Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Ensemble Stuios Moving to Plano

Microsoft Corp.'s Ensemble Studios, creators of the popular "Age of Mythology" strategy game for the PC, plans to relocate its operations to the Shops at Legacy in Plano, according to published reports.

Ensemble's new 50,000-square-foot office will house about 120 employees.
Currently based in an office highrise in Dallas off North Central Expressway, the studio's move is seen as unconventional, being that the new location is in a mixed-use development with a heavy concentration of retail space.

The Shops at Legacy is anchored by the Williams-Sonoma Home store and flanked by numerous restaurants and entertainment venues.
Plano also is home to games development studio Gearbox Software, which worked with Microsoft on the PC adaptation of the first game in the "Halo" series, Microsoft's most successful video game franchise. Ensemble Studios' current headline project, "Halo Wars," is a strategy game for the PC and Microsoft's Xbox 360 console, based on the popular science fiction universe.
Patrick Hudson, executive producer at Ensemble Studios, said the company will shift operations to Plano in April.

This is a big deal for Plano, and phase two of Shops of Legacy will be even better than phase one. The developer told me. Good for us.

No comments: