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Ex-Ensemble Staff Support Halo Wars

Kris Graft's picture

By Kris Graft

February 17, 2009

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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.

dreamhunk's picture
On February 18th dreamhunk said:

It's funny how micro soft will support rare but not even support any pc game tittles. these ccommets will only get more pc gamer angery micro soft's days will be number soon!

andyfour's picture
On February 18th andyfour said:

Whilst Microsoft have the excessive, blind cult following they do, people will not recognise that what they are doing to the industry is wrong. Their days will not be numbered, they don't care. They have cut the size of the Rare team too!

ayrkain's picture
On February 18th ayrkain said:

Wow. Less than half of the original studio. Ouch.

SunKing's picture
On February 18th SunKing said:

God, Ensemble are just such nice guys. I've read a couple of interviews with them and they just seem the most pleasant people to work with.

OmegaVader's picture
On February 17th OmegaVader said:

then why did they dismiss Ensemble in the first place!

OmegaVader's picture
On February 17th OmegaVader said:

then why did they dismiss Ensemble in the first place!

NickgamertagO1's picture
On February 17th NickgamertagO1 said:

It must have just been a restructuring. Probably trimmed the fat, and I'm sure it was more financially motivated than anything. As the review that seems to have been pulled from the site said, one of the achievements for getting 100% in the game was called, "Ready for the sequel." Maybe this newly created developement house formerly known as Ensemble will be making the sequel?

Hey, I finally got the endless setlist achievement (on expert of course). I was bummed cause I could have gotten the steel bladder, I never died but had to pause it to deal with the damn kids. I squeked by visions, but other than that I didn't get close do dying. I finished about the last 50 songs without pausing or dying, but I'm not doing that crap again. It didn't get fun until about the last 20 songs or so.