Rumor: Halo Wars Dev Ensemble Shutting Down

Shacknews has learned via multiple independent reports that developer Ensemble Studios will shut down operation following the release of its upcoming title Halo Wars.

According to sources, employees not associated with Halo Wars have been laid off today. Those attached to Halo Wars have been offered incentives to stay on the project until completion.

[GiantEnemyCrab]

I didn't know MS owns Ensemble Studios?

I hope it's not true.

[heyheyhey]

yeah, it's because they do that i actually have a Microsoft published game (AOM)

oh yeah and if this is true then the 360 is so fvcked it's not even funny

[jerkstore]

I understand why you would be sad. As Microsoft's biggest hooker, you would lose a lot of your customers at Ensemble.

I mean, servicing all of MS probably hurts your jaw a lot, but now this will hurt your wallet.

DERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Edit @ below CloudMan: Awww, seems to me I forgot to include you, as EnemaCrab's slut in training. When you wipe all of Bill Gates' "specimen" off your face, then come talk to me. I couldn't hear you over the gurgling noises you were making.

DERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

[Shadow Man]

EAT D!CK OLD MAN!

[ThatCanadianGuy]

Ah..you can really feel the love in here..

[PoSTedUP]

http://www.youtube.com/watc... <--- ?

[Hububla]

hahaha bubbles up bro
very well done

[GiantEnemyCrab]

Oh look Jerkstore is acting like Mr. toughguy over the fvckin internet. You would get your fvckin neck broke if you talked like that to my face you little b!tch.

Now I'm going back to service your mom for the 10th time this month since we know how all that imbreeding in the family has left your daddy d!ckless.. Like father like adopted son or should I say adopted little b1tch..

[mohib-uddin7986532]

ShadowMan/ CloudMan you Suck

[YoshiMeetsU]

You know this jerkstore is just some little fat nerd kid who sits in his room all night after spending the school day being picked on. I mean who goes off like that on someone unprovoked over the internet? The very definition of a puss.

[NO_PUDding]

GiantEnemyCrab you also talk like a 'b1tch', seems a bit hypocrtiical.

You wouldn't break my neck or his, if I/he spoke to you like that. We all know that. Just calm down. I know he doesn't seem that clever but trheats are another thing.

[GiantEnemyCrab]

No_PUD: Fvck you 2! Your just another Sony c0ckbobber taking sides with your fellow Sony jerk-off. You can bet on it you would get your ass kicked if you talked like that to me. Despite what you think you know and that is no threat..

Look at my original post and look at that reply and you are going to go on my case about it? Are you for real?

[Dyingduck]

Those attached to Halo Wars have been offered incentives to stay on the project until completion.

I wonder what kind of incentives...LMAO - no one cares about Gaylo!@!Q@#!

[KBDuB]

"LMAO - no one cares about Gaylo!@!Q@#!" Apparently you do. You're in every singe fcking article that has even the slightest thing to do with Halo.

[Stickguy259]

I agree with KBDuB

And second off, why do you only have two bubbles DyingDuck? My guess is it's because you don't ever have anything meaningful to contribute to any conversation ever.

Jerk store's an a$$, and so is Hububla for agreeing with him.

GiantEnemyCrab may have overdone it, but Jerk store is an a$$, so I can understand.

About the news though, I like Ensemble studios for their Age of Empires games, and was kind of looking forward to Halo Wars. It'll suck if this rumor is true, but I don't think it'll be as big of a blow to Microsoft as heyheyhey would like to have us believe. I mean, Halo Wars would still be released, and that doesn't mean another company couldn't take up the reigns of top RTS maker, and DLC creator for Halo Wars.

[Xi]

Ensemble has been with MS a long time, making the age of empire series. I doubt they're being shut down, maybe some of the staff is being laid off but i doubt the studio is shutting down.

