Rumor: Ensemble to close after Halo Wars

[chrismaddox3d]

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/09/rumor-ensemble-to-close-after-halo-wars/
http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/54648
i still dont see why they would close such a good studio down,
this doesnt make any sense,Chris

[Ksan]

Yeah, I just saw that. Best of luck to all, layoffs in any job can be traumatic. I wish them all the best.

[cookepuss]

Not a rumor anymore. Shacknews got confirmation from MS regarding the shutdown.

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/54654

Bottom line on the rationale... money.

[JacqueChoi]

:( horrible news

Hope everyone lands on their feet.


(Although our fellow GA-Ensemble guys Red Republik and Muppetman are so immensely talented, I'd imagine they have companies calling them up).

[Parnell]

I was really hurt to hear this. Working at ILE we always looked up to Ensemble (seeing as one of our founders and upper mgmt came from there) this is one studio i figured would never shutdown.
However, I hear a new studio is forming from some of the peeps there so not all bad news! Anyone have any word on this? Is it starting up in Seattle??
B

[cookepuss]

As sad as this is for those employed there, which it is, this is really the nature of the beast. Newbies might be shocked, but anybody in that industry for any given period of time knows what it's like. As long as you work for somebody else, you're a robot for the corporate machine. You can be replaced or made obsolete in a matter of seconds. Job stability isn't so stable in the game industry.

Often, you're lucky that "business concerns" or restructuring don't lead to your project and even your job don't get canned mid-stream. That's a sad fact of the biz too.

In many cases, a permanent job turns out to be nothing more than a long term temp assignment. With production costs rising and profit unable to keep pace, studios close all of the time.

Let me let you in on a little secret. If your job is in any way connected to Microsoft, keep your resume updated and handy. I both know and am related to people who are in MS owned companies. MS is constantly restructuring their holdings. The moment you think that you're on solid ground, they yank the rug out from under you. MS doesn't see employees as people. They see them as biological assets. My brother has been with a MS owned company for 10 years now. Not even his job is safe. That's the price you pay for working for "the man."

Another thing, MS says that they're looking to place these soon to be unemployed stragglers into MS positions.... Take that with a grain of salt. It's a consolation prize. These guys are probably going to get some lousy positions, at least compared to what they just left. Personally, if I were them, I'd take whatever generous severance package they offer instead. It's likely a safer bet than whatever booby prize job they get placed in.

I have no doubt that the people at Ensemble will all get good industry jobs. The great skills that landed them those jobs have only gotten better over time. I think that it's important for them to remember that, even after 5 years of employment, there's no such thing as job stability.

Besides, as outsiders, this comes as a shock to us. However, I sincerely doubt that people in the know over at Ensemble didn't smell blood in the water. I'm sure that there were signs, even small ones.

[Marcus Dublin]

The biggest shock to me is that that studio was making games that sold well:s, and on top of that they were working on a game based on one of the biggest franchises in the gaming industry, Halo! I mean MS could have axed some of the staff and kept the studio running instead of "Microsoft called the planned closure a "fiscally-rooted" decision, while noting that a core Ensemble team will go on to form a new studio", WTF! Whatever the case I hope some of the Ensemble guys go off and from their own studio outside of Microsoft! This industry needs solid small and mid sized development teams. Furthermore I wonder what will happen to the age of empires IP, it's hard to imagine another studio handling that franchise and giving it the same TLC as Ensemble. Anyways I wish everyone the best and I'm sure they'll get snatched up in no time, as experienced developers are always needed.

[LowRez]

The biggest shock to me is that that studio was making games that sold well:s, and on top of that they were working on a game based on one of the biggest franchises in the gaming industry, Halo! I mean MS could have axed some of the staff and kept the studio running instead of "Microsoft called the planned closure a "fiscally-rooted" decision, while noting that a core Ensemble team will go on to form a new studio", WTF! Whatever the case I hope some of the Ensemble guys go off and from their own studio outside of Microsoft! This industry needs solid small and mid sized development teams. Furthermore I wonder what will happen to the age of empires IP, it's hard to imagine another studio handling that franchise and giving it the same TLC as Ensemble. Anyways I wish everyone the best and I'm sure they'll get snatched up in no time, as experienced developers are always needed.


It's simple business unfortunatly, basically they have alot of experienced guys who are costing alot of money... The way microsoft are doing this will allow them to keep a few experienced people and bring in alot of hungry cheaper payed people and thus save money. Experience is great, but too much experience and higher salaries means that it costs a fortune to make a game, especially if your team becomes bloated and the experienced people are having to do junior artists work because the company can't afford to hire more people cause the budgets spent on experienced peeps..

It's a balancing act really, the best studios tend to have a healthy turnover and a good balance of experience too juniors. If the experienced side becomes to much then the studio becomes unprofitable, if theres too many juniors and not enough experience then it can effect the product... Microsoft arn't stupid and it is called human "resources" for a reason in business.

based on Ensembles quality stuff it won't be a major problem for the majority of them to find other jobs and I wish them all well...

And cookes advise is good about always keeping your CV/portfolio up to date anywhere you work..

[shawnzer]

sad day. Although im sure there will be new start ups from the employees there. Much like when EA Chicago closed alot of the better employees formed new company Robomodo and already have a deal Blizz/Activison.

Regardless best of luck to all.

[Aftermath]

Its a big industry now days but its really a small community so those who have the skills will get jobs no doubt and those who dont have those skills yet will get better from this. I blame out sourcing , i went to a lecture from pandemic and mercs 2 was 60% out sourced. I know its creating jobs for those outsourcing companys and its cheaper for studios to just outsource work. But a part of me wish's outsourcing wasnt so in demand and the bulk of the work was done in house like in the old days. Im probably wrong like allways thou on this one.

[YdoUwant2know]

Oh man, what a sad day this is. The unfortunate truth of the game industry is that it is as cut throat as it gets.

[seven]

Its a big industry now days but its really a small community so those who have the skills will get jobs no doubt and those who dont have those skills yet will get better from this. I blame out sourcing , i went to a lecture from pandemic and mercs 2 was 60% out sourced. I know its creating jobs for those outsourcing companys and its cheaper for studios to just outsource work. But a part of me wish's outsourcing wasnt so in demand and the bulk of the work was done in house like in the old days. Im probably wrong like allways thou on this one.

outsourcing happens a lot at my job. You're not wrong. Our art team is small (4 gents) and anything we need done we have to send elsewhere. Unfortunately our team can't handle a workload of 15 to 60 people. Fortunately our jobs don't usually require more work than 10. It's also a balance act with outsourcing as well. Some of the stuff we get is so-so. We have to fix it or modify it in some way. We have to plan for "fixes" if we are going to outsource.

but it does suck about Ensemble. One of my art team worked there ages ago. I'm sure the guys there will continue to create successful games. Here's to you guys! :mugs:

[typhus22]

i thought most of the Ensemble guys were getting moved to Microsoft Game Studios? when i heard the news i thought this was a move to consolidate the talent from Ensemble to MGS and probably alittle bit of house cleaning as well.

[muppet man]

Hey thanks, Joxx. Yeah, quite a few of us have heard from other studios which is cool but some of us, including myself, are tied to the Dallas area.

Ensemble has been the best studio I've ever worked for. Hands down. The raw talent, positive energy and just all around good people in every department would make you excited to go to work every day. It's been crazy sad the last couple of weeks but we have all pulled it together and are still kickin butt on Halo Wars.

[Aftermath]

keep on that grind muppet, glad to hear you guys got things lines up.