Microsoft Corp. today announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire Ensemble Studios Inc., the games developer responsible for the top-selling, award-winning Microsoft® "Age of Empires®" game franchise. Under the terms of the agreement, Ensemble Studios will continue to create titles from its Dallas headquarters as part of Microsoft's growing pool of top-tier development talent.
Microsoft and Ensemble Studios have worked closely during the past six years to develop the internationally popular "Age of Empires" franchise for the PC. To date, the "Age of Empires" series has sold approximately 8.5 million licensed units worldwide and has won five Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences awards, including Strategy Game of the Year three times (1997, 1999 and 2000) and PC Game of the Year (1999).
|