Ensemble Studios
Encyclopedia
Ensemble Studios was a video game developer initially established in 1995 as an independent company, but was owned by Microsoft
from 2001 to 2009, when it was officially disbanded. Ensemble developed many real-time strategy
games, including the Age of Empires game series, Age of Mythology
, and Halo Wars
. In addition to game development, Ensemble Studios also made the Genie Game Engine used in Age of Empires
, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
, and Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
.
titles, comprising Age of Empires
, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
and Age of Empires III
. They also released Age of Mythology
, a spin-off from the original series. Expansion pack
s were also released for all their games including two for Age of Empires III. Their last release was the real-time strategy game called Halo Wars
for Xbox 360.
, culminating in a number of in-game screenshot
s. The game has sold over 2 million copies, as of October 2007, and has become the fastest selling game of the series.
Afterward, development began on the first expansion pack to Age of Empires III titled Age of Empires III: The War Chiefs
. It included new content, new gameplay elements, a new single-player campaign, and three new native American civilizations. It was originally set for an October 2, 2006 release, but was released later, on October 17, 2006.
On October 23, 2007, Ensemble released a second, and final expansion to Age of Empires III titled Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties
. It introduced three Asian civilizations and six minor natives, as well as new gameplay features. They developed this project in conjunction with Big Huge Games
, the creators of Rise of Nations
.
Ensemble was the company behind Halo Wars
, a real-time strategy game for the Xbox 360
based on the successful Halo
franchise. It was released on February 27, 2009 and sold one million copies in less than a month.
. According to multiple independent reports, all non-essential staff have been laid off and remaining staff have been given incentives to remain until the completion of the project. Microsoft issued an internal statement on September 10, 2008 which was then leaked to the public.
As reported on the Ensemble Studio blog in late 2008, the company shut down on January 29, 2009. It was also stated that there are at least two new studios being formed by ES employees.
In February 2009 former Ensemble Studios head Tony Goodman started a new independent studio, Robot Entertainment
, and a number of the existing employees have been offered a position in this company.
Following the announcement of Robot Entertainment, former Ensemble Studios producer David Rippy started a new independent studio, Bonfire Studios, composed entirely of former Ensemble staff members.
In March 2009, a third studio, Windstorm Studios was announced, founded by ex-staffer Dusty Monk. In 2008, a fourth studio called Newtoy, Inc. was created by several developers from Ensemble, which released Chess With Friends for the iPhone
in November 2008, and Words With Friends in August 2009. Bonfire was later renamed Zynga Dallas through its acquisition by Zynga and released only one game as an independent company. Newtoy was then also acquired by Zynga and renamed Zynga With Friends, a monicker off of Newtoy's successful 'with friends' series. Newtoy released two games while they were independent.
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
from 2001 to 2009, when it was officially disbanded. Ensemble developed many real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
games, including the Age of Empires game series, Age of Mythology
Age of Mythology
Age of Mythology , is a mythology-based, real-time strategy computer game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios...
, and Halo Wars
Halo Wars
Halo Wars is a real-time strategy video game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 video game console. It was released in Japan and Australia on February 26, 2009, in PAL territories on February 27, and in North America on March 3...
. In addition to game development, Ensemble Studios also made the Genie Game Engine used in Age of Empires
Age of Empires (video game)
Age of Empires , is a history-based real-time strategy computer game released in 1997. Developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft, the game uses the Genie, a 2D sprite based game engine...
, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings is a real-time strategy video game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft. Released in 1999 for the Microsoft Windows and Macintosh operating systems, it was the second game in the Age of Empires series...
, and Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds is a real-time strategy computer game set in the Star Wars universe.Players have a choice of factions and campaigns. The factions in the original game include the Wookiees, Royal Naboo, the Trade Federation, the Empire, the Rebels, and the Gungans...
.
Games
Ensemble Studios developed the Age of Empires game series of real-time strategyReal-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
titles, comprising Age of Empires
Age of Empires (video game)
Age of Empires , is a history-based real-time strategy computer game released in 1997. Developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft, the game uses the Genie, a 2D sprite based game engine...
, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings is a real-time strategy video game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft. Released in 1999 for the Microsoft Windows and Macintosh operating systems, it was the second game in the Age of Empires series...
and Age of Empires III
Age of Empires III
Age of Empires III is a real-time strategy game developed by Microsoft Corporation's Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The Mac version was ported over and developed by Destineer's MacSoft Games and published by Destineer and MacSoft Games...
. They also released Age of Mythology
Age of Mythology
Age of Mythology , is a mythology-based, real-time strategy computer game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios...
