No More Hi-Fi Rush: Microsoft Axing Tango Has Ruined My Xbox Wishlist
May. 10, 2024Everyone knows the video game industry is volatile. Xbox’s lateststudio shutdownis a case in point. Four major studios, like Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, and more, are vanishing into dust, and gamers worldwide are angry. While I can make my peace with Arkane because of Redfall, Tango Gameworks’ shutdown gets me like no other. As a studio that delivered some of the best games, what happened? Well, let’s talk about that.
Tango Gameworks: 14 Years of Four Amazing Games
As such, the studio immediately started with what Mikami did best: survival horror. Tango further continued its typecast withThe Evil Within, a horror game that launched to critical acclaim and all but earned its respect in gamers’ eyes and hearts.
The success continued with a great sequel,The Evil Within 2. This is when Tango Gameworks showed their potential for creativity and switched directions. Then cameGhostwire: Tokyo, a critically appreciated action-adventure game. After a series of previous games, Tokyo showed gamers the different aspects the studio was willing to try.
Well, a lot of rumors say that Mikami was the soul of Tango, and his leaving might have demoralized the team. Further further rumors suggest that some of Tango Gameworks’ employees joined Mikami and his new studio, Kamuy Inc.
While this rumor has no concrete evidence, Xbox presidentSarah Bondhinted to as to Gameworks was closed down in a Bloomberginterview. When asked about the shutdown, Sarah answered:
“We look at each studio, each game team, variety and factors…. but it all comes back to our long-term commitment to games we create, the devices we built, the services..”
Xbox’s long-term thinking may mean reskinning generic Call of Duty every year and putting all its efforts into its sustainable game direction.Unfortunately, even if the games feel repetitive, they are the right games for Xbox as long as they sell well. An ex-Microsoft/EA person, Brad Hilderbrand, said in a LinkedInpost:
“..games like Hi-Fi Rush, which is incredible mind you, gets a very small bump in revenue from being the hot Game Pass game for a month, then it falls off a cliff when everyone moves onto the next thing. Poor Redfall had it even worse since it launched so rough, it never had a chance.”
As I approach the end and put my love story with Tango Gameworks to rest, there is one hard truth to face. Regardless of how good it was, the fact is thatTango was not what Xbox wanted.
From a business standpoint, the move feels accurate, but I think we all feel for Tango Gameworks, given our love for the games they created with passion. If I had to express it in one word, I would post the same post as Shinji Mikami did after the news, saying, “Sad.”
Will Xbox recover and get what it wants? Only time will tell. But as a gamer and someone who works in the gaming industry, seeing so many creative people let go out of nowhere feels disheartening. What is next for the people who made Hi-Fi Rush? Only time will tell.
I want to know your opinions on this matter. Is Xbox shutting down Tango Gameworks justifiable? Let me know in the comments below!
A gaming nerd who cover all thing video games. Spending time looking through the games and gaming industry was always a dream. Thanks to Beebom, I live it. Once I am done gaming, I write. Once I am done writing, I game.
