funcroc Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/54648 http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20167 Microsoft plans to shut down subsidiary developer Ensemble Studios after the release of its upcoming release Halo Wars, Gamasutra has learned from industry sources. According to statements made by those sources, the majority of staff were laid off this morning. Shacknews is separately reporting that developers attached to the Halo Wars project have been offered incentives to remain at Ensemble until the game ships. Its last announced release projection was early 2009. Founded in 1995 and located in Dallas, Ensemble is known for its long-running Age of Empires series of historically-themed PC real-time strategy games. It was acquired by Microsoft in 2001. The company's most recent full game, Age of Empires III, was a commercial success with over two million copies sold, but it is less clear how its two subsequent expansion packs fared. Speaking to Gamasutra, a Microsoft representative declined to issue a statement but claimed an official response is en route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funcroc Posted September 10, 2008 Author Share Posted September 10, 2008 Confirmed: Microsoft closing Ensemble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadly_Nightshade Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Wow, that was unexpected - I always thought the Age of Empires series was a boon and not a detractor to MS... "Geez. It's like we lost some sort of bet and ended up saddled with a bunch of terrible new posters on this forum." -Hurlshot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tripleRRR Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 I wonder if this means MS expects Halo Wars to tank. Using a gamepad to control an FPS is like trying to fight evil through maple syrup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurlshort Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 This seems pretty odd, but my guess is it has more to due with problems between Ensemble's upper management and MS than any problems with their products. Halo Wars will probably sell decently, it's hard to imagine it won't at least keep pace with AoE III. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigranes Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 AOE3 didn't sell that well, did it? It certainly never got above a few thousand at any given moment in online matchmaking. A real shame, since AOK really brought me into strategy gaming, and I sunk a lot of hours into the series. They didn't really seem to know where to go after AOE3 though, and I'm ambivalent about Halo Wars, although it'll probably do decent. I don't know. I still don't see a real reason to close the place, and do it before release... either it's part of a general policy on MS' part or it's behind the scenes troubles I guess. Let's Play: Icewind Dale Ironman (Complete) Let's Play: Icewind Dale II Ironman (Complete) Let's Play: Divinity II (Complete) Let's Play: Baldur's Gate Trilogy Ironman - BG1 (Complete) Let's Play: Baldur's Gate Trilogy Ironman - BG2 (In Progress) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 (edited) Like Kotaku pointed out, it may have to do with MGS' lack of faith in the PC market. Most likely an aggregate of that and any number of other factors. Joystiq sez the key players are being courted by Microsoft to serve in some capacity outside of Ensemble. Edited September 10, 2008 by Pop Join me, and we shall make Production Beards a reality! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadly_Nightshade Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 AOE3 didn't sell that well, did it? I believe it sold rather well -over 2,000,000 according to Wiki-, although I might be wrong... "Geez. It's like we lost some sort of bet and ended up saddled with a bunch of terrible new posters on this forum." -Hurlshot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigranes Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Well that's a surprise. I suppose ES' comments that most of its buyers never even try playing online were right. Let's Play: Icewind Dale Ironman (Complete) Let's Play: Icewind Dale II Ironman (Complete) Let's Play: Divinity II (Complete) Let's Play: Baldur's Gate Trilogy Ironman - BG1 (Complete) Let's Play: Baldur's Gate Trilogy Ironman - BG2 (In Progress) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moatilliatta Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 RPS has some interesting comments on this and seems to support Deadly's 2 million number and the posts in the comments section seem to say that the series were close to 20 Mil. I don't feel too well about this as AoE has always been one of my favourite series and even though AoE 3 went in a direction that I didn't like (smaller maps, more MP 1vs1 focused) it was still one of the better games series made ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgoth Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 That's very typical from Microsoft: Buying a studio, cannibalizing it, then shutting it down. Fackeen bastards. I'm sure they wanted Ensemble to turn into a Xbox360 exclusive developer, forcing them to make more Halo Wars games and other unnecessary RTS attempts for the console. The Ensemble execs however thought their future probably in the PC market (they're RTS makers after all!), and thus the studio was shut down. Same with Digital Anvil: A great studio which released a great game (Freelancer, and yes, I loved it), then just shutting it down. FASA, once a great