FASA's Dev Culture Was "Destroyed" By Microsoft

[Krakn3Dfx]

Link

"The name "FASA Interactive" will be familiar to anyone who loved them some Mechwarrior back in the day. Sadly, they're no more, having been shut down by Microsoft, who bought the company in 1999. Bought then, allegedly, ruined."


This is pretty sad to me, the guys at FASA were good, skilled developers, and it sounds like Microsoft basically dragged them through the mud to get out their game and then shut them down. It's even sadder to think that the same thing probably happened to Ensemble, a company with a long history of awesome, award winning titles.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: Krakn3Dfx
This is pretty sad to me, the guys at FASA were good, skilled developers, and it sounds like Microsoft basically dragged them through the mud to get out their game and then shut them down. It's even sadder to think that the same thing probably happened to Ensemble, a company with a long history of awesome, award winning titles.

I don't think they were dragged through the mud as much as they were incorporated into MS's corporate environment which didn't appreciate that game development was different from OS and Office development and FASA ultimately lost it's identity which was what made them great developers.

Same thing happened with all the EA acquisitions in the 90s...Bullfrog, Origins, etc.

I think Ensembles biggest problem was that they got pigeon-holed as a RTS developer and weren't ever allowed to try something different....again due to the corporate culture.

 

[Injury]

I'd say that whoever decided to sell the company was just as responsible.

Certainly they wouldn't expect that a corporate giant would just let them keep working as is without change.

 

[magomago]

Dude Ensemble peaked IMO with Age of Empires 2.

AOM was still decently solid. Not the greatest, but better than the first AOE I think.

AOE3 just wasn't all that great. The complete making up history annoyed me. Knights of John going to the new world to find the fountain of youth before the Ottomons or the Circle Of Ossus gets to it....Indians walking around town and entirely allied with American Frontiersmen who are fighting the British that decided they want to get in on this action....Jeez its fucking stupid.
AOE2 had the best stories period. The scroll with wonderful 2-D drawings that actually engaged in real historical fiction, and not just b.s. fantasy, was the best. Leave the fantasy to something that is meant to be entirely fantasy like Warcraft or Starcraft yo.

 

[Kromis]

AOE2 was THE SHIT. I've always loved medieval times but AOE2 made me love it even more!

 

[magomago]

Originally posted by: Kromis
AOE2 was THE SHIT. I've always loved medieval times but AOE2 made me love it even more!

Yeah as a RTS I think its still excellent. I've said many a times here that AOE2 & AOE2X must be on the list of the best pc games period, and the expansion really is one of the best, most solid expansion packs ever.

Oh, and let me add AOE3 is annoying because they took away formations in AOE2....unless its hidden somewhere and I can't find it.

edit:

oh let me add...voice acting and the cut scenes were stupid and a step back from AOM.

Iqiruois Indian guy watching his brethern getting slaugthered by the British for 7 seconds. Says in a monotone voice: "I don't think my people can hold off the British much longer". John Black immediately says, "Hold on, we are coming" And both casually walk off the screen as if its tea time...