Tag Archives: robot entertainment

Robot Entertainment has announced Orcs Must Die, the first original game from the folks who brought you Age of Empires and Halo Wars.

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Microsoft has released a trailer for Age of Empires Online, showing off the Egyptian faction in the game.

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Stop! Don’t lay a finger and/or hammer on that piggy bank! Age of Empires Online, you see, has no need for your nickels and dimes.

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Robot Entertainment is heading to gamescom, meaning it may just show off Project S (Spartan) during Microsoft’s press conference.

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Update: Looks like it’s something to do with actual Spartans and not a Halo related game, according to this piece of art and further confirmation from Examiner.

Original: A survey sent out by Microsoft has the firm enlisting alpha testers for what it describes as a “groundbreaking,” “giant, revolutionary step for PC strategy games”.

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Due to a technical glitch on Xbox Live, the leaderboards for Halo Wars has been wiped clean.

All stats are now back to launch day status, and this includes all singleplayer, multiplayer and Trueskill leaderboards, as well as all matchmaking data.

According to a post on the official Halo Wars website, it’s unknown if the data can be restored. However, the Xbox Live team is investigating the cause, and will provide an update to the situation as soon as possible.

Robot Entertainment issued a statement apologizing for the mess and “any frustration players have experienced in having their statistics disappear from the Leaderboards.”

Grab the link for more.

A Halo Wars add-on called Historic Battles has been announced for July 21.

It will run you 800 MS Points ($10.00) and contains four new maps and four new Achievements.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Barrens (1v1 Map): Difficult terrain channels units into killing zones. The side that controls the Forerunner artifacts will have the advantage.
• Blood River (1v1 Map): Secure base locations on nearby cliffs overlook this naturally red-tinged river. The soldiers that fought over its two narrow crossings gave the river its name, which has since taken on a greater meaning.
• Glacial Ravine (3v3 Map): A snow-topped mountain range forms a natural barrier that cuts this region in half. Control of the two energy walls at the narrow central pass often determines the outcome of the battle, though clever use of the Sentinel Factories may play a role as well.
• Memorial Basin (2v2 Map): The high ground in the middle offers good cover for infantry, while the generally open terrain transforms organized battle plans into bloodbaths.

The four new Achievements worth a total of 100 points are:

• Tour Coming Through: Hot drop 50 squads to your Covenant Leader in a single game on Memorial Basin (30 points)
• Never Leave a Man Behind: Finish a game with 5000 net resources contributed to your teammates on Barrens (15 points)
• Drain Cleaner: Kill 20 enemy squads with a continuous Covenant Leader Power on Memorial Basin (30 points)
• Killjoy: Disrupt 5 active Leader Powers in a single game on Blood River (25 points)

Via The Major.

Robot Entertainment has released a list of fixes included in Title Update 3 for Halo Wars.

It is expected to arrive in just a few weeks, and here’s what you can expect:

Balance Changes

• UNSC Warthogs Gauss cannon damage against tanks and other heavily armored vehicles reduced by 25%
• UNSC Warthogs build time increased by 3 seconds to 25 seconds
• Anders research time bonus decreased to 25% from 50%. Her Research cost bonus remains unchanged at 50%
• Covenant and UNSC turrets have 5% increased health and 5% increased damage
• UNSC Elephants have a 20% more health
• Grenade damage type now has 25% additional damage against Warthogs and other medium armor ground vehicles.
• Recycle basic cost return fixed to be 50% for constructed buildings.
• Locked down bases when unlocked will now release units inside very quickly, which means that when under attack a player can now build a fighting force while locked down and then release them much more quickly than before.
• UNSC Leader powers disabled at the start of Reinforcement Matches
• Players no longer receive points for team killing.
• Self Destructing/Recycling buildings now gives points to opponents

Bug fixes are posted after the jump, courtesy of 1UP.

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A Halo Wars title update’s on the way, according to the game’s official site.

A release window wasn’t provided, but the post said players can expect fixes to some matchmaking bugs, and a few other minor bits.

Two things of note though: the Prophet of Regret’s speed on land will be reduced to match the other leaders, which will help balance the Prophet Rush.

Also, the Flaming Warthog and the Honor Guard Wraith will now be available in multiplayer battles against other players.

Hit the link for more.

Rock Paper Shotgun has listed the new studios formed by now-defunct Ensemble Studios on one pretty page.

It’s a good thing, because we know most people are prone to ADHD, and lists help keep your brain cells organized.

Without further ado, here’s the breakdown:

Robot Entertainment: Started by Ensemble co-founder Tony Goodman in Texas with 45 other Ensemble employees hired on as staff. Currently at work on additional content for Halo Wars, online support for Age of Empires and Halo Wars, and original IP.

Bonfire Studios: Formed by David Rippy and employs 35 staffers. Currently at work on an original, super-secret IP. Promises to have a “strong strategy element” to it.

Windstorm Studios: Dusty Monk wants to bring new life into online gaming. Says new MMO will have brighter colors, cities of glass and steel, and flying cars.

Hope that’s all straightened out.

Robot Entertainment is developing extra content for Halo Wars, as well as providing community support for Age of Empires.

The news was confirmed via press release this morning after word broke over the weekend that ex-Ensemble co-founder Tony Goodman had formed the new company.

“The video game industry is in a state of upheaval,” explained Goodman. “Not 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 industry’s future.”

The studio is currently at work on an original property, and employs 45 other ex-Ensemble staff members.

Press release below.

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Ensemble co-founder Tony Goodman and some of his team members have formed a new development studio, Robot Entertainment.

Ensemble worked mainly with the RTS genre, most notably Age of Empires.  Microsoft purchased the firm in 2001 and then shut it down once Halo Wars was completed.

What’s Robot working on? Undisclosed.

Thanks, Gamasutra