[Rumor] Ensemble Studios (Age of Empires) Shutting Down?

RC Cola · Sep 9, 2008

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20167

Microsoft plans to shut down subsidiary developer Ensemble Studios after the release of its upcoming release Halo Wars, Gamasutra has learned from industry sources.

According to statements made by those sources, the majority of staff were laid off this morning. Shacknews is separately reporting that developers attached to the Halo Wars project have been offered incentives to remain at Ensemble until the game ships. Its last announced release projection was early 2009.

Founded in 1995 and located in Dallas, Ensemble is known for its long-running Age of Empires series of historically-themed PC real-time strategy games. It was acquired by Microsoft in 2001.

The company's most recent full game, Age of Empires III, was a commercial success with over two million copies sold, but it is less clear how its two subsequent expansion packs fared.

Speaking to Gamasutra, a Microsoft representative declined to issue a statement but claimed an official response is en route.
Click to expand...

Sucks if true. I'm probably not one of its biggest fans, but I really enjoyed the AoE franchise. Seems a bit strange since their games usually sold very well (read that AoE 3 was the best-selling game in the franchise, and it did get 2 expansion packs), but maybe things are going really bad with Halo Wars or something. It does seem behind schedule a bit.

DaDakota · Sep 9, 2008

Man, I know these guys........Bruce Shelley is a very nice guy.

Dang.

DD

Uprising · Sep 9, 2008

Damn. Loved the AOE series. Although it's been a few months since I've fired up AOE3. I wonder, does this mean Ensemble online going ot be down? (or whatever it was called...the place you go online to play aoe3. )

dback816 · Sep 9, 2008

Outshined by StarCraft throughout

AoE 3 was...not memorable, I blame the RTS scene fading at the time

Uprising · Sep 9, 2008

Might be the death of another genre that I love.

RTS (AOE series)

Adventure games (Monkey Island Series)....damn i miss those.

RC Cola · Sep 22, 2008

I guess a little more about the situation from Bruce Shelley:

http://www.ensemblestudios.com/blogs/bshelley/archive/2008/09/22/ensemble-studios-closing.aspx

Ensemble Studios Closing: 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.

A senior executive of MGS addressed the studio in early September and gave us the news. He did not go into a lot of detail about why, but basically the decision, as I understand it, was based on several major factors. First, they want to divert the headcount tied up in ES and the costs that are expected to be required to run ES for the next few years into other projects. Second, it sounded like it cost more to run ES on a per person basis than other first party studios (Rare, Lionhead, Forza, Flight Sim) putting us at a disadvantage. (Plus they avoid the expense of a new office that we were planning.) And third, games those studios are expected to deliver in the next few years are expected to be more strategic and profitable to the company than anything we would be finishing after Halo Wars.

You may recall that the mission for our studio from the start in 1995 has been to create great games and a great place to work. Overall we think we have built a studio consistent with that mission. But within the framework of a larger organization other stuff matters and perhaps has higher priorities, including costs of operation and overall strategic direction of the larger business. The new leadership of the game group at Microsoft has a new plan for making the game group consistently profitable, especially over the next few crucial years, and we are the odd group out.

We have had a week now to get over the shock and have begun the process of finding new work, considering relocating, etc. We have heard from many recruiters and other studios with openings. There may be opportunities for ES people in other MGS studios, including the new one in Redmond. Microsoft HR has begun the process of getting us information on what to expect as we leave the company. In the meantime, we still have uncompleted work to finish.

Halo Wars All Hands: In August we shut down work on everything non-Halo Wars related and now the entire studio is focused on finishing this game by the end of this year. Everyone in the studio has a job until Halo Wars is finished. There have been no layoffs and none are expected. We have received fantastic feedback on the game at a variety of game shows and events, and want to deliver on the promises we have made as our last hurrah. We want a great Halo Wars game to be the final tribute to everything that ES has come to mean to us and perhaps you as well, over the past 13 years.

Newco: Studio head Tony Goodman has a plan to start a new independent studio following the end of ES and a number of the existing ES employees have been offered a position in this company. He felt he had to get a plan for that in place, even though it will not being operating until after ES closes down, so that all employees can know where they stand and begin making plans for their futures. I believe the spirit and mission of ES will be carried forward in this new company if enough of the key leaders agree to take part, which I expect to happen. There has been no announcement about what the new studio will be working on when it gets going.

Fate of the Blog: This was a sort of special edition blog focused entirely on the news about the coming closure of Ensemble Studios. I expect to continue with more typical blogs in the coming months through the completion of Halo Wars and my employment with the company. I do not expect to be part of the new company formed after ES is shut down, so the blog will probably end at that point. It was intended to keep our gaming friends informed about our games and give you a look inside the life and processes of a game development studio. I hope you have found it interesting over the years.

