If you haven’t been paying attention for the last few years, there’s been a shift in the way gamers game. What used to be a reclusive, cramped desk, stereo speaker, 15-inch-monitor-glowing-in-the-dark obsession has slowly shifted to a spacious living room, comfy recliner, big screen HDTV, 5.1 surround sound…umm…obsession.
Unfortunately for some developers, not all gaming genres translate well from PC to console, namely the MMO and RTS genres, which was apparently why, in these tough economic times, Microsoft made the decision to let go of Ensemble Studios earlier this year… but only after they complete a spin-off to 360’s largest franchise. Hit the jump for the complete tale of woe.
Ensemble Studios has had nothing but success with their Age of Empires franchise, selling an astounding 15 million copies between all three installments and expansions and taking home several Game of the Year awards from varying publications. Even the most recent installment, Age of Empires III, has sold over 2 million copies. On top of that, they’re currently developing what will be the most scrutinized RTS to ever be released, Halo Wars, which will be based off of the extremely popular Halo franchise. So, when news leaked that Microsoft was going to be disbanding Ensemble Studios upon the completion of Halo Wars, it was quite a shock.
That’s why Microsoft making the decision to close down the very successful Ensemble Studios, before they even release their most anticipated title is number 84 on our list of Top 100 Gaming Moments of 2008.
Popularity: 1% [?]
let’s face it, it was all over for them when they where allocated the Halo franchise.
There aren’t enough RTS fans on the xbox because of the lack of a mouse.
As for the PC version, the platform isn’t exactly overrun by Halo fans.
Seems harsh though for such a long running studio
Why would they want to do good on Halo Wars. What incentive do they have. The studio is closing.
I need are of empires to live on