[mohib-uddin7986532]

Their losing all there studios as well as companies that favoured them like a 2nd party

They lost: Bioware, Pandemic, Team Ninja, Bizzare Creations e.t.c

companies like EA and Activison and THQ are all buying them !
Jump Out, the MICRSOFT ship looks like its sinking! ! !

[NO_PUDding]

Serious!?

First Party is being decimated.

[Caxtus750]

well if it does...does that mean there will be no support for Halo Wars?

Patches? DLC? etc

[kazuma]

microsoft has 7 first party studios
ACES Game Studio
Ensemble
Lionhead
Rare
Turn 10
Wingnut Interactive
Xbox Live Productions

They lost 6 of them
Bungie
Carbonated Games
Digital Anvil
Hired Gun
FASA Interactive
Indie Built

if ensemble really is canned, that's quite a loss

edit: yes, but it's still one less studio, one at a time. indie built was sold, bungie became independent, and the others were dissolved/closed. they're closing down studios, incorporating the staff into other ones they already have, but they're not creating new ones or buying others. they should go down that route imo.

edit @ killjoy: nope. bioware joined with pandemic but it's as if they were separated. then EA stepped up and bought them.

[Xi]

that's sort of a misnomer.

Many of those studios, like fasa, weren't canned but only encorporated. Much of the staff from fasa studios joined the rare team, and MS still has controlling rights of those IP developed by them (including crimson skies, mech assaut, mech warrior, shadowrun). The same is possible to ensemble but that usually happens when a studio is under preforming.

either way, I do think it would be a loss. Ensemble has some pretty good name recognition.

But take this with a grain of salt. If this was going to happen there'd be a lot more rumors about it, and rumblings from much earlier. If people are already being fired I would've thought we would've heard something earlier.

[Killjoy3000]

Didn't they used to have Bioware? I may be wrong, I'm just wondering.

[Dr Pepper]

@ Killjoy3000

No they did not.

[Killjoy3000]

Ok, thanks.

And I'm guessing you Know what I'm going to give you...

[dle]

Microsoft certainly realize that closing down major brand studios like Ensemble would not resonate well with the public. They must have another strategy in place to combat the negative publicity. Perhaps they believe supporting new independent studios that had close tie with the in the past would bring much better quality titles to their platform? Some one have a clue on what Microsoft grand plan is?

[Captain Tuttle]

Too bad if true. They did quality stuff.

[TOO PAWNED]

This doesn't make much sense to be honest. It usually goes this way when there are situations like this one mentioned in article. Publisher and studio wait for game to be released to see how it performs and if it flops and doesn't turn profit, than studio is closed. Example FASA studio with SHADOWRUN. Successful example is Incognito. Do you remember how many rumors and articles there were around web about Incog. shutting down? Time period when David Jaffy left Sony to start Eat Sleep Play studio and taking with him half of the staff from Incog.? But Sony waited gave studio chance to deliver with Warhawk and they did it. Warhawk is nmajor financial success and thanks to that guy(cant remember his name) that is now head of Incognito they have fully recovered and are working on new IP as it was confirmed.
It doesn't make sense to close down studio before seeing how game will perform. If it turns profit why shut it down?
My guess is that they are only changing size of this studio, meaning they are cutting on personal to reduce cost.

[DJ]

And one of their few remaining ones. I don't believe it.

[Panthers]

That would be too bad. They make quality RTS games. Maybe Halo Wars isnt shaping up too good...

I hope it is. It looks fantastic.

This means no support after release which is terrible for online gaming.

[cmrbe]

This better not be true.

[Reno17]

This wouldn't be good for Microsoft if true. They'll loose yet another one of their first party developers.

[zonetrooper5]

They make the Age of Empires series and now Halo Wars two of MS's best games. I really doubt this is true, if it is then thats another awesome studio lost.

[Cerbus]

So you've played Halo Wars? You must have if your saying it's one of MS best games. Lets wait till it's out to decide if it's good.

[mohib-uddin7986532]

on this website even the mods are fanboys

[The gaming GOD]

IF this rumor is true, that means there won't be any support after the game releases.

