Ensemble Express Surprise & Disappointment At Closure News

Following Microsoft's surprising decision to axe Ensemble Studios it seems Age of Empires fans weren't the only ones left slightly perplexed, with the studio's latest blog entry sharing the same

Ensemble's lead designer Bruce Shelley claims:

"I have mentioned with regret the closing of several quality game studios over the past several years but I never considered that ES would join the list. Everyone at our studio was shocked, and I think remains very disappointed that this is going to happen. I believe we thought we were immune to shut-down talk because our published games have done so well and have been so profitable.

Plus we felt we had built a really stable (low-turnover), talented, hard-working, and creative team, which is not easy to do. We thought we were among the best studios in the world, and that may be true, but we don't fit in the future plans of MGS as an internal studio so we're out."

Revealing that a likely factor behind the decision was that Ensemble Studios' cost per head was possibly higher than that of Rare, Lionhead, Turn 10 and ACES Game Studio, Shelley also claims that titles from these studios would be more fitting than anything Ensemble were working on after Halo Wars.

Regarding Halo Wars, Shelley reveals that the entire team have been working on it since August and hope to have the game finished by the end of the year.

And finally on a more positive note, Shelley suggests things are moving forwards with the new development studio being formed from the ashes of Ensemble Studios by Tony Goodman.