim as a good RTS, but not very innovative.

''[[Empire Earth II]]'' was released in 2005, two years after ''[[Empires: Dawn of the Modern World]]''. ''Empire Earth II'' was developed by Mad Doc Software and published by Sierra Entertainment since Stainless Steel Studios left the project to develop ''Empires: Dawn of the Modern World''. ''Empire Earth II'' used revamped graphics and weather effects, but still retained the original feel of ''Empire Earth'''s gameplay. The game was received relatively well (about 79% on average according to MetaCritic), a little lower than the original ''Empire Earth'' and ''Empires: Dawn of the Modern World''.
[[Image:Empire earth.PNG|thumb|left|200px|A screenshot from [[Empire Earth II]]]]

''[[Empire Earth II: The Art of Supremacy]]'' was released in 2006 and was an expansion pack for ''Empire Earth II''. The expansion pack added several new campaigns, civilizations, units, and features to the original ''Empire Earth II'' game. However, the game was received worse than its expansion pack predecessor and was considered bad for its lack of innovation with the new campaigns it offered.

''[[Empire Earth III]]'' is a [[real-time strategy]] [[video game]] by Mad Doc Software and released by Sierra Entertainment on November 5, 2007.<ref name="mobygames">{{cite web|url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/31120/empire-earth-iii/releases/|title=Empire Earth III Release Information|website=Mobygames|access-date=2024-07-24}}</ref> It was received poorly in contrast to its predecessors.

''[[Empire Earth Mobile]]'' is a [[turn-based strategy]] game developed by Vivendi and published by Wonderphone. It is much smaller than any other titles in the series, with only four epochs and other condensed features.

==Reception==
''Empire Earth'', the first in the series, was well received by critics, averaging an 82% overall.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/376328-empire-earth/index.html|title=Empire Earth|access-date=2017-06-30|publisher=[[GameRankings]]}}</ref> ''Empire Earth II'' did nearly as well as its predecessor, with a 79% average.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/920489-empire-earth-ii/index.html|title=Empire Earth II|access-date=2017-06-30|publisher=GameRankings}}</ref> The expansion packs were given mediocre reviews at best, with ''Conquest'' averaging 66%<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/561395-empire-earth-the-art-of-conquest/index.html|title=Empire Earth: The Art of Conquest|access-date=2007-03-21|publisher=GameRankings}}</ref> and ''Supremacy'' averaging 61%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/930536-empire-earth-ii-the-art-of-supremacy/index.html|title=Empire Earth: The Art of Supremacy|access-date=2017-06-30|publisher=GameRankings}}</ref> ''[[Empires: Dawn of the Modern World]]'' had a closer rating to ''Empire Earth'' than anything else in the series, with an 81% average.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/589675-empires-dawn-of-the-modern-world/index.html|title=Empires: Dawn of the Modern World|access-date=2017-06-30|publisher=GameRankings}}</ref> ''Empire Earth mobile'' averaged about 77%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/mobile/930409-empire-earth/index.html|title=Empire Earth|access-date=2017-06-30|publisher=GameRankings}}</ref> ''Empire Earth III'' was the worst received title of the series, averaging only a 50% overall.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/empire-earth-iii/critic-reviews/?platform=pc|title=Empire Earth III|access-date=2016-04-14|publisher=MetaCritic}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Empire Earth series}}
{{Rick Goodman}}

[[Category:Empire Earth| ]]
[[Category:Multiplayer online games]]
[[Category:Activision Blizzard franchises]]
[[Category:Microsoft franchises]]
[[Category:Panhistorical video games]]
[[Category:Real-time strategy video games]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Video game franchises introduced in 2001]]