Ensemble Studios that is. The latest in the series that defined the XBox platform image, Halo, is real-time strategy game Halo Wars. After original Halo developer Bungie broke the bank last September with the massive Halo 3 release and shortly after won their freedom from owner Microsoft 6 days later last October, Microsoft was potentially left without their console's crown jewel or at least the jewel's now-independent developers. Summoned to the call was Microsoft-owned developer Ensemble Studios to create the RTS spinoff called Halo Wars (with input from Bungie for series integrity). But before the 1st half of 2009 release date marks the calendar, Microsoft shocks and awes the dutiful developer into its own halo. After the greatly-anticipated game is released Microsoft will disband Ensemble Studios.
Details are following...
In business since 1995 and part of Microsoft since 2001, Ensemble Studios became known as the masters of the real-time strategy genre with series like Age of Empires and Age of Mythology on the PC platform. Now the power plug has been pulled out of the wall and see the speak of corporate dissembling from Microsoft as this ray of light succumbs to the darkness:
"Microsoft has decided to close Ensemble Studios following the completion of Halo Wars. After the closure, the Ensemble leadership team will form a new studio and has agreed to provide ongoing support for Halo Wars as well as work on other projects with Microsoft Game Studios. This was a fiscally-rooted decision that keeps MGS on its growth path. While the decision to dissolve Ensemble was not an easy one, Microsoft is working to place as many Ensemble employees who do not move to the newly formed studio into open positions within Microsoft as possible."
Microsoft continues:
"We are committed to growing MGS with world-class talent both internally and with our external partners around the globe. Our investment in games has never been greater than it is today."
MGS stands for Microsoft Game Studios, by the way. But nevermind that, the move makes no sense. A successful and well-regarded developer like this cast off like common refuse? This just in: Mr. Universal sheds a tear for the future of the Age of Empires series. So this is what it sounds like...when doves cry.
Credit to GamesIndustry.biz.
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