Ensemble founder pleased by spin-off studios

Shelley admits giref

Bruce Shelley, founder of long-time RTS developer Ensemble, has said he is proud that former staffers of the now defunct studio have gone on to launch new start-ups. Robot Entertainment and Bonfire Studios have been forged from the ashes of the Microsoft-closed developer.

Chatting at the DICE summit, Shelley was candid, stating his belief that bad hiring, mediocre quality and canceled projects were to blame for the firm's closure, as were forays into non-RTS genres (most notably the canned Halo MMO).

"It's a sad day, but this is business,” Shelley explained. "Maybe we didn't do some things very well. We were shocked, but we've gone through the stages of grief and now we're looking for a new direction."

More on Robot and Bonfire as we get it.

By Luke Guttridge