Comments on: Microsoft: Closing Ensemble “is the right thing for our business” http://www.vg247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/ VG247.com Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:08:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: No_PUDding http://www.vg247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/comment-page-1/#comment-26761 No_PUDding Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:41:36 +0000 http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/#comment-26761 It's Ensemble :( Close down someone crap that no one cares about like that one that does nothing... Not Turn 10, I am sure they have another first party studio. I want Age of Empires 4 It’s Ensemble :(

Close down someone crap that no one cares about like that one that does nothing… Not Turn 10, I am sure they have another first party studio.

I want Age of Empires 4

]]> By: Psychotext http://www.vg247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/comment-page-1/#comment-26755 Psychotext Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:32:37 +0000 http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/#comment-26755 :D :D

]]> By: Tonka http://www.vg247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/comment-page-1/#comment-26752 Tonka Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:30:15 +0000 http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/#comment-26752 It's the end of gaming. I told you all along that MS were behind it. It’s the end of gaming.
I told you all along that MS were behind it.

]]> By: Psychotext http://www.vg247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/comment-page-1/#comment-26750 Psychotext Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:23:03 +0000 http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/#comment-26750 Blerk: Yes, but as a business you don't care about that. By farming them out to become second party you let them take the bulk of the financial risk while you reap any reward on profitable games they come up with. Rare are apparently very profitable. Mostly because all of their 360 titles have done around a million without being particularly high budget. Blerk: Yes, but as a business you don’t care about that. By farming them out to become second party you let them take the bulk of the financial risk while you reap any reward on profitable games they come up with.

Rare are apparently very profitable. Mostly because all of their 360 titles have done around a million without being particularly high budget.

]]> By: Blerk http://www.vg247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/comment-page-1/#comment-26749 Blerk Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:22:50 +0000 http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/#comment-26749 Actually if they're shutting the non-profitable stuff then RARE must be shitting themselves by now. :-D Actually if they’re shutting the non-profitable stuff then RARE must be shitting themselves by now. :-D

]]> By: No_PUDding http://www.vg247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/comment-page-1/#comment-26748 No_PUDding Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:21:52 +0000 http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/#comment-26748 Lionhead and Rare like many other developers are always hiring though. SCEI is hiring. And this new elite team, if this is about higher that woman that didn't actually create the early Prey demos, but worked with the guy who did... Well this internal team is really worth losing such an iconic developer? Seriously, Age of Empires is.... Age of Empires. It's amazing! Lionhead and Rare like many other developers are always hiring though.

SCEI is hiring.

And this new elite team, if this is about higher that woman that didn’t actually create the early Prey demos, but worked with the guy who did… Well this internal team is really worth losing such an iconic developer?

Seriously, Age of Empires is…. Age of Empires. It’s amazing!

]]> By: Blerk http://www.vg247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/comment-page-1/#comment-26746 Blerk Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:20:15 +0000 http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/#comment-26746 In which case, surely the problem is the projects they're working on and not the team as a whole? In which case, surely the problem is the projects they’re working on and not the team as a whole?

]]> By: Psychotext http://www.vg247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/comment-page-1/#comment-26744 Psychotext Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:17:33 +0000 http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/#comment-26744 Capable, but not necessarily particularly profitable. Business is a bitch. Capable, but not necessarily particularly profitable. Business is a bitch.

]]> By: Blerk http://www.vg247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/comment-page-1/#comment-26743 Blerk Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:15:32 +0000 http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/#comment-26743 But some of the teams they're cutting are really quite capable. After what happened with Bungie I wonder if Lionhead, etc. could eventually end up as second party in a similar manner. And their elite internal team could basically be intended to work as project leaders within contracted teams for single projects. i.e. get Gearbox in to do Halo 4, bung(ie) a couple of Microsoft producers in there to steer them in the right direction. I think we're already seeing this kind of direction from them anyway - look at some of the temporary (or not) third-party stuff they've tied up in the last few years. More cost-effective than developing your own potential (or not) blockbusters internally, surely? But some of the teams they’re cutting are really quite capable. After what happened with Bungie I wonder if Lionhead, etc. could eventually end up as second party in a similar manner.

And their elite internal team could basically be intended to work as project leaders within contracted teams for single projects. i.e. get Gearbox in to do Halo 4, bung(ie) a couple of Microsoft producers in there to steer them in the right direction.

I think we’re already seeing this kind of direction from them anyway – look at some of the temporary (or not) third-party stuff they’ve tied up in the last few years. More cost-effective than developing your own potential (or not) blockbusters internally, surely?

]]> By: Psychotext http://www.vg247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/comment-page-1/#comment-26739 Psychotext Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:08:23 +0000 http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/#comment-26739 Doesn't really gel with what we're seeing Blerk. Lionhead and Rare are hiring and MS are putting together their new elite internal team. Definitely looks like they're cutting as much fat or barely profitable stuff as they can manage though. Doesn’t really gel with what we’re seeing Blerk. Lionhead and Rare are hiring and MS are putting together their new elite internal team.

Definitely looks like they’re cutting as much fat or barely profitable stuff as they can manage though.

]]> By: Blerk http://www.vg247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/comment-page-1/#comment-26738 Blerk Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:05:29 +0000 http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/#comment-26738 My suspicion here is that Microsoft is basically planning to close most of (if not all of) MGS in the near future and instead fund individual projects, either by buying in third-party stuff or hiring teams specifically for a single game. Makes a lot of sense in a way, as you can just pick and choose the projects that look interesting and don't have to continually rely on your own people to do the business every time - just look to see who's hot and grab them on a temporary contract basis. That said, sucks to be a MGS team at the minute. My suspicion here is that Microsoft is basically planning to close most of (if not all of) MGS in the near future and instead fund individual projects, either by buying in third-party stuff or hiring teams specifically for a single game. Makes a lot of sense in a way, as you can just pick and choose the projects that look interesting and don’t have to continually rely on your own people to do the business every time – just look to see who’s hot and grab them on a temporary contract basis.

That said, sucks to be a MGS team at the minute.

]]> By: maven http://www.vg247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/comment-page-1/#comment-26737 maven Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:03:58 +0000 http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/#comment-26737 The "annoying" thing (both in this case and Flagship's) is that both times, the leadership went on to found another studio, although they usually are the ones that are responsible for the less-than-optimal situation they're in in the first place! The “annoying” thing (both in this case and Flagship’s) is that both times, the leadership went on to found another studio, although they usually are the ones that are responsible for the less-than-optimal situation they’re in in the first place!

]]> By: wz http://www.vg247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/comment-page-1/#comment-26734 wz Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:00:20 +0000 http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/09/10/microsoft-closing-ensemble-is-the-right-thing-for-our-business/#comment-26734 Well, of course it is the right thing for your <em>business</em>. That's why you're doing it. Well, of course it is the right thing for your business. That’s why you’re doing it.

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