Some of the greatest RTS games were created by ES, so it's a shame to see this happening.

Has there been any confirmation from Microsoft?

Yep, it's confirmed. The full Microsoft statement:

Microsoft has decided to close Ensemble Studios following the completion of Halo Wars. After the closure, the Ensemble leadership team will form a new studio and has agreed to provide ongoing support for Halo Wars as well as work on other projects with Microsoft Game Studios.

The team at Ensemble has made invaluable contributions to the games industry with their Age of Empires and Age of Mythology games and with the highly anticipated release of Halo Wars. This decision does not reflect at all on Ensembles talent or the quality of Halo Wars. in fact, many people who have had a chance to test drive Halo Wars agree that it is on track to being a fantastic game.

This was a fiscally-rooted decision that keeps MGS on its growth path. While the decision to dissolve Ensemble was not an easy one, Microsoft is working to place as many Ensemble employees who do not move to the newly formed studio into open positions within Microsoft as possible.

As to our overall strategy at MGS, it remains the same. We are committed to growing MGS with world-class talent both internally and with our external partners around the globe. We have recently added some well-known developers to our team and will continue growing the team. Were particularly excited about the titles we have in the pipeline and continue to evaluate additional opportunities to bring incredible games to life with the industrys best. Our investment in games has never been greater than it is today.

**** off.


I don't see any reason in that statement.

This sucks

Meh, I don't really care. Haven't seen anything marvellous from Ensemble since AoK anyway.

If only they had made Aok open source before closing it down

I'm very sad to see this happen - I love all of ES' RTS games. AoK, AoM, AoE3, too!

I made a post in the AoE3 forum: http://aoe3.heavengames.com/cgi-bin/forums/display.cgi?action=ct&f=30,51,,10

But I want to quote one thing, and it's the one that is of most concern to me:

In a world where "base building is eliminated so players can get into the action right away" or "harvesting resources is overly complicated", I will sorely miss these very aspects of the RTS genre which the Age series embraced so fully, so richly, and so successfully.

I love Blizzard games, but if there's one thing I hate about the Blizzard community is that they tend to think that Blizzard's RTSs are the only way an RTS game can be made.

There are so many 'funky' RTS games on the horizon like the upcoming Stormrise by Creative Assembly. With Ensemble Studios gone, and EA and Blizzard pursuing their own franchises, I'm so scared that this particular 'age' style of gameplay is going to disappear . It also hurts that Big Huge Game's Rise of Legends didn't do too well, even though I loved it.

Hopefully, if ES doesn't make another RTS like the Age series, Big Huge Games will make a Rise of Nations 2, or something like that, to carry on the torch.

But I must say, I am genuinely scared for this particular type of RTS ending here with the closure of ES .

Who cares if ES is disbanded; we're gonna die anyway because of Large Hadron Collider

Don't lose your sleep tho.

[This message has been edited by Powery (edited 09-10-2008 @ 10:22 AM).]

Still alive

In a world where "base building is eliminated so players can get into the action right away" or "harvesting resources is overly complicated", I will sorely miss these very aspects of the RTS genre which the Age series embraced so fully, so richly, and so successfully.

That's quite true, everyone now is playing Company of Heroes and Warhammer 4K.

Bye bye Ensemble. I will never forget my first experiences with an RTS game playing the AoE demo.

Grunt, the game the company I work for is developing will have many Age-like economic elements.


Edited out shameless advert. - Aro

[This message has been edited by Aro (edited 09-10-2008 @ 05:12 PM).]

I don't see any reason in that statement.

Use your intelligence. They're a business, if they need to close down a department for "fiscally motivated reasons" they will.

[This message has been edited by Julius999 (edited 09-10-2008 @ 12:28 PM).]

What the hell Aro, it isn't April Fools.

Impeached, Dawn Fantasy? It said it will be released in 2007. or did I read wrong?

Guys, they're just re-assembling the team. This is quite common and considered a polite approach to offing many employees at once.

Grunt, the game the company I work for is developing will have many Age-like economic elements.

Stop trying to peddle your wares here, ya bilgerat.

Guys, they're just re-assembling the team

Or should that be re-Esembling....geddit?

Either it is bad news to see the teams passing, but good to know they will carry on in one form or another.

*throws rock at Scud*

No! You should die for that disgraceful my type of humour!

It is quite sad to see Ensemble Studios closing down. Stupid modern games these days like GTA. I really don't give two ****s about them and they're just plain annoying. I mean, it's upsetting knowing that strategy games are only for the audience who actually has a bit of patience and doesn't whine when there is no action for all of two minutes. Source code would have been nice though. Could have made some crazy mods with it.

Well the why dosent somebody attempt to contact them or something?

**** off.

Watch the language. And no, they don't give a specific reason besides it being a "fiscally rooted" decision -- I imagine MSG is having financial troubles, and they didn't value Ensemble enough to keep them on board. I imagine all of the ES developers will find a home in different RTS companies, but it's still sad to see a great company destroyed.

If only they had made Aok open source before closing it down

Definitely would've been nice.

Who cares if ES is disbanded; we're gonna die anyway because of Large Hadron Collider

As everyone dies eventually (and the LHC killing us all off being a stupid myth), I don't see how that's relevant to the topic. Stay on course.