, a spin-off from the original series. Expansion pack
Expansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game...
s were also released for all their games including two for Age of Empires III. Their last release was the real-time strategy game called Halo Wars
Halo Wars
Halo Wars is a real-time strategy video game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 video game console. It was released in Japan and Australia on February 26, 2009, in PAL territories on February 27, and in North America on March 3...
for Xbox 360.
| Release Date |
Title | Genre |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 1997 in video gaming -Events:*October 4 — Gunpei Yokoi dies after a double car accident.*November – Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association launched.*3rd annual E3... |
Age of Empires Age of Empires (video game) Age of Empires , is a history-based real-time strategy computer game released in 1997. Developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft, the game uses the Genie, a 2D sprite based game engine... |
real-time strategy Real-time strategy Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II.... |
| 1998 1998 in video gaming -Events:*Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 1st Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo to the AIAS Hall of Fame*British Academy of Film and Television Arts hosts the 1st annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards... |
Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome Expansion is a history-based real-time strategy game in the Age of Empires series. It is based on the rise of the Roman Empire, and adds the Roman Empire and three other playable civilizations to Age of Empires.... |
expansion pack Expansion pack An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game... |
| 1999 1999 in video gaming -Events:*British Academy of Film and Television Arts hosts the 2nd annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards*March – Game Over republished as “Game Over: Press Start to Continue”... |
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings is a real-time strategy video game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft. Released in 1999 for the Microsoft Windows and Macintosh operating systems, it was the second game in the Age of Empires series... |
real-time strategy |
| 2000 2000 in video gaming -Events:* May 11–13 — 6th annual Electronic Entertainment Expo ; the 3rd annual Game Critics Awards for the Best of E³* June 26 — International Game Developers Association renamed from Computer Game Developers Association... |
Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion is the expansion pack to the 1999 real-time strategy game Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings. The Conquerors is the fourth installment in the Age of Empires series by Microsoft Game Studios and Ensemble Studios... |
expansion pack |
| 2002 2002 in video gaming The year 2002 in video gaming saw the release of many games to sixth-generation video game consoles, predominately, the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.-Events:... |
Age of Mythology Age of Mythology Age of Mythology , is a mythology-based, real-time strategy computer game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios... |
real-time strategy |
| 2003 2003 in video gaming -Events:*February 27 — Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Yu Suzuki of Sega to the AIAS Hall of Fame.... |
Age of Mythology: The Titans Age of Mythology: The Titans Age of Mythology: The Titans is a real-time strategy computer game expansion pack of Age of Mythology. It was developed by Ensemble Studios and released on October 21, 2003.... |
expansion pack |
| 2005 2005 in video gaming -Events:*March 6 — The television show 60 Minutes tackles issues within video game controversy. This segment of 60 Minutes has been criticized by video game players for encouraging video game censorship.... |
Age of Empires III Age of Empires III Age of Empires III is a real-time strategy game developed by Microsoft Corporation's Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The Mac version was ported over and developed by Destineer's MacSoft Games and published by Destineer and MacSoft Games... |
real-time strategy |
| 2006 2006 in video gaming -Events:* January 26, 2006 -- Nintendo announces its newly redesigned handheld, the Nintendo DS Lite. The new model is lighter, smaller, has configurable brightness and features an improved user interface.* January 26, 2006 -- Konami Corp... |
Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs | expansion pack |
| 2007 2007 in video gaming -Events:*March 14: Microsoft announces Games for Windows - Live, a version of Xbox Live for the Windows platform. The service launched on May 8.*March 27: Microsoft announces the new "Xbox 360 Elite" stock-keeping unit . The revision comes with a bigger hard drive and the ability to output HDMI... |
Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties is the second official expansion pack for real-time strategy video game Age of Empires III developed through a collaboration between Ensemble Studios and Big Huge Games, and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The Mac version was ported over and developed... |
expansion pack |
| 2009 2009 in video gaming The year 2009 saw the release of many video games, including several sequels.-Events:-Scheduled releases:List of games scheduled for release in 2009 in North America.... |
Halo Wars Halo Wars Halo Wars is a real-time strategy video game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 video game console. It was released in Japan and Australia on February 26, 2009, in PAL territories on February 27, and in North America on March 3... |
real-time strategy |
| Cancelled | Titan | massively multiplayer online game Massively multiplayer online game A massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on... |
| Sorcerer | fantasy-adventure RPG Role-playing game A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development... |
|
| Nova | ||
| Wrench | platform game Platform game A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps... |
|
| Bam | ||
| Agent |
Recent news
Ensemble released Age of Empires III, on October 18, 2005, in North America. The game follows from the end of Age of Empires II, set in times such as the Industrial Age. The lead-up to the game's announcement was a series of teasers on Ensemble's websiteWebsite
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
, culminating in a number of in-game screenshot
Screenshot
A screenshot , screen capture , screen dump, screengrab , or print screen is an image taken by a computer to record the visible items displayed on the monitor, television, or another visual output device...
s. The game has sold over 2 million copies, as of October 2007, and has become the fastest selling game of the series.
