ABSTRACT
“Normal” meant that the biggest perceived threat to Windows was Sun Microsystems and Java, and, although DirectX had prevailed and the games division was growing, video games and the rising success of PlayStation were mere blips appearing far in the periphery of Microsoft’s strategic radar. Ed Fries soon found gainful, non-game-related employment at Microsoft, and started a career that had nothing at all to do with games for the most part. Tony Garcia had gotten the ball rolling, and he had put together a great team, including Laura Fryer, Shane Kim, Bonnie Ross, Ed Ventura, John Kimmich, Shannon Loftis, and Jon Grande, all of whom continued to have long, successful careers at Microsoft and beyond. The ultimate acquisition of Ensemble Studios and the successful launch of Age of Empires gave Microsoft a clear PC gaming success. The main issue was the wide disparity between the game studio culture and the traditional development culture at Microsoft.