Stop trying to peddle your wares here, ya bilgerat.

*High-fives Ckn.*

Grunt, the game the company I work for is developing will have many Age-like economic elements.

Don't advertise here please, especially here; most RTS games since Age's development have had "Age-like economic elements", and we don't need you using this as an attempt to grab up Age fans. It's cheap, annoying, and doesn't say a whole lot about your character, *OR* your company's character. Knock it off.

Stupid modern games these days like GTA.

Grand Theft Auto isn't an RTS.... Unless there's another game with the GTA initials that I don't know about.

Well the why dosent somebody attempt to contact them or something?

This is a very public confirmation, so I don't understand why we'd need to contact them.

[This message has been edited by Aro (edited 09-10-2008 @ 05:27 PM).]

lol microsoft

this is what happens when u tell a developer to stop making their games (i.e. let big huge do asian dynasties) and force them to make something they don't want to instead of their own games (i.e. halo wars)

i think ensemble must have been unhappy to some extent as MS wouldn't just disband their best developer out of the blue..

who owns the rights to the aoe/aom names?

[This message has been edited by UnnamedPlayer (edited 09-10-2008 @ 08:14 PM).]

chill out folks.

The Age of empires series is by no means dead, as confirmed HERE

Also, the likely reason ES is getting closed is they are ridiculously slow. Microsoft is naturally trying to cut dead weight and is using the heads of ES to form another studio.

Just think, in 11 years, ES has made 3 games (+ 4 expansions), and is working on a 4th. MS likely wants to get faster production.

they're just re-assembling the team. This is quite common and considered a polite approach to offing many employees at once.

They tried to do that with monolith studios (Made F.E.A.R) they offered them another job, they said no and created their own studio and it ended up being one very big mess, I hope it doesn't happen here.

Very unfortunate.

So what happens to us?

Aro,

I'm not saying GTA is an RTS just that those damned modern games taking the spotlight out of the ever-lasting oldies. I mean, there has been god-knows how many GTAs while there has only been two Age of Empires' and an Age of Kings (incl. Expansion). Unlike GTA where it's like GTA version 15. Though, if it keeps the masses happy, then very well.

Also, the likely reason ES is getting closed is they are ridiculously slow. Microsoft is naturally trying to cut dead weight and is using the heads of ES to form another studio.

I never thought about it like that. Makes a lot more sense. *Hands you a cookie.*

Just think, in 11 years, ES has made 3 games (+ 4 expansions), and is working on a 4th. MS likely wants to get faster production.

Age of Empires, RoR, Age of Empires II, TC, Age of Mythology, TT, Age of Empires III, WC. 4 games, 4 expansions, and only 2 games and 3 expansions were released under the MSG banner (they joined MS in 2001). 2 games and 3 expansions in 7 years doesn't sound all that bad; that's almost a game/expansion every 1 and a half years.

So what happens to us?

If you mean Age of Kings Heaven, nothing at all. Ensemble ignored and turned their backs on the AoE/AoE2 community long before they shut down.

I'm not saying GTA is an RTS just that those damned modern games taking the spotlight out of the ever-lasting oldies. I mean, there has been god-knows how many GTAs while there has only been two Age of Empires' and an Age of Kings (incl. Expansion). Unlike GTA where it's like GTA version 15. Though, if it keeps the masses happy, then very well.

The 6th GTA game is where they're at I believe, but you really, really have it twisted. Different genres, different developers, and an entirely different fanbase. RPGs have always sold higher than RTS games, and RockStar has the marketing pull to get commercials for their product, in addition to lots of controversy. I've never once seen an RTS commercial, much less an "Age of" commercial. And even then, you're not including Age of Mythology, and because Age of Kings *is* officially called Age of Empires II, that puts the "Age series" count to 4. Counting the expansions released for each would make it 8 games, much more than the GTA series if we're comparing.

Wow... I wonder if this is in connection with Thunder's departure. Perhaps he knew ahead of time.

Well, it was a good run, all told. I guess we'll have to wait and see what's next for the Age series.

Whoa, a flood of news

Aro, you might want to consider that in the ModWorkshop news post, there's a link to the modworkshop thead, which has been archived. Perhaps I should create a new one?

And why is the news post closed thread?

[This message has been edited by Jatayu (edited 09-12-2008 @ 05:26 AM).]

'Ensemble Studios Shutting Down'

And why is the news post closed thread?

Discussion is supposed to be in the MWS thread, I think. And I see the MWS thread has been unarchived now.

Discussion is supposed to be in the MWS thread, I think. And I see the MWS thread has been unarchived now.

Yup, it's now unarchived. ^^ Turns out MPD was set to 60 days till they get archived; I set it to a healthy 230.

And why is the news post closed thread?

Impeached is correct. I close any news posts that I'd like to redirect to the thread itself.

how sad

I must say, this is the kind of news that ruins days. in my opinion AOK was and still is the best rts game. i've been with it for about 4 years. I've done it all: scenario editing, speedrunning trough the game and yes, eaven facing several AIs on hardest.

yes ensemble studios you were the greatest game designers and before you go I just want to make one statement:

I love you ES and I want to have your babies.