Afterward, development began on the first expansion pack to Age of Empires III titled Age of Empires III: The War Chiefs
Age of Empires III: The War Chiefs
Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs is the first official expansion pack for the real-time strategy game Age of Empires III. It was announced by Ensemble Studios and Microsoft Game Studios on March 7, 2006. The demo version was released October 4, 2006. The full game for PC was released on October...
. It included new content, new gameplay elements, a new single-player campaign, and three new native American civilizations. It was originally set for an October 2, 2006 release, but was released later, on October 17, 2006.
On October 23, 2007, Ensemble released a second, and final expansion to Age of Empires III titled Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties
Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties
Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties is the second official expansion pack for real-time strategy video game Age of Empires III developed through a collaboration between Ensemble Studios and Big Huge Games, and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The Mac version was ported over and developed...
. It introduced three Asian civilizations and six minor natives, as well as new gameplay features. They developed this project in conjunction with Big Huge Games
Big Huge Games
Big Huge Games is a video game developer located in Timonium, Maryland. The company was founded in February 2000 by four veteran game industry developers: Tim Train, David Inscore, Jason Coleman and Brian Reynolds...
, the creators of Rise of Nations
Rise of Nations
Rise of Nations is a real-time strategy computer game, developed by Big Huge Games and published by Microsoft on May 20, 2003. The development of the game was led by veteran Brian Reynolds, of Civilization II and Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. Concepts taken from turn-based strategy games have been...
.
Ensemble was the company behind Halo Wars
Halo Wars
Halo Wars is a real-time strategy video game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 video game console. It was released in Japan and Australia on February 26, 2009, in PAL territories on February 27, and in North America on March 3...
, a real-time strategy game for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
based on the successful Halo
Halo (video game series)
Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
franchise. It was released on February 27, 2009 and sold one million copies in less than a month.
Closing
On September 9, 2008, it was announced that Ensemble would be closing after the release of Halo WarsHalo Wars
Halo Wars is a real-time strategy video game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 video game console. It was released in Japan and Australia on February 26, 2009, in PAL territories on February 27, and in North America on March 3...
. According to multiple independent reports, all non-essential staff have been laid off and remaining staff have been given incentives to remain until the completion of the project. Microsoft issued an internal statement on September 10, 2008 which was then leaked to the public.
As reported on the Ensemble Studio blog in late 2008, the company shut down on January 29, 2009. It was also stated that there are at least two new studios being formed by ES employees.
In February 2009 former Ensemble Studios head Tony Goodman started a new independent studio, Robot Entertainment
Robot Entertainment
Robot Entertainment is a video game publishing company created by the founders of the defunct Ensemble Studios, after being shut down by Microsoft. Other members of the company founded Bonfire Studios. Robot Entertainment was responsible for maintaining and updating Halo Wars until February 28,...
, and a number of the existing employees have been offered a position in this company.
Following the announcement of Robot Entertainment, former Ensemble Studios producer David Rippy started a new independent studio, Bonfire Studios, composed entirely of former Ensemble staff members.
In March 2009, a third studio, Windstorm Studios was announced, founded by ex-staffer Dusty Monk. In 2008, a fourth studio called Newtoy, Inc. was created by several developers from Ensemble, which released Chess With Friends for the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
in November 2008, and Words With Friends in August 2009. Bonfire was later renamed Zynga Dallas through its acquisition by Zynga and released only one game as an independent company. Newtoy was then also acquired by Zynga and renamed Zynga With Friends, a monicker off of Newtoy's successful 'with friends' series. Newtoy released two games while they were independent.
Awards
Ensemble Studios has received a number of awards through the years, including many for game of the year.- Game Spy - 2005 Game of the year - PC RTS
- Game Spy - 2005 Best Graphics
- Game Spy - 2005 Best Music – Honorable Mention
- Game Spy – Best of E3 2005
- Worth Playing – Editor Choice
- PCGamers – Editor Choice
- Game Critics Award – Best of E3 2005
- Game Zone – Outstanding Award
- IGN.Com – Editor Choice Award
- IGN – Best of E3 Award 2005
- Daily Game - Best of Show E3 2005
- GT – Gold Medal
- GamePower Award
- Strategy Gaming Online – Editors Choice
- Gamer Voice – Best Wargame
- GameSpot – Game of the year
- Gamesmania – Award of Excellence
- GamesDomain – Readers Award
- Thresh’s FiringSquad – Editors Choice
- Computer Gaming World – 5 Stars
- Computer Gaming World – Editors Choice
- WarGamer – Award for excellence
- GamesWeekly – Top 15 of games
- Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences – Best Strategy Game of the Year
- GameCenter - 1997 Game of the Year
External links
- Ensemble Studios site
- 'Ask Sandy' threads from Age of Kings Heaven
- Ensemble Studios profile on MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
- Remember Ensemble Studios - archived Ensemble material and news