The year 2007 marks the tenth anniversary of Ensemble Studios’ real-time strategy game Age of Empires. Two years after the studio was founded in 1995, Microsoft published the hit title. At GCDC 2007, studio head Tony Goodman and designers Brian Sullivan and Bruce Shelley will reunite to recall how they developed the game from its first idea through to the final version. In Leipzig, the founders will look back on their early steps and discuss the difficulties involved in establishing Ensemble Studios. They will cover the challenges of developing such a complex game, finding a suitable publisher and keeping the project together. The studio’s future depended heavily on the success of Age of Empires, which went on to become one of the games industry’s most successful products.
Bruce Shelley said: “Each of us went his own way after 1997. It will certainly be interesting and instructive to hear how the three of us now view the effort involved in developing the first Age of Empires.” In addition to Age of Empires, Shelley worked on Civilization and Railroad Tycoon.
GCDC project director Frank Sliwka said: “Age of Empires marks a milestone in the history of the games industry. Hearing three founders of Ensemble Studios discuss the development process from that time is unique and a highlight of GCDC 2007.”
