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Forums - Microsoft - Former Ensemble head Bruce Shelley not happy with Microsoft...

makingmusic476 on 23 September 2008

I have mentioned with regret the closing of several quality game studios over the past several years but I never considered that ES would join the list. Everyone at our studio was shocked, and I think remains very disappointed that this is going to happen. I believe we thought we were immune to shut-down talk because our published games have done so well and have been so profitable. Plus we felt we had built a really stable (low-turnover), talented, hard-working, and creative team, which is not easy to do. We thought we were among the best studios in the world, and that may be true, but we don’t fit in the future plans of MGS as an internal studio so we’re out.

Read the rest at EnsembleStudios.com.

Ensemble, you will be missed.  Please talk Microsoft into giving you the Age of Mythology IP, so you can make a sequel.  :'(



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StarcraftManiac on 23 September 2008

R.I.P Ensemble studios! You will be missed!...

 

Damn, I can even remember when I got Age of Empires 1 for my birthday more then 10 years ago! <3... Pure gold! And the water effects of AoE3 were killer! And not to mention the best of the series; AoE2!!! Sweeeet!



THE NETHERLANDS

halogamer1989 on 23 September 2008

Damn, he told MS off. Shelley hit the nail on the head. MSFT should have never closed Ensemble to save money which they probably did it for.



Million on 23 September 2008

I can't believe MS broke apart the best developer they had , it's a shame really.




makingmusic476 on 23 September 2008
Million said:
I can't believe MS broke apart the best developer they had , it's a shame really.

 

Tell me about it.  Age of Empires II is the game that really got me into RTS, my favorite genre, and Age of Mythology is still in my top three favorite RTSes of all time, often in first place, depending on my mood.

Goodbye, Ensemble.  ;_;



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Loud_Hot_White_Box on 23 September 2008

Microsoft is even more out of touch than John McCain.



FaRmLaNd on 23 September 2008

Thats just one of the potential outcomes when a developer is owned by another company. As much as its painful to say its Microsofts decision.



craighopkins on 23 September 2008

letting Peter go was a mistake.
Things might start goin down the Shitter

Don Mattricks or whatever his name is came from EA. EA destroyed many studios



hatmoza 2.0 on 23 September 2008

in the end ...all that matters is the money



selnor on 23 September 2008

It's a business. This kinda thing happens all the time. I predict M$ buying in a new developer studio. Perhaps a big name in the console market. Hmmmmm.......