Another blow to PC gaming to further the 360. Bad news indeed.

Lol starcaft. Yes all of those titles have effect on console sales. Weren't you and gbex and madskills always tooting about libraries that were important not just one game? How quickly those statements turn around when you get too human and tales of....

Microsoft made a strategic move. While closing the studio may cost them some profits in the long run. The closure can mean that Microsoft will have more funds available in the short term. Remember once their latest game is released this studio will not be profitable until they release their next game, but Microsoft will still have to pay the bills in the mean time.

Microsoft can do a lot with these resources that will be freed up. They can purchase more third party exclusives. They can funnel the money into their remaining studios. Which will mean more games from those studios, or games in development making it to market sooner. This could mean a lot for Microsoft next year. Remember Microsoft is committed to defeating Sony this generation, and this generation is there greatest chance to do so.

That is what Microsoft is thinking if they can defeat Sony over the coming year then that will lead to serious profits for the next five years. Ensemble might have brought in twenty million in profits annually, but if selling them helps Microsoft win and bring in fifty million dollars more annually it could be a very smart move.

I am surprised that nobody has picked up on the fact that Microsoft is closing the studio, and not selling the studio. That means they still respect the properties, and see future potential in them. So your probably going to see Age of Empire again from the former employees of Ensemble. Microsoft will probably still have the property for their platform. Hell they can even demand that. All they have really done is saved themselves from some short term expenses without actually losing the things that really matter.

Basically all the bitching is for not. The Ensemble series will simply be licensed out to this new independent studio. Microsoft will still have the exclusive property. The only thing that will change is Microsoft will not be the bank that they were before. Will be interesting to see what Microsoft has in mind for this money.

All good in the world is dead .... oh well.

All the developers are either staying with MGS or forming a new company. Um...odd? It seems like the creative group behind Ensemble will still be around and making games, and the fact that they've committed themselves to supporting Halo Wars post launch would suggest that the Ensemble IPs aren't going to just disappear. So the whole thing comes across as pretty wierd. Must be some wierd technical "jump through 50 hoops to save a buck" business stuff.

:(