Ex-Ensemble Pottinger Rejoins Old Friends At Bonfire Studios

Dave Pottinger, a key player at Microsoft's now-defunct Ensemble Studios, has rejoined some of his fellow alums at Bonfire Studios, one of the studios built out of Ensemble's ashes. An engine lead and technology director at Ensemble, Pottinger will play a similar role at Bonfire as it ramps up to 2010 with "multiple unannounced projects in the works." Bonfire doesn't specify the nature of its projects but makes special note of the real-time strategy pedigree of its team. "As director of technology and lead designer on Halo Wars, Dave really delivered on AAA quality and that’s been the goal of Bonfire from day one," says David Rippy, president and CEO of Bonfire Studios. Ensemble Studios was founded in 1995, acquired by Microsoft in 2001, and shut down by the company early this year, just after the team completed Halo Wars. Ensemble was best known in the industry as the studio behind the Age of Empires PC strategy series. Ensemble vets have since formed more than one new studio: in addition to Bonfire, which formed shortly after the closure, there's iPhone developer NewToy; Windstorm Studios, at work on its first online game; and Ensemble CEO Tony Goodman's Robot Entertainment. "Bonfire is a team full of old friends that I am looking forward to working with again," says Pottinger. "I think we’re going to blow people away once they see what we’re doing."