Case Study: Custom Christmas Sweaters for Xbox

About Age of Empires

Age of Empires is a classic and highly influential real-time strategy (RTS) series in which players build and manage civilisations, advance through historical eras, and engage in strategic warfare. It’s produced by Microsoft for Xbox Game Studios.

In Age of Empires, you:
– Gather resources such as food, wood, gold and stone
– Build towns, train armies and research technologies
– Advance through “Ages” (e.g., Stone Age → Iron Age, or Dark Age → Imperial Age)
– Battle other players or AI to dominate the map or complete objectives

🕹️ Main Titles in the Series:

• Age of Empires (1997) – Ancient civilisations like Egypt, Greece, Babylon
• Age of Empires II (1999) – Medieval Europe & Asia; one of the most beloved entries
• Age of Empires III (2005) – Colonisation and imperialism in the Americas
• Age of Empires IV (2021) – A return to medieval times with modern graphics and mechanics

There’s also Age of Mythology, a fantasy spin-off based on world mythologies rather than history.

🧠 Why It’s Popular:
– Blends history, strategy and resource management
– Offers deep single-player campaigns and competitive multiplayer
– Sustained by an enthusiastic community, regular updates and esports events

The Project

Because of that passionate community, Microsoft & Xbox commissioned an exclusive limited-edition Age of Empires custom Christmas sweater. Global demand was so high that Roody shipped the sweaters to Microsoft distribution hubs in both Europe and the US.

The Making of the Sweater

The fully custom sweater featured Age of Empires iconography—including the series crest, civilisation silhouettes and pixel-style units—knitted directly into the fabric for a premium finish. The yarn was custom-dyed to match the franchise’s earth-tone palette, with metallic-gold accents echoing the in-game resources.

Collars, cuffs and hem were reinforced for durability, and every sweater was individually packaged and bar-coded to streamline distribution through Microsoft’s global logistics network.