Following the announcement that Halo Wars and Age of Empires developer Ensemble Studios would close, the publisher Microsoft Game Studios has come forth to defend the decision.
The decision to close Ensemble was “the right thing for our business at this time,” wrote Microsoft Game Studios head Phil Spencer.
In an internal e-mail obtained by GameIndustry, Spencer reafirrmed the studios commitment to game development, despite the fact that Ensemble closure would mark the third in Microsoft’s internal development studios in a year. The head also made a similar commitment to employees at Ensemble in regards to employment.
“This action notwithstanding, I want to emphasize that the overall investment Microsoft is making in videogame development is not diminished, and we will continue to bring in talent to work on titles and franchises where we’ll see the most [return on investment].”
“We hope to integrate much of this creative talent into [Microsoft Games Studios] or the broader [Interactive Entertainment Business] team, where we have relevant openings,”
– Microsoft Game Studios head, Phil Spencer
