News

Ex-Ensemble Staff Support Halo Wars

Robot Entertainment, founded by former Ensemble staffers, is working with Microsoft Game Studios.

Microsoft may have axed Ensemble Studios, but the software giant is still working with former Ensemble employees.

Plano, Tex.-based Robot Entertainment, whose 45-person staff is made up entirely of former Ensemble staffers, said Tuesday that it is currently working with Microsoft Game Studios on additional content for the upcoming Ensemble-developed Xbox 360 strategy game Halo Wars, as well as original, unannounced IP.

Robot Entertainment formed after Microsoft decided to close down fully-owned Age of Empires creator Ensemble last yer. The new studio is led by Tony Goodman, one of the original co-founders of Ensemble, which established itself in 1995.

In a statement today, Goodman declared that the games industry "is in a state of upheaval," and that a small agile independent like Robot is "ideally positioned to play a transformative role in the industry’s future."

Robot will also be supporting online gaming and community of Halo Wars and Age of Empires.