Microsoft announces that Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties is gold, and the RTS expansion by Big Huge Game and Ensemble will be available in North America on October 23:

Microsoft Game Studios today announced that the eagerly awaited “Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties,” the second expansion pack for “Age of Empires III,” has gone gold and will hit retailers throughout North America on Oct. 23rd.

From renowned real-time strategy developers Big Huge Games and Ensemble Studios, “Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties” introduces gamers to Asian civilizations and a host of new gameplay features. Players will experience firsthand the rich and historical influences of Asia while commanding their units and expanding their empire in the Eastern world.

In addition to the introduction of playable Asian civilizations to Age of Empires III, the expansion pack provides new content, new ways of winning and trading, random map styles that feature remixes of classic “Age of Empires” game styles, and the return of Wonders - a favorite gameplay element in “Age of Empires II.” These new features will coincide with the basic core gameplay of “Age of Empires III” that gamers have come to know and love. “Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties” will also ship as a Games for Windows title with easier installation, enhanced reliability standards and support for key Windows Vista features, including the Games Explorer and Parental Controls.

“Age of Empires” and real-time strategy buffs can pick up "Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties” for the estimated retail price of $29.99 for Windows. “Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties” is rated “T” for Teen, for gamers 13 years old and above. “Age of Empires III” is required to play “Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties.” For more information, please visit www.ageofempires3.com.