Ensemble Studios
Ensemble Studios began work on their first fully 3D engine at the same time as their development of "". Named the BANG! Engine, this was announced in January 2001, for use in a new game, codenamed "RTSIII". "RTSIII" was eventually revealed as "Age of Mythology". In developing "Age of Mythology", Ensemble Studios decided to move away from the center of the "Age of Empires" series history, to avoid becoming stale and repetitive. This allowed them to work with new ideas and concepts.