When Robot Entertainment said âhello, worldâ last week, it seemed likely that, being made up of an Ensemble co-founder and a bunch of Ensemble staff, theyâd be taking over Ensembleâs work.
https://lastchance.cc/ex-ensemble-staff-form-new-studio-5153507%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Now itâs definite. A press release issued by the company today has confirmed that Robot will be continuing work on Halo Wars, supporting Age of Empires multiplayer and, most interestingly, are at work on a new IP. Which begs the question: if Robot are the new Ensemble, and Robot are working on new IP, whoâs been given the keys to the Age of Empires franchise?
PLANO, Texas â February 17, 2009 â Robot Entertainment announced today the formation of its new game development studio in Plano, Texas. Founded by many of the original founders of Ensemble Studios, Robot has a staff of 45 comprised entirely of former Ensemble employees. Robotâs team developed the hit franchise Age of Empiresâ˘, selling over 20 million units worldwide, and the soon-to-be released Halo Wars for Xbox 360â˘. Tony Goodman, the founder of Ensemble, is the CEO of Robot.
âThe video game industry is in a state of upheaval,â said Mr. Goodman, ânot just games, but the entire landscape. Everything is changing: where we buy games, how we buy games, how much we pay, how long we play, who we play them with. As a fast-moving independent team of game developers, industry leaders and market experts, Robot Entertainment is ideally positioned to play a transformative role in the industryâs future.â
Robot Entertainment is working with Microsoft Game Studios to develop additional content for Halo Wars and support online gaming and community for both Age of Empires and Halo Wars. Additionally, Robot is developing its own original IP.
About Robot Entertainment
Based in Plano, Texas, Robot Entertainment is a world-class independent game development studio owned and operated by many of the founders of Ensemble Studios. With a team that has proven experience and expertise in creating games that appeal to massive audiences, Robot Entertainment is focused on titles that set new standards for their respective genres as well as groundbreaking original IPs. Robot can be found on the web at www.robotentertainment.com.