The lords of the real time strategy (RTS) genre, Ensemble Studios, learned last September that daddy Microsoft was breaking up the dynasty. All this happened in the midst of producing the RTS spinoff of the XBox platform's premiere franchise in the best-selling Halo Wars. Neither past success on the PC platform with the Age of Empires and Age of Mythology series nor eventual new success with Halo Wars becoming the most successful RTS game in history had no effect in reversing this questionable shutdown. Ensemble Studios co-founder Bruce Shelley said his farewells as the staff packed their belongings; the Halo Wars end credits showed the staff's remorse as they thanked their loved ones; and the tight-knit ensemble splintered into 3 new development houses called Robot Entertainment, Bonfire Studios, and Windstorm Studios.
Now comes the 4th splinter as ex-Ensemble staff emerge a new game studio with an adaptation of a graphic novel for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. Check it out...
That 4th splinter is known as Newtoy (founded by brothers Paul and David Bettner) and the graphic novel in question is robot fan/artist Ashley Wood's World War Robot, a grim dramatic near-apocalyptic sci-fi/warfare tale about humans and robots fighting for supremacy over Earth, Mars, Moon and Stars. Mr. Wood was responsible for creating one of the world's first digital comics for the Sony PlayStation Portable with Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel.
Get ready for the hype-inducing PR! Paul Bettner, Newtoy's Creative Director, you're up first:
We share a dream for a new kind of game development. World class game makers from around the globe - artists and illustrators, designers, musicians, coders - joining forces to craft the highest quality entertainment experiences on the most cutting edge game platforms. We are moving away from the monolithic studio model of development. We want to redefine the way video games are made. This collaboration with Ashley is that dream, realized.
Anything you'd like to add Ashley Wood?
I'm excited to team up with game creators who I have admired and, more importantly, whose games I have enjoyed playing over the years!
He said that with an exclamation point. So as you can see this is an enthusiastic collaboration. Fans of each other, presumably, and possibly friends before it's all said and done with.
Ensemble Studios' breakup was blamed on everything from Microsoft's short-sighted greed to Ensemble's inability with managing and unifying a larger staff to the studio's lack of diversification or in plain English 'All they made was RTS games.' Mr. Universal can dry his tears a little with this bit of news. Though the name has passed away, the spirit lives on. Or so we hope. Things should look good if the enthusiasm translates to the finished product.
Look Ma, I got a Newtoy!
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