http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20167
I recently learned of some sad news released earlier this month. Microsoft owned Ensemble Studios is to be shut down upon completion of its last project. The closure has come as a shock to many in the video game industry including workers at the studio itself. Bruce Shelley, a lead designer at the studio, said, “We thought we were immune to shut down.” With the success and profitability of Ensemble one would question why the studio was chosen for closure. Speculation has found that Ensemble was more expensive to run than other Microsoft owned studios. Also, executives deemed future projects at other studios (Rare and Lionhead) more profitable. However, with the caliber of a team like Ensemble’s you would think that petty things such as those would not matter, but with today’s economy who knows what will happen.
The final project to be completed by Ensemble studios is a real-time-strategy (RTS) game called ‘Halo Wars’. Halo Wars a highly anticipated game based in the world created by the Halo trilogy. There are rumors that Ensemble had another Halo title in the works but would be a Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) game. This unannounced title seemed to have excellent potential and many gamers are disappointed to hear of the cancellation of this project.
Ensemble was opened in 1995 in Dallas, Texas. In 2001, it was acquired by PC giant Microsoft. They are well known for excellent RTS games and innovative graphics and gameplay. They have made some of my favorite video games including the Age of Empires series and Age of Mythology. I will sorely miss the intensity of games created by one of the greatest modern gaming studios. I hope that the final project, Halo Wars, blows the gaming world out of the water as a tribute to these great designers. Maybe, if it is profitable enough the doors will reopen and loyal gamers will once again see the work of the best minds in game design.
The final project to be completed by Ensemble studios is a real-time-strategy (RTS) game called ‘Halo Wars’. Halo Wars a highly anticipated game based in the world created by the Halo trilogy. There are rumors that Ensemble had another Halo title in the works but would be a Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) game. This unannounced title seemed to have excellent potential and many gamers are disappointed to hear of the cancellation of this project.
Ensemble was opened in 1995 in Dallas, Texas. In 2001, it was acquired by PC giant Microsoft. They are well known for excellent RTS games and innovative graphics and gameplay. They have made some of my favorite video games including the Age of Empires series and Age of Mythology. I will sorely miss the intensity of games created by one of the greatest modern gaming studios. I hope that the final project, Halo Wars, blows the gaming world out of the water as a tribute to these great designers. Maybe, if it is profitable enough the doors will reopen and loyal gamers will once again see the work of the best minds in game design.
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