[SRuN4]

This sucks if true, wish those guys the best of luck with where they end up.

But this has to start throwing up some red flags. Does Microsoft now have any internal, first party development going on besides RARE? I believe they now have that interal Halo team they're creating but they've yet to release anything and who knows if they can deliver, I'm sure they will but it's not proven yet.

Seriously, awhile ago they said "exclusives are less important" but someone might want to inform them that doesn't apply to first party development.

[PirateThom]

So, they now have Lionhead left.

[cmrbe]

I doubt this is true though.

[Killjoy3000]

And Rare..Who is...Not really Rare anymore.

[fire23]

While it does seem strange to most, you have to look at Microsoft's record of internal studios, they burned through 4-5 in 4-5 years, so that is quite high.

[jack who]

Rumor

[i_like_ff7]

Does this mean no Age of Empires 4? :(

[cmrbe]

Ages franchise are some of the best RTS i have played. No worries though. I am sure this is not true.

[Lumbo]

There has not been a new Age of Empires for ... ages .. oh the irony :(((((((

[cmrbe]

i still play 2. Same with Starcaft. These two games never get old for me.

[Elginer]

on at MS?!!!

[Shaka2K6]

Even the halo devs had to split from microsuck thats how embarrasing the whole situation of the 640p POS game was.

[Killjoy3000]

And nobody will miss them...

Edit: VV Then, I guess you are a fan of RTS games, because I'm sure anyone else wouldn't care. I wholesomely respect your opinion, so why don't you respect mine and pipe down a little.

[Panthers]

you dont know how wrong you are.

[SRuN4]

AoE has sold over 20 million units as a franchise. So to say "nobody will miss them" is a foolish thing to say.

[ngg12345]

Age of Mythology, and Age of Empires 2. On a second note, Ignored. YOu are so wrong. That it makes me angry.

[ICUP]

As much as i dislike M$, i enjoy playing Age Of Empire series, sad if the rumor is true. :(

[Splenda14]

its never good to see a studio shutdown

[silverchode]

getting laid off sucks.

[Aclay]

The last thing Microsoft needs to loose right now is yet another first party if this ends up being true.... Microsoft had better hold on to RARE because right now I think that RARE is one of the most important internal developers that they have... oh well, I'm just glad that Sony's 1st party studios and 2nd party studios are as solid as a rock!

[Hububla]

Sony lets their developers do whatever they want whenever they want without hampering the creativity... while micros studios eventually get fed up being told what to do and how to make their games so they split! just let the developers develop microsoft STOP thinking about the MONEY and START thinking about the GAMERS!!

[Lucreto]

I love Age of Empires and it is sad if it is true. I was hoping for Age of Empires 4 the world war and Age of Empires 5 space wars.

[kazuma]

hell yeah, world war and space wars would be awesome. i just grabbed the pic on the internet very quickly, doesn't he look kinda like master chief? XD oh the coincidence =D

[Lucreto]

Yes I have that book with the same image. I was expecting what the hell are you talking about questions.

Anyway bubbles for the visual proof.

[Charlie2688]

Hopefully its not true :(

They are the devs of one of my favorite game off all time...Age of Empires 2

[TOO PAWNED]

I love you Sony for not doing this to your studios. This is why MS is disliked by normal people.

[Muff1nB4k3r]

damn... These guys made some of the most enjoyable RTS I've played...

Age of Empires Series, and Age of Mythology was one of my favs, I hope this isn't true, as Support for an RTS after launch is usually very important...

Best of luck to the guys at Ensemble Studios if this is true!

[Doctor Strange]

This gen anything is possible and I hope not since Halo Wars is looking good and AOE is always been a good series too. Gamesutra is saying the same thing I think its true this time.

[jay2]

this is unlikly but not impossable.

[pwnsause]

thats a damn shame if they do, they make great AoE games.

[dkgshiz]

That means age of mythology would never come back! Could care less about halo wars, Age of mythology actually had a chance.