Why did Microsoft shut down Ensemble Studios?

[sb666]

Why did Microsoft shut down Ensemble studios I thought their games were popular what happened?

 

[Dandark]

Im not sure. They shut down right after finishing Halo wars I think. I assume they must not have been doing too well. Too bad since they seemed alright.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well they were only doing RTS before MS put the foot down and replaced all their projects with non-RTS so they could put their shit on Xbox, I imagine the team didn't take kindly to that so they got chopped up and put elsewhere.

This sort of thing happens all the time in the big wig corporate world, you bend to their will or you are gone.

 

[Andy Shandy]

My guess would be, like many other studios who are shut down, they just weren't profitable enough to keep open. Which is a shame because I liked their games.

 

[gyrobot_v1legacy]

And also, Ensemble's fall led to Blizzard completely dominating the genre and ending the 4x RTS. I want another Civilization style RTS please.

 

[The Madman]

Because apparently Microsoft's gaming division at some point became a bunch of blithering idiots incapable of doing anything other than smashing their faces repeatedly against a desk and squawking about their 'zbwaks' or somesuch.

Bitter? Me? Never.

 

[Jitters Caffeine]

Microsoft isn't a game company first and foremost. They're a multinational software company with a gaming division, and a comparitively small one at that. If a studio they bought up wasn't profitable, then they get their pink slips and are told to hit the bricks. It's shitty, and you hate to hear it when people lose their jobs, but that's the nature of the business.

 

[Haxxle]

I think Esemble Studios got all their funds syphoned during the development of Halo Wars, which was a blessing in terms of console RTS. In the end, I think they didn't have any fudns to keep the company going so they closed down.

 

[The Madman]

Microsoft isn't a game company first and foremost. They're a multinational software company with a gaming division, and a comparitively small one at that. If a studio they bought up wasn't profitable, then they get their pink slips and are told to hit the bricks. It's shitty, and you hate to hear it when people lose their jobs, but that's the nature of the business.

I think Esemble Studios got all their funds syphoned during the development of Halo Wars, which was a blessing in terms of console RTS. In the end, I think they didn't have any fudns to keep the company going so they closed down.

Untrue actually, Ensemble Studios remained a profitable company till the very end which is why the staff were so shocked when they were told they were being shut down.

linky

The 'official' reason Microsoft closed down Ensemble was that they wanted to 'redeploy the resources to more scalable ventures', whatever the hell that's supposed to be. Frankly I think the goons in charge of Microsoft gaming at that point were just drooling morons that hated money and nice things. I love how in the memo essentially firing the Emsemble staff they brag about games like freakin' Too Human, Scene It!, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, and Lips. GAHHHHH

Another linky

 

[Jitters Caffeine]

Microsoft isn't a game company first and foremost. They're a multinational software company with a gaming division, and a comparitively small one at that. If a studio they bought up wasn't profitable, then they get their pink slips and are told to hit the bricks. It's shitty, and you hate to hear it when people lose their jobs, but that's the nature of the business.

I think Esemble Studios got all their funds syphoned during the development of Halo Wars, which was a blessing in terms of console RTS. In the end, I think they didn't have any fudns to keep the company going so they closed down.

Untrue actually, Ensemble Studios remained a profitable company till the very end which is why the staff were so shocked when they were told they were being shut down.

Well, to Microsoft, Ensemble was no longer to worth the money to keep them aboard. And at the end of the day, Microsoft isn't going to keep a studio around just out of the goodness of their hearts.