Ensemble Studios Corporation

Moby ID: 281

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Ensemble Studios was a game development studio based in Dallas, Texas (USA). It was established in 1995 by Tony Goodman, John Boog-Scott and Rick Goodman. Previously Tony Goodman had founded the information technology company Ensemble Corporation in 1991 together with John Boog-Scott, John Calhoun, and Thad Chapman. Ensemble Corporation was acquired by USWeb Corporation in 1997, Ensemble Studios was acquired by Microsoft in 2001.

Ensemble Studios is most famous for having established the Age of Empires series of strategy games, which has seen installments for over ten years (1997-2007) and still lives on in titles such as Age of Empires Online (2011).

In September 2008, it was confirmed Microsoft would shut down the studio following the release of Halo Wars in late February 2009, as a fiscally-rooted decision. In a leaked internal email from March 2021, Phil Spencer stated it was due to the studio "losing its passion".

The closure of Ensemble led to the formation of many new development studios by former employees.

Credited on 18 Games from 1997 to 2020

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition (2020 on Windows, Windows Apps)
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (2019 on Windows, Windows Apps, Xbox Series...)
Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (2018 on Windows, Windows Apps)
Halo Wars: Definitive Edition (2016 on Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Cloud Gaming...)
Age of Mythology: Extended Edition (2014 on Windows)
Age of Empires II: HD Edition (2013 on Windows)
Halo Wars (2009 on Xbox 360)
Age of Empires: Mythologies (2008 on Nintendo DS)
Age of Empires: The Age of Kings (2006 on Nintendo DS)
Age of Empires III (2005 on Windows, Macintosh)
Age of Mythology (2002 on Windows, Macintosh)
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds (2001 on Windows, Macintosh)
Age of Empires II: Gold Edition (2001 on Windows, Macintosh)
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings (1999 on Windows, PlayStation 2, Macintosh)
Age of Empires: Gold Edition (1999 on Windows)
Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome (Demo Version) (1998 on Windows)
Age of Empires (1997 on Windows, Macintosh)
Age of Empires (Demo Version) (1997 on Windows)

History +

September 2008

It is confirmed that Microsoft will shut down the studio following the release of Halo Wars. The development team will form a new studio.

May 3, 2001

Microsoft Corporation acquires Ensemble Studios.

1995

Company founded.

Trivia +

Ensemble Studios announced that as of May 2004, they have sold fifteen million games.

Contact information (November 2007):

Ensemble Studios/Microsoft

10440 N. Central Expressway

Suite 1600

Dallas, TX 75231

Related Web Sites +

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