Rumor: MS plans to shut down Ensemble Studios?

[funcroc]

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.

[funcroc]

Confirmed: Microsoft closing Ensemble

[Deadly_Nightshade]

Wow, that was unexpected - I always thought the Age of Empires series was a boon and not a detractor to MS...

[tripleRRR]

I wonder if this means MS expects Halo Wars to tank.

[Hurlshort]

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.

[Tigranes]

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.

[Pop]

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

[Deadly_Nightshade]

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...

[Tigranes]

Well that's a surprise. I suppose ES' comments that most of its buyers never even try playing online were right.

[Moatilliatta]

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.

[Morgoth]

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!

[SteveThaiBinh]

That's very typical from Microsoft: Buying a studio, cannibalizing it, then shutting it down.

Hey, isn't that EA's job?

[Tale]

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

[Morgoth]

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.

[Hurlshort]

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.

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

Well as long as they're founding another studio, I guess.

 

I think I died a little inside.

[Pop]

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.

[Gorth]

Age of Empires was maybe the one and only RTS game that I actually found to be fun to play >_

[Shryke]

i really didn't particularly like the 3rd one, but i had many hours of fun making maps and playing AOE2 and AOM

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

I had so much fun in AOE2, messing around with the editor.

[Deadly_Nightshade]

I still install AoE II, SW Battlegrounds, and AoM every once and awhile - haven't tried AoE III though.

[Shryke]

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

[Tale]

@Tale

Didn'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.

[jaguars4ever]

I still haven't forgiven MS for shutting down Digital Anvil.

 

O Freelancer 2, where art thou?

[alanschu]

That twinkle in our eye jags.