http://gamer.blorge.com/2008/10/03/microsoft-ensemble-closure-not-all-rosy-key-folks-open-independent-studio/

Sorry for my ignorance but this is the first I've heard of my favourite developer (ensemble studios) being shut down! I know bungie has been shut down too but this is the part that got me in the article i just read...

"with rumblings that the company is planning on shifting focus from the hardcore to the casual market."

What is Microsoft doing! what other devs are being shut down or have been shut down recently? why is Microsoft getting rid of some of the best developers in the world! What the hell is with this "casual market" crap!? Hasn't Microsoft heard of Malstrom??? If this keeps going im going to join the haters of this "casual market" cos its screwing with some really good dev teams!!! would it be wrong to blame ubi soft? or can we start to blame microsoft as well?

I'm all for nintendos casual market cos they know what their doing (nintendos casual = hard core), but this is just madness!

All I can do is hope that the independent studios formed from these disbandings produce even better games then when MS ruled the roost :(

In Tomorrow's news we'll hear about Microsoft buying exclusivity rights to all the "Petz" games.

HAHAHAHAHA man, thats great! I gotta quote that in my sig! hahahaha

Um, Bungie has not been shut down at all. They just aren't owned by Microsoft anymore.

Just thought I'd let you know

Well would it really matter how many 1st party developers are being shut down after the news of ensembles loss ? I feel numb already :(.

lol ok i blured the lines betwene the "shut down" and "independent" thing, are they still under the bungie name? I thought they were a new studio all together with a new name???

EDIT:  Ultimatly what this means is that the studios that made these awesome games are no longer allowed to keep making them, and either some "not so good" studio will pick them up and WRECK THEM or they just wont have the same feel because we know their made by some one else :( which will also wreck the game.

I'm numb too :'( I was really haping the 'Age Of' series could continue in some form or another, I have to admit I was hoping for an AOE 4 which focuses around the world wars or something, just for the sake of continuing the time line :D but now I couldnt care less for who ever makes it, if they ever do cos it wont be the same! :'( :'( :'( it would be like some one other then blizard making war craft! it would be blasphemy!

If it makes you feel any better SnowWhitesDrug, the developers and coders aren't just going to retire - I think alot of them are forming a new company, and the rest will all stay making video games

consolidating the developers into their Halo development team

I know I know, :( I said "All I can do is hope that the independent studios formed from these disbandings produce even better games then when MS ruled the roost :(" and I did read the article, its just a big darn shame :( :'(

@ Cueil:
Are you saying that some of the bungie workers are now in a new halo dev team??? are you sure?

Bungie is exactly the same as before, just not owned by M$. And there is at least one Bungie employee that is now in the employ of M$, Frank O'Conner.