Look what Acti-Blizzard is doing to Sierra and subsidiaries, not to mention all project getting cancel even those with promise. Big company sometimes only care about bottom line and that's too bad.
Microsoft always been penny wise and pound foolish. They always think short terms in whatever they do which is too bad. From customers services, RROD debacle, stupid DRM to trivial stuff like using cheap ass cases for games like the cheap 3 disc + 1 for Lost Oddysey to even their top of the line like Halo 3 which used cheap "imitation" steel case result in discs going loose during transit.
You would think they would learn from all these things, especially the RRoD, but sadly they probably have bean counters figure that it would be cheaper to replaced console disc than spend a little extra. The problem with bean counters is that those guys tends to not taking long term customers goodwill and satisfaction into their calculation.
I can see their reasoning (although shortsight) as PC market is shrinking (last Age of Empire did just so-so) and RTS genre is not what it once was. Still, this is the studio with good track records and produce many hit. If Halo Wars turn out to be console RTS, MS would loose out on turning out sequel and other RTS.
