Responding to claims Ensemble Studios veteran Paul Bettner made during Game Developers Conference 2010, fellow ex-employee Ian Fischer has disputed that the now-defunct development studio "was inefficient and expensive" in an open letter.

"Ensemble Studios, while certainly fond of numerous inefficient development practices, was no costlier or less efficient than any other developer of our caliber during this period of operation," reads a portion of Fischer's rather detailed response. Read more »

This morning, we reported that Microsoft has emphasized its commitment to PC gaming despite its announcement that it would be closing Age of Empires creator Ensemble Studios.

Shane Kim, Microsoft VP of interactive entertainment, echoed the sentiment and went on to assure worried gamers about the future of the multi-million-selling Age of Empires strategy series. "Microsoft continues to own Age of Empires." Kim explained to Edge. "We're still super excited for the potential for the franchise. The Windows gaming world continues to evolve, and we believe in the future of that property." Read more »