Ensemble Studio’s Bruce Shelly has made a final post on the developer’s community blog,‭ ‬stating that his work at the‭ ‬distinguished developer is likely to be the‭ ‬defining experience of‭ ‬his‭ ‬career.

‭“‬We are working our way through the final week with mixed emotions,‭” ‬said Shelly.‭ ‬“Boxes are piled in the hallways for trash‭; ‬people are giving away games and other stuff they don’t want anymore‭; ‬computers are being wiped‭; ‬and our corporate IDs are being turned in.‭ ‬Although we will be keeping in touch through some alumni initiatives,‭ ‬many of us may not cross paths again.‭”

Speaking of the legacy of the studio,‭ ‬Shelly said that there was‭ ‬“a genuine caring at ES for colleagues,‭ ‬and the games we made,‭ ‬which was special.‭ ‬The mission of our studio was to create a great place to work and make great game.‭”

Speaking of the studio’s tenacity and togetherness,‭ ‬Shelly states that around‭ ‬60%‭ ‬of the team who worked on the original‭ ‬Age of Empires‭ – ‬a game released in‭ ‬1997‭ – ‬had remained at the studio until its last day.‭


“On behalf of everyone at ES,‭ ‬past and present,‭ ‬thanks for your support over the years.‭ ‬Your feedback on our games made the next version better.‭ ‬Buying legitimate copies made it possible for us to keep making them.‭ ‬Thanks also to those who wrote us to express regrets about the end of our studio and even the end of this blog.‭

Have fun.‭”

Source:‭ ‬Ensemble Blog