Ensemble Studios, creator of the Age of Empires series all the way to the upcoming Halo Wars game, has been a dominating developer for Real Time Strategy (RTS) games. Ensemble cranked out a total of ten RTS games including Halo Wars and expansion packs, most if not all of which were high-rated top sellers.
Halo Wars is still widely considered one of the best and most accessible RTS games around, and that formula could work with other Microsoft IPs.
I think Crackdown would fit in a more turn-based tactics system via Xcom then a RTS type game play. Being able to customize multiple agents, deploying that group in an crime infested urban zone, going against other super powered enemy and fodder type thugs. The potential for that is huge if they won't do another successful, ground breaking, GOTY open world outing like Crackdown 3....
NoobFeed Editor Joshua Burt writes - There are many games in the famous Halo Franchise that are stellar titles and need to be revered. And some that do not. These games stand out from the crowd and deluge of colossal Halo titles. Games that made Halo great. We do need to iron out what qualifies the game for this list. They have to be in the Halo franchise… Obviously.
Halo 3 at the top is correct the only thing id change is swap infinite and halo ce around.
"Last month, Age of Empires IV released for PC and it marks the first full installment of the franchise since Age of Empires III back in 2005. I spent a good chunk of time on it and had a fairly good time but before I first booted it up, a couple questions kept entering my mind: does Age of Empires have a place in gaming anymore and is the franchise on the whole still worth playing?" - Trey Griffeth from Video Chums
Age of Empires was an amazing RTS experience that nearly everyone I know has played at least once in their lives.
You will be missed!
The only thing that ends is the name Ensemble Studios. The original team are going to create 2 new teams, one that will continue with Halo Wars and the other with newer projects.
This is why game sales numbers mean so much a great game that sells bad can cause a developer to have to cut jobs. Where a good to average game that sells great can cause an increase in jobs and games being produced under the developer.