The closing of Tango Gameworks shocked a lot of people when it was revealed. While we could see why Xbox shuttered Arkane Austin after the flop of Redfall, Hi-Fi Rush, Tango’s latest game, had done great, making us all scratch our heads.
But, as per Variety’s Strictly Business podcast, Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty tried to explain why that happened. “I won’t get into the real nitty-gritty details on what went into the decision, mostly out of respect for the people there,” he said. “I think the thing to be considered is that for us it’s as much a forward-looking situation as much as it is looking back at one certain game.”
“There are a lot of things that go into success for a game – what leadership do you have, what creative leadership do you have, is the team the same team that shipped something successful previously? We have to look at all of those things together and ask ourselves, are we set up for success going forward? And while there may have been factors or situations that previously led to success, they may not all still be in place as you look at what you’re doing going forward.”
What Booty seems to be implying here is that while Hi-Fi Rush may have delivered on everything Xbox wanted, looking forward the company might not have been sure if Tango could have done it again. Hi-Fi Rush did feel like it came out of nowhere, not just because it was shadow-dropped, but also because the rhythm action genre isn’t usually in Tango’s wheelhouse.
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