Bruce Shelley
Click to expand...

Mac#5 · Sep 22, 2008

that sucks i love the AoE and AoM series

Uprising · Sep 22, 2008

Well, doesn't sound too bad. The brains behind Ensemble are creating their own company, which will work with Microsoft. So AOE should be safe.

Just like Bungie with Halo, the newly-independent, ex-Ensemble studio doesn't own the Age of Empires IP. Microsoft do. And here are Microsoft, talking about an "ongoing relationship" with the new team despite thier new-found independence. So all that's really happened is that Ensemble has been "closed", while the brains (and surely most of the brawn as well) set up a new studio, one that will be given the chance to work on their own stuff if they want, but will also be tethered to Microsoft. Just like Bungie with Halo.

As it stands, Microsoft aren't saying much more, only wishing to "reassure you that Microsoft will still own the Age of Empires intellectual property". Phew, for a second we'd worried you'd lost it behind the couch! They're also saying "stay tuned" for news on the future of the franchise. If the new, ex-Ensemble studio isn't part of that future, I'll be very surprised.

But Microsoft corporate vice president of interactive entertainment Shane Kim says not to read too much into the studio's demise, and that Age of Empires is safe.

Christopher · Sep 22, 2008

I also enjoy AoE games.

Nowthing better than scrambling to build a massive stone wall around your people, building a massive empire and then going out and destroying everyone else.

RC Cola · Sep 23, 2008

Uprising said:

Well, doesn't sound too bad. The brains behind Ensemble are creating their own company, which will work with Microsoft. So AOE should be safe.

Just like Bungie with Halo, the newly-independent, ex-Ensemble studio doesn't own the Age of Empires IP. Microsoft do. And here are Microsoft, talking about an "ongoing relationship" with the new team despite thier new-found independence. So all that's really happened is that Ensemble has been "closed", while the brains (and surely most of the brawn as well) set up a new studio, one that will be given the chance to work on their own stuff if they want, but will also be tethered to Microsoft. Just like Bungie with Halo.

As it stands, Microsoft aren't saying much more, only wishing to "reassure you that Microsoft will still own the Age of Empires intellectual property". Phew, for a second we'd worried you'd lost it behind the couch! They're also saying "stay tuned" for news on the future of the franchise. If the new, ex-Ensemble studio isn't part of that future, I'll be very surprised.

But Microsoft corporate vice president of interactive entertainment Shane Kim says not to read too much into the studio's demise, and that Age of Empires is safe.
Click to expand...

Am I missing part of the story? Perhaps I just read the blog post the wrong way, but this doesn't seem anything like the Bungie situation. I'd be surprised if the ex-ES guys decide to work with Microsoft anytime soon, or even vice versa (MS obviously didn't care too much about Ensemble to keep the studio alive).

Uprising · Sep 23, 2008

RC Cola said:

Am I missing part of the story? Perhaps I just read the blog post the wrong way, but this doesn't seem anything like the Bungie situation. I'd be surprised if the ex-ES guys decide to work with Microsoft anytime soon, or even vice versa (MS obviously didn't care too much about Ensemble to keep the studio alive).
Click to expand...

I meant to include the link

http://kotaku.com/5048240/shades-of-bungie-in-ensemble-closure

RC Cola · Sep 23, 2008

Hmm...I don't know. Seems kind of strange given the scenario. Perhaps that's a bit outdated (statement from September 9th, and Ensemble were barely told in "early September," probably not long to deeply consider further plans). Granted, I suppose if they want to go back to putting out PC games, Microsoft would have to be one of few publishers to consider. Just not sure why both parties would continue to work together (unless of course it was for the AOE IP).

Oh well, no matter what, at least it is good news that they'll be opening up a new studios and hopefully most of the staff should have a job (either at MGS or the new studio).

Forums

[Rumor] Ensemble Studios (Age of Empires) Shutting Down?

RC Cola Member

DaDakota Balance wins
Supporting Member

Uprising Member

dback816 Member

Uprising Member

RC Cola Member

Mac#5 Member

Uprising Member

Christopher Member

RC Cola Member

Uprising Member

RC Cola Member

Share This Page

About ClutchFans

Rockets Content

Support ClutchFans!

[Rumor] Ensemble Studios (Age of Empires) Shutting Down?

RC Cola Member

DaDakota Balance wins Supporting Member

Uprising Member

dback816 Member

Uprising Member

RC Cola Member

Mac#5 Member

Uprising Member

Christopher Member

RC Cola Member

Uprising Member

RC Cola Member

Share This Page

DaDakota Balance wins
Supporting Member