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Ensemble Was Shocked About Closure News

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Age of Empires and Halo Wars house Ensemble Studios has delivered top-notch strategy games and fostered a strong talented group of game developers over its 12 years.

That's why when Microsoft execs recently told the studio it would be shutting it down, employees were so taken aback, says studio figurehead Bruce Shelley.
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edge-online.com

[via ensemblestudios.com]
Alternative Sources:
Ensemble: "We thought ... - gamesindustry.biz | By: Cyrus365
Ensemble "shocked"... - computerandvideogames.com | By: Maldread
Shelley - "Studio Clos... - dailygamesnews.com | By: skapunkmetalskater
BIoodmask - contributor
Published: 469 days 23 hours ago | News | Xbox 360 | PC | Industry News | Dev News
 
 

Showing: 1 - 24 of 24 Comments
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NewSchoolGamer - 470 days ago
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1 - That
seriously sucks, they made the Age of Empires franchise!!!!

If not ES, then who?
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IdleLeeSiuLung - 469 days 11 hours ago
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1.1 -
I'm suprised too. I mean, game studios are a dime a dusin, but great ones are only a couple of handfulls. The synergy between employees are insanely important to a game studio and incredible difficult to attain. Why would you get rid of a studio that time and time again have delivered great games!

It is far more costly to have crappy studios make crappy games only to lose money. This is bad for shareholders! It's like when they completely overpaid for Rare and should have saved their money there instead.
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ngg12345 - 469 days 23 hours ago
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2 - This pisses me off
I'm wondering will they make an independent developer?
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2.1 CNIVEK | 469 days 23 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show
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FantasyStar - 469 days 23 hours ago
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3 -
I wish I could say something critical of Microsoft right now, but well...that's business. Here's hoping the former Ensemble Team will push back because there's no Infinity Ward "postings" to save them this time because FPS don't really fit well into RTS games.
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DJ - 469 days 23 hours ago
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4 - Great job Microsoft.
If your goal is to fire your most talented developers, minimize your software lineup, and make your platform as undesirable as possible then keep it up.
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LastDance - 469 days 22 hours ago
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5 -
I hate microsoft for this disgusting move. Age of empires is easily one of the best gaming franchises of all time, AOE 3 was especially excellent.

Way to destroy quality and wedge in more profits instead. this makes EA look like kojima and his team.
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LastDance - 469 days 20 hours ago
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5.1 -
http://www.ensemblestudios....

after reading this link....I wonder why they would finish halo wars. It represents the reason microsoft shut down ensemble. Greed.
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DJ - 469 days 12 hours ago
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5.2 - I'm even wondering what the final quality of Halo Wars is going to be like.
Keeping the core team is a problem unto itself, but keeping work moral high is an even bigger issue, which can directly affect the title. Then again, maybe the biggest "F U" they can give to Microsoft is by putting out an insanely good title and show just how stupid MS was for shutting them down.

Hopefully Sony takes notice, 'cause the staff at Ensemble is very talented.
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Zhit - 469 days 22 hours ago
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6 - Halo War game balancing patches?
I guess this means no play balancing patches for Halo Wars after release....
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andron666 - 469 days 12 hours ago
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6.1 - MS say they will support the game after launch...
Not Assemble Studios, but another studio they formed to keep Halo Wars going.

Read that in an earlier article here about their closure...
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LevDog - 469 days 22 hours ago
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7 -
WOW.. So MS and 360 are down looks like 4 first party Devs? Correct me if Im wrong please.. So does Halo wars still get released?

Sony 20+ First party devs (multi exclusives per year)
MS 4 First party devs ( Maybe 1 if their are lucky exclusives per year)...

Wow they are gonna be buying alot of titles..
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VF34EJ25 - 469 days 22 hours ago
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7.1 -
they'll have plenty of money to buy more third party exclusives. cause people know exclusives are exclusives even if they came from mars.

but Sony does have the advantage of the exclusives being 100% forever exclusives when they make their own games.
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comm13 - 469 days 22 hours ago
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8 - way to destroy the best (IMO) RTS developer ever.
No more AoE :( I grew up on the franchise and was looking foreword to the next one. Have to love MS.
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hokis4ever - 469 days 21 hours ago
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9 - It's really unfortunate
It must be difficult for the ones still working on Halo Wars, knowing the studio will shut down after completion.

I can see two possible outcomes from which i would hope they choose the 2nd.

1. They half ass the rest of the game as a F you to Microsoft or
2. they put their heart and soul in to it and make Microsoft regret shutting them down...

Guess we'll see!
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i_like_ff7 - 469 days 21 hours ago
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10 -
Why does microsoft decide to do this??? They have like no first party support now. Just RARE....
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comm13 - 469 days 21 hours ago
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10.1 - lol
ES was mainly a PC studio, I think halo wars is their first console game.

I really hope the talent goes and opens their own studio and keeps making RTS on PC or even make one for ps3 (with KB and Mouse support). Oh well I guess I should start up AoE3 again before everyone stops playing.

Too bad I dislike SC :(
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ASSASSYN 36o - 469 days 21 hours ago
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11 -
Hmmmm new Microsoft studio? Sounds like they consolidated all the old ones into one.
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RememberThe357 - 469 days 21 hours ago
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12 - Damn
Business is a b*tch.
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comm13 - 469 days 21 hours ago
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13 - Basically MS is gettin more greedy, click the link to see why the studio was closed.
http://www.ensemblestudios....
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rakgi - 469 days 15 hours ago
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14 -
man if ensemble isn't safe from Microsoft's firing rage then who is...if Microsoft wants to make it bigger in the gaming industry it isn't a smart move to disassemble your best studios i mean look at Sony they make loads of great 1st party games because they know not to fire their best
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Charmers - 469 days 15 hours ago
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15 -
Hm isn't that odd, I mean MS closing down a premier PC RTS developer. A developer that creates fantastic games on the PC that sell incredibly well. Hmmm I wonder why MS would do something like that ?

It is becoming even more blatant now that MS wants to kill PC gaming, they do not want people gaming on the PC. In MS's ideal world they want you to game on their console and do your browsing on a PC with their operating system. That is the reason they killed Ensemble off. The most telling point was this :-

"but we don’t fit in the future plans of MGS as an internal studio so we’re out."

Hm I wonder why a primary PC developer wouldn't fit into MS's future plans. Goodluck to the guys at Ensemble I hope they all find a decent company to work for.
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pshizle - 469 days 8 hours ago
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16 - i think MS
is trying to get the best developers and making one big talented team...kinda like nintendo

and it saves them money
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No Way - 469 days 1 hour ago
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17 -
That seriously blows. Cause I personally think they are one of the best, if not the best, RTS developers. And, I enjoy their games.

Well.. Hopefully MS keeps them somewhere within their circle. Or, if not that, hopefully they make an independent studio.
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