Zynga acquires Bonfire Studios. Studio to become “Zynga Dallas”
Some very interesting news has just surfaced in the last hour. Bonfire Studios is no more following the acquisition from social gaming giant Zynga. You may recognise Zynga for its incredibly popular (and successful) MySpace and Facebook applications, FarmVille and Mafia Wars. It would seem as though the creative minds at Zynga recognised the talent at Bonfire with many of its staff having heritage from Ensemble Studios. Here is the press release straight from the horses mouth:
Yeehaw! We’re thrilled to announce that Zynga is moving into the world of boots and BBQ today, with the acquisition of Bonfire Studios. Bonfire Studios brings world-class talent and an impressive résumé to the Zynga team, some of their employees having created popular PC and Xbox 360 games, such as Age of Empires, Age of Mythology and Halo Wars. Read more
Halo Wars DLC confirmed titled “Strategic options”
Microsoft has published its news release about the upcoming Halo Wars DLC “Strategic options” . The DLC has been worked on in part by Ensemble Studios and part by Robot Entertainment. Ensemble’s ex Lead Designer Graeme Devine has previously stated that the DLC was nearly finished at the time of shipping.
“The main thing is that DLC was built into the game design from the very beginning so we’ve actually been working on DLC all along, It was never the plan to finish the game THEN start work on the DLC”- Graeme Devine
Robot has been working diligently since the release of the game to make balance patches, bug fixes and complete the testing of the upcoming DLC. Both a title update (a forced download) and the DLC will be made available soon.
No details on the pricing of the DLC of yet, nor an official date has been set but expect to find out very soon. The official press release from Microsoft follows:
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Strategic Options Add-on for Halo Wars
Published April 21, 2009
Halo Wars™, the best selling real-time strategy game on any current generation console, mixes up the battlefield like never before with the Strategic Options Game Add-on Pack, available in the coming weeks exclusively on Xbox 360®.
Build the stronger army in Tug of War.
Strategic Options ushers in the next wave of battle for Halo Wars with three new game modes which dramatically change the multiplayer experience and challenge you to rethink your battle tactics.
Defeat waves of enemies in Reinforcement.
- Keepaway Mode: This is the Halo Wars adaptation of “Capture the Flag.” Teams battle it out to capture a free-roaming Forerunner Sentinel to score points before the other team. Capture three sentinels to claim victory.
- Tug of War Mode: This mode is all about having a stronger army than your opponent. Defeating enemies is essential, but success is determined by a combination of the army, buildings, and resources left standing in the end.
- Reinforcement Mode: All active battle units are provided in successive waves. Adapt to their tactics and use the ever-changing set of units to outwit and outlast the enemy.
Capture the Forerunner in Keepaway.
Strategic Options also adds four new Achievements worth a total of 100 points:
- One and Done: Score the winning point in a game of Keepaway against Legendary A.I.’s
- Pull Hard, Pull Deep: Win and never trail in a Tug of War game
- Freak on a Streak: Gain at least 15 population from a single wave in a Reinforcement game
- Living Loving Bug: Obtain a Scarab during a Reinforcement game
Haven’t tried Halo Wars yet? A free demo is also available on Marketplace. The full-featured demo includes two levels of the Campaign mode, plus a one-on-one Skirmish battle between the USNC and Covenant.
Halo Wars
Set in the iconic Halo universe, Halo Wars predates the original first-person shooter Halo. Experience the early battles between the UNSC and Covenant, the far-reaching conflict that has been diligently followed by the masses in the blockbuster Halo series.
Robot Entertainment: Press Release
Robot Entertainment has updated its website with a press release which can be found below:
Founders of Ensemble Studios Announce Formation of Robot Entertainment
PLANO, Texas – February 17, 2009 – Robot Entertainment announced today the formation of its new game development studio in Plano, Texas. Founded by many of the original founders of Ensemble Studios, Robot has a staff of 45 comprised entirely of former Ensemble employees. Robot’s team developed the hit franchise Age of Empires™, selling over 20 million units worldwide, and the soon-to-be released Halo Wars for Xbox 360™. Tony Goodman, the founder of Ensemble, is the CEO of Robot.
“The video game industry is in a state of upheaval,” said Mr. 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.”
Robot Entertainment is working with Microsoft Game Studios to develop additional content for Halo Wars and support online gaming and community for both Age of Empires and Halo Wars. Additionally, Robot is developing its own original IP.
About Robot Entertainment
Based in Plano, Texas, Robot Entertainment is a world-class independent game development studio owned and operated by many of the founders of Ensemble Studios. With a team that has proven experience and expertise in creating games that appeal to massive audiences, Robot Entertainment is focused on titles that set new standards for their respective genres as well as groundbreaking original IPs. Robot can be found on the web at www.robotentertainment.com.
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CONTACT:
contact .@. robotentertainment.com