studio, cannibalized, forced to make ****ty games for Vista and X360, then shutting them down. How many studios are left until they get shut down? Ohhh Pete Molyneux, don't you dare to make a PC game or you'll face just the same fate! Rain makes everything better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveThaiBinh Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 That's very typical from Microsoft: Buying a studio, cannibalizing it, then shutting it down. Hey, isn't that EA's job? "An electric puddle is not what I need right now." (Nina Kalenkov) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tale Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 (edited) Hey, Ensemble's in Dallas. Hey, the video game developer I went to work with is in Dallas, too! What a coinkeydink. No, I can't speak of this situation. There's rumor and speculation on my end, too. Edited September 10, 2008 by Tale "Show me a man who "plays fair" and I'll show you a very talented cheater." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgoth Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 That's very typical from Microsoft: Buying a studio, cannibalizing it, then shutting it down. Hey, isn't that EA's job? Back then, yes. But MS doesn't seem, nor doesn't want to change that. @Tale Didn't know you were at Ensemble. This really sucks. Rain makes everything better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurlshort Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 It sounds like, between the new studio being founded, and MS supposedly relocating some people, there won't be too many jobs lost. But that was just the way Gamasutra made it sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WILL THE ALMIGHTY Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Well as long as they're founding another studio, I guess. I think I died a little inside. "Alright, I've been thinking. When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade - make life take the lemons back! Get mad! I don't want your damn lemons, what am I supposed to do with these? Demand to see life's manager. Make life rue the day it thought it could give Cave Johnson lemons. Do you know who I am? I'm the man who's gonna burn your house down! With the lemons. I'm going to to get my engineers to invent a combustible lemon that burns your house down!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Ohhh Pete Molyneux, don't you dare to make a PC game or you'll face just the same fate! Please, please Mr. Molyneux, please make a PC game, for the love of God. Join me, and we shall make Production Beards a reality! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorth Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Age of Empires was maybe the one and only RTS game that I actually found to be fun to play >_ “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shryke Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 i really didn't particularly like the 3rd one, but i had many hours of fun making maps and playing AOE2 and AOM when your mind works against you - fight back with substance abuse! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WILL THE ALMIGHTY Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 I had so much fun in AOE2, messing around with the editor. "Alright, I've been thinking. When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade - make life take the lemons back! Get mad! I don't want your damn lemons, what am I supposed to do with these? Demand to see life's manager. Make life rue the day it thought it could give Cave Johnson lemons. Do you know who I am? I'm the man who's gonna burn your house down! With the lemons. I'm going to to get my engineers to invent a combustible lemon that burns your house down!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadly_Nightshade Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 I still install AoE II, SW Battlegrounds, and AoM every once and awhile - haven't tried AoE III though. "Geez. It's like we lost some sort of bet and ended up saddled with a bunch of terrible new posters on this forum." -Hurlshot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shryke Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 bleah Battlegrounds was lame they didn't even bother to develop anything at all, it was pretty much just AOEII reskinned to be star wars when your mind works against you - fight back with substance abuse! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tale Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 @TaleDidn't know you were at Ensemble. This really sucks. Nobody here knew. I've only been here for like 5 weeks. I will say this. The people here are terrific. Everyone (management included, they're not to blame for this). And it's sad that so many of them will be losing their jobs. It doesn't really effect me personally as I'm a contractor and my employment was temporary, anyway. But, I can't say I didn't have fanciful notions in my head about trying to come back after this was over or sticking on a little longer. "Show me a man who "plays fair" and I'll show you a very talented cheater." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaguars4ever Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 I still haven't forgiven MS for shutting down Digital Anvil. O Freelancer 2, where art thou? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanschu Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 That twinkle in our eye jags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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